Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Breaking down what we eat! Let’s go back to basics.

In this series, we go back to basics, clear the air, provide some simple explanations and examples to help you understand what you are eating!

So let’s start with the very first question:

What is food?

Food is fuel for the body. By eating and drinking we provide nutritional support for the body. Food helps maintain life, growth and repair.

Food is usually of a plant or animal origin and contains macronutrients and micronutrients.

What are Macronutrients?

Proteins, Carbohydrates & Fats

What are Micronutrients?

Vitamins (A, C, E, etc.), minerals (Magnesium, Calcium etc.), trace elements (zinc, manganese, Selenium, etc.), amino acids (Taurine, L-Carnitine, etc.) and other essential nutrients.

Source: List of Micronutrients

What is an Essential Nutrient?

Definition:  a nutrient required by the body for normal body functioning that either cannot be synthesized (to be made: make, especially chemically) by the body at all, or cannot be synthesized in amounts adequate for good health and thus must be obtained from a dietary source. These include vitamins, dietary minerals, essential fatty acids and essential amino acids.

Source: Essential Nutrients

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