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Food Facts

MINERALS | PROTEINS | CARBOHYDRATE | WATER | GLYCEMIC INDEX | FATS

Minerals:

CALCIUM:

Sources:
Milk , Cheese, yoghurt, soft bones of small fish, seafood, eggs, green leafy vegetables, fortified foods such as bread and cereals, pumpkin seeds.
RNI and USL:
Men:1000 mg day
Women : 700mg day.

Calcium plays an important part in muscle growth, muscle contraction and nerve transmission. It helps keep our bones rigid and strong. Extra calcium is recommended for female athletes with low oestrogen levels.
Weight bearing exercise such as running and weight training increases bone mass and calcium absorption so it is important to et enough calcium in your diet.

IRON

Sources:
Red meat, liver, offal, fortified breakfast cereals, shellfish, wholegrain bread, pasta,pulses, green leaf vegetables.

Dietary reference Intake:
Men:8.7mg day
Woman 14.8mg day

Iron’s major function is in the formation of haemoglobin , which transports oxygen in the blood and myoglobin, which transports oxygen in the muscles
Iron loss may occur during exercise that involves pounding of the feet, such as running and step aerobics. Also at risk of iron deficiency are women who have been pregnant in the last year and athletes who eat less than 2000kcal a day.
Extra Iron can improve the oxygen carrying capacity of red blood cells and therefore improve aerobic performance.

ZINC

Sources:
Meat, eggs, Wholegrain cereals, dairy products and milk

Dietary reference intake:
Men 9.5mg day
Women 7mg day

Helps to heal wounds and assists the immune system;needed for building cells.

Proteins

Proteins are a complex subject so here are a few basics:

Sources:
Meat and fish(e.g. Chicken breast , cod )Dairy products( e.g. Cheddar cheese, low fat yoghurt, eggs), nuts and seeds(Cashew nuts, walnuts, peanut butter), pulses (e.g. backed beans, red lentils)

Dietary reference intake:
0.75g per kg of body weight per day.

Proteins are made up of basic units called Amino Acids. Amino Acids are broken down into Non essential and essential. They are vital for growth and the repair and maintenance of body tissue. Prolonged and intense endurance training increases your protein requirements for two reasons, firstly you will need more protein to compensate for the increased breakdown of protein during training Secondly additional protein is needed for the repair and recovery after intense endurance training. There are four types of protein commonly used as food supplements; Whey protein ,(Found in milk) Casein (found in milk), Soy protein(extracted from soybeans) and Egg protein (found in whole egg)

Carbohydrate:

Sources:
Complex Carbohydrate: Cereals, bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and vegetables.
Simple Carbohydrate: Sugar, Cakes, Biscuits, james, sweets, chocolate.

Dietary reference intake:
5-6g carbohydrate.kg of body weight daily.

Carbohydrate is the main fuel for the body, it supplies the body with energy. At least 60% of your daily diet should be provided by carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrate exists in two main forms. Simple and complex or as they are more commonly known , the Sugars and the Starches.
Sugar is simply empty calories , hence there is no nutritional value to sugar , other than energy. Complex carbohydrates such as seeds, fruits and vegetables contain an array of nutritional benefits, such as protein, vitamins and minerals and most source of complex carbohydrates provide dietary bulk or fibre in addition to the nutrient starch, which leaves us feeling full and is also essential for efficient gut function.

Water:

Dietary reference intake:
Before exercise 120-240ml. After exercise 0.5l for every pound lost. You should aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.

Water is arguably the most important of all the nutrients we need.Our body is around 60% water. Water also aids may other vitamin functions in the body.Most of the water we drink, depending upon its source, also contain numerous electrolytes and minerals, including sodium, chloride, magnesium, potassium, fluoride and calcium, thus, theatre we drunk can contribute to our intake of these important nutrients.
A loss of 2% of body weight in water will seriously compromise performance. A loss of 5% can be fatal. Water is lost from the body continually throughout the day, by breathing, in sweat and in urine.
It is important to ensure that we remain fully hydrated by following the guideline for the recommend daily consumption.

Glycemic Index:

The glycemic index is a guide to how quickly certain carbohydrates release their sugar into the blood system. The HIGHER up on the glycemic list the GREATER the effect upon blood sugar, the LOWER down the effect is lessened. Just because certain foods are high up on the index it doesn’t automatically make them bad foods.

The GI concept can be used in exercise , for example consuming a low GI meal 1-2 hours before exercise can help your performance by providing slow release energy, thereby delaying fatigue. A high GI food or drink consumed immediately after exercise helps restore muscle glycogen faster.

A few samples of GI Levels in food

High	Moderate	Low
Sugar	Spaghetti	Porridge
Grapes	White Bread	Baked beans
Maltose	Watermelon	Sweet potatoes
Sports drinks	Banana	Lentils, kidney beans

Fats:

In general we should eat all types of fats and oils in moderation Remember they should make up 15-30% of your total calorie intake.

Saturated Fats:

Saturated fatty acids are fully saturated with the maximum amount of hydrogen and mostly come from animal products such as butter, lard cheese and meat fat.
To achieve peak sports performance and healthy you should avoid saturated fats.

Sources:
Biscuits, cakes and pastry.

Monounsaturated Fats:

Monounsaturated fatty acids have slightly less hydrogen. Monounsaturated fatty acids are thought to have the greatest health benefits. They can reduce total cholesterol, in particular LDL cholesterol, without affecting the beneficial high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

Sources:
Oil,rapeseed,groundnut, hazelnut and almond oil, avocados , olives nuts and seeds

Polyunsaturated fats

Polyunsaturated fatty acids have the least hydrogen. Polyunsaturates can reduce LDL blood cholesterol levels, however they can also lower the good HDL cholesterol slightly. For this reason the DOH recommend a maximum intake of 10% of total calorie intake.

Sources:
Vegetable oils and oil fish.

Omega 3

Omega 3 is essential for proper brain function which affects vision, learning ability, co-ordination and mood. It also controls fat and cholesterol levels, improves immune function and reduces inflammation.
Studies show that people with he highest intake of mega-3 fatty acids have a lower risk of heart attacks.

Sources:
Pumpkin seeds, fish oils linseed (Flax seed)

Dietary reference intake:
Minimum of 200-300g oily fish each week.

Omega 6

These are important for healthy functioning of cell membranes and healthy skin.
Omega 6 improves nerve and immune function, keeps blood thin preventing clots and blockages, lowers blood pressure and relaxes blood vessels.

Sources:
Sesame seeds , sunflower seeds,, evening primrose oil.

Dietary reference intake:
Minimum 1% a day.