Nutrition

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Nutrition (choose a topic, click on it)
Attitudes and our health
Carbohydrates	Fats (the good and bad)
Do's and don'ts about fat intake	Protein
Essential fatty acids	Vitamins and minerals

[edit] Nutrition

For a balanced nutrition we need:

• PROTEIN to build our cells, organs and muscles. Protein is supplying us with essential amino acids that are the building blocks for the peptide hormones in the brain and ACTH (the major stress hormone). Hormones are needed for communication signals between organ systems.
• ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS for information transfer in our system. These essential fatty acids consist of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which cannot be made by our body. We must supply them to our body, that is why they are called essential fatty acids.

• CARBOHYDRATES. In response to carbohydrate and sugar intake insulin (the "storage hormone") is released. It "files" the nutrients into the cells for future use. Contrary to the essential amino acids and the essential fatty acids there is not such a thing as an essential carbohydrate and yet we need carbohydrates as energy source for all cell function. If no carbohydrates are forthcoming, our body will be able to make glucose (the main carbohydrate) from protein or fat that is stored in our cells. Without carbohydrates there would be no smooth functioning of our system.

Finally our food has to supply us with:

• VITAMINS AND MINERALS. Both are found mixed in with animal protein sources as well as with carbohydrate sources (Ref. 1, p.276).

Let us now have a look at these main players. To make the best choices for our nutrition it is important to know in which foods they are found. For links to more details about these nutrients click on the appropriate links in the above table.

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Health, nutrition and fitness

References:

1. B. Sears: "The age-free zone".Regan Books, Harper Collins, 2000. Also see Dr. Sears' site.

2. B. Sears: "Zone perfect meals in minutes". Regan Books, Harper Also see Dr. Sears' site.

3. B.J. Wilcox, D.C. Willcox and M. Suzuki: "The Okinawa Program." Clarkson Potter,2001, N.Y., U.S.A.

4. E.L. Rossi: The psychobiology of mind-body healing. Norton &Co., 1986, N.Y., U.S.A.

5. Vitamins and Foods. Audio-Digest Family Practice Vol 49, Issue 29, Aug.7, 2001.

6. P.C. McGraw: Life strategies. 1999, Simon&Schuster Source, N.Y., U.S.A.

7. B. Sears: "The top 100 zone foods". Regan Books, Harper Collins, 2001. Also see Dr. Sears' site.