Six Essential Nutrients

The six essential nutrients are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Carbohydrates are the main energy source for the brain. Without them, the body could not continue to function properly. Sources include breads and grain, starchy sugars and vegetables, and fruits. Proteins is responsible for the building and repairing of body tissues, and is also the structural component of cells. It is broken down into amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Only nine of the 20 amino acids (essential amino acids) must be provided in the diet for they cannot be synthesized in the body. 10-35% of your daily calories should come from lean protein choices such as eggs, beans, dairy, or low-fat meat. When fat is consumed, it increases the absorption
of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, & K. 20-35% of your daily intake should come from fat. Healthy options of fat include omega-3 rich foods like fish, walnuts, and vegetable-based oils.
Omega-3s help with growth and development. Other smart choices include nuts, seeds, and avocado. Another essential nutrient is vitamins. Vitamin C is mandatory for the making of collagen, which provides structure to blood vessels, bone, and ligaments. Rich sources of this vitamin includes strawberries, citrus fruits, and peppers. Vitamin D helps to maintain calcium homeostasis. It is greatly provided by the sun, and can also be found in some foods and orange juice. The fifth nutrient is minerals. Sodium helps maintain fluid volume outside of the cell and helps the cell function normally. Intake should be kept under 2,400 milligrams a day. Potassium maintains fluid volume in and outside of the cell and prevents the increase of blood pressure with sodium intake. Rich sources include bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes. Calcium helps maintain strong bones and teeth. You should include 3 sources of calcium-rich foods such as milk, low-fat cheese, and yogurt. Water helps maintain homeostasis and transports nutrients to the cell. It also helps remove waste products from the body. All beverages and foods with lots of moisture provide you with your daily water intake, such
foods are watermelon and soup. Adults should consume 2-3 liters of water per day.

After writing about the 6 nutrients, I need to start watching what I eat. I'm going to start reading labels and comparing to see what is healthier and what isn't. I think that I am at a good weight for my age and height, even though I don't work out. I would like to start working out and eating the right foods so that I can maintain where I'm at right now. I don't always eat breakfast, I do some days out of the week at school, but other than that I don't. I do eat lunch and dinner every day. I'd say I eat both healthy and unhealthy snacks, such as granola bars, chips, fruit snacks, cheese sticks, etc. Since I do not work out, I want to start going to RCF and start out on simple things there. Then when I am able to do more, I'll start doing different things and hopefully burning body fat.

This unit helped me understand what's good for me by explaining what each of the six nutrients do and what makes them essential, and it also showed me what provides each one of them. I am going to strive to do things and eat foods that will help me maintain good health.