Nutrition continues to be a hot topic as society becomes more health conscious. The public is bombarded with an abundance of information about nutrition, with much of it being erroneous. In addition, some of the messages are so negative that people are often confused and become frustrated. Start over with a positive nutrition message: eating is a good thing to do!

Being hungry is an obvious reason for eating. On a biological level, however, we eat because the body needs fuel to function. Food is that fuel. Our bodies need a good supply of fuel to perform daily tasks. If a poor grade of gas is put into a finely tuned race car, it doesn’t run very well. The human body is no different. Our bodies get fuel from three sources: carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

Carbohydrate is the preferred energy source for the nervous system and muscles. The body breaks down carbohydrate into glucose, commonly called blood sugar. Since glucose (carbohydrate) is the preferred energy source of the body, it is important to maintain a certain level of glucose in the blood. Carbohydrate should make up 50-60% of the daily caloric intake.

Protein is essential in the growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissue. It is involved in a wide variety of functions ranging from the complexity of cell division to the basic healing of a cut or bruise. Protein is also a part of hemoglobin, which is responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the cells of the body.

Fat serves several functions such as maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating the body from temperature extremes, and providing a fat pad to protect the body’s vital organs. Fat is also the storage form of energy, which is the excess caloric intake from carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Probably the most obvious reason for the existence of fat is that it makes foods taste and smell good. Even though fat is often targeted as the one thing in our diets that should be reduced, we do need some fat in the diet.

Providing our body with adequate amounts of carbohydrate means that protein will not be used for fuel. Protein can then be used for growth, maintenance, and repair of the body. Keeping our fat intake to the recommended 30% or less of our daily caloric intake will reduce our risk of disease. While we can eat for the simple pleasure of enjoying food, we can also eat in moderation for the sake of our health, now and in the future.

Copyright© 1999-2006 Kevin Kelly, LRD. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.

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