Essential elements for health - I
Hi friends,
We must be aware of certain essential ingrediant of our diet. Food must be consumed for keeping the body active and healthy. We can select proper diet only when we know what constituents of food are necessary for the body. One should eat only that food, the constituents of which are congential to one. These constituents should rejuvenate the body besides maintaning health. Diseases are caused because of deficiencies of certain essential constituents. If this is known to us, we shall never eat dispensable food. This kind of understanding of and view point on the system and substance of diet should be cultivated. With a view to make our life happy with healthy and active body, our daily diet should normally consist of the following constituents:
1. Carbohydrates:
The most important function of the carbohydrates is to provide fuel and energy to the body. The carbohydrates include sugar and starch. This constituent of food is available from all kinds of food grains (cereals). Flour devoid of husk, polished rice, white sugar, etc., retain their carbohydrates but lose most of the vitamins and minerals. They also do not contain roughage. Processed carbohydrates and teh carbohydrates taken in excess reduce the power of digestion and place unnecessary pressure on other organs of the body. Hence we should try to reduce from our diet the quantum of processed food except few substances containing natural carbohydrates.
2. Fats:
Fat provides heat to the body. Compared with animal fats (milk, ghee, meat) vegetable fats (oil seeds, edible oils) are better digested and are comparatively harmless. Animal fats have saturated fatty acids and lead to accumulation of cholestrol in the arteries with the result that the latter become hard and narrow. This invites diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. It is, therefore, advisable to take food with less fats and that, also prepared in vegetable oils containing unsaturated fats.
3. Proteins:
Proteins should be given an important place in our diet as they are necessary for the growth, development and reconstruction of the body. Twenty two types of amino acids constitute proteins. Some of amino acids are produced in the body. The rest should be obtained from food. A proper combination of various pulses gives us excellent proteins required for the body.
4. The importance of Vitamins:
The word vitamin is derived from 'vital' which means indispensable for life. This fact throws light on the value of vitamins. Untill the beginning of this century nobody knew anything about vitamins. Physiologists, that time thought that humans could live on a diet consisting of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals in required quantities and that the body required no other nutrients. Then experiements were performed. The experiments established that in addition to the constituents mentioned above, some other elements were required for life. Afterwards, when these elements were required for life. Afterwards when these elements were discovered they were called vitamins. Vitamins 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'K' and 'P' have been discovered so far.
Vitamins are organic chemical substances required in minute quantity for the process of metabolism in the body. The body itself cannot produce these substances.
We will discuss more about Vitamins in our next posts.
Best Regards,
Team- KnowledgeisHealing
We must be aware of certain essential ingrediant of our diet. Food must be consumed for keeping the body active and healthy. We can select proper diet only when we know what constituents of food are necessary for the body. One should eat only that food, the constituents of which are congential to one. These constituents should rejuvenate the body besides maintaning health. Diseases are caused because of deficiencies of certain essential constituents. If this is known to us, we shall never eat dispensable food. This kind of understanding of and view point on the system and substance of diet should be cultivated. With a view to make our life happy with healthy and active body, our daily diet should normally consist of the following constituents:
1. Carbohydrates:
The most important function of the carbohydrates is to provide fuel and energy to the body. The carbohydrates include sugar and starch. This constituent of food is available from all kinds of food grains (cereals). Flour devoid of husk, polished rice, white sugar, etc., retain their carbohydrates but lose most of the vitamins and minerals. They also do not contain roughage. Processed carbohydrates and teh carbohydrates taken in excess reduce the power of digestion and place unnecessary pressure on other organs of the body. Hence we should try to reduce from our diet the quantum of processed food except few substances containing natural carbohydrates.
2. Fats:
Fat provides heat to the body. Compared with animal fats (milk, ghee, meat) vegetable fats (oil seeds, edible oils) are better digested and are comparatively harmless. Animal fats have saturated fatty acids and lead to accumulation of cholestrol in the arteries with the result that the latter become hard and narrow. This invites diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. It is, therefore, advisable to take food with less fats and that, also prepared in vegetable oils containing unsaturated fats.
3. Proteins:
Proteins should be given an important place in our diet as they are necessary for the growth, development and reconstruction of the body. Twenty two types of amino acids constitute proteins. Some of amino acids are produced in the body. The rest should be obtained from food. A proper combination of various pulses gives us excellent proteins required for the body.
4. The importance of Vitamins:
The word vitamin is derived from 'vital' which means indispensable for life. This fact throws light on the value of vitamins. Untill the beginning of this century nobody knew anything about vitamins. Physiologists, that time thought that humans could live on a diet consisting of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals in required quantities and that the body required no other nutrients. Then experiements were performed. The experiments established that in addition to the constituents mentioned above, some other elements were required for life. Afterwards, when these elements were required for life. Afterwards when these elements were discovered they were called vitamins. Vitamins 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'K' and 'P' have been discovered so far.
Vitamins are organic chemical substances required in minute quantity for the process of metabolism in the body. The body itself cannot produce these substances.
We will discuss more about Vitamins in our next posts.
Best Regards,
Team- KnowledgeisHealing
posted by KIH @ 2:47 AM
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