Nutrition

Everyone has heard the phrase, «We are what we eat». And it's really true. What we put on our plate each day determines our immunity, mood, energy levels and even our risk of developing many diseases. But how can we eat so that we feel better, live longer and look younger? Nutrition — the science of how food affects our health — provides the answers. It helps you make sense of the deluge of information about foods, diets and healthy habits so you can make the best choices for you and your family.

What Is Nutrition Science

Nutrition is the science of food and its impact on human health. It studies what nutrients the body needs, how much of them to get, how they are absorbed, and how they can be used to keep all vital systems functioning properly.

Nutrition science is more than just counting calories or formulating diets. This science considers nutrition as a complex: quality of food, balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, as well as individual characteristics of each person (age, activity level, lifestyle and even health status). Nutrition science has one main goal — to teach people to be conscious about their nutrition and to improve their quality of life with the help of proper habits.

Who Is a Nutritionist

A nutritionist is a specialist who helps people build a proper diet depending on their goals, health and lifestyle. His task is not just to tell people what foods are good for them, but to teach them how to eat consciously, in a balanced and individualized way.

This specialist creates a nutrition plan to:

• maintaining a healthy weight without rigid diets;

• boosting immunity;

• slowing down the aging process;

• recovery from disease;

• preventing the development of chronic diseases.

He explains how to combine foods, how much protein, fat and carbohydrates you need in your diet, what micronutrients and vitamins are especially important for you.

What Are Nutrients

Nutrients are substances necessary for the normal functioning of the body, which a person receives with food. They are divided into two large groups:

• Macronutrients are proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

• Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.

Nutrients also include water and dietary fiber. Each of these substances has its own specific functions:

• Proteins build muscle and participate in cell renewal.

• Fats maintain healthy cell membranes and are involved in hormone production.

• Carbohydrates are the main source of energy.

• Vitamins and minerals are responsible for the immune system and also affect the condition of skin, hair and bones.

A proper balance of nutrients in the diet is the basis for a healthy body, high energy levels, well-being and beauty.

Types of Nutrition Science

Nutrition science helps people with different needs. That's why this science is divided into separate areas depending on a person's age, lifestyle, and health status.

Pediatric Nutrition Science

Pediatric nutrition science deals with the proper nutrition of children and adolescents. Specialists help form healthy eating habits from an early age, prevent deficiencies of important elements, and support normal growth, brain and immune system development. Pediatric nutrition also helps prevent the development of obesity, anemia and eating disorders in children.

Sports Nutrition Science

Sports nutrition science focuses on creating diets for athletes and people with active lifestyles. Specialists develop nutrition plans that allow them to increase their endurance, speed up recovery after training and achieve greater athletic performance. They take into account the type of sport, the intensity of training and the individual needs of the athlete.

Clinical Nutrition Science

Clinical nutrition science works with people who already have certain diseases (obesity, diabetes, anemia, hypertension, cardiovascular pathologies, intolerances, allergies and others). The main goal of this direction is to adjust the diet so that nutrition helps to maintain health, improve the condition and alleviate the course of the disease. This approach can complement mainstream treatment and significantly improve a patient's quality of life.

Gerontological Nutrition Science

Gerontological nutrition science deals with the nutrition of the elderly. When creating diets, it takes into account the fact that with age, metabolism slows down, energy and nutrient requirements change, and chronic diseases often arise. The nutritionist's task in this case is to help select a diet that will support immunity, bone health, cardiovascular health, and prevent age-related vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

The Basics of Good Nutrition Science

Proper nutrition is not only about choosing «healthy» foods, but also about knowing how to design your diet so that it actually keeps your health and energy levels high. Nutrition science identifies several key principles on which a balanced diet is based:

• Energy balance. The amount of calories we take in from food should match the amount of energy our body expends. If more calories come in than are expended, weight increases. If less — weight decreases. A stable weight is maintained when energy intake and energy expenditure are equal.

• The role of protein. Protein is an essential component of nutrition. The body spends more energy digesting proteins than fats and carbohydrates, which means that meals high in this nutrient are more satiating. In addition, protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. If there is not enough of it in the diet, the body begins to use up its own muscle tissue.

• The role of fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide the body with vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. Regular consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Include at least 400g of fruits and vegetables a day in your diet — this simple rule will help improve your health.

• Water balance. Water is involved in almost every process in the body. It helps digest food, remove toxins, maintain normal body temperature and metabolism. A lack of water can slow down metabolism, cause fatigue and even increase false hunger. It is recommended to drink at least 1.5–2 liters of pure water per day, distributing it evenly throughout the day.

• Elimination of fast carbohydrates. To keep blood glucose levels stable, it is important to reduce the amount of fast carbohydrates in your diet. These include sweets, white bread, carbonated drinks and other foods that contain simple sugars. They are quickly broken down to glucose, a monosaccharide, which almost immediately enters the bloodstream, causing sugar spikes and, as a result, feelings of fatigue and mood swings.

• The sleep and nutrition connection. Lack of sleep has a negative effect on appetite: the production of hunger hormone (ghrelin) increases and the level of satiety hormone (leptin) decreases. As a result, a person may have a tendency to overeat. Therefore, adequate sleep is an integral part of good nutrition.

Proper Nutrition: Menu

Many people think that a healthy diet is tasteless and monotonous. Let's debunk this myth using the example of a 3000 kcal menu. Let's debunk this myth on the example of a 3000 kcal menu.

Breakfast ~620 kcal:

• Oat flakes (dry) — 80 g;

• Milk 2.5% — 200 ml;

• Banana — 120 g (1 medium);

• Almonds — 20 g;

• Honey — 10 g.

Snack ~400 kcal:

• Greek yogurt without sugar — 200 g;

• Fresh or frozen blueberries — 100 g;

• Slow carbohydrates (e.g. whole grain breads) — 30 g.

Lunch ~750 kcal:

• Baked chicken breast — 200 g;

• Boiled buckwheat — 150 g (about 50 g dry);

• Fresh vegetable salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce) — 200 g;

• Olive oil (for salad dressing) — 15 g (1 tbsp.).

Snack ~450 kcal:

• Avocado — 150 g (half of a large fruit);

• Rye bread or whole-grain toast — 50 g;

• Boiled egg — 1 piece (~60 g).

Dinner ~650 kcal:

• Baked salmon — 180 g;

• Boiled brown rice — 150 g (dry weight about 50 g);

• Steamed broccoli — 200 g;

• Lemon juice (for sprinkling fish/broccoli) — 10 ml.

Snack before bedtime (optional) ~300 kcal:

• Low-fat cottage cheese — 200 g;

• Nuts (e.g. walnuts) — 15 g.

The total daily caloric value of such a diet is ~3000 kcal (Protein: ~170 g, Fats: ~100 g, Carbohydrates: ~320 g).

Conclusion

Scientific research confirms: proper nutrition can significantly improve health, strengthen immunity and improve quality of life. This is exactly what nutrition science teaches. If you are ready to switch to a proper diet that will really benefit your body, now it is very easy to do it. There is a wide range of products on store shelves, so you can easily add delicious and nutritious dishes to your diet, enrich your menu with vitamins, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and other essential elements. And the variety of recipes allows you to prepare healthy dishes quickly, easily and with pleasure.

If you want an individualized nutrition plan that will take into account your goals, lifestyle and body features, seek help from experts. On our website in the catalog, you can find an experienced nutritionist who will develop a personalized diet just for you and help you make proper nutrition a part of your life.