tHE NUTRENTS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE GROWTH AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR BODY
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Nutrients are vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and water. These six essential nutrients are something we all need for growth, energy, and for maintenance and repair of our cells.
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1) Water
Does anyone know what our bodies are made of?(Bodies are made of bones, blood, muscle, fat, WATER.) Water is a nutrient that makes up 60% of our body weight. It is important in many functions, it is part of every cell in every tissue in the body. Water carries other nutrients to all parts of the body, it carries waste out of the body and it helps to regulate body temperature.
When you run or play sports your body heats up pretty quickly. Who sweats a lot when they are outside playing??? Your body starts to sweat as a way to get rid of the heat. When the sweat evaporates on your skin your body and blood get cool. It is very important to replace the fluid that is lost by sweating so your body does not become dehydrated. If you get dehydrated the body cannot cool itself anymore and your performance will drop. Without enough water, whether you are exercising or sitting all day, you are at risk for dehydration which can be fatal.
*About eight 8 ounce glasses are needed each day just to keep our body working properly.
2) Protein
Protein is a nutrient used to make and repair our body cells (like blood and muscle cells). About 1/2 of your dry body weight is protein. If you do not eat enough carbohydrates, protein will be changed to carbohydrates so that you can get energy. If you eat too much protein, the extra amount will be changed into fat and stored in your muscles to use later. Your body cannot store protein as protein so you need to eat some every day. Your muscles need some protein every day especially if you play sports, run or exercise. Taking in the right amount of protein can help build strong muscles. Can you name some foods that are high in protein?(chicken, meat, seafood, milk, eggs, cheese, nuts, dried beans and peas).
3) Carbohydrate
What do you think of when you hear the word carbohydrate??? ENERGY! Carbohydrates are the primary (number one) source of energy for our bodies. With enough carbohydrates, the protein and fat that we eat can do their jobs. If you remember our study of the food guide pyramid you'll remember that the carbohydrates were the largest group on the bottom of the pyramid.
If we do not eat enough carbohydrates, the protein and fat that we eat have to be used for energy and cannot do their jobs of promoting growth and activity. Growing children need a bit more carbohydrates because you are more active and your bodies are still developing.
There are two types of carbohydrates, do you know the difference??? SIMPLE and COMPLEX carbohydrates. Can you name some foods that are high in carbohydrates? (breads, cereal, pasta, fruits, jelly, vegetables, sugar, honey) The difference between these groups is that the simple carbohydrates are in a simple sugar form like jelly, jam, honey, sugar; while the complex carbohydrates have to be broken down by the body through digestion before they are in the simple form. It is recommended that we get most of our energy from the complex carbohydrate group because the length of time it takes to absorb the nutrient provides energy for a longer time. Some complex carbohydrates include breads, pasta, fruits, and vegetables.
Sugar While we are talking about SIMPLE carbohydrates lets focus on sugar. Sugar is a source of calories but it has NO nutrients at all. It provides no vitamins or minerals only empty calories. Do you think it would be a good idea to get all of your calories from sugary foods??? (NO) This would keep you from getting any vitamins, minerals, and protein that your body needs to be healthy and strong! Another big problem with sugar is that it causes tooth decay. If you left a tooth sitting in a glass of water with sugar you would see how it eats away at the tooth, leaving holes and brown decay. Natural sugars are a great substitute for sweet treats. Instead of candy or soda you could have fresh fruit or fruit juice.
Fiber Some of those COMPLEX carbohydrates we were talking about have another benefit. They are high in fiber. Fiber is the plant material that cannot be digested by your body. It is best seen as the "strings" in celery or the veins in a lettuce leaf. Because we can't digest it, it passes through our body and helps to move all the other food and nutrients along with it. This is very good because it helps prevent heart disease, cancer of the intestines, diabetes and obesity. High-fiber diets are usually low in fat and very filling. Some high-fiber foods are fruits with seeds and peels, vegetables, beans, and whole grain cereals.