Nutrition is a big subject and your diet is, of course nutrients, you eat but also where you get those nutrients you eat and how you eat as well. The nutrients fall into different groups: The macronutrients are the energy-giving nutrients: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. These are the nutrients we eat in larger amounts. They […]
My mum used to call it roughage, and it is almost impossible to have missed the various health claims for what happens when you eat it. Now we are even being told that certain bits of fibre are better than others; but what is it? Fibre can be roughly defined as the indigestible part of […]
My mum used to call it roughage, and it is almost impossible to have missed the various health claims for what happens when you eat it. Now we are even being told that certain bits of fibre are better than others; but what is it? Fibre can be roughly defined as the indigestible part of […]
Fibre is essential to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract. To maintain a healthy gut we need to eat a recommended 25-30g of fibre a day. In surveys of the UK the average intake is between 12g and 15g, with similar results for the US. The health benefits of fibre are still being investigated, but so […]
For anyone hoping to achieve sporting or fitness success, their nutrition needs to be a healthy diet just like anyone else who is a health conscious individual. However, as well as following healthy eating guidelines, you need to have other considerations. Therefore, if you’re adopting a diet the following points apply, and should be adapted […]
If there were not already enough benefits to convince you that a healthy fibre intake is a dietary priority then it is worth remembering that foods which pack the fibre also pack vitamins and minerals. By eating a variety of fibre rich foods you will also be getting a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, as […]
Micronutrients are elements or small molecules essential for life but are only required in very small quantities. Examples include dietary minerals and vitamins. Natural Sports Nutrition’s website discusses the main micronutrients, outlining the biological uses of micronutrients and good food sources. Always aim to get micronutrients into the body by eating a wide variety of […]
These micronutrients are more likely to be lost on cooking (leaching into the cooking water) or damaged in food processing. Care must be taken to eat foods in as raw a state as possible, to obtain sufficient levels.
Dietary sources of vitamin C include fresh fruit and vegetables, especially spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes (due to the large amount consumed rather than high levels of vitamin C), strawberries, oranges and other citrus fruit. The vitamin C is sensitive to ageing of the produce and also to the cooking process. Vitamin C is actively absorbed […]
Deficiency of this vitamin leads to a form of anaemia that cannot be distinguished from that seen in folate deficiency but with the added symptom of neurological degeneration. Again, causes of deficiency may be dietary insufficiency, malabsorption and the use of certain drugs. Vitamin B12 is found only in foods of animal origin i.e. meat […]
