Nutritional Guide
In this section of Seattle Organic Restaurants, I want to talk about a well-balanced diet. It’s important to have a well-balanced nutritional diet for maximizing mental and physical health. Everyone needs basic nutrients such as water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. Here are the four essential nutrients that everyone needs:
Water: Two third of our bodies is made of water. Water delivers nutrients to our cells and can get rid of wastes in the body. Water detoxifies the body from pollution, heavy metals, chemical and wastes. Everybody needs at least eight glasses of water every day to maintain a good health.
Carbohydrates: Our bodies get energy from carbs. Vegetables, fruits, beans, dairy products and peas have high amount of carbohydrates. There are two groups of carbohydrates, simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbs exist in fruits or dairy products. Complex carbohydrates have more complex chain and exist in starch and fiber. Vegetables, peas, beans and whole grains are complex carbohydrates. Carbs are a rich source for blood glucose and a great source of energy for the body. It’s important to choose unprocessed foods that are high in crabs such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and cheese. Unhealthy sources of carbs are processed foods like candy, dessert, soft drinks or white rice and sugar.
Protein: Protein is necessary for growth and development of the body. Protein gives body energy and is essential for producing enzymes, antibodies, hormones and tissues. Protein is broken down to amino acids in body. Depending on what kind of amino acids protein provide, they are divided into two groups of complete and incomplete proteins. Complete proteins have all the essential amino acids such as fish, meat, cheese, egg, milk and poultry. Incomplete proteins have only some essential amino acids such as grains, vegetables and legumes. It is important for our bodies to get the full range of amino acids; however we necessarily do not need to get protein from meat products. You can combine brown rice with beans, seeds, wheat or nuts and you will have a complete protein meal. Here are the list of vegan protein food sources: http://seattleorganicrestaurants.com/vegan-whole-food/plant-based-foods-nutritious-high-in-protein.php
Fats: Although many diets are based on reduction of fat, having good fat incorporated with your diet is essential for your health. During childhood, omega 3 fatty acids (DHA) is essential for brain development and neurological development of fetus and growing children. The reason many Americans are suffering from obesity is excessive amount of omega 6 fat in their diet. Excessive omega 6 fat can be very harmful for the body resulting in high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and colon cancer. There are three different kinds of fat, saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids are found in animal products such as beef, veal, lamb, pork, shrimp, whole milk, cream and cheese.
The saturated fat is manufactured to cholesterol by the liver. Saturated fat can increase the level of cholesterol especially LDL (Low-density Lipoproteins); LDL is bad cholesterol and is harmful for body. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in safflower, corn, soybeans, some fish and sunflower oil. Unlike saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids lower the level of bad cholesterol, however too much polyunsaturated fatty acids can also reduce the HDL (High-density Lipoproteins) or known as good cholesterol. Monounsaturated fatty acids are found in olives, vegetables, and peanut. These products reduce the level of bad cholesterol without reducing the level of good cholesterol. A balanced diet is a diet combined with 30% good fat, 30% protein and 40% carbs, but some bodies might need 30% good fat, 40% protein, and 30% carbohydrates.
