Why Our Bodies Need Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates
We keep hearing from fitness coaches, dieticians, and healthy lifestyle enthusiasts about the “big 3,” meaning protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Our bodies use them for proper functioning.
We at 5-Minute Crafts want to help you figure out what products contain certain nutrients and what we need them for.
How much of the “big 3” do we need daily?
✅ Protein (10%-35% of total calories per day) is broken down into amino acids and is used to build muscle and produce other proteins that we need.
✅ Fat (20%-35% of total calories per day) is broken down into fatty acids and synthesizes hormones.
✅ Carbohydrates (45%-65% of total calories per day) are broken down into glucose and provide energy to cells.
The body should get enough nutrients, such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat, to function properly.
Since protein is the main building block of most cells, eating foods high in protein can help us recover faster from injury or exercise, it can build muscle, and it can also help us maintain a healthy weight. Protein also protects the body from viruses and bacteria. We wrote more about proteins in this article. Here are some high protein foods:
🔴 Chicken breast
🔴 Fish
🔴 Cottage cheese
🔴 Tofu
🔴 Eggs
🔴 Soy
🔴 Sesame
There are 3 types of fat: unsaturated, saturated, and trans fats.
✅ Unsaturated fats are considered healthy because they regulate blood cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, and stabilize heart rate. They are found in the following foods:
🔴 Olive, peanut, and grapeseed oils
🔴 Avocado
🔴 Almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans
🔴 Pumpkin seeds
🔴 Sesame
🔴 Sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils
🔴 Walnuts
🔴 Flaxseed
🔴 Fish
✅ Saturated fats are less beneficial than unsaturated fats, and cutting back on saturated fat can be important for your health. Most of them are found in foods such as:
🔴 Cheese
🔴 Whole and skim milk, butter, and dairy desserts
🔴 Meat products
✅ Trans fats are present in natural dairy and meat products, as well as in heated vegetable oil in small amounts. Trans fats are produced in large quantities during the hydrogenation of unsaturated fats — like in the production of margarine. These oils can withstand repeated heating, which makes them perfect for catering purposes. However, they should not be overused since trans fats can do the following:
🔴 Increase the level of bad cholesterol
🔴 Contribute to the development of insulin resistance
🔴 Contribute to the development of coronary heart disease
🔴 May increase the risk of atherosclerosis
Our body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose, also known as blood sugar, is the main source of energy for the cells, tissues, and organs of the body. Carbohydrates in food are found in various forms:
✅ Complex carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. Eating fiber-rich foods can help you feel full and reduce your chances of overeating. Fiber-rich foods can also help solve stomach or intestinal problems, such as constipation.
✅ Simple carbohydrates, which include the various forms of sugar found in both fruits and confectionery, as well as semi-finished products, dairy products, and sodas. Due to the small size of the molecule, they are quickly broken down by the body and increase blood glucose levels.
The list of foods with carbohydrates includes:
🔴 Bread, pasta, crackers, cereals, and rice
🔴 Apples, bananas, berries, mangoes, melons, and oranges
🔴 Milk and yogurt
🔴 Beans
🔴 Cakes, cookies, sweets, and other desserts
🔴 Juices, carbonated drinks, fruit drinks, and sports and energy drinks containing sugar
🔴 Potatoes, corn, and peas