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MoonDragon's Alternative Health Information
A Balanced Diet

Although everybody's needs vary, eating the right balance of foods can make a big difference to your health. A healthy diet should consist of about 15% protein, 50% carbohydrates, and 30% fats, and is also important to get plenty of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water.

carbohydrates A healthy diet should consist of up to 50% carbohydrates, the body's main source of energy. Choose complex carbohydrates, such as bananas and bread, that have the additional benefits of vitamins and fiber.

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are our largest and most immediate source of energy. The body transforms them into glucose, the body's basic fuel, and glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles and can be converted to glucose when necessary. These are two main types of carbohydrate: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are basic sugars. They are rapidly absorbed to provide instant energy and have no nutritional value in themselves. Sources include cane or beet sugar as well as sugars found in fruits, honey, vegetables, and milk.

Complex carbohydrates are broken down more slowly than simple sugars. They are compounds of several sugars and tend to be stored as glycogen. Found in starchy foods such as breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, legumes, and cereal grains and in root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, complex carbohydrates tend to have a nutritional bonus of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

proteins Sources of protein include meat, fish, cheese, and eggs. As protein is not stored in the body, it must be obtained daily from food.

PROTEIN

Every cell and organ of the body needs protein, in the form of amino acids, for growth, maintenance, and repair. Protein is also used to make enzymes that help digestion and produce antibodies and hormones. It is not stored directly in the body (any excess is burned as energy or coverted to fat), so a fresh supply is needed every day, however, most Westerners, especially meat-eaters, get more than they need. Protein-rich foods include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, soybeans, cheese, cereal grains, legumes, and nuts.

fats Fats are vital for health in small amounts. They are the only source of essential fatty acids. Oily fish, vegetable oils, and nuts are good sources of essential fatty acids.

FATS

Fats, which are composed of fatty acids, are the most concentrated source of food energy, providing twice as many calories as carbohydrates or protein. A certain amount of fat is necessary for healthy functioning, but too much fat can cause serious health problems. There are three types of fat: saturated, unsaturated (including mono- and polyunsaturated), and trans. Saturated and monounsaturated fat can be made by the body, so are not strictly needed in the diet. Too much saturated fat (found in fatty meat, hard cheese, and butter) can raise blood-cholesterol levels and lead to obesity and heart disease. Monounsaturated fat; found in olives, avocados, nuts, and seeds, is healthier than saturated fat. Polyunsaturated fat contains essential fatty acids, which are vital for health and can only be supplied by food. Sources include most vegetable oils and oily fish. Trans fats, which are associated with heart disease, are manufactured by converting unsaturated fats into saturated fats.

VITAMINS
    Only vitamin D can be produced efficiently by the body. All other vitamins must be obtained from our diet. Although only tiny amounts of each are needed, they are essential to life.
vitamin A Action: Promotes good onion, maintains skin and mucous membranes and, as an antioxidant, may protect against some cancers.
Sources: Oily fish, liver, butter, cheese, margarine, eggs, carrots, tomatoes, apricots, spinach, broccoli.
vitamin B1 Action: Needed to turn food into energy.
Sources: Dried beans, whole grains, brown rice, nuts, bulgar wheat, whole wheat pasta, and bread, lean meat, fish, yeast extract.
vitamin B2 Action: Helps turn food into energy.
Sources: Lentils, nuts, dairy products, eggs, liver, lean meat, yeast extract, green leafy vegetables.
niacin Action: Involved in the synthesis of DNA; important for the nervous and digestive systems, and the release of energy from food.
Sources: Dairy products, liver, chicken, turkey, oily fish, whole wheat bread, brown rice, yeast extract, brewer's yeast, nuts.
vitamin B6 Action: Involved in brain function, production of antibodies, formation of red blood cells, and helps release energy from protein.
Sources: Bananas, whole grains, dried beans, eggs, nuts, oats, fish, liver, brown rice, whole wheat bread, green leafy vegetables, yeast extract.
vitamin B12 Action: Helps protect nerves and is necessary for cell division and formation of red blood cells.
Sources: Shellfish, white and oily fish, liver, kidney, red meat, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt.
biotin Action: Helps produce energy and maintains skin, hair, bone marrow, and glands producing sex hormones.
Sources: Whole wheat bread, brewer's yeast, yeast extract, brown rice, dairy products.
folic acid Action: Helps form new cells, especially red and white blood cells; helps prevent birth defects, such as spina bifida.
Sources: Broccoli, green cabbage, wheat germ, legumes, nuts, yeast extract, liver.
vitamin C Action: Needed for healthy gums, teeth, bones, and skin. Makes neurotransmitters, aids iron absorption and wound healing, is antioxidant, and helps protect against infection.
Sources: Tomatoes, citrus fruits, black currants, strawberries, kiwi fruit, mango, papaya, spinach, other dark green vegetables, potatoes.
vitamin D Action: Essential for absorption of calcium and phosphorus, necessary for bones and teeth.
Sources: Brown rice, milk, oily fish, eggs, butter, margarine, also made by the skin in response, to sunlight.
vitamin E Action: Protects body tissues by preventing polyunsaturates from forming free radicals; a powerful protector against heart disease.
Sources: Avocados, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, eggs, whole grains, olives, asparagus, spinach, blackberries, whole wheat bread, brown rice, salmon, tuna.
viamin K Action: Helps form proteins and useful in the blood clotting functions.
Sources: Green leafy vegetables, especially green cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts.
MINERALS
    Although most minerals take up only about 3-4% of our weight, we cannot survive without them. Exactly how minerals work, or how much of each is needed, is still a subject of contraversy. Some, such as potassium, are needed in fairly large amounts, while others, such as iodine, are needed in such tiny amounts that they are known as "trace elements."
calcium Action: Helps blood clotting and muscle function, regulates heartbeat, and is needed for growth and maintenance of strong bones and teeth; it is especially important in women to prevent osteoporosis after menopause.
Sources: Cabbage and other green leafy vegetables, milk, and dairy products (including low-fat), eggs, canned sardines, and other bony fish.
chloride Action: Regulates fluid and circulation of ions in the bloodstream, and helps formation of stomach acid.
Sources: Salt.
chromium Action: Regulates blood sugar and cholesterol.
Sources: Cheese, egg yolks, red meat, liver, whole grains cereals, seafood.
copper Action: Builds bones and connective tissue and helps iron absorption.
Sources: Mushrooms, organ meats, shellfish, nuts, seeds.
fluoride Action: Protects against tooth decay.
Sources: Tea, tap water, toothpaste.
iodine Action: Vital for hormone secretion by thyroid gland.
Sources: Seafood, iodized table salt, seaweed.
iron Action: Carries oxygen to blood cells.
Sources: Shellfish, liver, red meat, dried fruits, legumes, whole wheat bread, fortified cereals, dark green leafy vegetables.
magnesium Action: Helps bone growth and nerve and muscle function.
Sources: Apricots, bananas, wheat bran, soybeans, whole grains, seeds, almonds, cashew nuts, raw green vegetables, low fat milk, yogurt.
Manganese Action: Used for bone growth and cell function; works as an antioxidant.
Sources: Fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, vegetables, tea, egg yolks.
molybdenum Action: Needed for DNA production.
Sources: Legumes, whole grains, organ meats, yeast, green leafy vegetables.
phosphorus Action: Used for energy metabolism, nutrient absorption, and healthy bones and teeth.
Sources: Seafood, white fish, meat, poultry, egg yolks, milk, beans, nuts, dried peas.
potassium Action: Regulates heartbeat, fluid, and circulation of ions in the bloodstream, helps muscle contraction, transfers nutrients to cells, and aids nerve function.
Sources: Dried peas and beans, dried fruits, citrus fruits, bananas, avocados, peanut butter, potatoes.
selenium Action: Works with vitamin E as an antioxidant and helps sexual development.
Sources: Brazil nuts, whole grain cereals, whole wheat bread, muesli, organ meats, red meat, poultry, white fish, tuna, shellfish, dairy foods, egg yolks, lentils, avocados, garlic, tomatoes.
sodium Action: Helps regulate fluid balance (with potassium), and aids nerve and muscle function.
Sources: Anchovies, salt, yeast extract, ham, bacon.
sulfur Action: Helps produce protein.
Sources: Animal and vegetable protein.
zinc Action: Vital for normal growth and sexual development, used for immune function and enzyme action, and works as an antioxidant.
Sources: Peanuts, sunflower seeds, liver, red meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, seafood, oysters.

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