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Food and Nutrition
Here we look at the basics of nutrition and provide some background on
some of the more extraordinary aspects of nutrition.
A balanced diet should provide enough water, protein, carbohydrate, roughage,
fat (yes fat!), vitamins and minerals, but not too much. The body does
not need it all at once, but should get some of everything every day or
two.
What is enough? What is too much?
People come in many different shapes and sizes and our bodies run at
different speeds. A general guide to volumes is offered here and each
of us should adjust it to suit age and lifestyle.
The body is composed of water (over 70%!) plus a few other molecules.
A balanced diet should reflect this.
Coke or Water?
Food Group |
Importance |
Sources |
| Water |
Critical to life. A human can survive for weeks without food,
but only days without water! It accounts for over 70% of your body
mass. It is vital for life support systems including breathing,
digestion, circulation. |
Rain, stream, tap, bottle ... but beware! Clean water is less
readily available than may be expected. Foul water can cause illness.
It is especially susceptible to bacteria if it is stagnant or warm. |
| Carbohydrate |
Principal source of energy for daily life. Quickly metabolised
by the body and used immediately to fuel the body or, if not needed,
converted to fats for storage for later use. |
Sugar.
Starchy foods like bread, rice, potatoes.
Available in most foods. |
| Protein |
Formed from 22 amino acids of which a few are essential because
they can not be created by the body.
Critical to muscle development and growth. |
| Food |
Relative
Protein Yield Per Acre |
| Soy beans |
356 |
| Rice |
260 |
| Corn |
211 |
| Wheat |
138 |
| Meat |
45 |
| Beef |
20 |
The Meatrix
- a dramatic cartoon about industrial livestock farming.
|
| Fat |
Long term storage of energy. Can be converted to sugars. Also
used in nervous system and lubrication of joints. |
Oils (100% fat), butter, lard etc. Meats and meat derived foods
like cheese. |
| Roughage |
Largely undigestible plant materials. Keeps the digestive system
active and functioning properly. Massages all parts of the tract
from teeth and gums to duodenum. |
Green vegetables and cereals. |
For a comprehensive review of vitamins and minerals go to Vitamins
and Minerals.
Herbs and plants for medicinal use.
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Physiological
Comparisons
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Carnivore
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Herbivore
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Human?
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Has claws
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No Claws
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No claws
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Non-porous skin, perspires
through tongue
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Porous skin, perspires
through skin.
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Porous skin, perspires
through skin.
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Sharp incisors and molars
for tearing and slicing meat.
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Flat molars for grinding
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Flat molars for grinding
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Intestine short (3x body
length) for quick expulsion of decaying meat.
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Intestine 10-12x body
length.
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Intestine 10-12x body
length.
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Hydrochloric acid in
stomach to digest meat.
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Stomach acid only 5%
strength of carnivore's.
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Stomach acid only 5%
strength of carnivore's.
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Winning Vegetarians.
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