| Below is some basic
nutritional information. If you have a question about nutrition
feel free to contact us at Ask The Trainer. NYC Fitness Experts
offer complete nutritional consultations and
nutrition programs.
NYC Fitness Experts Nutrition Basics
6 Essential nutrients
Water
Vitamins
Minerals
Carbohydrates
Fat
Protein
What is a
calorie and what calories do
Number of calories needed
Reading labels
Eating Tips
Water:
Water is the most abundant substance in
your body. Water constitutes approximately 70% -75% of your
total body weight.
Drinking water helps nearly every part of
the human body function. Considering that our flesh vessels are
almost 50-80% water, depending on how much body fat you have,
understanding its important role in our lives can be a fountain
of health. Water makes up more than 75% of your brain, 80% of
your blood and 70% of lean muscle. Absolutely every system in
the human body depends on water. Water regulates body
temperature, removes wastes, carries much-needed oxygen and
nutrients to your cells, helps cushion your joints, prevents
chronic constipation, alleviates the burden on your
already-stressed kidneys and liver, helps reduce headaches and
dizziness, aids in digestion and dissolves vitamins, minerals
and other nutrients so you can utilize them better.
Water helps gives structure and form to the body, it allows an
environment necessary for cell metabolism, and provides a way
for the body to maintain a stable temperature. All the water
outside the body cells is called extracellular fluid.
The majority of extracellular fluid is contained in the blood
plasma. Water inside the cells is called intracellular
fluid and composes the majority of the body's total
water weight.
Vitamins:
In general, the body can not manufacture vitamins and
therefore they must be supplied by the diet. They have no
energy value but are important as a component to almost all
metabolic reactions. Vitamins aid in the development of body
structures and help convert fat and carbohydrates into energy.
There are two classes of vitamins, fat soluble and water
soluble.
| |
Food Sources |
Functions |
Deficiency |
Toxicity |
| Vitamin
A |
fortified milk, cheese, butter, liver, eggs, dark green
leafy vegetables, deep orange fruits and vegetables |
healthy eyes, skin and bones; hormone synthesis |
poor teeth and bone growth; night blindness, diarrhea |
joint pain, dry and itchy skin, cracked lips, nausea and
vomiting, weight loss |
| Vitamin D |
fortified milk, eggs, liver, synthesis with sunlight |
strong bones and teeth |
misshapen bones in children, softening of bones in
adults and bone fractures |
kidney stones, fatigue, calcification of soft tissue |
|
Vitamin E |
vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables, whole-grain
products, egg yolk |
antioxidant, stabilizes cell membranes |
anemia, weakness |
dizzy, weakness, increase effect of anticlotting
medications |
| Vitamin K |
green leafy vegetables, cabbage, cauliflower, liver,
made by bacteria in intestines |
blood clotting |
hemorrhaging (bleeding problems) |
possible jaundice (yellowing of skin), interfere with
anticlotting medications |
| Thiamin |
pork, organ meats, legumes, nuts, whole grains, enriched
cereal |
used in energy metabolism; nerves, tissue, and muscles
depend on them |
edema, heart damage, weakness, confusion, paralysis |
rapid pulse, weakness, headache, insomnia |
| Riboflavin |
dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, whole
grains and enriched bread and cereal |
used in energy metabolism; healthy skin, supports vision |
eyes sensitive to sun, skin rash, cracks at corners of
mouth |
|
| Niacin |
meat, milk, eggs, poultry, fish, whole grains, enriched
bread and cereal, nuts |
used in energy metabolism; healthy skin, nervous system
and digestive system |
weakness, dizzy, lose appetite, confusion, diarrhea,
rash |
swollen tongue, rash, low blood pressure, diarrhea,
nausea and vomiting |
| Vitamin B6 |
meat, poultry, fish, whole grains, enriched bread and
cereal, legumes, green and leafy vegetables |
used in amino acid and fatty acid metabolism; helps form
red blood cells, healthy nervous system |
skin disorders, anemia, cracks in corners of mouth,
convulsions, muscle twitching |
damages nerves, weakness, bloating |
| Vitamin B12 |
meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese |
helps form new cells, healthy nervous system |
anemia, fatigue |
|
| Folate |
legumes, liver, leafy green vegetables, beans, nuts |
helps form new cells |
anemia, smooth red tongue, diarrhea, constipation,
infections, confusion, weakness |
diarrhea, problems sleeping, can mask a B12 deficiency |
| Biotin |
liver, egg yolk, green vegetables; in many foods |
used in energy and amino acid metabolism, fat synthesis
and breakdown |
fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle pain, dry and scaly
skin |
|
| Pantothenic Acid |
meats, eggs; and in many foods |
used in energy metabolism |
fatigue, vomiting |
diarrhea |
| Vitamin C |
citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes, melons, dark green
leafy vegetables, cabbage, strawberries, potatoes |
antioxidant, help with wound healing, strengthen
resistance to infection |
anemia, infections, sore gums, muscle pain, joint pain |
nausea, diarrhea, fatigue |
Minerals:
Minerals are
inorganic substances (unnatural and man made) and they regulate
processes within the body. Minerals are incorporated into
different structures within the body to create enzymes,
hormones, skeletal bones, skeletal tissues, teeth and fluids.
Calcium and phosphorus are the two most common minerals found in
the body. Some of the other prevalent minerals found in the body
are; iron, zinc, sodium, potassium, magnesium, fluoride, sulfur,
copper, and chloride.
If mineral
levels are overabundant in the body, such as sodium, they may
facilitate negative effects in the body. High sodium levels may
elevate blood pressure. If mineral levels are inadequate in the
body, such as iron, they may facilitate negative effects in the
body. Low iron levels in women can produce anemia (a deficiency
in blood iron levels). Anemia can restrict oxygen and carbon
dioxide removal from the cells. Low calcium levels can
facilitate irregular muscle contractions, bone density loss,
blood clotting and improper brain functioning.
Carbohydrates:
These are the chief source of
energy for body functioning and muscle activity. Carbohydrates
are necessary for the regulation of protein and fat metabolism.
The main carbohydrates found in foods are sugars, starches and
fiber. Simple sugars are found in fruits, honey
and refined sugar and are easily digested. Starches
are more complex and are found in plants, vegetables and grains.
These more complex carbohydrates require greater digestive
action to be broken down into simple sugars. Fiber,
although contributes little to energy needs, is helpful in
regulating sugars in the body and aid in intestinal elimination.
All sugars and starches are
converted, by the process of digestion, into glucose
which is a simple sugar. This simple sugar is used as fuel for
the body or is stored in the muscle and liver as
glycogen. Once the glycogen storage capacity is filled
up, the excess glucose is converted to fat to
be used as a reserve source of fuel. Carbohydrates are the
primary source of energy and are the most efficient at producing
energy.
Simple vs. Complex carbohydrates
In general, sugars are referred to as “simple carbohydrates” and
starches are referred to as “complex carbohydrates.” Simple
carbs are named so because they are made up of monosaccharides
and disaccharides, which are “simple” molecules. Complex carbs
are named so because they are made up of polysaccharides, which
are much bigger, more “complex” molecules.
Fats:
Fats are lipids and are the most
concentrated form of energy from the foods we eat. We also can
manufacture fats from the overabundance of carbohydrates. Fats
are a secondary source of energy when carbohydrate sources can
not meet the demand and also act as carriers for some of the
vitamins. There are essential fatty acids that we must ingest
because the body can't produce them and are necessary for good
health. Fats are composed of saturated, monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fatty acids. Excess saturated fat has been
associated with high cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fat
related substance and is necessary for good health. It is also
manufactured by the body. An over abundance of cholesterol
however has been linked to cardiovascular problems.
Saturated Fats:
The worst kind of fats are called saturated fats. They are the
worst kind because they raise your cholesterol level. Meat is
responsible for nearly one third of the saturated fats we eat.
They are also in butter, cheese, ice cream, and products made of
butterfat like milk. These saturated fats don't come just from
animals however. They are also in three vegetable oils: coconut
oil, palm oil, and palm-kernel oil. It is best to try and avoid
saturated fats. They are harmful to your body.
Polyunsaturated Fats:
These kinds of fats are in the middle. It can change from good
to bad, depending on the circumstances. The good side is that
polyunsaturated fats can actually help lower blood pressure
raised from saturated fats. These fats include corn, soybean,
safflower, sunflower, and conttonseed oil. On the other side of
things, polyunsaturated fat margarine contains extra ingredients
such as stabilizers, emuslifiers, and preservatives.
Monounsaturated Fats:
These fats are a lot better for you to eat. They include olive
oil, and peanut butter. You might also find mono-fats in plant
foods like beans, grains, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The
mono-fats have great benefits. Their cholesterol level is
significantly lower than that of both saturated and
polyunsaturated fats.
Protein:
Proteins are the most
abundant organic compounds in the body. The
primary function of protein is growth and repair of body tissue
(anabolism). Proteins can also be used as energy through
catabolic reactions, such as gluconeogenesis. Amino acids are
the "building blocks" of protein.
Amino acids are made up of an amino radical (NH2) and a
carboxyl group (COOH). What make amino acids different are their
side chains. Protein is needed for growth and the repair of existing tissues.
Protein are obtained from a wide variety of foods. milk, meat,
cheese, fish, eggs, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds are rich
in protein.
What is a calorie and what calories do:
Just as a car
needs gasoline to move, our body needs calories to survive --
to breathe,
move, pump blood-- and they acquire this energy from food.
Calories
are tiny units of energy that your body uses in order to do
work. Specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy, or heat,
it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree
Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). One calorie is equal to 4.184
joules, a common unit of energy used in the physical sciences.
Calories on a food packages are actually kilocalories (1,000
calories = 1 kilocalorie). The word is sometimes capitalized to
show the difference, but usually not. A food calorie contains
4,184 joules.
The number
of calories in a food is a measure of how much potential energy
that food possesses. A gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, a
gram of protein has 4 calories, and a gram of fat has 9
calories. Foods are a compilation of these three building
blocks. So if you know how many carbohydrates, fats and proteins
are in any given food, you know how many calories, or how much
energy, that food contains. Our bodies
"burn" the calories through metabolic processes, by which
enzymes break the carbohydrates into glucose and other sugars,
the fats into glycerol and fatty acids and the proteins into
amino acids. These
molecules are then transported through the bloodstream to the
cells, where they are either absorbed for immediate use or sent
on to the final stage of metabolism in which they are reacted
with oxygen to release their stored energy.
Number of calories needed:
This number
is different for every person. You may notice on the nutritional
labels of the foods you buy that the "percent daily values" are
based on a 2,000 calorie diet. 2,000
calories is a rough average of what a person needs to eat in a
day, but your body might need more or less than 2,000 calories.
Height, weight, gender, age and activity level all affect your
caloric needs.
So what
happens if you take in more or fewer calories than your body
burns? You either gain or lose fat, respectively. An
accumulation of 3,500 extra calories is stored by your body as 1
pound of fat -- fat is the body's way of saving energy for a
rainy day. If, on the other hand, you burn 3,500 more calories
than you eat, whether by exercising more or eating less, your
body converts 1 pound of its stored fat into energy to make up
for the deficit.
Reading Labels:
Serving sizes - Each label must identify the size of each
serving. This label one serving is = 2 crackers and there are 21
servings. Total number of crackers in the box = 42
It is good to remember these three numbers
1 gram fat = 9 calories
1 gram protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
With these numbers we can determine the percentages of each
nutrient
One serving is made up of:
1.5 gr. fat x 9 = 13.5
10 gr. carbs. x 4 = 40
2 gr. protein x 4 = 8
The "calories from fat" is also very quick and useful way to
determine fat content
Calories = 60 Calories from fat = 15
15/60 = .25 or 25%
This calculation shows the crackers are made up of 25% fat. That
number sure sounds worse than only 1.5 grams of fat. Make sure
and use this calculation.
Eating Tips:
1) Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day.
2) Always eat breakfast.
3) Eat the proper amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat at
each and every meal and snack.
4) Take your time when eating
5) Eliminate refined white flour and sugar from your diet and
replace them with low glycemic index carbohydrates.
6) Avoid carbohydrates (potatoes, breads, rice, pasta, etc)
within 4 hours of going to sleep.
7) Avoid using harmful fats, such as trans fatty acids which are
found in margarine and products labeled “partially hydrogenated”
8) Substitute sugary, dehydrating drinks, such as juice, pop and
coffee, with high quality water.
9) Do not eat anything that has more than 20% of its total
calories from fat.
10) Use the 90/10 rule. Eat healthy 90% of time
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