Balanced diet

The food we eat is very important. We all eat if we are hungry or even sad. But, the kind of foods we eat are important. The way we eat, starting from the ammount or types affects us physically and health wise. To be healthy, we need to eat a balanced diet and exersise. What is a balanced diet?

What is a balanced diet?

It is a diet with the ammount and variety of food needed for good health. It helps us to avoid diseases or risks like:

• obesity
• heart disease
• diabetes
• cancer

This balanced diet much include:

• carbohydrate
• protein
• fat
• vitamins
• mineral salts
• fibre

Even though we have all these, we must also have them in the right ammount. We should not have too much proteins or little fibre. If eaten in the right ammount, it actually does help or benefit us.

What is Carbohydrates?

Cabohyrates are the source of energy. Most cabohydrates are in form of starch. Starch is found in foods such as:

• cereal
• yams
• bread
• rice
• potatoes
• spaghetti and others.

Then after having starch, our digestive system turns it to another cabohydrate called Glucose. Glucose is caried around the body with the blood and it is used by our tissues as a source of energy. Any glucose is absorbed without any need for digestion and that is why we see id one is from running and has no energy is given glucose because it will provide energy rightaway.

What is protein?

Proteins are required for growth and repair. Our muscles, your organs, and your immune system are made up mostly of protein.They are very large molucles so they cannot get directly into our blood like carbohydrates. The digestive system turns the into amino-acids. There 20 different types of amino acides in our bodies. Our cells get their amino-acids from the blood. Protein helps in our groth and to repair any damaged part like a cut. They can also provied energy but not much. proten is found in foods such as:

• beef
• poultry
• fish
• eggs
• dairy products
• nuts
• seeds

What are fats?

Fats also provide energy and they are storebenith our skin to keep us warm.

http://www.purchon.com/biology/diet.htm - April 23rd 2010