How Technology works with
Nutrition in a Globalised World
Nutrition plays a major role in our health,
fitness and body composition in general and
before I explain why nutrition is so
important let’s take a step back and talk about
what nutrition actually is. Nutrition is defined
as; ‘the science that interprets the interaction
of nutrients and other substances in food (e.g.
phytonutrients, anthocyanins, tannins, etc.) in
relation to maintenance, growth,
reproduction, health and disease of an
organism’. Simply said, Nutrition is the study
of food at work in our bodies, our source for
energy, and the medium for which our
nutrients can function. Think of nutrition as
the building blocks of life. Without getting too
technical, nutrition is a huge factor in who
we are and what we do on a day to day basis
so it is very important that we consume foods
and beverages that are going to benefit both
your health and lifestyle. When choosing a
healthy nutrition plan to follow it is important
to understand that everybody is different and
our bodies all function effectively on different
consumption of nutrients, so there is no 1 plan
fits all when it comes to achieving your health
and fitness goals. There are, however, 3 major
nutrients you will need to consume that will
help you on your way to these goals and they
are; protein, carbohydrates and fats. These 3
nutrients are called Macronutrients and will
determine the makeup of your total daily
consumption. Protein is not an energy source
as such but it is used to build just about
everything in the body from muscle tissue,
organs, skin, hair, haemoglobin in your blood,
the list goes on. Our immune system uses
protein to make antibodies, it aids in the
transfer of messages between the
neurotransmitters in the brain and many
hormones are made of proteins as well and
should always be a staple in a healthy nutrition
plan. Sources of protein include: meat, fish,
chicken, nuts, seeds, beans and dairy products.
As well as whole grains such as brown rice,
quinoa, barley and amaranth; and even
vegetables like avocado and sprouts. Adding
these sources of protein to your day
(in moderation) is an important factor in
creating a healthy balanced nutrition plan.
Carbohydrates are generally looked at as the
enemy and the reason why we store fat on our
body, but in reality carbohydrates play a major
role in energy production within our body.
Carbohydrates are converted into glycogen
and stored in our muscles to be used as fuel
for day to day activities and are particularly
good for giving us energy for exercise.
Carbohydrate sources are broken down into 2
categories; complex carbohydrates (good carbs
- fiber and starch) and simple
carbohydrates (not so good carbs - sugars).
Sources of complex carbohydrates include
fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains
and oats. These sources of carbohydrates are
Written by; Joel Bradford
key to long-term health, they make it easier to
maintain your weight and can even help guard
against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular
problems in the future. Simple carbohydrates
are a food group to avoid as they are made
up of sugars and consist of raw sugar, brown
sugar, corn syrup, glucose and sucrose and
are generally found in foods like deserts, soft
drink, chocolate and juices. Consumption of
these foods on a regular basis will cause
detrimental effects to your health
including type 2 diabetes and heart disease
which account for over 50% of health
conditions in our population. Fats are another
very misunderstood nutrient that play a
crucial role in energy production and
cognitive brain function. There are a few types
of fats within the foods we eat, the first being
saturated fats; these are found in animal
products such as meat, cheese, milk, butter,
cream and eggs and should only be consumed
in moderation at best. The second and most
beneficial type of fats found in our diet is
unsaturated fats and are found in foods such
as oils, nuts, salmon and avocados.
Consuming these types of fats on a regular
basis in conjunction with an exercise program
will contribute to improved energy, brain
function and concentration, and body
composition (more muscle and less fat).
The last type of fat that should be avoided in
everyone’s daily food consumption are trans