Nutrition, Decoded

What kind of nutrition do we need? When nutritionists refer to all the nutrients needed in our system, they usually separate them into two main categories: Macronutrients and Micronutrients. Macronutrients are needed in large amounts, while micronutrients are only needed in small amounts. Learn more about examples of Macro/Macronutrients below.

Macronutrients

Carbohydrates (Recommended 45-65% of Daily Calories)

Sugar
Sugar is also known as a simple carbohydrate, which means it can be digested into glucose quite easily, thus leading to sharp spikes of sugar levels. This is one of the reasons why drinks and food containing a lot of these simple carbohydrates are bad for your body. (Found in table sugar, juice, syrup, and highly processed and packaged foods (e.g., soda, cakes, candies, cookies)
Fiber
Fibers are complex carbohydrates, which are a lot of simple carbohydrate tied together, that the body can't digest. This characteristic that seems to be bad actually serves many important roles like helping prevent constipation, overeating, and overly rapid sugar absorption. (Found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, peas, and others)
Starches
Also a complex carbohydrate, starches serve as excellent sources of sugar, basically energy. It is easily one of the most common source of energy to humans. (Found in rice, wheat, and oats, potatoes, corn, and peas, and others)

Fats (Lipids) (Recommended 25-35% of Daily Calories)

Saturated fat
These are oftenly called as "bad" fats, since eating a lot of these led to overly increased LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. (Found in meat and full-fat dairy)
Unsaturated fat
On the other hand, these are called "good" fats, and these can conversely lower LDL cholesterol levels. (Found in plant sources and fatty fish (e.g., salmon)

Proteins (Recommended10% - 30% of Daily Calories)

Proteins are basically needed in almost every function of the body; hormones, growth, cell function, cell healing, you name it. They serve an essential role in muscle healing, which is why those trying to gain muscle (like bodybuilders) are crazy for protein. Protein can be found in eggs, meat, fish, dairy products, and many others.

Vitamins

Vitamins are a group of substances that are needed for normal cell function, growth, and development. They serve many functions, such as Vitamin A, which acts as a regulator of cell and tissue growth; Vitamin D, which has a hormone-like function, and the B complex vitamins, which function as enzyme cofactors (coenzymes) or the precursors for them.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps your immune system work properly, your vision in dim light, and your skin and the lining stay healthy. (Found in cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk and yoghurt, and livers)
Vitamin B
Uniquely, vitamin B has many types, too many to cover, in fact. Types include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folate, and folic acid.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps keep cells healthy; maintain healthy skin, blood vessels, bones, and cartilage; and wound healing. Typically found in fruit and vegetables such as oranges, peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, and potatoes.)
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, which keeps bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. (Found in oily fish, meat, egg yolks, and of course, it can be made through sunlight, but that will be discussed more later)
Vitamin E
Vitamin E helps maintain healthy skin, eyes, and the immune system. It can be found in plant oils, nuts, and seeds.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps blood to clot when a wound appears. It can be found in green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, and cereal grains.

Micronutrients

Minerals

Minerals serve all kinds of roles in the body, and a great variation of minerals are needed in our system. Those minerals include major minerals like sodium, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur and trace minerals like iron, zinc, chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, and selenium.

A few important minerals:

Calcium
Calcium is perhaps the most famous for helping build bones and keep teeth healthy. It also regulates muscle contractions, including the heart. (Found in dairy foods, green leafy vegetables (except spinach, since the body cannot digest it all), and bread)
Iodine
Iodine helps make thyroid hormones. These help cells and the metabolic rate healthy. (Found in dairy products, eggs, sea fish, and shellfish)
Iron
Iron is important for making red blood cells. (Found in meat, beans, dried fruit, cereals, soy bean, and flour)

Most people don't think about the vitamins found in their food or why whole foods are important to consume for our nutrition. Below are some examples of beneficial foods for well-rounded nutrition.

Some of the Most Beneficial Foods

Eggs
Eggs are already very famous for their high protein content and they have all nine essential amino acids. Eggs also contain many types of vitamins, and listing other benefits would take 10 more paragraphs to complete.
Popcorn
Don't get too excited. The caramel and butter popcorn are filled with saturated fats, which are unhealthy for you. However, plain popcorn has high fiber content, making it healthy and helpful to consume without gaining much weight.
Greek Yogurt
Generally, dairy products are very nutritious, and greek yogurt is considered one of the best of them. Greek yogurt not only has high protein and probiotic content, but it also has an abundant source of various vitamins and minerals.

Other types of nutritious foods include meat, soup, fish, oatmeal, legumes, fruits, and extra virgin olive oil.

A Note About Nutritional Supplements

There are pros and cons to taking nutritional supplements, which I will cover below:

PRO:

They are convenient, being easy to take and transport.
They are relatively inexpensive compared to a day's worth of healthy food
Can be very beneficial for people with dietary restrictions, or in older adults who might have decreased nutrient absorption or chronic conditions that necessitate higher intake of certain nutrients.

CONS:

You should always do your research about specific supplement brands. Many supplements make bold claims but lack scientific studies showing that they are effective.
Supplements are less strictly regulated than prescription drugs in the U.S., therefore some products may not contain the ingredients at the concentrations that are advertised.
High doses of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and minerals (iron, calcium) can be dangerous. They build up in the body and can cause harm. (Example: Too much vitamin A can damage the liver and increase fracture risk.)
Supplements can interfere with the effectiveness of prescription drugs or have negative interactions with other supplements currently being taken. Always talk to a doctor about the supplements you are taking so they can best guide your health plan.
Relying on supplements instead of a balanced diet misses out on the synergy of whole foods. Fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants that work together in ways supplements cannot fully replicate.

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