Do you want to eat healthily, but you don’t know what it means? No wonder! There are a lot of myths around food. What should you eat and what should you avoid? We have prepared a pill with the most important tips for you. Find out what the rules of healthy eating are!
Healthy food
Healthy food is one that provides adequate nutrition for the body. It should be balanced so that no ingredient is missing from the diet. It is also crucial to provide food with the amount of energy that will be individually tailored to your needs. In determining the need for energy and individual ingredients, the dieticians of the Respo Centre will help you.
When reaching for products on store shelves, choose healthy, nutritious food, preferably with a simple composition. Are you wondering if it’s worth reaching for “light” products? How do you know if the composition is good? If you don’t know how to read product labels, be sure to check out the guide Product labels – how to read, the most important information and what to look for to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy food.
Macro and micronutrients
What does it mean that a diet is nutritious? This means that it contains the right amount of macronutrients as well as vitamins and minerals. Healthy food should not lead to any deficiencies, and the key is to take care of the proper composition of meals.
When planning meals for the patients, dieticians take into account not only the energy value of the diet, but also the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. They also make sure that the demand for micronutrients and macronutrients is covered as accurately as possible.
Why is it so important? Macro and micronutrients are also known as minerals or micronutrients. They perform many functions in the body, m.in they are a building material, they are part of hemoglobin, they participate in maintaining water-electrolyte and acid-base balance, and they affect the work of the nervous and muscular systems.
Minerals are macronutrients and micronutrients due to the amount of nutrient that we must provide with the diet to cover the demand:
if the daily requirement for a given element is more than 100 mg, it is a macronutrient,
If it is lower than 100 mg, we call it a micronutrient.
Micronutrients
The most important macronutrients are: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium and magnesium. When it comes to micronutrients, examples are: iron, fluorine, zinc, copper, iodine, manganese, selenium and chromium.
Micronutrients in the body have many functions, and their supply with food is essential for health. Below you will find some examples of the role that some micronutrientsplay:
- iron – is a part of hemoglobin, transports oxygen in the blood, supports brain function
- zinc – is a component of enzymes, affects the synthesis of blood cells, hormones and is responsible for the proper functioning of the skin and mucous membranes [4],
- iodine – participates in the formation of thyroid hormones, has a protective effect in inflammatory and cancer processes
- copper – participates in the formation of red blood cells, supports brain function, affects the condition of the skin, hair and nails
As you can see, it’s a good idea to include all macro and micronutrients in your diet. The key is a properly balanced menu based on the principles described below.
Macronutrients
Macronutrients are compounds made of, m.in, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, sodium, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, calcium, chlorine and magnesium. However, individual macronutrients differ in their chemical structure and perform different functions in the body. All of them are necessary for its proper operation. There are 3 basic macronutrients in the human diet:
- Carbohydrates
It is the main source of energy for the body. Carbohydrate products contain fiber, which has a beneficial effect on bowel function. Carbohydrates are divided into simple and complex.
The first ones sharply raise blood glucose levels, so there should be less of them in the diet than complex carbohydrates. Sources of simple sugars are, m.in: sweets, sugar, honey, juices and drinks, fruit preserves.
Complex carbohydrates should be one of the main components of the diet. They take longer to digest than simple sugars, are a better source of energy, and don’t raise blood sugar levels as rapidly. You can find them in, for example, whole grain bread, oatmeal, coarse groats, whole grain pasta and some vegetables.
- Fats
They are a source of energy and a carrier of vitamins A, D, E and K. They support the functioning of the brain, immune and nervous systems. However, in order to reap their benefits, it is worth reaching for unsaturated fats. You can find them in: fatty fish, vegetable oils, seeds and nuts, and avocados.
Among the food products, there are also those that are a source of saturated fatty acids. Limit the amount of them in your diet, as they raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Their sources are: fatty meats and cold cuts, butter, lard, fatty dairy products, palm and coconut oil.
A subgroup of unsaturated fats are trans fats. They can be found primarily in processed foods: fast-food, sweets, sweet pastries and meat preparations.
- Proteins
They are the basic building blocks of all cells and tissues. They are involved in muscle contraction, accelerate wound healing, take part in the synthesis of hormones or are part of immune bodies. Protein sources in the diet are divided into plant and animal.
The sources of vegetable protein in the diet are: legumes and their products (e.g. lentils, soybeans, tofu) as well as groats and seeds. On the other hand, protein of animal origin can be found in: meat, fish, eggs, milk and milk products.
The need for macronutrients is an individual matter and depends, m.in on, for example, lifestyle, health or physical activity. It is assumed, however, that in the daily menu of a healthy adult, the distribution of macronutrients should be similar to the following:
carbohydrate content – 45-60%,
amount of fat – 20-35%,
amount of protein – 15-25% of energy from the diet.
