Nutritious Food for Fitness: Vitamin, Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat

Breaking sweat with fastest and toughest

Fitness is not easy, many do not attempt this exercise and training schedule because it is tough to maintain. Athletes and those training for a sports meet however have a different target to meet. Their bodies need more stamina and more nutrition. Here we see how to meet those nutrition needs and why some foods are better than others.

Know your food

Food consists of proteins, carbohydrates, fats along with essential minerals and vitamins. Normal food sources do not have all of these. When building muscles, one has to supply a good source of proteins that is necessary for building tissues and muscles. The body requires carbohydrates since more energy is expended in the work out.

1)   Health foods

a.    Turkey breast

Prepare it without skin to avoid fats. Chicken breast has 50 grams of proteins for every 200 grams. It has Selenium that helps fight cancer, apart from Vitamin B necessary for metabolic activities in the body. Most of all, it has Zinc, the element responsible for boosting sperm production in body.

b.   Olive Oil

Most of the fat present in olive oil is monounsaturated fats that are essential for transporting nutrients to all parts of the body and for synthesis of hormones. Saturated fats and trans fats block the arteries increase cholesterol and lead to a host of diseases. It has good anti-inflammatory properties.

c.    Green tea

It has loads of anti-oxidants that help in preventing diseases like cancer. It is a stimulant too and drinking one cup every few hours will keep you full of vigour.

d.   Eggs

Egg is a food you should eat everyday for amino acids and choline, a vitamin. These nutrients help both muscle building and brain development. However, the yolk is high in cholesterol.

e.    Milk

Essential for your body, milk contains nutrients that your body craves. If it does not get them, it begins to store fats and calcium thinking your body is in “starvation” mode. While you do not have to swim in milk, your daily glass helps you stay thin.

f.    Beef

Good source of proteins, beef is rich in iron and zinc. It also has niacin, phosphorus, selenium B12 and B6. Best eat lean meat and your body will get its nutrition without increasing cholesterol levels.

g.    Soy

A lovely food as far as nutrition goes soy has fiber, protein, vitamins and antioxidants, in addition to the minerals one normally gets from fruits and vegetables. You can have soya beans prepared as curry, tofu or make soymilk. Smoothies too are wonderful. The rich nutrients of soya bean help in fighting diabetes, heart disease, and help in menopause therapy.

h.   Almonds

Almonds make your heart healthy and augment your digestive system. They have high levels of Vitamin E, fiber and protein. They have unsaturated fats that is essential for your metabolism. Though they have good amount of calories, they do not make you fat.

i.     Bananas

Bananas simply top the list in potassium content along with avocados. It is rich in magnesium and all exercises result in loss of these two elements through sweat. Banana has fiber that helps slow digestion down to the extent it helps body metabolism to absorb the food for its energy requirements instead of storing it as fats. It has vitamin B6 that is used in many metabolic activities and brain functions.

2)   Aphrodisiac foods

a.    Chocolate

Chocolate is the king of aphrodisiac foods. Phenylethylamine stirs the glands and makes one feel sexy. Person also begins to feel happy a stimulated effect due to release of anandamide in the brain. This psychoactive chemical produces the feeling of wellbeing. Orgasm triggers dopamine release that also produces the feeling of wellbeing in the person. Cocoa also helps in release of tryptophan that is a component of the good-feeling hormone serotonin.

b.   Oyster

Oysters have long been linked to sex drive and mattress play, more for its nutritive content than for its suggestive vagina like appearance. It has plenty of zinc that boosts testosterone production, which in turn helps augment your sex drive. Whether athletes need higher testosterone can be seen in the number of international athletes who take testosterone boosters before an athletic meet.

Importance of keeping fit

Our body is a jointed structure dependent on muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. When we work, move or even rest, we arrange this skeletal arrangement in a manner that is comfortable. However, muscles get fatigued when the body is not physically trained. To train the body physically, one has to exercise.

By physical training, we mean that we expand and strengthen our muscles so that they become more efficient in doing work. They do use less energy and our body becomes less tired. Eating proper food keeps our body in prime condition. Nutritious food contains essential minerals and vitamins along with the required proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Exercises And Healthy Food Habit: Nutrients For Tendons And Ligaments

Tendons and ligaments integrate your musculoskeletal system by binding bone and muscle. Essential nutrients like minerals and vitamins keep these tissues in your body healthy. While exercises are essential for good muscle tone, food nutrients supply the daily requirement. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats will constitute our food but one must ensure that they are in the ratio 30—40—30. 

Strengthen your musculoskeletal system

Musculoskeletal system consists of bones and muscles. This is a framework for housing your organs and is covered by flesh and skin. Food for the skeleton or nourishment for the bone is as essential as nutrients for tendons and ligaments.

    Components of musculoskeletal system

A)  Tendon: This tissue consists of collagen fibers and helps you move your bones and joints. Tendon connects muscle to bone.

B)   Ligament: Strong connective tissue that have elasticity to allow movement of bones at the joints. They prevent movement beyond the range of the joint. The connection is between bone and bone.

C)   Cartilage: Cartilage is your bone’s shock absorber. It is present at the ends and in between bones. It is soft and aims to prevent attrition of bone.

D)  Bone: Solid framework of rigid members such as femur, humerus, ribs and vertebrae that supports all other parts of the human body.
Bones are storehouses for calcium and participate in calcium homeostasis. It also stores phosphates (http://www.slideshare.net/mcasade8/the-musculoskeletal-system-12157463?related=1).

E)  Muscle: These bunch of tissue such as triceps (arms) or hamstring (legs) help mobilize the joint and control movement.

Amount of nutrients required

1)   Vitamins

a)   Vitamin A: Fat-soluble, vitamin A is either preformed vitamin A as found in animal meat, fish and poultry products or it is provitamin A as found in fruits, vegetables and many plant products. Recommended intake is 5,000 IUs. Vitamin A is necessary for good eyesight and for reproduction process.

b)   Vitamin B: Vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 are required for cognition function. However, do not take excess of vitamin B6. Recommended dose is 1.3 mg if you are less than 50 years of age and 1.5 – 1.7 mg if you are older. Most people can take high amounts of vitamin B12 without any side effects.

c)   Vitamin C: Essential for bones, Vitamin C is found in abundance in milk and the required daily dosage is 1000 mg. If you are above 58 years of age, you should take 1200 mg at least.

d)   Vitamin D: Other essential vitamin for bones, Vitamin D is required minimum 200 International Units (IUs) if you are less than 58 years and 500 – 600 IUs for older people.

e)   Vitamin E: Required by the body immune system and for the skin, vitamin E is required in doses of 400 IUs on a daily basis. Vitamin E is fat-soluble and so it should be taken with food.  Long-term use increased possibility of dying from all causes including stroke. 

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2)   Minerals

a.     Calcium: Most abundant mineral in the body, daily requirement is 1000 mg for those below 50 and 1200 mg for older people.

b.   Magnesium: In addition to keeping the bones strong, magnesium also helps body maintain a steady heart beat, augment the immune system, maintain normal muscle and nerve function, regulate blood glucose levels and in metabolizing proteins and energy production. Recommended dosage is 315 mg for women and 415 mg for men. 

c.    Zinc: Daily requirement of zinc is 15 mg. One has to be careful of overdoses as this may cause anemia. About 60% of the zinc is present in skeletal tissues and 30% is found in bones. It is also important in normal growth of cells, development and DNA synthesis.

3)   Others

                                         i.  Chondroitin: Naturally occurring substance in bones, chondroitin supplements is 800 mg. If your body weight is more than 100 pounds, then you can take 1,200 mg.

                                    ii.     Glucosamine: This supplement is taken in doses of 1,000 mg (less than 100 pounds) and 1,500 mg (greater than 100 pounds).

                                          iii.     Proteins: A person needs 0.4g (for sedentary lifestyle) and 0.45g to 0.7g of proteins per pound body weight (for active lifestyle). 

Choose the right food item

Foods having essential nutrients minerals and vitamins (Source: https://reedir.arsnet.usda.gov/codesearchwebapp)

i)              Oyster, crab and shellfish have good amounts of zinc.

ii)            Beef liver and animal organs are good sources of vitamin A but also have high levels of cholesterol.

iii)          Salmon provides vitamin A. Sardines provide calcium and vitamin D needed for your bones. Salmon also has omega-3 fatty acids that is beneficial to your heart.

iv)          Fruits such as mango, apricot and cantaloupe are rich in vitamin A and magnesium. Bananas have good amounts of magnesium.  

v)            Green leafy vegetables: Broccoli, carrot, squash has lots of vitamin A. Spinach is your source of calcium, magnesium and vitamin E. One cup gives you more than one-fifth of your daily need of calcium. In addition, it has vitamin A, iron and fiber.

vi)          Diary products are the most common source of vitamin A. Milk has calcium and three glasses will provide you all the calcium you need for the day. Same with cheese, it provides calcium and zinc. Eat one slab of 2.5 ounces to fulfill half your calcium requirements.

vii)        Sunlight and yogurt are good sources of vitamin D. Yogurt provide about one-third of the calcium requirement and one-sixth the vitamin D requirement for the day.

viii)      Vegetable oils are good sources for vitamin E.

ix)          Nuts provide vitamin E required for skin and for body immune system. It also provides magnesium and zinc.

x)            Whole grain cereals provide magnesium and zinc.

Recovery from ligament injuries

Amount of calcium and vitamin A for persons recovering from injuries is more. Intake of proteins also helps since proteins are required for tissue building process. Eating colorful fruits helps heal inflammation and torn ligaments. Green vegetables such as bell peppers, cauliflower, cabbage and tomatoes help cure the patient through their richness in vitamin C. Nutritious food is essential.

Exercise essential for strengthening tendons and ligaments

Exercises keep you body in shape by toning muscles. Essentially, you are reducing the amount of stress that your body undergoes. When muscles are not conditioned properly, the body sags. Weight is distributed away from the center of gravity and thus effort required will be more to move the body around.

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Loosely connected muscles have to be tightened

When muscles are tightened, the body mass is more centered, meaning you require less energy to move around. Ideally exercises such as light jogging and mild stretching will help your body maintain good muscle mass.

1)   Light to moderate jogs

2)   Mild stretching

3)   Weight training if you want

Body keeps putting on weight during change of seasons or when there is a celebration or festival. During festivals, one tends to eat more sweets and forget to maintain a watch over diet and exercises. India has several periods during which festivals are celebrated.

Exercises for mornings are different from those for evenings

Evening exercises are more rapid stretching kind of exercises while morning exercises tend to be mild static or dynamic stretching kind of exercises. Make changes to your environment to improve your food habits and health. People who are training for an event can use a personal trainer too. Most of all you need a proper exercise and fitness regimen.

Other sources are given here.

(Source: http://www.leastening.com/articles/sport-exercise/nutrition-for-tendons-and-ligaments.html)

Pic courtesy: All pictures are from Pixabay Public Domain Photos

Daily Requirement of Minerals Vitamins Essential Nourishment Facts

Food intake comprises of carbohydrates, fats, water fiber and proteins. Essential minerals and vitamins that cannot be processed by the human body, we take as foods. Vegetables, fruits, nuts and oils have lots of essential nutrition that our body needs. Here we examine what should be the dietary intake on a daily basis so that the food is balanced and has enough nourishment in the form of vitamins and minerals. Exercise is important for proper balanced health.

Primary consideration

a.     Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates consist of disaccharides, monosaccharides and polysaccharides. The body metabolizes them and converts them to glucose. Glucose is the only form of sugar that can be used by the body for its energy requirements. The hormone insulin carries the glucose into the cells for utilization for various metabolic processes.

We find complex carbohydrates in the form of starch in root vegetables and bread. Fructose constitutes the simple carbohydrate that we find in fruits.

Ketosis can occur if you do not consume enough carbohydrates. This takes place to provide energy for the body and the functioning of the brain. When the brain seeks energy from fats the partially broken down fats become acidic molecules known as ketones.

                                              i.     Sources: Cereals, Sugar crops, vegetables, milk and milk products, root crops, pulses, fruit.

                                            ii.     Amount: At least 50% – 60 % of the energy should come from carbohydrates. If you increase the percentage, the food will become deficient in proteins, fibers and fats. For example, 100 g of sugar will give you 100 calories of carbohydrates. Cereals give 90 – 92 %. 

b.    Fats: The body has two kinds of fats, white and brown. The white fat stores energy while the brown fat burns up releasing energy. You can understand why fats are important by studying the amount of energy stored by each food component.

We have three kinds of fats – trans fats, saturated fats and unsaturated fats. The body requires fats to transport vitamins to various organs in the body. Choosing good fats over bad fats helps you avoid heart diseases, high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats reduce cholesterol levels and thus are good for your health. Trans fats are found in pre-processed foods. Saturated fats you find in fried foods. Trans fats and saturated fats are bad for your health.

Component of food	Energy stored (kJ/g)
Fat	38.8
Carbohydrate	17
Protein	17.2
Alcohol	29.3
Sugars, sweeteners	9.8
Fiber	7.6

                                              i.     Sources: Sources of good fats are:

1.    Monounsaturated fats

Peanut oil, Canola oil, Olive oil, sunflower oil, nuts and peanut butter.

2.    Polyunsaturated fats

Corn oil, safflower oil, walnuts, soybean oil, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, fatty fish, soymilk.

Sources of bad fats are:

1.    Saturated fats

Whole fat diary products, cheese, butter, chicken with skin, palm oil, coconut oil, meat with whole fats.

2.    Trans fats

Margarine, snack foods like popcorn and crackers, pastries, cookies, candy bars.

Omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fishes helps reduce incidence of heart disease. 

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                                            ii.     Amount: Fat constitutes 22% – 33 % of your total calorific requirement. If you follow a 2000 calorie diet then fats will make up 440 – 650 calories. Keep trans fat at 1% –3 % (approximately 6 calories) per day and saturated fats to 9% – 10% (approximately 180 calories to 200 calories). For instance, one teaspoon of fish oil will give you 1.9 g of omega-3 fats. Every 50 g of walnuts give you 4.54 g of fats. 

c.     Proteins: Proteins are building blocks in the body for building cells and tissues. As a source of energy, protein has only 4 Kcal of energy compared to the 9 Kcal that carbohydrates and fats have. The body needs 9 essential amino acids (base form of the proteins) of which five can be synthesized within the body. Protein is needed for regular growth and maintenance within the body. 

                                              i.     Sources: Egg, meat, milk and fish are complete proteins. Cereals, whole grains, such as millet, rye, oats, wheat and rice also contain proteins. Turkey, fish, cheese, beef, beans and eggs top the list of protein rich food.

                                            ii.     Amount: Around 30% of the calories must come from proteins. This means in a 1980 calorie diet you must have 660 – 700 calories of proteins. For example 100 g cheese will give you 150 calories of proteins and 100 g of turkey will provide 130 calories of proteins. 

d.    Water

                                              i.     Do not forget this vital ingredient. Water reduces the risk of heart attack, boosts the metabolism, helps transport vitamins to various organs, helps excrete waste. Metabolic water is water synthesized inside the body from metabolic activities (For every 100 g proteins – 41.3 g, starch – 52 g and fat – 109 g). One must drink around 2.5 litres of water every day.

e.    Fiber

Dietary fiber consists of that portion of the food that cannot be digested. We have soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps reduce incidence of heart disease, relieves constipation and improves bowel movement. Soluble fiber helps reduce blood glucose levels and reduce cholesterol. 

                                              i.     Amounts: Recommended amounts of fiber for men will be 38 gram and for women will be 25 gram.

                                            ii.     Sources: Potatoes, cauliflower, wheat bran, beans and nuts are good sources for fiber.

Secondary consideration

Vitamins

Vitamins are essential chemical elements and compounds that is mostly derived from the food we eat. They help break the carbohydrates, proteins and fats present in the food and convert them into energy. They help produce genetic material, blood cells, hormones and chemicals needed for your nervous system. They do not provide energy by themselves as they do not have any calorific content.

We categorize vitamins as fat soluble and water soluble vitamins. We have four fat soluble vitamins Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and Vitamin E that need fat to undergo transportation to various parts of the body. The other ten vitamins are water soluble.

                                              i.         Vitamin A: It helps maintain normal vision and cell growth. Vitamin A helps immune system and so deficiency can lead to infections. It further helps in protein transformation, good skin health and gene transcription. Daily requirement is 700 µg to 2,800 µg. Pumpkin, squash, leafy greens and carrots are rich in Vitamin A. 

                                            ii.         Biotin: We refer to this as Vitamin H or Vitamin B7. Necessary for converting food into energy in the metabolic process, our body requires 30 mcg of Biotin everyday. Sources are bread, egg, salmon and whole grain bread.

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                                          iii.         Vitamin B 12: This vitamin finds use in cell creation, metabolism of amino acid and fatty acids and provides protection for nerve cells. Daily requirement of this vitamin is 2.45 µg. Foods containing this vitamin are pumpkin, mango, carrot and eggs.

                                           iv.         Vitamin B6: Also known as pyridoxine, Vitamin B6 helps synthesize serotonin, steroids and red blood cells. Daily requirement is 1.35 – 81 mg. hazelnuts, potatoes with skin, bananas,  and salmon have plenty of Vitamin B6.

                                             v.         Choline: Choline is a water soluble B vitamin. The human body requires Acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in activities of the muscle and brain. Choline helps in the formation of acetylcholine. Vegetarians have high risk of choline deficiency. Daily requirement would be 500 mg. Sources are broccoli, beef, milk chocolate, milk and eggs. Do not exceed 3,000 mg. 

                                           vi.         Vitamin D: Helps in maintaining bone density, functioning of nervous system, immunity functions and metabolizes of calcium while the body synthesizes Vitamin D from the sun shine shining on the skin. Daily requirements is 15 µg and not to exceed 50 µg. Egg yolks, fortified milk and salmon are good sources of this vitamin. 

                                         vii.         Vitamin C: This vitamin helps the body absorb iron and has antioxidant properties. It helps form collagen in blood vessels, bones, muscle and cartilage. Minimum requirement of Vitamin C is 75 mg and one should not exceed 2000 mg. Pepper, guava, broccoli, oranges and tomatoes have Vitamin C. 

                                       viii.         Vitamin K: This is a fat soluble vitamin that helps bone development and wound healing. Women consuming pills for birth control should avoid taking Vitamin K supplement as this could give rise to unnecessary clots. Daily recommended dosage is 100 – 120 µg. You get it from parsley and broccoli. 

                                           ix.         Vitamin E: Excellent source of antioxidant, Vitamin E helps maintain cell integrity. It relieves pain and numbness in limbs, improves coordination and battles muscle weakness. Recommended intake is 15 mg. One should not exceed 1000 mg. Sources include hazelnuts, almonds, canola oil and olive oil. 

                                             x.         Niacin: Also known as Vitamin B3, Niacin helps maintain your hair, nails and your RBC. It helps convert food to energy. Extreme deficiency of this vitamin can lead to death too after you go mad. It begins as a skin irritation and then leads to diarrhea (Four D’s). Daily requirement is 16 mg. Upper limit is 35 mg. Sources are coffee, chicken, and peanuts. 

                                           xi.         Thiamine: Supports normal growth and helps convert food to energy. It is integral to muscles and nerves. Recommended daily dose would be 1.1 mg. You get it from whole cereal food items.

                                         xii.         Riboflavin: Riboflavin in water soluble  B vitamin that augments iron absorption in intestines, converts food to energy, enhances health of skin, eyes, brain, muscles and hair. Too much intake will turn color of pee into yellow. Daily requirements is 1.3 mg. Sources are egg, cereals cheddar cheese, almond and milk. 

                                       xiii.         Folic acid: This B vitamin helps women get pregnant. People refer to it as Vitamin B9 or Vitamin M. This cannot be synthesized in the body. Recommended intake is 400 ---1000 µg per day. Pregnant women need to take more, about 600 –1000 µg per day. The body needs this for production and maintenance of new cells. Sources are orange juice, spinach, lentils, asparagus and cereals.

                                        xiv.         Pantothenic acid: Pantothenic acid takes part in carbohydrate as well as fat metabolism. This coenzyme helps in synthesis of cholesterol and neurotransmitters. Recommended dosage is 5 mg per day. Sources of Pantothenic acid are peanuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, vegetables, milk and meat.

Minerals

Minerals do not contain any carbon in their chemical makeup. They make up 4 –5 % of our body weight. They participate in nervous system responsiveness, initiation of chemical reactions, secretion of body fluids and maintain water balance in the body. 

                                              i.         Manganese: This element helps in bone building, healing of wound and in synthesizing energy. Daily requirement for men is 2.34 mg and for women is 1.79 mg. Green tea, oatmeal and pineapples are good sources for manganese. Take care not to exceed the daily intake over 10 mg.

                                            ii.         Magnesium: Other than building strong teeth and healthy bones in conjunction with calcium, magnesium helps in cell signaling, blood clotting, blood pressure regulation energy metabolism and proper contraction of muscles. Men would require 400 mg (women need a little less at 310 mg). Sources are bananas, spinach, brown rice and almonds.

                                          iii.         Iron: Essential component of hemoglobin (present in red blood cells) and myoglobin (present in muscles) that help conduct oxygen to different parts of the body. Iron helps the body produce collagen (blood clotting) hormones, neurotransmitters and amino acids. Women need more iron than men (18 mg, men 8 mg). Sources are potatoes, raisins, oysters and beef.

                                           iv.         Phosphorus: Phosphorus is good for the teeth and the skeletal system. It helps convert food into energy and forms a vital component of DNA as well as RNA and moves nutrients to  the respective organs. Daily requirement of phosphorus is 700 mg. One should not have more than 3,500 mg as this could lead to toxicity. Sources comprise of chicken, eggs, salmon, yogurt and cheese. 

                                             v.         Molybdenum: Molybdenum helps accelerate the rate at which the body converts stored nutrients into energy. Daily requirement of this nutrient is 45 µg. Sources are chestnuts, peanuts, almonds and black beans. Do not exceed 1750 µg. 

                                           vi.         Calcium: Teeth and bones need calcium. Calcium also plays a role in nerve signaling, blood pressure, blood clotting, muscle function and hormone secretion. Daily requirement is 1000 mg and upper limit is 2,500 mg. Spinach, cheddar cheese, yogurt and milk have plenty of calcium.

                                         vii.     Zinc: Zinc boosts the immune system, forms building block of cells, proteins and enzymes. It helps free Vitamin A from the liver. It enhances wound healing and sense of hearing and smell. Recommended intake is 11 mg daily. Do not go over 40 mg. Sources of zinc in food consists of cashews, milk, oyster, turkey and beef.

                                       viii.     Iodine: Iodine helps maintain basal metabolic rate. It aids thyroid function. It helps in body growth, development, muscle and nerve function and regulation of body temperatures. Daily requirement is 150 µg. Do not exceed 1000 µg. Sources are baked potatoes, milk, shrimp and eggplant. 

                                           ix.     Fluoride: Fluorides help reinforce bone and teeth. Daily requirement is 3 – 4 mg. Sources are chicken and grape juice. 

                                             x.         Copper : Copper helps create red blood cells, plays a part in functioning of nervous system, immunity and energy metabolism. Requirement is 900 µg per day. Sources are raw mushrooms, nuts, crab meat and liver.

People have aphrodisiac food to boost their metabolic activity. This is not recommended for those with heart diseases or liver problems. Athletes who train for some event use aphrodisiac food to increase their stamina during the training schedule.