A
personal trainer is not a substitute for a registered
dietician, or other licensed and or degreed
nutritional expert. However, as a personal trainer
I can give you accurate, general nutritional
information that will enable you to make wise
food choices when 
planning
your meals.
What
is Nutrition?
Nutrition
is the process by which the body uses food to
sustain life, for growth, for activity, and
for normal functioning of every organ and tissue.
Adequate nutrition is also important for psychological
well-being. Nutrients found in the foods we
eat are the essential components of food. There
are more than fifty essential nutrients in food.
Each nutrient has a special role in the body
and needs other nutrients to do it's job properly.
No one food can supply all of these nutrients.
This is why it is so important to eat a variety
of foods.
Six
different types of nutrients fuel our bodies.
All six have different compositions and serve
many different functions in our body. Together
these six nutrients make up a healthy and balanced
diet.
Protein
Second to water, protein makes up the largest
percentage of material in the human body- about
45 percent. Proteins are made up of 21 different
amino acids. The human body is capable of producing
12 non-essential amino acids while the remaining
9 must be obtained from the diet.
Types
of Dietary Proteins
- High
Quality Protein- proteins which contain
all the nine essential amino acids in the
proper proportions. Our bodies are able to
absorb high quality proteins more efficiently.
Food sources: eggs, meat, poultry,
fish, milk, yogurt, cheese
- Low
Quality Protein- are missing one or more
essential amino acids or have unbalanced amounts
of amino acids.
Food
sources: grain products (bread, cereal,
rice, pasta) nuts and seeds, legumes 
(beans,
peas, and lentils).
Functions
of Protein:
- Growth
and repair of body tissues
- Formation
of various proteins for body functions
- energy
*
The Recommended Daily Allowance of protein
is 0.8g/ kg for the average person. This is
generally the equivalent of 10-15% of your daily
caloric intake.
Strength trained athletes require 1.4-1.8g/
kg of daily protein.
Endurance athletes require 1.2-1.4g/ kg of daily
protein.
* Reminder: every gram of protein
has 4 calories associated with it.
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Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the best energy source for
the human body. They are the high octane fuel
that makes our body run best.
Types
of Carbohydrates
-
Simple Carbohydrates- A simple carbohydrate
contains only one or two units of sugar and
in general, simple carbohydrates are digested
and absorbed rapidly.
Food sources: fruits and juices, table
sugar, jam, honey, candy, pop.
-
Complex Carbohydrates- A complex carbohydrate
has more than two sugars linked together.
Complex carbohydrates are digested and absorbed
more slowly than simple sugars.
Food sources: grain products like breads,
cereals, rice, pasta and beans, peas and legumes,
as well as corn and potatoes.
-
Fiber: Dietary fiber is the part of
the plant you cannot digest. There are two
main types of dietary fiber: soluble (which
dissolves in water) and insoluble (commonly
referred to as 'roughage').
Food sources of soluble fiber
include: oats, oatmeal and oatbran, baked
beans, lentils, peas, cornbran and cereals,
which contain pysillium.
Food sources of insoluble fiber include:
breads and cereals made from corn and wheatbran,
fruits with edible seeds (strawberries, raspberries,
kiwi), cabbage family of vegetables (broccoli,
cauliflower), mature root vegetables (carrots
and parsnips), mushrooms and eggplant.
Functions
of Fiber
- Soluble
fiber may help control blood sugar and lower
blood cholesterol.
- By
eating a diet high in fiber, you may feel
less hungry for a longer period of time.
- Insoluble
fiber may help prevent and control bowel problems.
It
is recommended that the average person consume
between 20-30 grams of fiber a day. Eating more
than 50-60 grams of fiber daily may decrease
the amounts of vitamins and minerals your body
absorbs.
Functions
of Carbohydrates:
-
provide energy in the form of glucose to the
brain, heart, kidney, muscles and other tissues.
- the
presence of adequate carbohydrate for energy
helps prevent the use of protein for energy,
thus protecting the protein for tissue building
and repair.
*
The recommended daily intake of carbohydrates
per day is between 6-10g/ kg for the average
person, or approximately 55-65% of total calories.
* Reminder: every gram of carbohydrate
has 4 calories associated with it.
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Fats
Today, fat has become public enemy number one,
responsible not only for increasing our weight
gain but for a number of serious illnesses as
well- heart disease, cancer, stroke. Still,
fat does have some redeeming virtues. In fact,
we could not survive without it. Fat is required
for us to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. It
is also essential in the production of several
hormones and other compounds needed by the body.
Aside from providing us with a way to store
extra energy for later use, fat insulates the
body, thereby helping to regulate temperature,
and cushions and protects our vital organs.
Where
is fat found?
-
Fat added in processing (defined as anything
the manufacturer would add).
-
Fat added in preparation.
-
Fat added at the table.
-
Fat found naturally in food.
Types
of Fats
The fat found in food is actually a combination
of three different types: saturated, monounsaturated,
and polyunsaturated.
Polyunsaturated
Fats: are generally liquid at room temperature
and can help lower the level of cholesterol
in your food. These are found in oils (safflower,
sunflower, soybean, corn, and sesame), nuts
and seeds.
Monounsaturated
Fats: are known to help lower blood cholesterol
levels. They are found in canola, olive, and
peanut oils, as well as nuts and seeds.
Saturated
Fats: raise blood cholesterol levels more
than anything in the diet. Saturated fats are
usually solid at room temperature. They are
found in animal products such as lard, meat,
poultry, butter, cheese and cream.
Trans
Fats: also raise blood cholesterol levels.
They are formed when polyunsaturated or monounsaturated
fats are changed from a liquid to a solid form.
This process is referred to as "hydrogenation",
and hydogenated fats are found in shortenings,
baked goods, cookies, crackers, potato chips,
frozen french fries, and some margarine.
Cholesterol:
Dietary cholesterol is the term we use to refer
to any cholesterol we eat. Blood cholesterol
is the cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream.
Trouble occurs when too much cholesterol is
circulating in the blood. This results in decreased
blood circulation and increase in blood pressure.
In
the bloodstream , fats are transported by special
carriers called lipoproteins, and they come
in two kinds: low-density lipoproteins (LDL's)
and high-density lipoproteins (HDL's). LDL's
are known as the "bad" cholesterol,
because they are the ones most responsible for
the build-up of plaque, the hard fatty deposits
that narrow cell walls and clog arteries. HDL's
are considered the "good" cholesterol
because they carry cholesterol away from the
arteries and back to the liver. A HDL count
has a protective effect against heart disease.
*The recommended daily intake
of fat should constitute 20-25% of total calories
consumed per day.
*
Reminder: each gram of fat has 9 calories
associated with it.
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Vitamins
Vitamins are organic substances, which are essential
to our diet in very small amounts and cannot
be made by the body. They must be obtained by
the diet.
Vitamins
perform a variety of functions:
- They
are needed for building body tissues.
- They
assist in the metabolism of proteins, fats,
and carbohydrates, so they are necessary precursors
to releases energy from the foods we eat,
but do not supply energy themselves.
- They
play a primary role in the prevention of nutritional
deficiency diseases, promote healing and encourage
good health.
Types
of Vitamins
There are 13 different vitamins the body requires.
They are divided into two major categories:
water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins.
Water-Soluble
Vitamins- are transported in the bloodstream
and are not stored to any great extent in the
body. The body uses what it needs, saturates
the tissues, and then excretes the extra through
the urine.
Fat-Soluble
Vitamins- Four-vitamins- A, D, E, and K
are fat-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins are dissolved
in fat and carried throughout the body attached
to body chemicals made with lipids or fats.
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Minerals
A mineral is anything which is not vegetable
or animal; an inorganic substance which is essential
in small quantities for life processes. The
total amounts of minerals in the body are relatively
small, but each is crucial to cell function.
The major minerals of interest are Calcium and
Iron.
Calcium
Calcium is an important mineral since it is
the major component of bone and teeth. Adequate
amounts of calcium can help prevent osteoporosis;
a weakening of the bone which is more common
in women than men.
At least two servings a day from the milk products
group are needed to provide adequate calcium.
Iron
Iron combines with protein to form hemoglobin,
the substance that carries oxygen in the blood
to the tissues. Too little iron causes anemia.
Symptoms of anemia include feeling tired, weak,
and irritable.
Iron in red meat, fish, and poultry is absorbed
much better than from other sources.
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Water
Water is the most abundant compound in the human
body comprising more than 60% of our body weight
and is an essential nutrient required for life
.
Functions
of Water
-
Fills about every space in cells and between
them.
- Helps
form the structure of macromolecules such
as protein and glycogen.
- Transports
nutrients and oxygen to your body cells and
carries waste products away.
- Whole
body thermoregulation is critically dependent
on water.
- Keeps
things fluid and functions as a lubricant.
Fluid
requirements:
The human body does not have the ability to
store an extra supply of water. The normal daily
turJaner of water is approximately 4% of total
body weight for adults and 15% of total body
weight for infants. Water loss from the lungs
and skin are sensitive to environmental conditions
and can be increased at high temperatures, high
humidity, and low humidity. Losses from urine
and stool account for the rest of the total
losses.
The recommended fluid intake of 1 ml/kcal energy
expenditure for adults living under average
conditions of energy expenditure and environmental
exposure. For average males this is the equivalent
of 2900 ml (12 cups) of fluid per day and for
average females 2200 ml (9 cups) of fluid per
day.
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Canada's
Food Guide
How
many servings from each food group do I need?
Grain
Products
5- 12 servings per day |
1
serving- 1 slice of bread, 30g of cold cereal,
3/4 cup of hot cereal
2 servings- 1 bagel, pita, or bun, 1 cup
of pasta or rice |
Vegetables
& Fruit
5- 10 servings per day |
1
med. size vegetable or fruit, ½ cup
of fresh, frozen or canned vegetable or
fruit, ½ cup of salad, or ½
cup of juice. |
Milk
Products
2- 4 servings per day |
1
cup of milk, 50g of cheese (3"x3"x1"
cube or 2 slices), 3/4 cup of yogurt |
Meat
& Alternatives
2- 3 servings per day |
50-
100g of meat, poultry, or fish, 1-2 eggs,
125-250ml of beans, 1/3 cup of tofu, or
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. of peanut butter. |
| The
number of servings you need per day from
the four food groups and other foods depends
on your age, body size, activity level,
whether you are male or female, and if you
are pregnant or breast-feeding. Most people
will need to have more than the lower number
of servings, especially pregnant and breast-feeding
women, male teenagers, and highly active
people. |
For
more details and information check our links
page.
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Don't
forget to sign Mike's Guestbook!
Resources
used:
1)
Can-Fit-Pro Nutrition & Wellness Certification
Manual, by Ogasawara, Sampson, Hutton, April
2000.
2)
the Complete Book of Fitness, Mind-Body-Spirit,
by the Editors of Fitness Magazine with Karen
Andes, 1999.
3)
Canada's Food Guide, Health and Welfare Canada.
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