The Vital Nutrients Nutrition is the cornerstone of good health.

More precisely, getting optimum nutrition is what makes you healthy. As the saying goes, You are what you eat, eating right is absolutely essential for your health and well-being. Optimal nutrition can ward off many of todays serious illnesses like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and premature aging. Its about getting adequate amounts of the vital nutrients, and if youre not acquainted with them, now is the time to start. Protein You need protein because the cells of the body require it in order to grow and keep themselves healthy. Protein is made up of its building blocks, amino acids. During digestion, protein gets broken down into amino acids which our body uses to rebuild back into our own tissue and blood proteins. Essential amino acids are those that must be obtained from the diet while non essential amino acids can be synthesized by the body. A complete protein is one that supplies all eight essential amino acids, which are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. There are 2 kinds of protein, namely animal protein and plant protein. Animal protein contains all essential amino acids (therefore is considered complete), while plant protein are lacking in one or a few essential amino acids. Carbohydrate Carbohydrates or carbs are the fuel source for the bodys energy. There are 2 forms of carbohydrates, which are complex carbohydrates and sugars. Complex carbohydrates were once thought of as fattening, but not anymore. Found in rice, bread, pasta, and potatoes, complex carbohydrates build glycogen stores in the body, to be broken down during physical activity, and are an important part of any athletes diet. Sugars are the other type of carbohydrates that exist. They provide an immediate, but short term store of energy that gets depleted pretty fast. There are 4 kinds of sugars namely, fructose, glucose, lactose, and sucrose. Fructose is the sugar found in fruits, glucose is blood sugar, lactose is milk sugar, and sucrose is refined sugar. Of all these types of sugars, sucrose is the least healthy, and excessive intake can damage the bodys ability to produce insulin, resulting in the onset of diabetes. Fat Fats are just one of the essential nutrients. There are 3 major groups of fats, which differ in their basic molecular structure, namely, saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Most foods contain a mix of them. Regardless of what you hear, moderation is the key when it comes to fats. Recent understanding of fats has found that it is trans fat (a type of unsaturated fat) that is the culprit, and not saturated fat. Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and lower HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). They come about from the hydrogenation of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat during deep frying or exposure to oxygen. Saturated fats are found in butter, animal fat, and coconut oil. Saturated fats can raise blood cholesterol levels if taken in excess. But it is more complicated than that because cholesterol

is needed by our bodies. And butter is actually a good fat because it doesnt transform into trans-fat, lacking essential fatty acids as it does. Polyunsaturated fats are found in olive oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and seafood. In the past, polyunsaturated oil was regarded highly, but modern cooking methods may transform them into trans-polyunsaturates, a trans-fatty acid. Nonetheless, omega 3 fatty acids are part of this group, and are essential for health and wellbeing. Monounsaturated fats are found predominantly in olive oil, nuts, and canola oil. When refrigerated, they turn solid. Basically, monounsaturated fats are considered the best of the fats, and believed to lower LDL cholesterol. The low rate of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is attributed to the high consumption of olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fat. Fiber Fiber is sometimes called roughage, and denotes the physical particles of food that your body cannot digest, mainly. There exists both soluble and insoluble fiber, and most fiber-rich foods contain both kinds. The different varieties of fiber (insoluble and soluble) include cellulose, hemicellulose, dextrin, inulin, lignin, pectin and gums. Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are mainly found in grains, wheat, and oatmeal, and add bulk to the stools. Pectin, dextrin, and the other gums are water soluble fiber that help in lowering blood cholesterol and slow down digestion, but otherwise do not add bulk to stools. They do assist in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) though. A balanced diet should contain adequate quantities of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are the best sources of all the fiber that we need. High fiber diets help protect against heart disease, assist in toxin elimination, and reduces constipation and hemorrhoids Definition of calories How many calories are needed per day? How many calories should I eat per day? These are common questions which are asked by a lot of people. First of all, lets define calories. Calories were first defined by a French chemist, Nicolas Clement, back in 1824. Calories are basically, energy measurement units which are used to gauge the amount of energy stored in foods. Actually, the word calorie is an abbreviation of kilocalories, but because calories have been used for so long, nobody uses kilocalories. In science, calories are considered an outdated way to measure food energy. Normally, scientists will use kilojoules instead. A calorie is equivalent to 4.2 kilojoules. So lets say you want to find out how many calories are in 4200 kilojoules. Just divide that 4200 kilojoules, and you get 1000 calories. 4200 kilojoules = 1000 calories. Calorie versions There are also 2 versions for calorie definition the kilogram calorie and the gram calorie. The kilogram calorie is defined as the amount of heat that is able to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius, while the gram calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. The kilogram calorie is by far the accepted version and you might see this on food labels termed as kcal.

How many calories are needed per day? There is no absolute hard and fast rule pertaining to how many calories are needed each day, or how many calories you need to eat to lose weight. Each human being is different, and therefore, their metabolic rates differ. Also your level of physical activity per day is highly important. Metabolic rate has a lot to do with how your body determines how much fat to store and how much fat to burn. Some people can eat all the foods they desire and never put on so much as a couple of pounds, while others seem jinxed by touching even the smallest pie or cake. It appears that where your calories are coming from is more important than the actual total intake because of the way the body treats food. A Useful Tip: A common practice is to not allow more than 30% of your daily calories to come from fats. There is a 9-4-4 formula that is easy to memorize.

1 gram of fat = 9 calories 1 gram of protein = 4 calories 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

To know whether your intake of calories for today (from fat) is more than 30%, divide the calories calculated from the fat content by the total number of calories you took in today. Calorie calculator This simple calorie calculator gives a rough estimate of how much calories you need daily, based on gender, height, and weight. In general, most adults need around 2000 calories per day, although like I mentioned above, it varies from individual to individual. A successful weight maintenance program will always incorporate an active lifestyle combined with healthy eating.

Calorie Content of Foods When people are on a diet the first thing they want to know is how to count the calorie content in the food they are eating. Most people dont realize this but there are 2 classes of calories. The small calories or the gram calories, these are the calories that guesses the energy that is needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. A large calorie or the kilogram calorie, this guesses the energy that is needed to increase the water temp of 1 kg of water. Dieters will read the food label or the nutritional information the packages of the foods they eat. They will first look at the top of the label and find the calories and then they write in their journal to add up to a number of daily calories they have chosen for themselves. The calories content in food energy that is available through digestion. Taking into consideration those calories may be high based on the type of food you eat. The recommended daily energy intake or caloric intake should be 2500 for teenagers, 2000 for men and women. The amount of calories should be taken into consideration when children and seniors are involved because they require less energy and people who are more active should be taking in more calories.

Calories, fat and cholesterol and all of those good things you see on a nutritional label are all intertwined. There are about 3500 calories in one pound of fat. If you take in 3500 calories more than what your body needs then scientifically you will gain a pound of fat. But if you manage to burn 3500 calories then you will lose a pound of fat. This information is based on the fact the weight that you have gained is not muscles but fat. That is why they say people who are physically active should eat more because they work more of it off. You should not lower your calories and work out until you burn 3500 calories but lower your calories in moderation. Most experts and diets will tell you it is ok to lessen your caloric intake to about 1300-1400 for women and 1500 to 1800 for men. Exercise helps burns off the calories you are taking in. If you are supposed to eat 1200 calories on a diet and you end up eat only 1000 and you are exercising on a daily basis you will lose weight. Keep in mind that some calories may be similar but they arent equal. For example a lifesaver candy has 10 calories and a grape has 6. But if you constantly eat lifesavers you may gain weight but if you eat the same amount of grapes and more chances are you will not. Grapes do not contain sugar or fat like lifesavers do. So when you are counting calories in food content keep in mind the food you are eating as well as what could be better for you in the long run.

The Food Pyramid The food pyramid is a diet plan that was devised in 1992 by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) to replace an earlier classification system of grouping foods. Also known as the nutrition pyramid, the food pyramid follows a dietary guideline of having the most of your daily meals consisting of foods from the grains and cereals group, followed by smaller amounts of fruits and vegetables, and then meat and dairy products, with oils and fats being the least amount of foods you should consume. Grains and cereals group The grains and cereals group include bread, cakes, buns, oatmeal, rice, wheat, pasta, and biscuits or crackers. Grains have always been an important food source for humans for thousands of years. They supply energy in the form of complex carbohydrates, and also contain much protein, vitamins (especially the B vitamin group), and minerals. Vegetable group Vegetables form the next most important food group after grains. Although as children we might have hated to eat vegetables, your grandma was always right about vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and so forth, vegetables contain many enzymes, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and trace elements that our bodies need. Vegetarianism is the practice of eating almost wholly vegetables and fruits, and avoiding meat. Fruit group Fruits are some of the most prized foods of the earth. They are able to quench our thirst and fill our bellies. All fruits contain lots of moisture, ranging from 70% for bananas to 93% for watermelons. Fruits provide sugar (mainly fructose), much soluble and insoluble fiber, enzymes, fruit acids, vitamins (especially vitamin C), minerals, phytochemicals and trace elements required by our bodies. Grapes, oranges, apples, papaya, watermelons, bananas, mangos, and pears are some of the most popular fruits that should be a major part of any diet.

Meat, poultry, beans and nuts group Previously separate, meat, poultry, beans and nuts have now been grouped together in the food pyramid. They all have one major thing in common, their high protein content, which is either complete, or near complete, protein. Eggs are one of the best in this regard. Meats are also a major source of iron, zinc, calcium, fatty acids, and vitamin B12. Beans and nuts are often eaten as meat alternatives in the case of vegetarians, but they may need to supplement vitamin B12 from other sources, as it is only mainly found in meats. Dairy group Milk, cheese, and yoghurt form the dairy food group, and are a major source of the minerals calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. In fact, it is somewhat difficult to obtain sufficient dietary calcium if you are going on a dairy-free diet, hence their relative importance in daily diet. They also have much protein, some growth factors (in the case of colostrum), and vitamins A and D. Some people have lactose (milk sugar) intolerance, and for them, soybean milk is often used as an alternative. Oils and fats group This food group is the smallest and for good reason fats should only be eaten in moderation. Cooking oils, fish oil, cream, butter, and margarines are all part of this group. While being implicated in heart disease, fats are still an essential part of any balanced diet. for The USDA does not technically recognize fats and oils as a separate food group, but they still occupy a spot on the food pyramid, because of their significance in the proper functioning and development of the human body. Calorie Content of Alcohol How can we determine the Calorie Content of Alcohol? Celebration is an essential part of life weddings, parties, holidays and vacations and Alcohol is usually present in these times. Some of us drink occasionally, others regularly and

others rarely. But how much is too much? How can we determine the Calorie content of alcohol and how does it affect our body? When we drink alcohol, the body converts the majority of it into acetate (a source of energy) which is then released to the bloodstream and is used as a primary source of fuel, but a small portion gets converted to fat. This seems great because we are using alcohol as a source of energy but the truth is; it harms the body. Instead of using our stored fat and burning it to fuel alcohol substitutes it, keeping it in the body and the unused calories from alcohol consumption also become stored as fat. This is the reason people get fat when they drink regularly. Now that you know how alcohol affects the body, you should know the amount of alcohol that you are consuming by knowing the Calorie Content of Alcohol.Since there are too many variations and contents from beers, hard liquors, wines and mixed cocktails. Some kinds of alcohol even put different liquids like (red bull, tonic and juices) others have fruits and sugar mixed into them; this makes it almost impossible to give a specific calorie content of all the individual alcoholic drinks. However there are approximate measurements of the most popular types of drinks in three categories: Beer, Hard liquor and Wines. The measurements that I will give you are taken from the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee; they claim that their measurements are based on the typical recipe of each drink. Beer There are three types of beer currently sold in the market: Light, Regular and Dark beer. The measurements are based on 12 ounces per serving.The Light beer has the lowest number of calories it only has 110 while regular and dark beers have almost the same amount, regular beer has 150 while Dark beer has 168 calories.Normally the difference between regular and dark beer is taste. The darker one is stronger and has more flavor. Wines There are many types of wine but the five most common wines according to the committee are the following: dry dessert wine, sweet dessert wine, red wine, white wine and sparkling white wine. (One serving is measured at 5 ounces) The dessert wines have the most calories, obviously the sweet dessert wine has the highest number of calries because it has the highest amount of sugar among the drinks; one serving of sweet dessert wine has 344 calories while dry dessert wine has 198 calories only. The table wines have the lowest number of calories among the different types of alcohol. The three common table wines have almost identical amount of calories. One serving of white wine has 100 calories; red wine has 105 calories and white sparkling wine has 106 calories. Hard liquor There are many types of hard liquor and they are manufactured in different parts of the world and most of them are used for mixed drinks and because of this the committee has given the following drinks a standard amount of calories. Gin, Scotch, vodka, bourbon and rum have been placed at a standard amount of 100 calories per 1.5 ounces of serving. Now that you know the calorie content of the most common drinks always remember that the calorie content of alcohol that I have mentioned are based solely on the alcohol and do not include other substances mixed into to it.

The Calorie Content of Chocolate Chocolate is one of those foods with a huge and passionate following worldwide. No other food conjures up more feelings than chocolate and for some, it is more than just food; it is something akin to a cultural institution! How would a humble seed from the cocoa tree growing in its native South America, end up as one of the best loved foods on the planet? Calorie wise, chocolate is very high in calories one of the most calorie concentrated foods around. Chocolate was originally spread to Europe by the Spanish explorers of the New World, and it spread rapidly from there, being regarded as an exotic hot drink that went well with sugar, becoming fashionable among the ruling elite, who then grew cocoa on their overseas plantations. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, that was when chocolate really grew in popularity with the masses because newer methods and machines could now produce chocolate as a solid food.

Chocolate today is basically made by crushing roasted cocoa beans into a paste, and depending on the amount of cocoa butter extracted, the residual paste is ground and dried to become cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is combined with emulsifiers like lecithin, and then blended or conched for much more smoothness. After that, tempering is applied, which is a process of obtaining good quality crystallization of cocoa butter by controlling the temperature. Good quality chocolate has a fine texture and firm consistency. There are several major types of chocolate, namely: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. Milk chocolate Milk chocolate first appeared on the scene in 1875 when a Swiss company successfully blended chocolate with milk, and now most chocolate contains milk in some form or another. Around 25% of its content is milk powder or milk solids derived from milk. Milk chocolate is the most popular form of chocolate, and most commercial chocolate brands like Cadbury and Hersheys for example, have varying degrees of milk in their content. Dark chocolate Dark chocolate is also called bitter chocolate, because it contains a higher amount of cocoa extract, and is the form of chocolate most often used in cooking. Dark chocolate contains cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and high quantities of sugar, which are needed to mask the bitter taste of cocoa. White chocolate White chocolate is chocolate without cocoa solids, having had this component deliberately stripped away during processing. As such, it lacks theobromine, an alkaloid chemical in chocolate responsible for a range of health and mood effects attributed to chocolate. In terms of calories and fat, it is similar to milk chocolate. Some consider white chocolate as not a true form of chocolate. Why is chocolate so highly craved?

Chocolate contains a chemical called phenylethylamine, the love chemical, which is released by the brain when one is feeling happy. Additionally, milk chocolate contains tryptophan, an amino acid needed by the body to form serotonin, a feel good neurotransmitter in emotional well being. Also, the primary stimulant in chocolate (non white chocolate), are theobromine,and to a lesser extent, caffeine (not as much as in coffee). So could chocolate become addictive? It certainly can, and combined with the culture built around chocolate over the years, chocolate will continue to be a deeply entrenched favorite of society for years to come.

Chocolate nutrition Chocolate contains a lot of calories per gram. A 50 gram bar of chocolate usually has 265 calories, in addition to about 4 grams of protein, and at least 25-30 grams of sugar. People on diets are best off avoiding chocolate, not least because of its addictive effects, and usually, overweight people tend to have a sweet tooth. Nutrition wise, chocolate does have ok amounts of protein, B vitamins, starch and some minerals. Milk chocolate is by far superior to other forms of chocolate, containing many of the nutrients found in milk. As a concentrated food source high in energy giving calories, chocolate is a favorite among hikers and mountain climbers, because it is usually small and quickly digested without depleting much energy from the body.

Peanuts or groundnuts are favorite snacks the world over. Crunchy and wholesome, they are not true nuts, but belong to the legume group instead. True nuts are by definition, edible seeds enclosed by an outer shell; they are both seed and fruit combined. But in the culinary sense, many fruits have long been considered to be nuts, and peanuts are one of them. Being the most popular of all nuts, its good to know that peanuts are actually VERY nutritious and healthy, even though they have relatively high calorie content. They have a high fat and protein content like that of both nuts and legumes, and a lot of vitamin B1, niacin, folic acid, and some calcium and phosphorus. More importantly, peanuts are a rich source of resveratrol, Coenzyme Q10 and antioxidants. Resveratrol is an anti aging phytochemical found in plants, and it is gaining popularity in recent times. The resveratrol content found in peanuts is many times more than that of other known food sources. Its because of its nutritional qualities that have made peanuts a major crop in many countries of the world, with China, India and USA being the top producers.

Peanuts are processed and consumed in a variety of ways; peanut butter being one of them. Salted roasted peanuts and peanut oil are the other common ways to use or consume peanuts. Peanut milk which is a milk alternative comparable to soy milk, and Although peanuts are good to eat, there are also downsides. Peanuts grow on pods that grow down into the soil, where they slowly ripen. This makes them liable to be infected with aflatoxin, a poisonous toxin produced by a mold fungus that thrives under humid conditions. Aflatoxin can cause liver cancer in both human and animals. Some people have peanut allergy, which can be serious. Although the incidence is extremely rare, it can lead to anaphylactic shock. Typical symptoms include diarrhea, hives, vomiting and dizziness. Apparently, refined peanut oil has a much less chance of causing an allergic reaction, but this could be due to the removal of much of the protein content. Efforts are underway to make allergen-free peanuts which could do away with peanut allergy for good. Peanut butter is high in extra fat because extra oil is needed for the paste to mix sufficiently. The oil used in peanut butter can be of any type, but nowadays are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and high in monounsaturated fat. Peanut oil itself is 50% monounsaturated and 30% polyunsaturated, and contains no cholesterol. A typical 50g serving of peanuts contains 12g protein, 25g fat, 4g fiber, 2g of sugars and 281 calories, while a 20g tablespoon of peanut butter contains 5g protein, 11g of fat, and about 123 calories (dependent on type and brand). The Calorie and Nutrition Content of Coconut The coconut is the much loved fruit of the coconut tree, found in many tropical regions of the world. The coconut tree is one of the most versatile trees in the world, and its fruit is no exception. Technically, the coconut is a fruit, but in cooking, it is considered as a nut. Consisting of a hard outer shell which is fibrous, and flesh which lines the inner layer of the shell, the weight of coconut is largely the result of liquid/juice within its cavity, which tastes slightly sweet and somewhat opaque in color; often drunk with just a straw poked into it. The flesh is white, and contains a high amount of saturated fat and fiber. As for the other nutrients found in coconut, they are relatively sparse. Coconut flesh contain good potassium and some iron which is useful on hot, sunny days (since potassium is lost in the sweat), but beyond that, coconut hasnt as much vitamins or minerals compared to many other fruits. The nutritional content also varies with age. If grated, the flesh can provide valuable fiber to the diet, but at the same time, the high fat content of coconut is a little worrying, since it is largely saturated. Strangely though, coconut flesh contains no

cholesterol.

An average serving of 50g coconut flesh

contains about 2g of protein, 18g of fat, 7g of fiber and 170 calories. This calorie content is quite high, and therefore, coconut flesh should only be consumed in moderation. Coconut water or juice is a very popular drink in many countries, and called by many names in many countries. In the Philippines, coconut water is fermented to make a solid, translucent jelly called nata de coco. The water is most abundant in young fruits, but gets reduced in older fruits. The main value of the juice is a natural isotonic drink, helping to replenish the electrolytes in the blood. The calorie content of coconut water/juice is low, unlike that of the flesh.

The flesh, if grated and mixed with some water, is called coconut milk. It is white in color, and has a rich taste, and much cream. The cream is actually the thick, almost solid layer floating on top of the water in milk that has been refrigerated, or standing for some time. Coconut milk is high in saturated fat since it is just a derivative of the flesh, and therefore has similar nutritional content. But since it is much more concentrated, the calorie and fat content of coconut milk is pretty high. Just a 250ml cup of coconut milk contains about 8g of protein, 63g of fat, and 575 calories. Since coconuts have such high saturated fat and calorie content, it is advisable to keep their consumption to a minimum. The high saturated fat may be responsible for the higher incidence of heart disease in countries that traditionally consume much coconut, like India (South Asia) for example. But, the juice or water is perfectly alright to drink on a frequent basis, especially after heavy exercise or workouts Calorie Content Of Coffee Due to globalization and franchising, coffee has gone a long way from its basic black form. Now there are different kinds of coffee available in your favorite coffee bar/shop or supermarket. The steep competition spawned different variations and kinds of coffee from all over the world are introduced into the coffee shops today and completely altered the basic calorie content of coffee. Before all these changes, a plain cup of brewed coffee contained zero fat, zero calories and was composed primarily of carbohydrates, sugars and proteins. Nowadays the coffee shops that we use for business meetings, meet-ups, hang-outs and dates have gourmet coffee which contains significantly higher amount of fat, excessive sugar and other ingredients that make our coffee unique and of course more delicious and these changes have significantly increased the calorie content of basic black coffee. Gourmet coffees have emerged from different variations: cold, hot, whipped, flavored, frozen, fruit-mixed, and other gimmicks that increased and altered the normal low calorie

content of coffee. All of these changes incorporate additional ingredients from sugar, creams and syrups that increased the calorie content of coffee! These extras increased the amount of calories in coffee significantly. The highest contributors of additional calories are whipped cream, sugar and syrups. (Not to mention the additional chocolate and fruit mix.) Medium gourmet coffee cups in a coffee shop are pegged to contain around 200 calories (for the lowfat one) to around 550 calories per cup. These are usually the rate for the medium size cups but if you upsize your drink, it may easily increase to around 600 to 900 calories per cup. So, how do you lessen the calories while hanging out at your favorite coffee shop? For starters, opt for skim milk and skip the whip cream (which contains around 90-150 calories of saturated fat.) Another way is opting to put the sugar in yourself to control the amount you place in your coffee. (Most shops have 5-12 teaspoons of sugar for the big cups) It is also helpful to skip the pastry that you usually eat along with your favorite cup of coffee. Rice is one of the most consumed foods in the world. It is the staple food for almost half the worlds population (most of Asia), and so entrenched in the culture of China and Japan that it is actually synonymous with the word, meal, over there. Rice is highly versatile, and can be made into so many varieties of noodles, cakes, cereals and crackers. There are also now many cultivars of rice, most of them stem from the original rice plant, Oryza sativa. Basically, rice is prepared in 2 ways, which is brown or unpolished rice, and white or polished rice. Brown rice is rice with just the other chaff, or hull removed, so it looks brown because the bran and germ have not been removed.

Most of the nutrients found in rice are concentrated in the bran and germ, so that is why white rice is commonly regarded as empty calories, because the bran and germ have been removed during the milling process. Nonetheless, white rice is one of the most inert, easily digestible foods that can be tolerated by just about anyone, even those with gluten allergies (it contains no gluten). While there are both hill rice and paddy rice, the main forms of rice produced are either:

Long grain rice Medium grain rice Short grain rice

Long grain rice is the one most often preferred by Asian cuisine, especially the fragrant variety. When cooked, the grains do not stick together so easily, but separate into fluffy grains. The medium grain rice tends to stick together a little more than the long grain rice, while the short grain rice is highly sticky and tender when cooked (the grains looks almost round). Rice is a good source of complex carbohydrates and B vitamins (the brown form). In early times, a diet poor in food variety and only consisting of rice was a sure way to get beri-beri, although it is hardly heard of today. Beri-beri is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1. It has very little fat, sugar, and sodium. While rice in its original form has good amounts of fiber, white/polished rice only has negligible amounts. 100g of raw white rice supplies about 7g of protein, trace fat, 80g of starch, 1g of fiber, and 364 calories, while 100g of raw brown rice supplies 8g protein, 2g of fat, 3g of fiber, 78g of starch, and 370 calories. Calorie Content of Eggs Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods that are easily available and affordable by everyone. Eggs supply a near complete range of nutrients despite being modest in calories. There are many kinds of eggs and grades, but nutritionally, this is of little significance. A typical chicken egg weighing 60 grams with shell intact, provides around 85 calories, which is about the equivalent of a large apple. This is in addition to about 6g of protein and 6g of fat. This may be surprising to many people that eggs have little calories, but closer inspection reveals that an egg is 75% water, and the remainder is about 12% protein and 12% fat. All this for a bundle of vitamins and minerals make eggs an ideal food for daily consumption. Eggs are nutritious foods

The protein of eggs is considered to be of the highest quality, and consequently, many protein powders are made from egg extracts and/or soy. The protein is mainly concentrated in the egg white, or albumen, with the remainder in the egg yolk. The iron and zinc content in eggs is high, and so are vitamins A, B group, D, and E, especially vitamin A. The orange color of egg yolk is derived from the diet of chickens (which comprise plant matter) that contain pigments called xanthophylls. Most of the vitamins, minerals and fat are concentrated in the yolk part of the egg. The difference between free-range eggs, omega-rich eggs, organic, and others is not really significant whatsoever, if you eat a balanced diet that combines nutrition and calories in a balanced way. However, organically certified eggs are recommended over mass produced eggs, because of the more natural and humane conditions in which the chickens are kept. Organically certified eggs have more natural methods of producing the eggs, and have a

lesser chance of containing any artificial chemicals or hormones which could be fed to chickens kept in mass production poultry farms. In the past, some weight loss diets comprising several hard boiled eggs a day were quite popular, but unfortunately they were never proven to effectively reduce weight. The theory was that more calories would be burned up in the digestion of the eggs than the actual calories contained within the eggs. Since eggs were almost like natural multivitamins due to their high concentration of vitamins and minerals, it was assumed that such diets based almost wholly on eggs would help to shed weight. Such diets soon faded from the scene, however. Cholesterol in eggs high? A supposedly negative aspect of eggs is their high cholesterol content. This is not really an issue why you should be avoiding eggs, because cholesterol intake should be viewed in the context of the entire days diet, and not just based on a few eggs you eat in a day or week. Many studies have been conducted on the cholesterol content of eggs, but till today, the results are still inconclusive. If youre worried about the cholesterol content of eggs, you can avoid the yolk. However, discarding the yolk which contains the cholesterol will also do away with a lot of the nutritional value of eggs, because most of the vitamins and minerals are in the yolk as well. Nowadays, many egg substitutes are popular, so you may want to try them out instead of eggs. Egg substitutes are usually made from skim milk, soy, egg whites, and emulsifiers. They still contain a lot of protein, but have much more calorie content than normal eggs. However, their cholesterol content is a lot less than that of eggs, and they can be used to replace eggs in many dishes and diets. Calorie content of vegetables Vegetables, well, dont we either love them or hate them? Vegetables are generally speaking, one of the foods with the lowest amount of calories. However, for such few calories, vegetables are some of the richest sources of much needed nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. You could literally eat a ton of vegetables a day, and never gain any weight, because most of the weight in vegetables is made up of water, ranging from 70 97% water content. Perhaps this is why vegetarians are almost never overweight? Vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, watercress, and celery have only trace fat and among the lowest calories of any food. Other vegetables like olives and avocado may have some fat, and others like potatoes may have some starch, but again, these do not compare anywhere with other foods. The benefits of vegetables

Vegetables generally contain a lot of beta carotene (which is converted into vitamin A in our bodies) and vitamin C. Orange and dark green colored vegetables are usually high in beta carotene. Carrots contain very beta carotene, while chilli, capsicum, broccoli, cauliflower, and parsley have high amounts of vitamin C even higher than oranges. Besides vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, and zinc are common in vegetables. Potassium and phosphorus rank as the two minerals most vegetables have a good supply of. The phytonutrients in vegetables have attracted attention for their important roles in maintaining cellular health. Cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower are some vegetables that have been found to have anti-cancer properties. Vegetables also supply high quality dietary fiber, although it is somewhat different from the fiber in grains, because it is higher in pectin and gums, which are water soluble. This soluble fiber slows down food movement through the intestines but adds little to fecal bulk. Insoluble fiber, found in grains, adds to fecal bulk and aids in bowel movement. The downside of vegetables

Many vegetables (and fruits) contain salicylates in varying amounts, which can trigger reactions in people who are allergic to them. Symptoms of salicylate sensitivity include headaches, rashes, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, runny nose, joint pains, and sleeping problems. Salicylate sensitivity appears to affect quite a large number of people, who dont realize what the cause of their problems is. People with salicylate allergy are advised to avoid high salicylate vegetables and fruits like citrus fruits, tomato, radishes, eggplant, avocado, broccoli, silverbeet, red chilli, and capsicum. Low salicylate vegetables are carrots, potatoes, most beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, leeks, celery, and lettuce. Here is a list of the calorie content of various vegetables per 100g (approximate values):

Asparagus 17 calories Broccoli 24 calories Brussel sprouts 35 calories Cabbage 16 calories Capsicum 20 calories Carrots 25 calories Celery 12 calories Chilli 23 calories Cucumber 10 calories Eggplant 17 calories Garlic 90 calories

Green peas 60 calories Leek 23 calories Lettuce 6 calories Onions 30 calories Parsley 12 calories Potatoes 65 calories Spinach 13 calories Tomato 14 calories Turnip 12 calories

The Calorie Content Of Fruit Fruits are essential for the human body; The Calorie Content of fruit contains many substances that our body needs like vitamins, sugars and minerals. Fruit also aids the human bodys digestion and contains substances that heal the body. Everyone should eat fruit daily because it contain most of our bodys basic nutritional needs and eating the daily recommend amount for each day is considered healthy practice. The Calorie Content of fruit is made up mostly of sugar, water and carbohydrates. There are more than 100 different fruits and they have three basic types; Simple fruits, Aggregate fruits and Multiple fruits. Each of these types contains some of the popular fruits that we eat everyday. Simple fruits Simple fruits are fruits that come from one ovary with one pistil, which basically means that for every flower there can be only one fruit. There are two kinds of simple fruits, namely dry and fleshy. A quick and easy definition for these two is that dry simple fruits have a hard and dry outer pericarp (it is also known as the fruit wall) while the fleshy ones have fleshy pericarps upon maturity or ripening. Here are some examples of popular simple fruits: Dry fruits: Coconuts and Peanuts. Fleshy fruits: Avocadoes, Bananas, Pears and Apples. Aggregate fruit Aggregate fruits come from flowers with numerous simple pistils. Which basically means that even though there is only one flower it will produce numerous fruits.These types of fruits are usually found in small plants and bushes small and plentiful. Here are examples of popular aggregrate fruits: Aggregate fruits: Blackberries, Raspberries and strawberries. Multiple fruits Multiple fruits are formed from different flowers that form from one single stem and as the flower matures it forms a single big mass that becomes a fruit. This process is called inflorescence. This process has different kinds and they are determined by the number of flowers and the manner of the fruits formation.

Here are some popular examples of multiple fruits: Pineapples, Mulberries (also known as the health fruit, Noni) and Breadfruit. Keep in mind that the amount of calories of fruits are good energy substitute for other foods like junk food and simple carbohydrates (rice & bread) since our body easily digests and converts fruit calories into energy. Always remember that if ever youre hungry, fruits are a great source of energy! (Since there are over 100 different kinds and by-products of fruits it is extremely difficult to find the exact amount of calories of each one. I decided to research and find the calorie content of fruits that are most popular.) Caloric Ratio Pyramid This graphic indicates the percentage of the food's calories that are derived from the three main macronutrientscarbohydrates, fats, and protein. If the food contains alcohol, a fourth number will appear that indicates the percentage of calories derived from alcohol. Each position within this special graph indicates a different caloric ratio. The top point of this pyramid indicates a food with 100% of its calories derived from fats (and 0% from carbohydrates and protein). As you move downward on the pyramid, the percentage of calories from fats decreases; the very bottom line of the pyramid indicates a food that is completely fat-free. In a similar manner, the left-most corner of the pyramid is 100% carbohydrate and the right-most is 100% protein.

How to use the Caloric Ratio Pyramid Although there are differences of opinion over which ratios are most optimal for health and weight loss, many popular diets are based on a particular caloric ratio. For example, the USDA guidelines recommend that approximately 60% of the calories you consume should come from carbohydrates and approximately 30% from fat. Proponents of the Zone diet recommend a ratio (40%-30%-30%) much lower in carbohydrates but higher in protein. Advocates of the Atkins and South Beach diets recommend even lower consumption of carbohydrates, while many other diet philosophies focus on an ultralow consumption of fats. Regardless of which diet philosophy you subscribe to, the Caloric Ratio Pyramid will show you how various foods and meal plans align with your dietary goals. Any recommended caloric ratio can be envisioned as a "target zone." (Please see examples below.)

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/help/analysis-help#ixzz1XoxqcmO8

Food Guide Pyramid

The Food Pyramid, developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), is an excellent tool to help you make healthy food choices. The food pyramid can help you choose from a variety of foods so you get the nutrients you need, and the suggested serving sizes can help you control the amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar or sodium in your diet.

Fats and sweets: Eat Sparingly Dairy: Get your calcium Protein: Meat with less fat

Veggie & fruits: Good source of vitamins

Grains, pasta, & cereals: Good source of energy

What is serving and portion? Top Bread, Grain, Cereal and Pasta Form the Base At the base of the food pyramid, youll see the group that contains breads, grains, cereals and pastas. These foods provide complex carbohydrates, which are an important source of energy, especially for a low-fat meal plan. You can make many low-fat choices from foods in this group. Youll need 6 to 11 servings of these foods in a day. One serving of this group can be:

1 slice of bread 1/2 cup of rice, cooked cereal or pasta 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal 1 flat tortilla

Try to eat whole-grain breads, cereal and pasta for most of your servings from this group. Whole-grain foods (which are made with whole wheat flour) are less processed and retain more valuable vitamins, minerals and fiber than foods made with white flour. When you purchase whole-grain foods, look for breads and pastas with "stoneground whole wheat flour" as the first ingredient, because some "wheat" breads may be white breads with only caramel coloring added. Top Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients. Many are excellent sources of vitamin A, vitamin

C, folate or potassium. They are low in fat and sodium and high in fiber. The Food Pyramid suggests 3 to 5 servings of vegetables each day. One serving of vegetables can be:

1 cup of raw leafy vegetables 1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or raw 3/4 cup of vegetable juice

The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 4 servings of fruit each day. One serving of fruit can be:

One medium apple, orange or banana 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit 3/4 cup of fruit juice

Count only 100% fruit juice as a fruit, and limit juice consumption. Many commercial bottled juices come in containers that hold more than 2 servings which can add lots of sugar and calories to your daily diet. Punches, ades and most fruit "drinks" have only a bit of juice and lots of sugar. Fruit sodas are sugary drinks, and they dont count as fruit, either. Top Beans, Eggs, Lean Meat and Fish Meat, poultry and fish supply protein, iron and zinc. Non-meat foods such as dried peas and beans also provide many of these nutrients. The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings of cooked meat, fish or poultry. Each serving should be between 2 and 3 ounces. The following foods count as one ounce of meat:

One egg 2 tablespoons of peanut butter 1/2 cup cooked dry beans 1/3 cup of nuts

Choose lean meat, fish and dry beans and peas often because these are the lowest in fat. Remove skin from poultry and trim away visible fat on meat. Avoid frying these foods. Moderation is the watchword when it comes to nuts because they are high in fat. Top Dairy Products Products made with milk provide protein and vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. The Food Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings each day. If you are breastfeeding, pregnant, a teenager or a young adult age 24 or under, try to have 3 servings. Most other people should have 2 servings daily. Interestingly, cottage cheese is lower in calcium that most other cheeses - one cup counts as only 1/2 serving of milk. Go easy on high-fat cheese and ice cream. Choose non-fat milk and yogurt and cheeses made from skim milk because they are lowest in fat. Top Fats and Sweets A food pyramid's tip is the smallest part, so the fats and sweets in the top of the Food Pyramid should comprise the smallest percentage of your daily diet. The foods at the top of the food pyramid should be eaten sparingly because they provide calories but not much in the way of nutrition. These foods include salad dressings, oils, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, candies and sweet desserts. Top

How Much Can You Feed Your Sweet Tooth? Sugars found naturally in fruits and milk are not a problem. Its the added sugars that need to be limited because they provide calories but few vitamins and minerals. Youll find sugar-laden food at the top of the Food Pyramid. Added sugars can be found in soft drinks, candy, jams, jellies, syrups and table sugar we add to coffee and cereal. Added sugar can also appear in sweetened yogurt, soups, spaghetti sauces, applesauce and other items where you wouldnt suspect it unless you check the list of ingredients. Here are some guidelines for added sugar based on calories in the daily food choices: 1,600 calories - Limit sugar to 6 teaspoons per day or 22 grams per day 2,200 calories - Limit sugar to 12 teaspoons per day or 44 grams per day 2,800 calories - Limit sugar to 18 teaspoons per day or 66 grams per day So if the food label on your sweetened yogurt says a one-cup serving contains 22 grams of sugar, and your meal plan has 1,600 calories a day, youve eaten your days allotment of sugar. Top Whats the Skinny on Fat? Base It On Your Caloric Needs How much fat you can eat is based on your caloric needs. Medical experts from the American Heart Association recommend that Americans limit dietary fat to 30 percent of daily calories. Here are the fat grams allowed based on daily calories: 1,600 calories - Limit fat to 53 grams 2,200 calories - Limit fat to 73 grams 2,800 calories - Limit fat to 93 grams You dont need to count fat grams every day, but its a good idea to do a "fat checkup" occasionally to be sure youre on the right track. Heres how to figure the number of grams of fat that provide 30% of calories in your diet: 1. Multiply your total days calories by 0.30 to get your calories from fat per day. If you eat 2,200 calories, multiply 2,200 by 0.30. The result is 660 calories from fat. 2. Divide calories from fat per day by 9 (each fat gram has 9 calories) to get your grams of fat per day. So in our example, divide 660 calories by 9 and get 73 fat grams. Top Heres How the Food Pyramid Can Guide You: So Whats Your Caloric Limit? You need to have enough calories every day in order for your body to have the nutrients it needs. How many calories that actually amounts to depends on a variety of factors including your:

Age Sex Size Activity level Whether or not you are a pregnant or breastfeeding woman Whether you have a chronic illness

The National Academy of Sciences recommends the following calorie categories: 1,600 calories - Many sedentary women and some older adults 2,200 calories - Children, teenage girls, active women and many sedentary men. O

Women who are pregnant may need around 500 calories more per day and an additional 300 calories for breast-feeding. 2,800 calories - Teenage boys, active men and very active women Its possible that you may be between calorie categories on the chart. If you are then you will need to estimate servings. For example, some less active women may need only 2,000 calories to maintain a healthy weight. If you are at this calorie level, 8 servings from the grain group would be about right. Top How Many Servings Are Right For You? Now that you know how many calories are suggested, you can address the question of how many servings of each food group you need. Heres a chart that can help: Lower About 1,600 Grain Group servings Vegetable Group Servings Fruit Group servings Milk Group Servings Meat Group 6 3 2 2-3 5 Moderate About 2,200 9 4 3 2-3 6 Higher About 2,800 11 5 4 2-3 7 Top So Whats a Portion Anyway? This is where the food label can come in handy. For portion size on items like canned soup, yogurt, snack foods, sauces, etc., you can discover what is considered one serving by checking the top of the food label. Here are some samples of what makes up one serving size: About That Nice Big Bowl of Pasta... Whats a Serving of Bread, Cereal, Rice or Pasta?

One slice of bread 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice or pasta

Does One Carrot Cut It? Whats a Vegetable Serving?

1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables 1/2 cup of other vegetables cooked, or chopped raw 3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Its the Berries... Whats a Fruit Serving?

1 medium apple, orange or banana 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit 3/4 cup of fruit juice

Remember Your Dairy Whats a Serving of Milk, Yogurt and Cheese?

1 cup of milk or yogurt 1 1/2 ounce of natural cheese 1 ounce of process cheese (remember that processed cheese usually contains a lot of sodium) Top

Do You Need to Measure Servings No. Just use servings as a general guide. Sometimes youll have to estimate the food group servings. For example a generous serving of pizza counts in the grain group (crust), milk group (cheese), and vegetable group (tomato, mushrooms, peppers and onions). Beef stew would count for both meat and vegetable groups. Remember that both pizza and beef stew can have lots of fat. Its in the pizza cheese, sausage and pepperoni and in the meat drippings that may be used to make gravy. Top What Should You Do to Gain or Lose Weight? Youve probably heard it before, but its true. The best way to lose weight is to increase the amount of physical activity you get and reduce the fat and sugar in your food choices. Remember to eat at least the minimum number of servings from the five food groups shown in the Food Pyramid. If you choose fat and sugar rich foods and eliminate healthy foods, you wont be getting the nutrition you need. Try to choose from the lowest fat choices in the food groups. If you need to gain weight, increase the amount of food you eat from all of the food groups. If you have lost weight unexpectedly, see your doctor. The Food Guide Pyramid can be extremely useful - whether you want to gain weight, lose weight or maintain your weight. Eating a healthy diet is a little easier if you base your choices on the Food Pyramid. The Food Pyramid The food pyramid is a diet plan that was devised in 1992 by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) to replace an earlier classification system of grouping foods. Also known as the nutrition pyramid, the food pyramid follows a dietary guideline of having the most of your daily meals consisting of foods from the grains and cereals group, followed by smaller amounts of fruits and vegetables, and then meat and dairy products, with oils and fats being the least amount of foods you should consume. Grains and cereals group The grains and cereals group include bread, cakes, buns, oatmeal, rice, wheat, pasta, and biscuits or crackers. Grains have always been an important food source for humans for thousands of years. They supply energy in the form of complex carbohydrates, and also contain much protein, vitamins (especially the B vitamin group), and minerals.

Vegetable group Vegetables form the next most important food group after grains. Although as children we might have hated to eat vegetables, your grandma was always right about vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and so forth, vegetables contain many enzymes, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and trace elements that our bodies need. Vegetarianism is the practice of eating almost wholly vegetables and fruits, and avoiding meat. Fruit group Fruits are some of the most prized foods of the earth. They are able to quench our thirst and fill our bellies. All fruits contain lots of moisture, ranging from 70% for bananas to 93% for watermelons. Fruits provide sugar (mainly fructose), much soluble and insoluble fiber, enzymes, fruit acids, vitamins (especially vitamin C), minerals, phytochemicals and trace elements required by our bodies. Grapes, oranges, apples, papaya, watermelons, bananas, mangos, and pears are some of the most popular fruits that should be a major part of any diet.

Meat, poultry, beans and nuts group Previously separate, meat, poultry, beans and nuts have now been grouped together in the food pyramid. They all have one major thing in common, their high protein content, which is either complete, or near complete, protein. Eggs are one of the best in this regard. Meats are also a major source of iron, zinc, calcium, fatty acids, and vitamin B12. Beans and nuts are often eaten as meat alternatives in the case of vegetarians, but they may need to supplement vitamin B12 from other sources, as it is only mainly found in meats. Dairy group Milk, cheese, and yoghurt form the dairy food group, and are a major source of the minerals calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. In fact, it is somewhat difficult to obtain sufficient dietary calcium if you are going on a dairy-free diet, hence their relative importance in daily diet. They also have much protein, some growth factors (in the case of colostrum), and

vitamins A and D. Some people have lactose (milk sugar) intolerance, and for them, soybean milk is often used as an alternative. Oils and fats group This food group is the smallest and for good reason fats should only be eaten in moderation. Cooking oils, fish oil, cream, butter, and margarines are all part of this group. While being implicated in heart disease, fats are still an essential part of any balanced diet. for The USDA does not technically recognize fats and oils as a separate food group, but they still occupy a spot on the food pyramid, because of their significance in the proper functioning and development of the human body.