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Nutrition & Healthy Eating: Overview

Article · July 2021

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What is Healthy eating?

A healthy diet provides macronutrients in appropriate quantities to satisfy the physiological and
energetic needs of the body while supplying adequate micronutrients and hydration. The cellular
activities require the energy necessary to achieve daily function by macro-nutrients (i.e. carbs,
proteins, and fats). For appropriate growth, development, metabolism and physiological activity,
micronutrients (i.e. vitamins and minerals), are necessary in relatively small quantities. Healthy
eating has several elements which must be included in healthy diet. (Skerrett et al., 2010) (Table
1). The Healthy Eating Pyramid gives evidence on the components of a long-term health diet.
(Figure 1)
Table 1 Essentials of Healthy Eating (Swartzberg and Margen, 2001)

Select healthy fats over  Avoid trans fats, usually found in deep-fried restaurant foods and in
unhealthy ones commercially baked goods.
 Saturated fat intake must be limited (less than 8% calories [17 grams] *),
largely of red meat, butter, milk, and other dairy items.
 Emphasize polyunsaturated olive and olive oil fats; canola, peanuts and
olive oil; almonds, cassaway, peanuts and nut butters; avocados; sesame,
pumpkin, etc. seeds (10% to 15% of calories [22–27 g *]).
 Increase polyunsaturated fat in vegetable oils such as corn, soya and
safflower oil; walnut; fatty fish (8 to 10 percent% of calories [17–22
grams*]), for example, in salmon, herring and anchovy.
Select digestible carbs over  • The intake of quick-digestion carbohydrates, such as white flour, white
highly refined carbs rice, pastries, sucrose and French fried foods should be restricted. Focus
instead on entire beans, full fruit and vegetables, beans and nuts (e.g.
brown rice, garlic, bulgur, quinoa, and wheat grains). It should be
targeted at least 6 complete servings of grain every day. The selection
of a full cereal and full grain breakfast is a perfect start.
Emphasize fruits and vegetables  Take at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day; ideally better 9
servings a day. Eat for diversity and color. There is actually a daily

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 requirement for at least one portion of dark green leafy vegetable; orange
or yellow or fruits; or red fruits or vegetables; or citrus fruit. Infused
fruits and vegetables are also approximately the ideal, particularly if
local.
Opt for low-calorie hydration  Water is the best option for hydration. Tea and coffee are generally
healthful, safe and moderate drinks (with only a little milk or a little
sugar). It's recommended to use skim or low-fat milk if milk is included
in the diet. Avoid sugar heavy liquids, for example, soda, fruit and sports
beverages. Limit the fresh juice to a little glass a day. Moderate drinking
(no more than one drink per day, if any, for women).
Meet the RDA for vitamins and  A cost-efficient safety nutrition net is provided by day-to-day RDA
minerals multivitamin-multimineral folic acid and IU 1000 vitamin D
supplementation. Many premenopausal women require extra iron, while
others need more calcium.
Daily Exercise  The quality and the quantity of calories ingested are crucial for optimal
health. Current guidelines require 30 minutes of physical activity such
as fast walking on most days a week, if not all.

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 Figure 1 The Healthy Eating Pyramid

Essential factors for balanced diet

 Vitamins & Minerals

In general, an optimum diet offers all the required health vitamins, mineral and other
micronutrients. Present recommendations call for a daily supplement of 400 - 800 micro grams
(μg) of folic acid or 4 milligrams (mg) for women in the child with a neural tube defect to be taken
by all women of childbearing age.

The preservation of bone strength is based on calcium. Recommend 400 mg/day intake to the
World Health Organization. Dietary recommendations suggest that adult women receive 1500 mg
calcium per day by eating, in large part, 3 portions of milk products with low fat or free fat per
day. Calcium from supplements is a low-calorie, fat-free alternative.

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For bone strength maintenance, other factors such as physical activity and vitamin D are essential.
Current guidelines for vitamin D are too low (200-600 IU per day depending on age) and 1 000 IU
a day provide superior protection of heart diseases and some malignancies against fractures. There
is increasing evidence. Excessive intake of preformed vitamin A (retinol) was connected with the
increased risk of hip fractures which were probably in conflict with vitamin D. However, at intakes
beyond 700 μg per day of the dietary recommendation, the danger is considered substantially
greater. Beta carotene is recommended for a multivitamin that delivers a large part of the active
form of vitamin A. (Skerrett et al., 2010)

 Protein

Nutrient proteins provide energy and amino acids, including those required by humans but not
self-produced (i.e., essential amino acids). Dietary proteins come from animal and plant sources
as a result of their rich amino acids, high digestibility, high bioavailability and the use of soy
products and of grain, nut and seed. The proteins are formerly known to be rich in a variety of
animal and plant resources. The others are also here. Some of them are regarded as richer. (Cena
and Calder, 2020)

 Carbohydrates

The main energy source in the diet is the carbohydrates, and they are widely found in grains, fruits,
legumes and vegetables. Within the context of a health benefit, entire grains are preferably stripped
from germs and brans, leading to lower amounts of fiber and micronutrients, rather than processed
grains. Including power as well as nutritional fibers, fresh fruit and vegetables are preferable for
the sensation of satiety and good effects in the digestive system, cholesterol and glucose
management. Fresh fruit and vegetables are also key sources of phytochemical constituents which
are bioactive compounds that are thought to provide many of the fruit and vegetable health
benefits. (Cena and Calder, 2020)

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  Fats
Fats or lipids as well as cellular energy sources are the principal structural components of cell
membranes. Fat is categorized into four categories: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated
and trans-fat. The fat content of foods is generally such a mixture. Unsaturated fats, though animal
products (as well as plant products) produce more saturated fat, are found in a range of foods,
including fish, oils, nuts and seeds from plant goods. Trans fats are mostly produced by processing
vegetable oils but are also present in minor quantities in animal products (i.e., ruminant trans fats
from cows, sheep, and goats). Included in unsaturated fats are reduced risk and death while in
lesser proportions trans fats and saturated fats have adverse health consequences, including higher
mortality risk. There have been two poly-unsaturated fatty acid families, omega-3 and omega-6,
which were established as essential fatty acids to be generated in the body but are necessary for
regular growth and reproduction. Omega-3 has been widely investigated in its potential health
benefits, notably Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), showing
favorable effects, such as cardiac protection, cognitive decline prevention, inflammatory
reduction, muscle sustainability and decreased systemic insulin resistance. Meals, especially fatty
fish, offer EPA and DHA and are widely available to supplements that do not meet the required
dietary intake alone. Nuts and certain seeds and plant oils are the principal omega 3 plant alpha‐
linolenic acid. (Cena and Calder, 2020)
 Water
Most of the lean body mass and total body weight are made by water. Water is the principal
element of the body. Water not only supplies hydration but also carries its micronutrients with
trace elements and electrolytes. Calcium and magnesium are advised daily for 20% of drinking
water. Our knowledge about water requirements and the health and disease impact of water is poor,
even if the increase in the global consumption of high calorie drinks emphasizes the relevance of
water in healthcare and disease prevention again. (Cena and Calder, 2020)

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Dietary Supplements

The dietary supplement includes one or more different nutrients like as vitamins, minerals, herbs
or other amino acids. A food item used by humans to supplement diet by increasing the daily
consumption or concentrate of these elements in the form of metabolites, constituents, extracts or
combinations known as nutritional supplement. Furthermore, dietary supplements have been
classified as a product produced or sold, in addition to their purposes, by diagnose, treatment,
mitigation or prevention of disease. (Massey, 2002, Gagnier, 2011)

Figure 2 A nutritional supplement contains various dietary ingredients

 Herbal Medicines
A diverse collection of heterogeneous products that can be distributed in a wide range of ways,
including whole herbs, herbal substances, herbal preparations and finished herbal products
containing, as active ingredients, plants or vegetables, herbal medicinal products are often termed
herbal products. The term herbal medicine excludes compounds from which plants or that are
synthesized in laboratory settings are extracted and purified. Herbal medicinal products are, by
definition, used for medicinal use and can be ingested, injected, or topically applied. Oral herbal
medicines include raw (dried or fresh), liquid (alcohol, aqueous or glycerin solvents) extracts, and
solid (lyophilized or freeze-dried) extracts. Intramuscular (IM) or intravenous routes are used for

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many types of herbal medicine. The topical type of creams, gels, ointments, oils, plasters and
poultices are included. (Figure 3) (Gagnier, 2011)

Figure 3 Herbal supplements

 Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are a collection of compounds which are vital for normal cell function, metabolism,
growth. They use enzymes, co-factor(s) and other substances that are needed to function normally.
They work with other chemicals. The two primary vitamin classes are fat soluble (e.g. vitamins A,
D, E, K) and water soluble (e.g., vitamins B and C). Minerals also include a collection of important
nutrients for normal metabolism, growth, development, body structure, cell function regulation
and electrolyte homeostasis. Two main mineral categories include macro-mineral (e.g. calcium,
phosphorus and sodium) and trace mineral (e.g. zinc, selenium and manganese). There are
numerous other ways of administration, such as vitamins and minerals. Calcium is accessible as a
calcium carbonate, citrate calcium or calcium lactate, for example, ascorbic acid or ascorbate is
created for vitamin C. Vitamins and mineral additives are also combined in order to improve their
effects with other herbal medicines, vitamins and vitamins. Many vitamins and minerals can be
mixed in different forms, including pills, tablets, liquids, gels, lotions. (Gagnier, 2011)

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Importance of nutrition in sports and exercise

Nutrition for exercise performance involves fueling the body for performance. In order to meet
the caloric expenditure during exercise, this process needs optimum energy resources. Important
resources may be used by athletic activities. Daily exercise can consume between 600 and 1200
calories/day, with high intensity. Elite athletes, like professional cyclists, can consume up to twelve
thousand calories/day and require high compensatory intakes of calories. This high caloric needs
can be very difficult to achieve through "true" food alone. This challenge requires additional
functional foods and supplements for heavily trained athletes. Athletes' advice on nutrition must
be taken into account by health care providers. There are some other problems in addition to the
caloric problems just mentioned. Many athletes who endure intensive workout stress can
experience loss of appetite, especially following intense workouts. Athletes are also often exposed
to tight competition and travel planning restrictions that can prevent or stop regular meals. Since
athletes are already stressful during training schedules, food factors will easily overcome them.
The absence of a dietary diversity may also lead to lack of food pleasure and loss of appetite.
Athletes who do heavy exercise should work to prevent loss of muscle and weight, which means
maintaining dense meals and snacks that are suitable for their athletes' lifestyles, in order to deal
with these problems. Although the use of protein bars, meal replacement shakes, electrolyte drinks
and nutritious vitamin and mineral supplements are also required, although true and whole foods
should be emphasized. Athletes should ideally be provided between four and six meals per day for
athletes participating in intense training and they should eat regularly in time. Meal times and
snacks are also a vital part of the regeneration of energy and recovery. Athletes should realize that
many supporting training aids would not provide much benefit without calorie balance. The basis
on which all other ergogenic products can be developed is the maintenance of caloric needs.
(Pizzorno and Murray, 2020)

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 References

CENA, H. & CALDER, P. C. J. N. 2020. Defining a healthy diet: evidence for the role of
contemporary dietary patterns in health and disease. 12, 334.
GAGNIER, J. J. J. E.-B. M. O. L. B. P.-E.-B. 2011. Nutritional, Herbal, and Homeopathic
Supplements. 85, 258.
MASSEY, P. B. J. M. C. 2002. Dietary supplements. 86, 127-147.
PIZZORNO, J. E. & MURRAY, M. T. 2020. Textbook of Natural Medicine-E-Book, Elsevier
Health Sciences.
SKERRETT, P. J., WILLETT, W. C. J. J. O. M. & HEALTH, W. S. 2010. Essentials of healthy
eating: a guide. 55, 492-501.
SWARTZBERG, J. & MARGEN, S. J. A. J. O. E. 2001. Eat, drink, and be healthy: the Harvard
Medical School guide to healthy eating. 154, 1160-1160.

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