Good nutrition depends on consuming food with high levels of both macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients include proteins, lipids (fats), and carbohydrates. These are the three so-called “energy elements” that provide energy to the body and ensure its vital functioning. Each macronutrient plays a distinct role in the body: improving muscle development, helping gain muscle mass, and weight loss. A balanced diet means that you have a balance between the different kinds of macronutrients and a sufficient intake of micronutrients such as vitamins and trace elements.
This backgrounder introduces the key nutritional concepts required to gain a thorough understanding of nutrition and of the nutritional needs of men, women, and children. It also describes the kinds of foods that contain key nutrients, and explains the nutritional needs associated with diabetes and other diseases that require a specialized diet.
Sections of the backgrounder include:
- Proteins and their function in the body
- Carbohydrates and their function in the body
- Lipids (fats) and their function in the body
- The role of vitamins and minerals
- Nutrition for pregnancy
- Nutrition for women and children
- Nutritional differences between men and women
- Diabetes
- Other diseases linked to nutrition