A Short Guide to Diet, Proteins, Carbs and Fats

by: Stefan Simonovic

A healthy and balanced diet is one of the most important things in a person's life. It doesn't matter if you are young, middle-aged, or someone who is a member of the senior dating community, you simply have to balance your diet if you want to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. To achieve that, you need to know how to dose properly the three macronutrients in your diet - proteins, carbs, and fats. To assist you with that, we've decided to create a short and simple guide that will help you improve your diet.

Protein - The Fuel Your Muscles Need

The word protein comes from the Greek word "protos" which can loosely be translated as "of prime importance" or "the most prominent one" Human body is 70 % water, but the rest of it is mainly made of protein. Our body uses protein to build, repair and maintain muscle tissue, and without it, we wouldn't be able to function normally on a daily basis. The protein consists of something that's called amino acids. Experts claim that there are 20 amino acids, and 9 of those 20 are essential to humans because our body can't make them on its own. These 9 acids have to be taken in through the special diet. This is why you need to eat different types of food that are rich in protein. Some of them are:

• Lean beef - has a lot of protein, but little fat
• Chicken - one of the best sources of protein
• Turkey - a little bit fatter than chicken
• Fish - rich in protein and Omega-3 fish oil

Carbohydrates - The Energy Source

Carbohydrates are also known as saccharides or carbs. They are sugars or starches that provide our organism with pure energy. If protein is the fuel that helps your body to build its muscles, then carbs are the energy you use during your workout sessions. Sadly, a lot of people consider carbs to be the main reason for obesity. This, of course, is not true at all.

The thing you need to know about carbohydrates is that there are two kinds:

1. Sugary (simple, fast-burning carbohydrates)
2. Complex (slower burning carbs)

Now, eating too many calories of any kind is bad for your figure, but that doesn't mean you should stop eating carbohydrates. We get it, all those low-carb diets are really popular nowadays, but you need carbs because your body needs energy. Everything in moderation, of course. Also, if you're eating carbs, you need to be active during the day in order to burn them. Consuming that much energy and not being active will definitely make you fat.

Here are the best food choices for your daily carb intake:

• Oatmeal
• Rice (Brown rice is better than the regular one)
• Sweet potatoes (avoid bread if possible)
• Bananas - it provides you with carbs and potassium
• Apples
• Oranges (or any other citrus fruit)

Fats - The Common Enemy

Don't get us wrong, fat doesn't have to be the enemy, but only if you consume it with caution and in moderation. Actually, fat is one of the greatest sources of energy out there, but unfortunately, people tend to eat too much of it, which results in various, life-threatening diseases.

There are three main types of fats or triglycerides - Saturated, Polyunsaturated, and Monounsaturated

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are usually found in basic animal and dairy products like milk, cheese, beef, pork, and lamb meat. Our liver uses this type of fat to make cholesterol, which is necessary for the production of certain hormones like testosterone, for example. Therefore, your body needs fat to produce hormones, but you have to be careful not to eat too much of it.

Polyunsaturated

Mostly found in foods like corn, safflower and sunflower oils. Polyunsaturated fat will help you lower your total cholesterol. However, the intake of this fat should also be monitored and limited.

Monounsaturated

You can find this type of fat in vegetable and nut oils. It will lower your bad cholesterol (LDL) without lowering your good cholesterol (HDL).

Trans Fats - The Real Enemy

Trans fats are made when polyunsaturated oils are altered through the hydrogenation process which is hardening vegetable oils in order to make margarine and other similar products. These fats will increase your bad cholesterol.

Most athletes and nutritionists suggest that people should avoid fats altogether. Therefore, you should focus on lean meat and dairy products with low levels of fat. This way, you'll be able to provide your body with enough protein and carbohydrates, without raising LDL. If you need to increase the levels of fat in your body, you can do that by consuming flaxseed, sunflower seeds, and olive oil.

About the author:
Stefan is a writer and a blogger in his spare time. He also works for First Beat Media, a company that mainly focuses on the online dating niche and similar services.