There are six classes of Nutrients: Carbohydrates for energy, fats also for energy, proteins for building, repairing and regulating body processes, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Obesity: Weighing more than 20% above recommended weight. Excess body fat increases risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes type 2, and many other chronic diseases and disorders in addition to the emotional mental condition. How you eat today affects how you look and feel and how well you perform at school or at a job. The diet you follow in your teens affects your health in later years. METABOLISM: How fast your individual body burns up the food (fuel) you eat and drink.

CARBOHYDRATES (energy) Complex: Examples would be Vegetables, whole wheat breads and cereals, brown rice, and fruit Better Simple: Examples would be Soda, Candy, Pop-Tarts, Chips, Cookies, and most packaged processed foods  which is not what your body really needs to function. Glucose: Blood Sugar which is the major source of energy for the body. Glycogen: Storage Carbohydrate for Energy Reserve. It is made of many chains of glucose and can be broken down for use by the body cells.

FIBER (We need a lot of fiber) It is a complex carbohydrate which cannot be digested. Fiber helps keep you intestines healthy, prevents constipation, and may help prevent COLON cancer and heart disease Fiber traps CHOLESTEROL from eaten foods which lowers blood cholesterol Examples of FIBER: hard or stringy parts of VEGETABLES, fruits, and grains. Wheat bran, corn, brown rice, and the skins of fruits and vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber

FATS (not all fats are unhealthy) You need fat in your diet for your body to function properly. However eating too much of unhealthy fats can increase weight gain, put you at risk for heart disease and cancer. FATs are LIPIDS (liposuction) get it? Saturated fats are SOLID at room temperature and should be limited in your diet: Examples: Too much red meat or ice cream. Unsaturated fats are Liquid at room temperature and are the healthier fat. Examples: Olive oil and peanut oil.

Cholesterol (another type of lipid) It is found in all human body tissue. It is needed to make Vitamin D, cell membranes, certain hormones, and bile for digestion. The body makes cholesterol. LDL (Low dense liporoprotein brings cholesterol to the body cells. This is the Bad Cholesterol  Too much causes plaque to build up (heart attack). HDL (High Dense Liproprotein) carries cholesterol back to the liver, where it is removed from the blood. High levels of HDL called good cholesterol is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.

PROTEINS Most of your body is made up of proteins: Muscles, Skin, Hair, Nails, Hormones, Enzymes, and Antibodies. However too much protein in the body stores as fat. Made up of AMINO ACIDS. Twenty total: Eleven (11) are non essential and nine (9) are essential. You must have the nine (9) essential amino acids in order to function. Kwashiorkor: A protein deficiency disease. Vegans and Vegetarians need to eat protein from plant sources.

COMPLETE and INCOMPLETE Proteins Complete proteins have all nine (9) essential amino acids and come from animal sources. Examples would be meat, fish, chicken, milk, and other dairy. Incomplete proteins need to be combined in order to have all of the amino acids needed and come from PLANT sources. Examples would be LEGUMES (beans), peanut butter, grains, and vegetables. It is advisable to have proteins and complex carbohydrates breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.

Vitamins Fat Soluble A,D,E,K Vitamin A: found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetable, dark green leafy vegetables (KALE), eggs, milk, cheese, and butter. It keeps eyes and skin healthy in addition to strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D: fish oils, egg yolk, salmon, and tuna. SUN. Aids with absorption of calcium, aids bones/teeth. Vitamin E: vegetable oils, beans, peas, nuts, dark green vegetables (KALE), and whole grains. Protects cell membranes from damage of free radicals (reactive oxygen) which destroys your body.

Vitamin K for KALE Foods that have it: Leafy vegetables like Spinach and KALE, broccoli, and it is produced in the intestine by bacteria. What it does: Aids in blood clotting.

Water Soluble Vitamins B + C Vitamin B (1) Thiamin found in pork, liver, peas, beans, enriched whole grains and cereals, nuts and seeds. Needed to produce ENERGY from Carbohydrates; helps the nervous system to function properly. Vitamin B (2) Riboflavin: Milk, meat, eggs, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, dried beans, enriched breads and cereals, and pasta. Needed to produce ENERGY from carbohydrates and fats, important for growth and healthy skin.

Folic Acid (Folate) water soluble Found in green vegetables, liver, whole grains, beans. Needed for forming cells (red blood cells). Vitamin B (12): found in meat, liver, dairy products, and eggs. Necessary for RBC formation+healthy nervous system. VITAMIN “C”: found in citrus fruits, melons, strawberries, green vegetables (KALE), spinach, sweet potatoes, ACAI berries. Promotes healthy gums/teeth, healing wounds, absorbing IRON, acts as antioxidant protecting cells from damage. (IMMUNE System booster (colds etc.)

MINERALS for Enzymes! Calcium: found in dairy, dark green leafy vegetables (KALE), legumes (beans), shellfish, + bony fish (salmon). Needed for development and maintenance of bones and teeth, transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and blood clotting (HEART) Iron: Red meat, GREENS, dark green leafy vegetables (KALE), beans, and egg yolk. Necessary for oxygen for cells and hemoglobin. Magnesium: Milk, dairy products, green leafy vegetables, and beans. Bone growth, metabolism, and muscle contraction.

More Minerals: Potassium: meat, poultry, fish, BANANAS, oranges, dried fruits, potatoes, green leafy vegetables (KALE). Needed for maintenance of fluid balance, nerve impulses, and muscle contraction. Selenium: Tuna, seafood, whole grains, liver, + eggs. Needed for healthy heart and thyroid function and antioxidant. Sodium: Too much retains fluid but a balance is needed for Iodine for thyroid hormones and regulating water balance in cells for nerve impulses.

ELECTROLYTES must be stable! Chemical mineral balance of sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in the body. What disturbs this balance is a lack of those minerals in balance. Two ways to disrupt the electrolyte balance would be to have the flu and lose a lot of water in the body quickly or eating disorders such as Anorexia or Bulimia. The body is not getting the minerals needed to live. Deaths have occurred at young ages for some individuals who had eating disorders.

Eating Disorders: Anorexia: Self starvation, distorted body image, and low body weight. Dangers from anorexia are death, loss of bone mass, heart failure, dizziness, and overall lack of health. Women stop menstruating which decreases bone density. Bulimia: Eats a lot of food and throw it all up. Binging and Purging which involves eating a large amount of food at one sitting followed by purging which involves vomiting or taking laxatives to rid the body of food.