The Food That We Eat

superblycrafted · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 6

Food for energy

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate comes from starch and sugar and is found in bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, fruit and sweets. Carbohydrate is broken down in the liver to glucose, a form of sugar, which is used to make energy. Any glucose not used immediately for energy is stored as glycogen in the liver and in the muscles. When your body needs extra energy – when running for a bus, for example – the glycogen is quickly converted back to glucose. As well as storing glycogen, the liver helps control the level of glucose in the blood.

Fat

Fat comes from butter, cheese, oil, animal fat and from many ‘hidden’ sources, for example, biscuits, pastry, crisps and cakes. Fat can be used as a long-term energy store.

It also provides the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and essential fatty acids.

Food for repair and growth

Protein

Protein comes from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, pulses and dairy products. It is made up of units called amino acids and when these reach the liver they provide building blocks to make cells and tissues throughout the body.

Vitamins and minerals

Your body carries out millions of chemical reactions every day. To do this it needs a mix of vitamins and minerals in addition to the essential nutrients, carbohydrate, fat and protein. Most people can get all the vitamins and minerals they need by choosing a variety of foods from a normal, healthy, well-balanced diet (see Healthy eating on page 7). However, people with certain types of liver disease may need extra vitamins. If you are worried that your diet is short of vitamins, your doctor or dietician may prescribe vitamins or suggest you buy multivitamin tablets from your chemist. Vitamins and minerals sold as separate supplements are not recommended unless advised by your doctor or dietician.

Calories

In the same way that we measure distance in centimetres (cm), the energy in food is measured in units of calories (kcal). For example an apple will have about 50 calories and a Mars chocolate bar will have about 300 calories.

As a basic rule of thumb, healthy adult men are advised to eat about 2,200 calories every day and women 1,800 a day.

(Adapted from:http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/content/liver/diet.asp)

obmar · Site Admin Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 5697

Thanks

So skipping carbohydrate and sugar is indeed a good way to burn the fats away?

The Inquisitor · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 772

Yes, thanks.

That's the way I do it, obmar, though I don't see that portrayed in SC's post.

obmar · Site Admin Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 5697

SC watches my diet now....thus the house dietician.

superblycrafted · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 6

for people with diabetes, controlling their food portion size is the rule of thumb.

for others, moderation is the best way to a healthy lifestyle. eat anything you like but in small amount. satisfy the urge to taste the food, but not to fill up your tummy.

increase daily physical activities, not necessarily by going to the gym. you can increase your metabolism just by 30 minutes of routine pre and post-lunch walk from and back to your office.

instead of making calls among staff in your office, get off from that cozy chair and walk to their places.

drink plenty of water, 6 to 8 glasses/day.

obmar · Site Admin Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 5697

Buffet lunch at Equatorial Bangi was heavy. The array of good food was tempting and being the host I have to show good example to the clients today.

I even tried the ostrich meat.

No I, avoided the carbo and the sugars, and I help myself with a lot of veges too.

The Inquisitor · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 772

I also walk around a lot to the different departments I manage. It's a system known as MBWA first experimented with by the Hewlett Packard company in the 1940s.

Most companies have a program called "MBO" which is Management By Objectives. HP started a new version "MBWA" Management By Walking Around." Rather than callling to get things done, I walk to the various departments several times a day to make sure things are going okay and to see how things are going as well as requesting any particular project I might have for them.

obmar · Site Admin Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 5697

I have a threadmill that if it had eyes it would be staring at me for not using it often enough,.

superblycrafted · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 6

The Inquisitor · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 772