November 15, 2017

5 Facts About Nutrition Everyone Should Know

Nutrition is something which we all wonder and worry about, but few of us really understand. The constant bombardment of advertisements and helpful’ information from less than trusted sources can end up confusing and frustrating us.

Fortunately, nutrition is one of the things where we can see a massive improvement in our lives by just keeping a few key factors in mind. In this article we list 5 facts about nutrition everyone should know.

1. Calories in, Calories out

The struggle against being overweight is everywhere, especially for those us lucky enough to be born in developed nations. Figuring out exactly what you need to do to lose weight, and how much exercise you need to do, can be a difficult task.

The simplest way to understand your situation is to pay attention to the calories in, calories out method. For this, you need to understand that an average man needs around 2,500kcal energy a day to maintain their current weight, whereas the average woman needs around 2,000kcal. As long as at the end of the day, you measure and understand this number it can be a lot easier to measure your portions and help prevent overeating.

Remember – exercise is great at eliminating a few extra calories for the day as well!

2. Not all Calories are Created Equal

So you’ve read the paragraph above and feel ready to jump in? Not so fast!

The key component of calories is the nutrition which can be found within. Some foods, often natural and unprocessed foods, offer calories full of both macro and micronutrients, in combinations which only help your body perform. Other foods might contain the same amount of calories as these, but without the nutritional benefit. These are what we refer to as empty calories.

A great example of these is corn-chips. We love them, I love them, but these chips offer an enormous amount of calories with very little nutritional benefits.

3. Supplements Aren’t Always the Answer

There are entire rows of supermarket shelves, and constant advisements on the radio, the internet, and T.V about various supplements which claim to help give you the nutrients you might be missing.

Take a pill, cover your bases, right? It’s actually not quite that simple. While these nutritional supplements may contain the very nutrition your body is lacking they often can’t be absorbed properly by the body.

We evolved to gain nutrition from food, not pills, so be wary of trusting the claims from these pills, and make sure to do some research before you buy. Some of them can pass right through you without doing much at all.

4. To Juice or Not to Juice

Fruit juice is delicious and makes a great side to breakfast. It also usually contains an incredibly high amount of sugar. This can be difficult for the body to process and can create sugar-highs which aren’t great for you, or your body.

Be sure to check the nutritional information before you buy these products, and try to go for natural and unsweetened juice. This stuff can come with only the sugar which is naturally produced by the fruit, which is easier to process and better overall for your health.

5. Organic is not Always the Best Choice

GMO’s have earned a bad reputation over the years. Sometimes this is earned, other times it is through pushers of pseudoscience, or through the shady business practices of the companies themselves.

What you need to know is that a food being GMO does not automatically mean it is bad for you, or the environment.

A great example of this is golden rice, created by modifications performed by Swiss scientists. This type of rice contains an extra antioxidant which the body can metabolize into vitamin A, giving it a decided advantage over some garden-variety types of rice.

Remember – if you are unsure then you should be sure to do some research, and keep in mind proper authoritative sources.

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