Nutrition is what all cells and organisms need to sustain life, and is derived from food. It is recognized that some foods are better than others in providing nutrition that is not just able to keep us alive, but that will keep us healthier and alive for longer.
A poor diet (and, therefore, poor nutrition) can lead to disease, and ultimately death. A good diet has been broken down into different components and it is important that these components, or groups, are eaten in a balanced manner. There are six major groups of nutrients and they are:
• Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates make a huge part of some foods such as bread, potatoes, rice, noodles and products with grains in them. They can be further broken down into monosaccharides, polysaccharides and disaccharides depending on how many units of sugar they contain.
• Fats
Fat is necessary in the diet but in much smaller amounts than the majority of those in the western world currently consume. Too much fat can lead to obesity, heart disease and type two diabetes, for example.
• Protein
Muscles, skin and hair are animal body structures that have protein as their basis and is vital if good nutrition is to be maintained. Protein can be found in many foods, for example meat, eggs, pulses, milk and cheese.
• Minerals
Minerals are chemical elements and are needed by all living organisms. It is recommended that they are included in the diet in a natural way, by eating foods that contain them rather than taking them as a supplement.
• Vitamins
There are many different vitamins that are necessary to good nutrition and they can be found in the majority of the foods that we eat, unless they are highly processed foods full of fat, sugar and chemicals.
• Water
Water is essential to life; without water living organisms would soon become dehydrated and eventually die.
A poor diet (and, therefore, poor nutrition) can lead to disease, and ultimately death. A good diet has been broken down into different components and it is important that these components, or groups, are eaten in a balanced manner. There are six major groups of nutrients and they are:
• Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates make a huge part of some foods such as bread, potatoes, rice, noodles and products with grains in them. They can be further broken down into monosaccharides, polysaccharides and disaccharides depending on how many units of sugar they contain.
• Fats
Fat is necessary in the diet but in much smaller amounts than the majority of those in the western world currently consume. Too much fat can lead to obesity, heart disease and type two diabetes, for example.
• Protein
Muscles, skin and hair are animal body structures that have protein as their basis and is vital if good nutrition is to be maintained. Protein can be found in many foods, for example meat, eggs, pulses, milk and cheese.
• Minerals
Minerals are chemical elements and are needed by all living organisms. It is recommended that they are included in the diet in a natural way, by eating foods that contain them rather than taking them as a supplement.
• Vitamins
There are many different vitamins that are necessary to good nutrition and they can be found in the majority of the foods that we eat, unless they are highly processed foods full of fat, sugar and chemicals.
• Water
Water is essential to life; without water living organisms would soon become dehydrated and eventually die.
