Nutrition issues now occupy a leading place in all scientific and medical works. After all, the foods that people eat, greatly affect his health. Therefore, more and more people have become interested in what is rational nutrition. Principles of rational nutrition are described in detail in many medical articles, and if you want you can learn to eat so that the food brings only good. But not only the composition of a person's diet affects his health. Everything is important: how much he eats, when, what intervals between meals he observes, how he combines products with each other. It is especially important to pay attention to this when feeding children, the elderly and those who suffer from any diseases.
Why is nutrition so important?
It is clear to everyone that food is an indispensable condition for the maintenance of human life and health. What are its functions?
1. In providing the human body with energy. Therefore, the fundamentals of rational nutrition necessarily take into account the energy expenditure of man. And consumed food should make up for them, but no more. Otherwise, the excess will be deposited in the form of fat.
2. With the food must enter the body of the substance that they use to build cells. This is primarily proteins, minerals, fats and carbohydrates are also important.
3. Another function of nutrition is to supply the body with vitamins, necessary for the production of certain enzymes and hormones.
4. Recently, scientists have determined that immunity also depends on nutrition. What a person eats, directly affects the defenses of the body and the ability to resist disease.
That is why it is so important to know what is rational nutrition. Principles of rational nutrition necessarily take into account these functions.
Importance of essential nutrients
Proteins are the most essential substances for the body. They are used for building cells, producing hormones and as an energy source. A person needs to consume about 100 grams of protein per day, depending on sex and age.
Fats are the main source of energy. They should be about 35% of the daily diet. Moreover, vegetable fats containing unsaturated fatty acids and vitamins are more useful.
Carbohydrates also serve as a source of energy. They need to be consumed up to 500 grams per day, depending on the energy consumption of a person. But the excess amount of them can lead to obesity, because if they are not converted into energy, they turn into fat.
Vitamins and minerals are also necessary for normal human activity. It is important to consider that they are not formed in the body, but come only with food.
Rational nutrition: the concept and principles of
Food should ensure the growth and proper development of a person, improve his health and contribute to the prevention of diseases. It should be balanced in terms of energy consumption, nutrient content in accordance with gender and age. Only in this case it is possible to speak about rational nutrition. Every person should strive for this, only then he can enjoy his health. The principles of rational nutrition include:
- moderation, which does not allow you to consume more energy from food than it is consumed in the process of life;
- Diversity is a very important principle of rational nutrition. Mankind uses thousands of different foods to eat in a wide variety of combinations. But their basis are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. To ensure that they all come with food in the human body, the diet should be as diverse as possible;
- diet is also very important for health. Moreover, this principle is especially violated by people.
Why is moderation important in eating?
When compiling a diet, you need to balance the energy consumed and the food you eat. This takes into account the sex, age, weight of a person and the nature of his activities. Norms and principles of rational nutrition measure energy consumption in kilocalories. For example, for a person engaged in mental work, they are about 2500 kcal, and for athletes - 4000 kcal. If the food receives less energy, then the body spends its own reserves in the form of fat and glycogen. With prolonged starvation or malnutrition, proteins are also consumed, which leads to muscle dystrophy. But the excess supply of energy from food is also harmful. All that is not consumed, is stored in the form of adipose tissue. Therefore, the energy balance in nutrition is so important. The amount of food consumed and its composition should depend on the age, body weight, physical activity and even the person's place of residence.
Balance of the diet
A lot of things should take into account rational nutrition. Principles of rational nutrition necessarily include knowledge of the qualitative composition of food. To ensure the normal life of a person it is necessary that all food substances come with food in a certain ratio. On average, for a normal healthy person engaged in mental work, the following ratio is recommended: one part of proteins, one part of fats and four parts of carbohydrates. It is also important that with food people consume enough vitamins and minerals. What you need to know about the composition of food and the number of its main ingredients?
1. A person should consume about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of weight. On average, it turns out 50-80 grams. And the amount of animal and vegetable protein should be distributed approximately equally. According to research, excessive protein intake leads to a decrease in working capacity and the development of fatigue. After all, it takes a lot of energy to process it. The protein is found in meat and dairy products, nuts, beans and buckwheat.
2. Fats are very important for providing the body with energy and participation in the construction of cells. In addition, only in their presence can some vitamins be absorbed. On average, a person needs to consume about 100 grams of fat. And the most important are those that contain essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. Basically, it is vegetable fats, which need to consume more than animals. But from margarine and artificial oils it is worth noting, as they are poorly digested.
3. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy. A typical person needs on average 400-500 grams, most of which must be starch. At a usual food at the expense of carbohydrates 60% of all energy are formed. Get them man can from honey, fruits and berries, sugar, some vegetables and cereal products.
4. Vitamins are a necessary means for the formation of enzymes and hormones. Mostly they enter the body with food. Most of them in vegetables and fruits, bread and cereals. With a lack of vitamins some diseases develop and a decrease in immunity and performance is observed.
5. Mineral substances are very important for maintaining normal human life. In order not to observe their lack, the diet of a person must be diverse.
6. Fiber is necessary for normal operation of the digestive tract, although it is not digested. It is very necessary for normalization of intestinal microflora and excretion of toxins and toxins from the body. Fiber is found in vegetables and fruits, legumes and cereals. Only by consuming it in sufficient quantity, one can maintain health and prevent the appearance of certain diseases.
Food mode
In addition to the quality of the composition it is very important to observe the correct diet. In general, it is regulated by a feeling of hunger, but in some cases a person tolerates overeating. This became a real scourge of modern mankind. Therefore, now the importance of rational nutrition is that people are taught not only to follow the appetite, but also to adhere to certain rules:
- you need to observe the constancy of eating at the time of day. In this case, the body produces a conditioned reflex and saliva and gastric juice are secreted by a certain time, which ensures better digestion of the food;
- the power must be a fraction. Scientists have proved that a two-time meal is dangerous to health. It is best to eat 3-4 times a day, but in small portions. Sometimes it is advisable to add a couple more meals without increasing the total amount;
- and breakfast, and lunch, and dinner should be balanced by the content of nutrients. It is necessary to select such products that at every meal the organism would receive proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins in their rational ratio;
- it is very important to choose the right time for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and distribute the amount of food. It is necessary to try, that between the basic receptions of food passed 4-6 hours, and from a supper till a dream there were 2-3 hours. The bulk of food should be for lunch, in second place - breakfast, for dinner, you need to eat less.
Rules of Nutrition in Everyday Life
Almost every person is aware of the importance of rational nutrition for health. Principles of rational nutrition are set forth in many medical works. But not everyone understands scientific terms, and for an average citizen such ideas are difficult to apply in life. Therefore, we can formulate some rules that more clearly set out the basics of rational nutrition:
- do not overeat;
- to monitor the food's good quality: it must be unspoiled and not infected with microorganisms;
- to eat as diversely as possible;
- in cooking methods, give preference to cooking and eat more raw vegetables and fruits;
- when buying ready-made food, be sure to pay attention to the composition and calorie content indicated on the label;
- thoroughly chew food;
- you need to eat more often, but in small portions;
- use a sufficient amount of water;
- try to exclude salt, sugar, coffee, alcoholic beverages, canned goods, cakes, refined foods and smoked meats;
- try to include more in the diet fresh vegetables and fruits, honey, greens, nuts and cereals;
- you should sit at the table only in a good mood and not be distracted by foreign objects during meals.
Separate food
Scientists have found that the digestion of food occurs under the influence of various enzymes. To ensure that its components are digested correctly and the complex process of digestion is not disturbed, it is recommended to use certain rules in nutrition:
- do not mix starch with acidic products;
- protein and starch food is better to use at different times;
- sugar inhibits the secretion of the stomach, so it is undesirable to eat it with proteins and starches;
- it is advisable to use liquid separately from solid foods;
- apples, grapes and other fruits should be eaten 1-2 hours before the main meal. A pear is better to eat after eating;
- fats also delay digestion, so a large number of them can lead to problems.
The Value of Rational Nutrition
Most people now feed themselves incorrectly, causing irreparable harm to their health. And this is due primarily to the lack of knowledge on this issue. And more and more people suffer from a metabolic disorder caused by malnutrition. This leads to the appearance of nervous and mental diseases, beriberi, liver and blood diseases. Therefore, rational nutrition and its principles should be known to everyone who wants to stay healthy. Violation of these rules leads to a decrease in efficiency, resistance to disease and life expectancy. The right food is needed for a person not only to make up for energy costs and growth, but also to receive the necessary vitamins and trace elements, not synthesized by the body. Their balance contributes to the normal course of all life processes. Rational nutrition promotes more complete assimilation of nutrients.
Therapeutic and dietary food
All recommendations related to food can be applied only to a normal, healthy person. Usually they do not take into account the individual characteristics of the body. Therefore, if there are any deviations in health, diets are used. The principles of rational and dietary nutrition are basically similar, but diets besides satisfying hunger and getting the necessary substances into the body should promote health and help in curing diseases. There are following types of diets:
- medical;
- age;
- for weight correction;
- for pregnant and lactating women;
- sports;
- designed for people of certain professions.
Diets for certain diseases
The principles of rational and therapeutic nutrition provide for not only a special mode of eating, but also the rejection of products that can harm the health. The diet plays a huge role in the treatment of most diseases. In some pathologies, it is necessary to increase or decrease the amount of proteins, fats or carbohydrates.
Food for obesity should be balanced. It is necessary to strictly monitor the amount of calories consumed, to abandon sugar, salt, flour products, fatty foods and alcohol.
Principles of rational nutrition in rickets provide for the introduction into the diet of a child of a sufficient number of foods rich in phosphorus and magnesium, vitamin D and calcium. The feeding of sick children is given already in 4 months. In the diet they need to enter vegetable purees, yolks, liver and meat.
Another disease in which it is very important to follow a certain diet is hypothyroidism. It is necessary to reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed, salt and liquid. Useful, on the contrary, vegetables and fruits, sour-milk products, meat and rye bread. Principles of rational nutrition in hypothyroidism provide for the restriction of fats and digestible carbohydrates, but an increase in proteins.
Nutrition rules for children
Disadvantages in nutrition are most affected by children. This leads to a delay in their growth and development and the appearance of various diseases. Therefore, it is so important to observe the basic principles of rational nutrition of children. It is necessary to ensure that the child's diet is not overloaded with carbohydrates, so you should limit the consumption of sugar, baking and confectionery. Eliminate the food of children need also carbonated drinks, convenience foods, sausages and fast food. This food, except for harm, will not bring anything. Especially it is necessary to pay attention to that in children's nutrition there were enough vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, iodine, iron, fluoride and folic acid. In the diet of the child should be a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy and cereal products. It is necessary that he ate nuts, honey, greens and drank enough water.