Tip #2
Ratios of Carbs : Fat : Protein - MacroNutrients
For the average person, meaning someone not looking to gain weight, and someone that is not undernourished these values are a good standard ratio to the number of carbohydrates to fats and proteins one should be consuming. About 45-65% of daily kcals (I will explain what kcals are below), about 25-35% kcals daily to fat (with less than 10% of total fat from saturated fat) and about 10-35% from proteins. Although this changes depending on if someone is trying to lose or gain weight, and there is still recommendations within each range that will help maintain sufficient health (such as getting most of your carbohydrates from fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains) these ranges should help everyone obtain their nutrient goals.
These values are called AMDR's which stands for acceptable macronutrient distribution range. They are a range of values to help any individual meet their needs for nutrients and energy and because they are ranges and not set values, they are easily adaptable to any individual.
Macronutrients:
There are macronutrient and micronutrients, which include all the vitamins, minerals, carbs, proteins and fat we need. Macronutrients include our Carbs, Fats and Proteins while micronutrients include your vitamins and mineral (nutrients required in smaller amounts but are non the less just as important.
kcals:
A kcal is about 1000calories which equals 1 Calorie (capital C). When we look on labels of foods, although in the nutrition facts table they discuss 'calories' what they actually mean are kcals. This may not be that important for the average individual but I thought it was interesting!
Types of Fat:
Fat comes in all different forms, lengths, sizes and actually has multiple functions. Although a few years ago there was a lot of controversy about whether we need fat, the fact is that we do. Fat is important for all areas of our life and body and health. This includes transporting nutrients like vitamins around our body (has anyone ever heard of fat soluble vitamins??? YUM!) Also, we can use fat for energy in the body (and fat energy is actually more preferred for the body than is protein energy!) And nuts and seeds, chocolate let's be honest... they are all delicious.
So... all this talk about fat but does fat actually do?
Fat is important for helping us absorb some of the vitamins we need for our bones, eye site, reproduction and teeth. "Fat soluble vitamins" (Which include Vitamins A,D,E and K) are absorbed and stored in fat. People on very low fat diets are often found to be deficient in these nutrients, because without fat to absorb and store them, the body cannot properly utilize them . A deficiency of vitamin A, although is quite rare-except when taking supplements-, can lead to many problems such as the inability to fight foreign invaders in the immune system. Vitamin A is also important for our eyes, so without it we may develop night time blindness (not being able to properly see in the dark) or dry eyes. Vitamin A is important for the skin, so if we are deficient, we may see problems such as dry skin or cracks in the skin and finally, Vitamin A is also very important in growth and reproduction!
Remember, because these vitamins are stored in the body, we want to make sure we are getting them from foods -not supplements- to decrease the risk of toxicity
A fun fact for you: Plant foods that provide us with Vitamin A (Although in plant foods, vitamin A actually comes in the form of B-carotene ) rarely ever can lead to toxicity because they are not as efficiently converted to Vitamin A as are animal foods- but something that can happen is hypercarotenemia which is when your skin appears orange because of the build up of B-carotene under the fat layer in the skin! Sppooooky.
An easy way I can suggest to you, to see if you are within the recommended range of macronutrient values and to monitor your eating habits, food intakes and a lot about your diet is to track your diet for three days straight. This includes everything from your morning coffee to your after lunch chocolate bar to your fresh salad and juice box! Record everything and then make an effort to incorporate exercise into your life. Even while studying for days at a time, if I do not have the time for the gym on day I make sure I am getting up and walking around or doing a quick 5 minute workout or push up test every hour or so. Even the little exercises spread through the day are important! Get up and move around and have some fun doing it!
Tip #3
Vitamin C and Iron
Iron has two forms, ' heme ' iron and ' non-heme ' iron. Heme iron, which is mainly found in animal foods, like the obvious ones such as steak, is more easily absorbable by the body. Non-Heme iron, mainly found in plant foods, such as oats or beans and legumes, is less absorbable by the body... but why?
Non heme iron is in the form of Fe2t where as Heme iron is in the form of Fe3t. Now in order to explain this in the simplest way, without getting too much into chemistry, Fe2t is the less bioligcally active form of the two irons (Fe2t and Fe3t) But Vitamin C can help with this problem!
Vitamin C is one of our Vitamins that can act as an antioxidant to reduce free radicals and minimize the negative effect they have on our bodies. It also helps with iron absorption by acting in a redox reaction with iron (Fe2t) and converting it to Fe3t. Now most of the time, if a vitamin provides another molecule with an electron (or gains an electron in the process- just as Vitamin C is here, making iron Fe3t) The vitamin normally becomes unstable now that it has gained or lossed an electron. Vitamin C is special and has the ability to be stable in both forms (So it stable before it converts Fe2t to Fe3t and it is stable after the conversion as well!)
Because of this redox reaction with Vitamin C and Iron, it is very important and practical to eat Vitamin C rich foods with your iron foods, especially when the iron is from plant foods! Be careful though, Vitamin C is lost easily through exposure to air, like leaving an orange out over night, and with exposure to cooking, such as cooking bell peppers in stir fries and exposure to baking soda in baking! Try to eat raw fruits and vegetables throughout the day (with a mix of cooked ones) to get a good supply of nutrients!
Tip #4
Turmeric and its healing abilities
Tumeric, is a herb or a spice similar to ginger, and has amazing properties. It has the ability to fight inflammation, Tumeric is also great for use on your skin, to give it a natural fresh glow. Here is an idea that I use Tumeric for!
Surprisingly, turmeric is actually fairly high in Iron, and Calcium, Vitamin b6 and Vitamin C all of which are great for the skin and body in general.
Tumeric Facial:
You can use quite a variety of ingredients for this facial, but here is kind of a basic rundown of what I use:
Note: You can use fresh or powdered ginger! If you use fresh, just grind it up in maybe a motor and pestle and then mix ingredients together
Coconut oil,
Cinnamon,
Turmeric,
Honey (sometimes)
Lemon (sometimes)
Now a warning sign: While I love this facial, and its natural abilities to leave my skin clean and fresh, it can leave your skin a little orange, so I would be careful if I was doing it right before a big event, or anything really. I have had people at school ask why my face is orange (while I just thought I looked like I was glowing) so it is beautiful and great but maybe do it on a Sunday morning and just relax for the day :)
Tip # 5
Grain vs. Whole Grain
A whole grain is one that has all its natural components still intact, this include the bran, germ and endosperm. The majority of the grains we eat today are not whole, and instead are processed. This strips the grain from its many vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Many processors then add back nutrients artificially or leave the plant with a low nutrient density profile.
Now, while balance and moderation is important in any food, grains have many qualities of their own. Even though grains may get a bad reputation, they are very important and should be consumed daily.
Grain products, especially whole grains, often have many essential nutrients that help our body with oxygen transport, like iron. Whole grains generally have a lot of Folic Acid as well. Folic acid is important for all individuals, but especially pregnant individuals. Women generally requite a Folic Acid supplement during years that they could potentially be pregnant as well as when they are pregnant! It help with fetal development and growth. Folic acid is a B vitamin, and along with this B vitamin, many other B vitamins are in whole grains. They also help increase our energy and help with the movement of oxygen around our bodies. Whole grains also have a lot of fiber. Fiber helps our GI tract move the food along and helps with the digestion process of foods, ensuring that foods are moving through our system properly, and nutrients are being efficiently absorbed.
Try to consume at least 50% (the more, the merrier) of the grains you eat daily as whole grains! This includes Quinoa, brown or wild rice, whole wheat flour and can even include other grains such as buckwheat. Also try to get a wide variety in the grains you are eating daily, not limiting your diet to a few sources. This will help you attain your nutrient needs and keep your food interesting.
Tip # 6
Protein: Animal Vs. Plant and all its wonderful benefits
There are many different sources of protein: nuts, seeds, legumes, meat, milk, grains and even small amounts in fruits and vegetables.
There are complete proteins which have all our essential amino acids (for adults there are 9 essential, meaning our body cannot make these at all or not in sufficient amounts to meet our dietary needs) and incomplete proteins, which are missing one or more essential amino acids. It is important to get a different array and variety of proteins daily to support our bones, muscles, hair, skin, and teeth along with many other body functions and actions. Proteins help with the production and stimulation of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters include chemicals such as serotonin, which helps with our mood stabilization. Serotonin can be known as the 'happiness' hormone, as high levels of it in the body generally generate or increase happiness.
If you are eating incomplete proteins (generally in plant foods), try to pair them (nuts and seeds eaten with grains; legumes eaten with vegetables)
Either way we have tiny amino acids pools in each of our cells so we do not need to eat all the essential amino acids at every meal, but it is something to be aware of especially for infants!
Tip #7
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are non-nutrient compounds found in many fruits, veggies, teas, and plants. They are biologically active in the body and can help support the immune system. Phytochemicals can not only assist in helping the immune system, but they can have numerous functions in the body. Flavanoids (a type of phytochemical found in tea, coffee, chocolate. Flavonoids can attack free radicals in the body and terminate reactions to stop free radicals from harming the body.
Other phytochemicals can act similar to estrogen and help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with pre-menopausal side effects. For example, Ligans and isoflavones are structurally similar to estrogen. This does not mean phytochemicals are only helpful for women. These similar phytochemicals have also been shown to inhibit some tumor formation, probably why green and black teas (high in many flavonoids) have become increasingly higher in popularity.
Echinacea ( a herb derivided from north american plant species) has become popular as a stress supplement in north america. It has compounds that act as phytochemicals in our bodies, specifically helping the immune system by building more helper T cells.
Ever wonder why garlic is relatively odorless until it is chopped or chewed?
Alliin (an odorless compound) can be converted to allicin in the presence of alliinase (an enzyme to help the process along) which is exposed when garlic cells are destroyed by cutting or chewing. Then, allicin degrades to diallyl disulfide, the main component in the odor of garlic! The phytochemicals in garlic have also been shown to help the immune system, and act as a mild blood lipid lowering LDL cholesterol but take note: people regularly consuming aspirin or other anticoagulant therapies should avoid eating high amounts of garlic because of the blood lipid interactions.
Ginseng is a herb, most commonly taken from the root of the plant. It serves as an energy enhancer and a stress reducer and has been shown to possibly interact as an antioxidant, helping to clear out free radicals in the body.
St.Johns wort is a perennial herb that has been shown to modulate neurotransmitter receptors and the uptake of serotonin. dopamine and norephinephrine. For this reason, it has been shown to be as effective as many antidepressants in treating mild depression and anxiety.
