1. The importance of eating well.

The man needs to eat to live. Nutrients present in foods provide the energy necessary to cope with daily activities and keep your body running.

To be healthy and maintain optimal performance every day, it is necessary to follow a healthy and balanced diet. This is achieved by combining the food effectively to ingest nutrients according to the age, sex and level of physical activity.

Many diseases are directly related to poor diet maintained over the years: obesity, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension and type Ii diabetes.

2 proteins, carbohydrates and fats, balance is the key.

There are three nutrients in nature: proteins, carbohydrates, sugars and fats. A healthy diet is combine them all properly. The correct proportion that would lead to a balanced diet would be the following.

-Between 15% and 20% of the nutrients must be proteins. Fats play a role of construction and regeneration of muscle tissue and other nutrients, including transportation.

-Between 25% and 30% must be fat. These nutrients are used by the body fundamentally to produce energy.

-Between 50% and 60% should be carbohydrates. As well as fats, carbohydrates are used by the body mainly to generate power.

3. The origin of nutrients.

In addition to combine them properly, it is very important to choose the correct nutrients. There are proteins, fats and carbohydrates of many types, and a healthy diet through eating the appropriate.

"Between 15% and 20% of the proteins that are eaten should be fish," says the Joey Atlas salting, Professor of Endocrinology and nutrition of the U CM and director of the Center for endocrine studies. "It contains a fat Omega-3 very beneficial for the heart." It also stresses the importance of consuming protein of plant origin.

All fats that eaten, do try to make the maximum possible amount Polo-unsaturated. These are found in fish (Omega 3), peanuts, almonds, soya or sunflower oil and are very beneficial to the heart. At least another 10% must desaturated fats, which are also beneficial. Saturated fat intake should be reduced to the maximum. Present in fried foods, red meat, milk or products such as butter, have much cholesterol and can lead to cardiovascular problems.

Finally, Joey Atlas says that "at least 50% of the carbohydrates shouldbe complex," present in fruit, vegetables, legumes and cereals. "Of all the sugars that is eaten, less than 10% must come from sweets, industrial pastries or soft drinks".

4. Vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Step 4

Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are not the only components present in food and necessary for a healthy and balanced diet. "Vitamins, minerals, fiber and water are nutrients which do not provide energy, but which are very necessary for the proper functioning of the body," says , pharmacist at the College of pharmacists of Madrid.

Vitamins and minerals have antioxidant properties, and long term can avoid large number of disorders, including atherosclerosis, the problems of infertility and cancer. These nutrients are present in different proportions in a wide variety of foods, so it is recommended to follow a diet more varied possible.

In terms of fiber, Sanchez aims "aside from promoting mechanical functions of evacuation, serving so that bacteria in the colon produce fatty acids of short-chain, very beneficial for the cardiovascular system". This nutrient is found income fruits (plums, apples and citrus mainly), vegetables (asparagus and other vegetables, peas, cabbage) and cereals and whole grain foods.

5. The diet has to be suited to the level of energy expenditure.

Step 5

It is important that the diet conforms to the energy consumption of each person.The study 'The balanced, prudent and healthy diet', of the community of Madrid, explains how the energy needs of an individual can be calculated. You have to get the so-called 'resting metabolic rate'. You are based on their sex, age and weight and using the equation proposed by the World Health Organization (who) or the Harris-Benedict formula.

Thus, according to the formulas of the who, a 30 year-old male weighing 80 Kg.would have to ingest 1807 K cal. To the day. A woman of the same age with weight of 65 Kg would need 1394, 5 K cal.

Harris-Ben calculations