Food and Nutrition zone

Protein-rich foods Proteins: Proteins are included in the class of macronutrients. They are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprises one or more long chains of amino acid residues. The word "Protein" comes from the Greek word protos, which means "to come first." This is an appropriate name, given that proteins are a primary component of all cells throughout the body.  Besides water, proteins form the major part of lean body tissue, totaling about 17% of body weight. Many of our body proteins are found in muscle, connective tissue, and organs, DNA, hemoglobin, antibodies, hormones, and enzymes are examples of proteins in our body.    Proteins are crucial to the regulation and maintenance of essential body functions. For example, maintenance of fluid balance, hormone and enzyme production, cell synthesis and repair, and vision each requires specific proteins.   Structure of Proteins: Like carbohydrates, proteins are made of the elements carbon, hydroge...

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are sugar molecules; most abundant organic molecules in nature and one of the most essential macronutrient in foods. This important food nutrient that our body turns into glucose to provide us energy to function. Carbohydrates are a primary fuel source for cells, especially the cells of the central nervous system and red blood cells. Muscle cells also rely on carbohydrates to fuel intense physical activity.    Structure of carbohydrates: The carbohydrates family includes sugar, starch, and fiber. Most forms of carbohydrates are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The general formula for carbohydrates is (CH2O)n, where n represents the number of times the formula is repeated. The simpler forms of carbohydrates are called monosaccharides and disaccharides. The more complex forms of carbohydrates are called polysaccharides and typically contain many glucose molecules linked together.  Monosaccharides: Monosaccharides are single sugars with the genera...

Food components for balanced diet Diet; a balanced diet and our health.  A healthy diet is good for physical and mental health.  It can reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertensi on, and cancer .   A balanced diet provides the nutrients that your body needs to work efficiently and that is necessary for health. It is a diet which contains different food groups in specific proportions and quantities, which provides the body with essential nutrients, fluid, and adequate food energy. For a normal adult man, a balanced diet consists of two or more portion from the group containing most protein and three or more portions of fruits and vegetables. There are 7 essential nutrients or factors for a balanced diet : Carbohydrates, proteins, fat, fibre, vitamins, minerals and water Carbohydrates:  Main energy source 40-45% daily intake of calories Food sources: Grains (refined & unrefined), wheat, maize, oats, corn, flour, rice, pasta, noodles, potatoe...

Junk foods; seems tasty but bad for health. Junk food are defined as processed foods with very low nutritional value that contributes lots of calories and are often high in kilojoules, in salt, sugar and saturated fats. They are also known as discretionary choices. Generally people use the term junk food to define a food that has few of the very few nutrients that your body needs, and excess of added sugars and salts, spices and fats which your body can easily get too much of. What does junk food include? Most junk food falls into the categories of either snack food or fast food. And then there are things like breakfast cereals. They seem simple enough, but some of them could definitely be considered junk food, as they mostly contain sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and white flour or milled corn. Popular snack foods are usually commercially prepared and packaged, like chips, cheese puffs, candy bars, snack cakes.  Foods commonly considered junk foods include salted snack foods, g...

Guidelines about healthy eating routine   How to develop healthy eating habits?   The food that you eat in your daily life can affect your health and your risk for various diseases. To eat healthy food, you may need to change some of your daily eating habits.  You also may need to do changes in your environment. Your environment includes everything around you, such as your home or the place you work.   To improve your eating habits, it's best to make small   lifestyle changes that you can keep doing over time.  You don't need to change all your habits at the same time. It's better to set small goals and change your habits a little bit at a time. Within the time, small changes can make a big difference in your health and habits. Tips to develop healthy routine : Here are some ways to make good changes in your eating habits: Try to set your sleep-wake cycle or schedule . Sleep at least 7 to 9 hours per night and it is the  ideal amount to stay healthy an...