OPTIMAL NUTRITION FOR
GOOD HEALTH
Iva Klimešová
A nutrient is a specific substance found in food that performs one or more
physiological or biochemical functions in the body.
CARBOHYDRATES
PROTEINS
LIPIDS
Provide energy +
promote growth and
development
Don’t supply energy
VITAMINS
MINERALS
Regulate metabolism
WATER
Body’s transport
Energy value
kcal/g
kJ/g
CARBOHYDRATES
4
16,8
PROTEINS
4
16,8
LIPIDS
9
37,8
The accepted international standard for expressing energy
is the joule. To convert kcal to kilojoule multiply the kcal
value by 4,2.
Parts of each energy nutrient may be converted to the
other two nutrients in the body. For example, protein
may be converted into carbohydrate during prolonged
exercise, whereas excess dietary carbohydrate may be
converted to fat in the body during rest.
Daily basal metabolic rate (kcal):
Men: 66 + (13,7 x body mass in kg) + (5 x
stature in cm) - (6,8 x age)
Women: 655 + (9,6 x body mass in kg) +
(1,85 x stature in cm) - (4,7 x age)
The basal metabolic rate represents the
energy requirements necessary to main
physiological processes in a resting state.
Calculation of the basal metabolic rate
matches 65-75% of total daily energy
expenditure.
The average daily energy
expenditure
Low physical activity level
•
2500 Kcal
•
2000 Kcal
High physical activity level
•
4000 Kcal
•
3500 Kcal
Basal metabolic rate is related to
age
19 - 35
Men
(Kcal/day)
2620
Women
(Kcal/day)
2200
35 - 50
2400
2000
51 - 65
2000
1800
over 65
1900
1700
Age
Eating behaviour – distribute your daily energy into 5 parts
Dinner
20%
Breakfast
30%
Snack
10%
Snack
10%
Lunch
30%
Well-balanced diet
Fat
20-30 %
Complex
carbohydrate
50-60 %
Protein
10-20 %
Sugar
10 %
• Carbohydrates: 60% or more of calories should come
from carbohydrates, particularly polysaccharides
because they are good source of fiber and vitamins.
They should be the main nutrient source.
• Proteins: Standard recommendation for protein intake is
0,8 g of protein per kilogram of body mass. This amount
to approximately 12% of the total calories.
They should come in ratio 2:1 from plants foods to
animal foods. You use the ratio 1:1 for children and
physical active people.
• Lipid intake should be less than 30% of total energy
distributed in a ratio of 1:1:1 for saturated to
monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fatty acids.
A diet pure for fat (less than 20%) is risk for lack of fatsoluble vitamins and essential fatty acids!
Summary
• With well-planed menus, the necessary
vitamin, mineral, and protein requirements can
be met with a food intake of about 1200 calories
a day.
• Additional food can then be consumed to meet
energy needs that fluctuate depending on the
daily level of physical activity.
• The energy should be divided into 5 parts:
breakfast, 2 snacks, lunch and dinner.
• For people who are physically active, 60%
or more of calories should come from
carbohydrates, particularly
polysaccharides (grains, bread, pasta,
potatoes, rice, legumes, vegetables, and
fruits, etc.)
• The recommended daily intake for proteins is
0,8 g per kilogram of body mass. For the
average man and woman, this is a liberal
requirement and represents about 12% of the
normal daily caloric intake (peas, beans, eggs,
chicken, fish, meat, dairy products, nuts and
seeds).
• Athletes generally consume two to four times
the recommended protein intake because their
greater caloric intake usually provides
proportionately more protein.
• A prudent recommendation is that no more than
30% of daily calories be obtained from lipids; of
this, the majority should be as unsaturated
fatty acids (vegetable oil – olive, corn, rape,
sunflower; nuts and seeds, fish oil).
• Examples of foods with saturated fat include:
whole milk, cheese , ice cream, and meats like
hotdogs and hamburgers.
Fruits and Vegetables
• The National Cancer Institute recommends
5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables
every day for both adults and children.
Age/Gender
Daily Fruit and Vegetable
Intake
Children ages 2 to 6 years,
women, sedentary older
adults
5 servings
Older children, teen girls,
active women, most men
7 servings
Teen boys, active men
9 servings
One serving: a whole carrot or a handful of baby carrots, one apple, 1/2 cup of
cooked vegetables, one glass of 100% fruit juice, one handful of raisins, one cup
of salad
Phytochemicals
• "Phyto" is a Greek word that means plant and
phytochemicals are usually related to plant
pigments.
• A phytochemical is a natural bioactive
compound found in plant foods that works with
nutrients and dietary fiber to protect against
disease.
• Fruits and vegetables that are bright colours yellow, orange, red, green, blue, and purple generally contain the most phytochemicals and
the most nutrients.
• More than 900 different phytochemicals have
been found in plant foods and more will be
discovered (carotenoids, chlorophylls,
flavonoids, Indole-3-Carbinol, isoflavones,
isothiocyanates, lignans, phytosterols).
• Research suggests that phytochemicals,
working together with nutrients found in fruits,
vegetables and nuts, may help slow the aging
process and reduce the risk of many diseases,
including cancer, heart disease, stroke, high
blood pressure, cataracts, osteoporosis, and
urinary tract infections.
Chocolate
• Flavonoids belong to a class of antioxidants
called polyphenols (or phytochemicals) from
plants.
• In a diet, fruits, vegetables, tea, wine and
chocolate are major sources of antioxidants,
which have been shown to have protective
effects against cardiovascular disease.
• Dark chocolate contains higher amounts of
flavonoids than milk chocolate.
Water
• Water has a number of body functions in the body
(building material for cell protoplasm, is essential in
the control of the osmotic pressure in the body, the
main constituent of blood), but its most important
benefit for people who exercise is the control of
body temperature.
• Daily recommendation for drinks
1,5 – 2,5 l
Daily water loss and intake (an adult female, 60 kg)
Water loss
Urine output
Water in feces
Lungs - exhaled air
1 100 ml
100 ml
200 ml
Skin – insensible perspiration
Total
Water intake
600 ml
2 000 ml
Fluids
Water in food
Metabolic water
1000 ml
700 ml
300 ml
Total
2000 ml
The reference daily intakes
• To help you determine whether you are
getting the right balance of these nutrient,
the government has established the
Reference Daily Allowance (RDA).
• The Daily Values expressed in
percentages of the RDA on the nutrition
facts on food labels.
Food pyramid
The wide part shows the foods you should eat most often each day, and the
narrower parts the ones you should eat in lesser amounts.
www.mypyramid.gow
1 kg = 2,2 pounds
100 cm = 3,3 feet
1 cm = 0,4 inches
155 cm = 5,1 feet
160 cm = 5,2 feet
165 cm = 5,4 feet
170 cm = 5,6 feet
175 cm = 5,7 feet
180 cm = 5,9 feet