​HOLISTIC FITNESS

Weight Management. Body Sculpting. Mindfulness Practice

                                                                                        By Ruth Henao. Fitness Coach                     

Recommended CARBOHYDRATE Proportions by Goal & Population

Dietary fiber is a carbohydrate, specifically a polysaccharide. It is defined to be plant components that are not broken down by the human digestive enzymes. 

Dietary fiber has many functions in our diet; one very important is reducing the risk of obesity by enhancing and prolonging satiety.  It can produce four Calories (kilo- calories) of energy per gram, but in most circumstances, it accounts for less than that, because of its limited absorption and digestibility -  humans do not have the required enzymes to break it down, absorbed, and therefore introduce some caloric content.

Another important function of dietary fiber is the slowing of absorption of sugar in the bloodstream; fiber may help lower blood glucose levels, lessen insulin spikes, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. It is also thought to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

 The two subcategories are insoluble and soluble fiber. 

• Insoluble dietary fiber​ is indigestible by humans,
  

• ​Soluble dietary fiber can be fermented by microbes in the human digestive system.
  

Advantages of consuming fiber depend upon which type of fiber is consumed and which benefits may result in the gastrointestinal system:

• Bulking fibers – such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and psyllium – absorb and hold water, promoting regularity.
  

• Viscous fibers – such as beta-glucan and psyllium – thicken the fecal mass.
  

• Fermentable fibers – such as starch – feed the bacteria and microbiota of the large intestine.
  

Some plants contain significant amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber. For example, plums and prunes. The skin is a source of insoluble fiber, whereas soluble fiber is in the pulp.

The following are the current recommendations from the United States National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine:

• Adult men ages 19–50 consume 38 grams of dietary fiber per day. 
  
• Men 51 and older 30 grams,
  
• Women ages 19–50 to consume 25 grams per day,
  
• Women 51 and older 21 grams.
  

These are based on an observed intake level of 14 grams per 1,000 Calories among those with a lower risk of coronary heart disease.

ABSORPTION

Amino acids are absorbed into the blood by the small intestine. 

​The excess amino acids from protein can be converted into glucose and used for fuel in the form of fat. The remaining amino acids are discarded in the urine.

  In times of starvation, amino acids can be used as an energy source and processed through the Krebs cycle.

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Fat

MACRO-NUTRIENTS​

​Protein - Carbohydrates - Fat

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 PROTEIN

HIGH PROTEIN FOOD SAMPLE

 CARBOHYDRATES

NUTRITION BASICS

MacroNutrients: Protein - Carbohydrate - Fat

MacroNutrients Charts CARBOHYDRATES

 FATS

On this page, we will go back in time to our high school Biology class to remember what is essential and nonessential nutrients. 

​Knowing the right proportion of Macronutrients, along with understanding the process of Metabolism and Hormones, are the "secrets" to fast results in any weight management program; lose or gain weight.

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NUTRIENTS
Essential & Nonessential

The fundamental components of protein are amino acids. Some of which are essential.  They build and maintain muscles, organs, and other tissues, like hair, skin, and nails. 

​There are over 500 amino acids found in nature. Humans are made up of about 20. These twenty amino acids are sorted as essential and non-essential.​

COMPLETE AND INCOMPLETE PROTEIN

A complete protein source contains all the essential amino acids.  

An incomplete protein source lacks one or more of the essential amino acids. But, it is possible, with protein, to combine two incomplete protein sources (e.g., rice and beans) to make a complete protein source.​​​

 Source: Food and Nutrition board, Institute of Medicine, National Academies.

 FIBER

MacroNutrients Charts Protein

Recommended Macros chart

 Links:

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MACRONUTRIENTS; Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2002/2005).

The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine National Academy of Sciences.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  

The Ratio of Macronutrients, Not Caloric Intake, Dictates Cardiometabolic Health, Aging, and Longevity in Ad Libitum-Fed Mice

Low-carbohydrate diets and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: two cohort studies.

Caloric Restriction in Humans: Impact on Physiological, Psychological, and Behavioral Outcomes

Protein and Amino Acids https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234922/

Is dietary carbohydrate essential for human nutrition? Eric C Westman. 

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/75/5/951/4689417

Fats for thoughts: An update on brain fatty acid metabolism

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1357272516304058?via%3Dihub

Benefits and Harms of the Mediterranean Diet Compared to Other Diets https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK379574/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK379574.pdf

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients-food-and-ingredients/dietary-fibre.html?

DRI Calculator for Healthcare Professionals - https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/dri-calculator/

 Fat has a role to play in a balanced diet. It cannot be eliminated from our diet.​ 

It is a major source of energy, balances hormones, helps absorb vitamins (A, D, E, and K), and it is vital to our nervous system. 

 The fat in our diet is a source of some fatty acids. At least two fatty acids are essential and must be included in the diet. 

​Oxidation of one gram of fat yields approximately (9 kcal) of energy.

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TYPES OF FATS

Different types of fat induce slightly different responses in the body, in ways that science still hasn't completely understood.

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• Mono-unsaturated
• ​Poly-unsaturated
• Trans-fats
  
• Saturated
  

​Unsaturated fats:

They are also classified as omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids. 

Polyunsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol, omega-3 polyunsaturates may help protect against heart disease and omega-6 fatty acids may help with growth and brain function. They are considered healthy.

Monounsaturated fats can also help lower cholesterol if they replace saturated fats. This fat may also help decrease the risk of breast cancer and rheumatoid arthritis pain.

​Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat typically created in an industrial process called partial hydrogenation. The process can convert liquid oils into solid.​ In industrialized societies, people typically consume large amounts of processed vegetable oils, which have reduced amounts of essential fatty acids.​​

Trans fats occur naturally, at low levels, in the milk and body fat of cattle and sheep. However, the partially hydrogenated oils used in the production of fast food, cakes, and shortenings have increased our intake of trans fat. These trans fats tend to raise LDL (bad cholesterol)and need to be avoided.

​

Saturated and some trans fats are typically solid at room temperature (such as butter or lard), while unsaturated fats are typically liquids (such as olive oil or flaxseed oil).

​This type of fat is found in foods including meats, cheeses, dairy products, cakes, and chocolate. They increase the levels of LDL which is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.​

  In conclusion, oils and fats with a high proportion of saturated fat are less healthy than those with higher poly and monounsaturated fats.

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​​​​​​What is a "Carb"?

​​Carbohydrates provide the majority of energy in the diets of most people. 

The most important carbohydrate for humans is glucose, which is our primary metabolic fuel. ​

​Oxidation of one gram of carbohydrate yields approximately (4 kcal) of energy. The human body stores between 300 and 500 g of carbohydrates,  depending on body weight and muscle size. This storage happens in large proportion in the skeletal muscle, and the liver.

Carbohydrates, however, as important as they are,  are not essential nutrients. Meaning a human does not need to eat carbohydrates. The brain uses mostly glucose for energy; if glucose is insufficient it switches to using fats (keto diet).

The USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 call for moderate- to high-carbohydrate consumption from a balanced diet that includes six one-ounce servings of grain foods each day, at least half from whole grain sources, and the rest from enriched.

WHO recommends that national dietary guidelines set a goal of 55–75% of total energy from carbohydrates, but only 10% directly from sugars (simple). 

High levels of carbohydrates are associated with processed foods, or refined foods; sweets, cookies, candy, table sugar, honey, soft drinks, bread, crackers, jams and fruit products, pasta, and breakfast cereals.

Lower amounts of carbohydrates are usually associated with unrefined foods, including beans, tubers, rice, and unrefined fruit.

Animal-based foods generally have the lowest carbohydrate levels, although milk does contain a high proportion of lactose. 

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​​Recommended PROTEIN Proportions by Weight and Activity Level

1. Carbohydrates 
   

2. Lipids (fats)
   
3. Proteins
   
4. Fiber
5. Water
6.  Vitamins
   
7.  Mineral

Nutrients are grouped as macro-nutrients or micro-nutrients. 

MACROS​ are those nutrients the body needs in large amounts and provide energy (calories), like Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. 

Fiber & water don't provide energy but are necessary for other reasons.​

Some nutrients can be stored (fat-soluble vitamins), while others are required more or less continuously. 

For all age groups, males on average, need to consume higher amounts of macronutrients than females.

MICROS are minerals and vitamins. Also called "micros" because the human body needs them in small amounts. 

They don't provide any energy or calories, the same as fiber and water, but "micros" enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones, and other substances that are vital for development and disease prevention. ​

In this article and the website in general, we will be mainly focusing on the MACROS, which are those that need to be given special attention and manipulate carefully, otherwise, we ended up losing control of our body weight. 

MacroNutrients Charts: FAT

​TYPES OF CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates may be classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, or polysaccharides.

Nutritionists often refer to carbohydrates as either simple or complex. Simple if they are monosaccharides and disaccharides, and complex if they are polysaccharides.

​​MONOSACCHARIDES
Glucose, fructose, and galactose. 

Glucose is mainly made by plants. When this type of carbohydrate is not immediately needed by the cells, It is converted to a more space-efficient form, polysaccharides, also known as glycogen. 

Fructose or fruit sugar is found in many plants. This type of carbohydrate is metabolized in the liver.​​

​Galactose is found in dairy products, avocados, sugar beets, etc..

​DISACCHARIDES
Sucrose, lactose, and maltose

Sucrose: used as table sugar.

Lactose: occurs naturally in milk.

Maltose: is a component of malt (a substance from germinated grain). 


​POLYSACCHARIDES
Starch and glycogen

Also called 'complex'. They provide the best energy source of all carbohydrates.​

Starch is the most common carbohydrate in human diets, and is contained in large amounts in staple foods like potatoes, maize (corn), rice, and cassava, etc.

Glycogen, functions as one of two forms of energy reserves, In humans, glycogen is made, and stored primarily in the cells of the liver and skeletal muscle. 

THE SEVEN MAJOR CLASSES OF NUTRIENTS

There are nine amino acids, two fatty acids, thirteen vitamins, and fifteen minerals that are considered essential nutrients for the human body.

Essential nutrients are nutrients that the body cannot make or produce in sufficient quantities, so they must be provided through the diet.

Nonessential nutrients can be made by the body or obtained from sources other than foods and beverages. These include biotin which is produced by gastrointestinal bacteria, cholesterol which is manufactured by the liver, vitamin K which is made by intestinal bacteria, and vitamin D is manufactured by sunlight.​

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​​​​​​Primary Functions Of Carbohydrates

• During exercise, it provides energy to working muscles.
• Increases anabolism through the release of Insulin.
  
• Controls blood sugar levels to prevent hypoglycemia.
  
• Causes "Protein Sparing" effect; protein is used to increase muscle tissue and recovery.
  
• Fuel for the Central Nervous System (brain).​ ​​
  

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