Basics of fats and carbohydrates in the diet

Fats and carbohydrates are two very important key nutrients for a healthy diet and healthy body, however many people do not understand their role in the human body. Even though fat can be harmful in large quantities, and it should be limited it is still essential part of a balanced and healthy diet. The real key to fats and carbohydrates is to understand them and to ingest them in moderation.

First let’s start off by taking a look at fats and how fats in the diet can affect the human body. Fats are essential in energy production in the body and 1 g of fat contains 9 calories compared to 1 g carbohydrate, which only contains 4 calories. One of fats key roles in the body is in suppling fatty acids which act as carriers or shuttles for fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin A and vitamin D. on top of this carrier action fat is essential for building various tissues and membranes in the human body.

The majority of experts in the field of nutrition recommend fat intake should be about 20% of your daily caloric intake. Even though you are permitted 20% of your daily calories in the form of fat you should be conscious of the type of fat that you are ingesting. The type of fat you should be looking to consume is fats such as polyunsaturated fats and mono unsaturated fats. The type of

fat you should be avoiding is saturated fats.

Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet and are also essential for a healthy body. Carbohydrates are essential for providing energy for the body and are the preferred energy source for the body. Carbohydrates can be found in a multitude of sources such as fruits, vegetables, grains and in milk and dairy products. It is important to keep in mind that not all carbohydrates are created equally and you need to choose your carbohydrate source carefully.

When selecting products that are high in carbohydrates or made from grain products such as breads, cereals and pastas try to select those made with whole grains and avoid more refined varieties. An easy way to tell a highly refined carbohydrate or grain product is to look for the white or blanch products such as white bread or white past, these are the ones that are highly refined and you’d want to go for the more dark or brown breads and grains. You will want to stick with whole grain or unprocessed carbohydrate sources because they are high in nutrients and are a better carbohydrate source.

Proper nutrition is so important in maintaining good health, and learning about nutrition and food is the perfect way of ensuring you give your body the nutrition it needs. It does not matter if you are in bodybuilding, running or walking, proper nutrition is a must for all of us.

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