Food Nutrition

Have you ever wondered what the true meaning of food nutrition is? OPH Good Housekeeping & Homemaking will give you an insight into what this concept means. So read on and become enlightened.

Essentially food nutrition provides us with information on how healthy for us certain foods are, and is a key component of good housekeeping. The nutrients within foods provide us with fuel which in turn helps us function properly.

This website will give you the tools in order for you to make decisions regarding healthy eating options for you and your family. The key components of food are as follows:

Carbohydrates
Fats
Minerals/ Vitamins
Proteins

Carbohydrates:These are the sugars and starches which are found in bread, cereals, cakes, biscuits, fruit and vegetables and are considered to be the main source of energy for the human body.

When any carbohydrate is digested it is transformed into a sugary substance called glucose, which feeds our muscles and gives us the energy we need to perform everyday tasks.

Fats:These provide us with the fatty acids which the body cannot produce by itself. When our body’s carbohydrate reserves are depleted these equip us with the energy we need to function properly. In addition fats help transform some vitamins into a substance that the body can use and keep our organs nice and healthy.

Minerals/Vitamins:These are the foods natural chemicals. For a more comprehensive guide to vitamins scroll down.

Proteins:Known as ‘the building blocks of life’ these help us repair damaged muscle tissue caused by exercise; survive and generally maintain a healthy body.

Following this brief explanation on the key components of food nutrition lets move on and take more of an in-depth look at things.

Our food nutrition values will give you a clearer insight into the goodness which certain foods supply. These sections are categorised alphabetically under the different food groups, with emphasis being placed on, calories, carbohydrates, fat, protein, and nutritional goodness. Click on the links below to be transported to the relevant pages.

Biscuits	Bread	Cakes
Cereals	Chocolate	Crisps
Dairy	Desserts	Drinks
Fast-Food	Fish	Fruit
Meat	Pasta	Poultry
Soup	Vegetables

What are the consequences of too much salt in my diet?

Too much salt in one’s diet can lead to a number of consequences where the body’s constitution is concerned.

One of the most critical parts of high sodium consumption can be attributed to a rise in the body’s blood pressure. When this rises it leaves more susceptible to heart disease strokes, impaired vision and kidney disease. Some reports even go as far as suggesting that high blood pressure can lead to the brain shrinking in size which may lead to intellectual abnormalities.

In addition high salt intake for dieters is bad news, if we are trying to lose weight, putting too much salt on our salad or in our soup could scupper our chances of attaining that “perfect figure” or physique. Having excess salt in our systems will make us bloated, feel sluggish and generally lethargic, this may leave us less inclined to exercise, however excess bodily sodium levels go that little bit further, not only does it make us feel sluggish it also has the affect of making the body retain water. When this happens we can look fat, bloated and we’ll generally find it a lot harder to lose weight. So when you reach for that salt cell to add flavour to food, think about the affect it will have on your body.

How do we limit our salt intake?

One of the main ways to cut down on your salt intake is not to add salt to your food once it has been cooked. A lot of foods we consume, such as fish and meats already contain sufficient levels of salt, so adding more to them once they have been cooked means you’ll be consuming too much.

If you’re a fan of pre-prepared meals or snacks always check the salt content and try to avoid the ones which are high in salt. It’s recommended that you stay within the confines of the recommended daily allowance of salt, this is generally 6g per day, any more than this may contribute to the problems outlined above.

A good food nutrition tip is to try and stay away from processed foods as these generally contain high levels of salt.

What are the consequences of too much sugar in my diet?

Many foods we consume contain certain levels of sugar. It can be found naturally in fruits or dairy products or manufactured as sucrose.

Sugar can be eaten in a controlled diet without causing problems to our health or well being, however, if we eat it in unnecessary quantities it can have adverse bodily reactions.

When we eat it, it's readily absorbed into our blood and on its way through our system increases our insulin levels. This rise in insulin has important dietary ramifications, which can be attributed to the main functions of the insulin itself. This due to the fact that its chief purpose is to clear sugar and fat from our blood stream and place them in storage points around the body, namely in tissue.

The idea is that the body will save them for a “rainy day”. The problem this has is that it will make us gain weight. This will cause a cumulative affect if we eat too much sugar every day, eventually making us grossly obese.

Vitamins are essential for the overall upkeep of a healthy body. It has come to our attention here at OPH Good Housekeeping that preparing healthy meals with the right blend of vitamins and minerals is a key element of achieving this goal and therefore is a vital part of any housekeeping or homemaking activity.

Within these pages we’ll touch on each set of vitamins and minerals in an easy to read format.

We have decided to adopt this approach because of the jargon filled, and somewhat confusing explanations found elsewhere. Our simple terminology should go along way to making sure you know what you are looking for when reading food labels at the local supermarket.

Here goes…

Vitamin A (also known as retinol)
This vitamin is essentially found in animal products and is stored in the liver.

Vitamin A has a number of benefits and needs to be taken into account when one undertakes the good housekeeping process of food preparation.

The benefit which this vital vitamin has is that it’s extremely important in children’s growth and has additional perks as protecting the skin, hair, maintaining healthy eyesight and helping our mouths, noses, throats and guts to function properly by helping to protect the mucous membranes found within each.

Within the realms of modern homemaking practices we need to take into account the effects on the body which the lack of vitamin A has. Usually, a deficiency in this nutrient is only common in developing countries, but on the other hand zinc deficiencies can cause the same symptoms. If this is the case then the first thing you’ll notice is that your eyesight within darkened environments has diminished and your eyes will become dry.

Foods which are packed full of these vitamins include kidney, oily fish, liver, egg yolk, milk, butter and margarine.

Vitamin B1 (also known as Thiamin).
These vitamins are especially important where healthy nerve and muscle function is concerned and is therefore an essential part of food nutrition.

Thiamin is needed so that the body can release energy found in carbs, fats and alcohol. Without this essential nutrient in our food or diets it can lead us to become depressed, easily distracted, irritable and forgetful, so as you can see it’s imperative that your family eat enough foods which are rich in these vitamins.

Within our food nutrition pages we advise that you include the following foods and ingredients in your daily diet: potatoes, bread, yeast, flour, most breakfast cereals, meats, milk and pulses. As you can see, a lot of meals contain these combinations so you shouldn’t go far wrong with your food nutrition requirements.

Unfortunately excessive cooking of the aforementioned food stuff can lead to vitamin B1 diminishing rapidly.

Vitamin B2 (also known as Riboflavin)
This is an essential part of food nutrition as vitamin B2 is responsible for helping the body extract proteins from food containing carbs and/or fats; and along with vitamin A is ideal for promoting healthy skin, noses, throats, and mouths.

As part of your good housekeeping and homemaking activities it is important that when planning and preparing foods for your family that you include the following into the diet; Eggs, fish, meat, yeast, milk, cheese, pulses and kidney.

A lack of vitamin B2 the diet can lead to clogged pours, rashes, spots and burning lips and tongue.

Vitamin B3 (also known as Niacin)
Vitamin B3 in food nutrition circles is hugely important as it helps our bodies release energy from the food we eat. Not only is this nutrient found in our food but our bodies can also make it through the amino acid, tryptophan.

Where Niacin is concerned a good housekeeping and homemaking tip is to make sure the meals in which you prepare contain the following foods as failure to do so on a regular basis could lead to the same ailments as associated with lack of vitamin B1. The foods to include are brown rice, wholemeal bread, eggs, nuts, dried fruits, meat, liver, kidney, yeast, milk, cheese and tuna. Therefore, it must be a relief to know that this nutrient can be found in a number of dishes, therefore making your daily housekeeping and homemaking chores a lot less taxing.

Vitamin B5 (also known as Pantothenic Acid)
As with the other B vitamins this nutrient helps the body extract energy from proteins, carbs and fats too and is readily available in most foods, but can be found in high quantities in the following food; nuts, wheat bran, pulses, yeast, liver and egg whites.

Becoming deficient in this vitamin is highly unlikely to happen as it’s found in a wide variety of foods.

Vitamin B6 (Also know as Pyridoxine)

This nutrient is very important within the food we eat as it helps to balance the body’s sodium and potassium levels and is an essential part of red blood cell production.

As part of your good housekeeping and homemaking activities, if you fail to include this vitamin within your diet, after a while the following symptoms will materialise; muscle weakness, oily skin and even eczema.

With the aforementioned deficiencies in mind - as part of your food nutrition efforts - it is vital that you prepare dishes with the following food stuffs contained within them; green vegetables, nuts, grains, pulses, egg white, milk, yeast, kidneys, meat, liver.

Vitamin B12 (Also know as Cyanocobalamin)
Vitamin B12 is important in food nutrition terms as it’s an essential ingredient in the production of red blood cells and also allows children to grow at the normal healthy rate. Therefore as you can see, including this nutrient in your family’s diet is important in maintaining a healthy body.

Some good foods which are rich in these vitamins include; yeast, cheese, milk, eggs, meat and liver, therefore the introduction of these different foods into your weekly diet must be undertaken.

If the above steps aren’t taken into consideration then our bodies will become deficient in this vitamin, which can lead to anaemia. This condition is usually associated with vegans as this mineral is only contained in animal foods; but the good news for vegans is that vitamin B12 supplements can be purchased from most health food stores and chemists.

Vitamin C
Every homemaker should understand the benefits of including vitamin C rich food within the family diet. This is because the human body can’t produce it by itself.

This mineral is especially important in food nutrition terms as it helps the body’s immune system produce white blood cells, which are essential in it’s constant fight to ward of infection.

Other reasons why this nutrient is important is because it helps the skin produce collagen which is vital in maintaining skin elasticity and stops us from bruising easily.

With all this in mind we must include plenty of fruit, sweet peppers, cabbage, tomatoes and potatoes in our daily diet. If we don’t we’ll become deficient which can lead to us getting more infections, bleeding gums and become slower at healing wounds.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D in food nutrition circles has a number of functions; it’s essential in helping the body absorb calcium, which in turn promotes healthy teeth and bones. It also ensures the body can strike the right balance between calcium and phosphorus.

Foods which need to be consumed to maintain adequate levels include eggs, evaporated milk, butter, cheese, oily fish and liver. In addition it would benefit our bodies to get out into the sun as we’ll produce vitamin D when we are exposed to it.

Failure to top up the body’s resources of vitamin D can lead to it becoming depleted which, in turn leads to us becoming deficient. When this happens it can cause rickets in children and thinning of the bones in adults.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E has a number of important roles, such as; helping the body get rid of toxins; reduce heart disease; and help in red blood cell formation. So as you can see, including vitamin E in the diet has huge benefits.

Although becoming deficient in vitamin E is unlikely to happen, low levels of this nutrient can lead to red blood cell damage and muscle wastage, which you don’t need to be told can adversely affect your heart.

To make sure you and your family’s bodies have enough vitamin E to function properly the following food should be included; avocados, eggs, wheat germ, sunflower oil, nuts, pulses and olive oil.

Vitamin K
Vitamin K is essential for helping the blood to clot when we cut ourselves and reduces the chance of osteoporosis.

This mineral is essentially produced in our guts from “friendly bacteria”, but can also be obtained from food such as; kelp, honey, grains, oily fish, honey, leafy vegetables, meat, liver, turnips, carrots and Soya beans.

A deficiency in vitamin K is unlikely to materialise as it’s contained in a wide variety of foods and is also produced in the human body itself.

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