Food is any substance eaten in order to provide nutrition to an organisms. Food is generally of animal, plant or fungus origin, and has various essential nutrients, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, or minerals. The body needs a balanced combination of all the main food groups, which are carbohydrates, protein, vegetables, fruits, and fat. Each of these food groups provides a variety of vitamins and nutrients necessary to maintain health. However, recent research indicates that the human diet is not adequately supplying enough of the above food groups, especially in Western countries.
The modern dietary advice advises us to eat large amounts of animal products like meat, fish and dairy products. We are also told to eat small amounts of vegetable and fruits every day. Although this advice seems sensible, it is impossible to follow it with a balanced diet, because the human body cannot absorb all the nutrients from these products. In addition, the animal products and the refined carbohydrates add calories to the diet, leading to obesity.
Our bodies can only absorb a limited amount of the carbohydrates, which is what we consume. So our diets must contain a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats in order to meet the daily requirement. The problem is that over the last few decades, the consumption of meat and dairy products has reduced, while the consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased significantly. So the food supply has become depleted of most of the micronutrients that we need. These micronutrients are essential to our health, and so it is vital to eat large quantities of them each day.
The major deficiencies in our current food supply are shown by the fact that there are far too many overweight people and very few healthy people. The major deficiency is in the area of adequate proteins. This means that we are lacking in both the essential amino acids, as well as the energy providing nutrients, which are found in the group of carbohydrates known as the essential fatty acids. One group of essential fatty acids is called omega 3’s and one of the best nutrient sources for this group of amino acids is salmon oil.
Other food sources for proteins are poultry and fish, which have relatively high amounts of protein. Beef is another good source of protein. However, beef is marinated with chemicals and antibiotics before it is sent to the table, so the proteins that are originally in the meat are destroyed before they are consumed. Other food sources for proteins include pulses, nuts, eggs and other animal products such as cheese. These animal products contain all the proteins that our bodies need.
The best way to get all the essential amino acids and trace minerals is to eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, which contain a lot of complex carbohydrates and proteins, as well as vitamins and minerals. Many of these foods are also rich in fibre, so getting the right combination of all the nutrients is important. This is the only way that will provide you with a complete protein diet and keep you healthy. Even though meat and dairy foods contain complete proteins and are a good source of protein, they also contain saturated fats that are not healthy. Therefore, it is important to choose low-fat foods when you are trying to lose weight.