Profile
: Carbohydrates
Role
: Carbohydrates are
your body’s preferred source of energy 
– your muscles, brain and other
tissues rely heavily on a continued supply of carbs to satisfy immediate and
long-term energy demands. During anaerobic(quick) exercises like resistance
training, the body relies mostly on carbs for fuel and the amount you have
stored in your body will affect stamina and performance.
Carbs
currencies and storage :
carbohydrate consumed are broken down into glucose, a simple blood sugar
that’s transported throughout the body. Glucose can also be stored in the
liver and muscle issue as glycogen. This stored form of sugar accounts for 99.5g
of all carbohydrate energy in the body. The average 175-pound stores about 2,000
calories(500g) of carbohydrate in one of these forms
Types
of Carbs
Simple
Carb :
Simple sugars,
which don’t need to be broken down, are 
best consumed post-exercise to quickly
replace spent energy sources. They include glucose(simple sugars, the end
product of all carb breakdown), sucrose(common table sugar), fructose(fruit),
galactose(milk) and maltose(malt sugar).
Complex
Carbs : Formed when
multiple simple sugars combine, these carbs should constitute the greatest
percentage of your daily carb intake. The complex bonds make them ideal for
prolonged energy demands, such as in breads, pasta, rice and legumes.
Fibre(complex carvbs that aren’t digested but are important for health) and
glycogen(when you eat red meat, for example, you’re getting a form of
glycogen)
Facts
: Carbohydrates don’t
make you fat! All things equal, chronically overconsuming fat and total calories
will make you fat. Radically overconsuming carbs, however, such as getting more
than 70% energy from carbs, has been shown to increase risk of developing
diabetes. Yet, not getting enough carbs can place musble gains, metabolism and
energy at risk
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:
Protein
Role : Protein,
when broken down in your body to form amino acids, the primary matter for tissue
building and repair. Amino acids, are key to such bodily functions such as
production of cells and hormones, fighting infections and aiding neurological
activity!
Types
of Amino Acids : The human
body uses about 20 amino acids for growth and repair. They are as follows :
Essential
Amino Acids : Your body
can’t make them on its own, or does so in insufficient amounts, so they must
be consumed in the diet
Conditionally
Essential Amino Acids :
Some amino acids may be either essential or not, depending on the circumstances.
For example, if the supply of essential aminos in your diet is limited, other
aminos can become essential.
Nonessential
Amino Acids : Your body
has the ability to synthesise these amino acids from other aminos, fat or carbs.
Therefore, you don’t need to worry about foods rich in these types of aminos
Types
of Protein
Complete Protein :
Contains all essential Amino Acids. A diet high in animal protein generally has
plenty of complete proteins..
Incomplete Protein
: Deficient in one or
more of the essential amino acids. You can create a complete protein by
combining incomplete proteins{e.g. milk and cereal}. Plant foods/legumes/beans
are generally incomplete
Best
Sources of Protein :
·
Skinless chicken or
turkey breast
·
Lean cuts of beef
·
Egg whites
·
Fish
·
Low-fat dairy
products
·
Protein supplements
Profile
:
Fat
Role : Also
called Lipids, fat serves six major functions in the body
·
Large, concentrated
energy reserve
·
Protects your organs
·
An insulation that
keeps you warm
·
Transporter of
fat-soluble vitamins A,D,E,K
·
Supplier of
essential fatty acids. The latter is crucial because without fat, your body
couldn’t synthesise enough of certain hormones (such as testosterone) and the
structure of your cells would suffer
·
Enchances the
flavour and taste of food. Promotes feeling of fullness.
Types
of Fat
Saturated
Fats :
Found in animal
foods such as meat, poultry and eggs, full-fat dairy and tropical oils. This is
the type of fat that deposites in arteries with LDL(BAD) cholesterol,
contributing towards heart disease and some cancers. Keep it to a minimum!
Polyunsaturated
Fats :
Found in
vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, corn) and fatty dish, they provide
linoleic and linolenic acids which are essential for good health.
Monounsaturated
Fats : Also, found in
vegetable oils (olive, peanut, canola) these ‘GOOD’ fats should form the
majority of your fat intake.
CHOLESTEROL
: Natural component of
animal tissue. Important for bodily functions – sex hormones, but also
increases risk of health problems.
Storage
of Fat
More
than 97% of fat energy is stored in the form of adipose tissue. The other forms
can be found in the blood and within muscle tissue. An average 175-pound man
stores about 111,740 kcals (12,300 grams) of fat in one of the those forms..
Profile
:
Fibre
Fiber
comes from plant foods. It is the part of plant food that the body cannot
digest. Such as the skin of an apple and the dry leaf like outer skin of the
vegetable of certain vegetables, fruits and seeds. Experts recommend at least 25
to 30 grams per day. Most are eating only 10 to 15 grams per day.
Healthy intestines and regular elimination require adequate fiber,
mostly from complex carbohydrates. A diet low in fiber can result in
constipation, intestinal disorders, varicose veins, obesity, and heart disease.
The best way to get fiber is through unprocessed high fiber foods,
which are low in fat and packed with vitamins and minerals. Below are some good
sources of fiber.
