PROTEINS CARBOHYDRATES AND FATS
When it comes to nutrients, protein, carbohydrates and fats are the more important. All three of these nutrients provide your body with energy, but when it comes to how energy is supplied these nutrients are different. Fats are the slowest to supply energy, and carbohydrates are the fastest.
These three nutrients are digested in the intestine, where they get broken down into their basic units.
- Proteins then become amino acids
- Carbohydrates then become sugars
- Fats then turn into fatty acids and glycerol
In return the body then uses these units to build what it needs for growth and maintenance.
PROTEINS
Proteins are known to consist of units called amino acids as it was stated earlier, which are held together in complex formations. Due to the fact that proteins are complex molecules, it will take a long time before your body breaks them down, which then results to proteins being much slower and a longer-lasting source of energy.
Often referred to as the body’s building blocks, proteins enable the body to build and repair worn out tissues, your muscle and skin are all built up by protein. Protein helps your body to fight infection. The extra protein that your body gets it uses it for energy. If you are looking to get some good sources of protein then you should try lean meat and poultry, soy products, seafood, beans and peas. You can also find protein dairy products. The proteins you can get from plant sources are said to be lower in fat and cholesterol and also provide fiber for your body and also boost your health nutrients.
CARBOHYDRATES
When it comes to giving energy to your body, carbohydrates are the main source for that. There are two types of carbohydrates that you should know which are simple and complex.
- SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES: For this type of carbohydrates, they are known to be various forms of sugar, which are small molecules, so it enables the body to break it down and absorb it quickly and it’s also the quickest source of energy. They are found in fruits, vegetables and milk products; you can also get them in sweeteners like sugar, honey and syrups. Even foods such as candy, soft drinks have them. They help to quickly increase the level of your blood sugar.
- COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES: Now these carbohydrates are composed of long strings of simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates are said to be larger molecules than the simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates need to be broken down to simple carbohydrates before they can get absorbed. Although they provide energy to your body more slowly than simple carbohydrates but it is by far quicker than protein or fat. Complex carbohydrates are found in cereals, pasta, rice, beans and bread.
FATS
Fats are the complex molecules that are composed of fatty acids and glycerol. Your body needs fats for growth and energy. Although fats are the slowest source of energy, they are the most energy-efficient form of food. With each gram of fat it gives to your body at about 9 calories, more than what is supplied by proteins or carbohydrates. Due to the fact that fats are an efficient form of energy, your body tends to store any excess energy as fat. This then leads to it being deposited in the abdomen and under the skin.
Fat gives you the energy you need and help to make you feel satisfied after eating. Things that contain fats are butter, oil, margarine, salad dressing, table cream, mayonnaise and sour cream. There are other food animal sources and certain foods like avocado, coconut, seeds and nuts also contain fat.
THE CATEGORIES OF FATS
There are three different categories of fats; some of them are healthier than others.
MONOUNSATURATED
For these category of fat is includes peanut oil, canola oil, olive oil, and safflower oil, you can also find this fat in avocados, peanut butter, and also in some nuts and seeds. You should know that fats that are mostly gotten from plants usually contain monounsaturated fat.
POLYUNSATURATED
These are fats that you can get in soybean oil, flaxseed oil, and corn oil. You can also get this fat in walnuts, fatty fish, and some other seeds. Just as how the monounsaturated gets most of its fats from plants, the same applies to polyunsaturated fats. Although this type of fat may help lower your body’s cholesterol and since it includes good cholesterol you might want to consider limiting your intake of this type of fat.
SATURATED
Saturated fats are said to be more likely to increase your cholesterol levels and increase. You can find these fats in milk products, red meat, butter, palm oil and coconut oil. The common sources of saturated fat you can find in your meals are pizza, cheese. You can also find them in grain-based and dairy desserts. Saturated fat is said to be used by the liver to make cholesterol, which then partakes in the production of hormones such as testosterone. This is very important because you will need some fat in your diet to help keep your body’s hormone product as it should be.
TRANS FATS (TRANS FATTY ACIDS)
Now this is a different category of fat, they are known to be the man-made fats, which are formed by adding hydrogen atoms to either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. You can find trans fats that are have been process in stick margarine and vegetable shortening. The excess consumption of trans fat may affect your cholesterol levels in your body and that might contribute to the risk of atherosclerosis.
The thing is fat intake should be kept on the low; most fitness personnel have discovered that fat is prone to naturally be kept on low levels when you simple start eating clean.
FATS YOU NEED TO LIMIT
If you want to limit the fats that you should be consuming, limit your consumption of butter and saturated fats.
FATS YOU NEED TO AVOID
By all means try to avoid consuming processed vegetable oils.