Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts: by Scott Canipe

Nutrition is essential for every human being. Understanding nutrition facts and incorporating them in a diet is necessary for ideal health and physical fitness. When one does this, he or she can nourish the body adequately and optimal health will be the result.

Too many people are addicted to “junk food” which has very little or no nutritional value at all. Vitamin deficiency runs paramount within the bodies of people that ingest junk food on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, junk food is the major cause of many well-known health related illnesses.

In today’s society, we are all inundated by the latest fad diet or those supposed miracle foods. Most of what is purported on television and the mass media is mostly hype, a perversion of the truth, and an effort to deceive the public for monetary purposes. But truth does exist.

The intent of this section of achieve-personal-growth.com is to provide a knowledgeable pathway to other pages regarding diet and nutrition facts. The following will be covered to help one have a sound diet which will enable them to achieve personal growth regarding their health. Click on the links below for more detailed information:

The importance of nutrition and diet with regards to health.
The super foods that are typically neglected by mainstream culture. How these super foods can maximize one’s health.
Fast food nutrition - Since we live in a high paced world that requires nourishment on the run, there will be pages on fast food nutrition facts.
Popular diets that work and the benefits of them.

HCG Diet

Free health calculators to measure one’s fitness levels.

What is Nutrition?

Nutrition can be defined in several ways. However, a well-rounded definition that sums it up: the process of the body consuming nutrients from food sources and uses them for specific biological needs. These nutrients supply the body with energy, facilitate growth, and repair tissues that have been torn down from the daily stresses of life and exercise to promote physical fitness.

Nutrition is broken down into three categories of nutrients. In each category there exist subcategories. The following is a list of these groupings:

Macronutrients – These are the nutrients that are found in large amounts. Hence, the name “macro” is applied. They make up the bulk of our nutritional needs. Macronutrients come from plants and animals. There are three macronutrients:

Proteins – Made up of 20 different amino acids (nonessential and essential), which are responsible for tissue repair and cellular growth. 1 g of protein equals 4 calories.
Carbohydrates – Made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Gives the body fuel as it can be converted into glucose. There are simple carbohydrates (sugars) and complex carbohydrates (starches). 1 g of carbohydrate equals 4 calories.
Fats – A source of energy in a concentrated form that transports fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K throughout the body. There are saturated fats (solid at room temperature) and unsaturated fat (typically liquid at room temperature). 1 g of fat equals 9 calories.

Micronutrients – Micronutrients are the counterpart to macronutrients. They are found in smaller quantities and regulate metabolism and other functions of the body. There are three of them:

Vitamins – Comes from a number of sources, including exposure to sunlight, includes plant and animal resources, and, oddly, bacteria in the intestines. There are 13 essential vitamins: vitamin A; the vitamin B complex, which includes riboflavin, folic acid, thiamine, niacin, B12 pantothenic acid, B6, and biotin; vitamins C, D, E, and K. These crucial vitamins assist in turning food into energy for many bodily functions.
Minerals – They accommodate the cellular process by maintaining fluids and digestive juices. Furthermore, they are imperative for the facilitation of many physiological systems. Minerals do not come from plants or animals originally. Rather, they come from water or soil. Magnesium, chlorine, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, and sodium are the essential minerals that the body needs.
Trace Minerals – These are needed but in small amounts. They include: copper, selenium, cobalt, iron, iodine, chromium, fluorine, molybdenum, manganese, and zinc.

Water - This compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). It is a requisite for life. It is colorless, tasteless, and odorless. 78% of the body is made up of water. This is the third component to nutrition.

Vitamin Deficiency

It is necessary that one understand nutrition facts and implement a sound diet that is conducive for health and physical fitness.Unfortunately, many people have very little knowledge of this and are malnourished. This malnourishment results from vitamin deficiency and other nutrient shortages. The ramifications of this can be disastrous toward one’s health.

These ill-fated people suffer from a variety of disorders and have little energy and do not understand why. Without adequate nutrition, diseases form and infiltrate the body. Nutritional deficiencies can result in the following:

Anemia
Osteomalacia
Rickets
Diabetes
Anorexia
Scurvy
Osteoporosis
Marasmus
Kwashiorkor
Beriberi
Goiter
Hypothyroidism

The above list depicts overwhelming diseases. They can affect all of mankind from all walks of life. If one is not enlightened to nutrition facts and how to follow a healthy meal plan, he or she could possibly face one of these illnesses, which will result in unmitigated misery and can cause death.

Sufficient servings of macronutrients, micronutrients, and water will repel these maladies and keep the person in a healthy state to facilitate mental and physical fitness.

Adequate nutrition is imperative for prime health. One must have the knowledge of nutrition facts to create a comprehensive and effective diet. People are what they eat and it is very important to pursue a healthy lifestyle. One needs to dispel junk food and embrace foods that are conducive for health and wellness.

Healthy foods will provide boundless energy, assist in aging well, and ward off diseases. Learn this section of the website thoroughly, for it gives incredible insight to accomplishing a point of well-being and achieving personal growth regarding nutrition facts and diet.

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