There are 3 basic essential nutrients for a healthy body. These are carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. All of these are important for good health. A deficiency of these may result to health problems.
Carbohydrates provide energy to keep us going. Proteins build the body and make us grow. Vitamins and minerals maintain the body and make us glow in good health.
To be healthy, we should eat a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Most of these nutrients can be found in fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables.
But in our modern world, most of these nutrients are no longer safe for consumption because of chemical pollution from industrial plants. Most of the foods we buy in supermarkets nowadays are processed with chemicals that poison our body and genetically modified which render them carcinogenic and dangerous to health.
A safe recourse is to plant our own organic fruits and vegetables. We can also buy Herbalife products that are natural and safe in case we cannot buy in the market or plant our own organic vegetables.
Carbohydrates are divided into simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are molecules of sugars, while complex carbohydrates are chains of bonded molecules of sugar. Complex carbohydrates are commonly known as starch, and they provide the body a steady supply of energy. Good sources of complex carbohydrates are root crops or tubers such as sweet potato, cassava, yams and others. It is also found in beans, lentils, brown rice, corn, buckwheat, wholegrain cereals, oatmeals, and many more.
Proteins are important in building the structural components of the body. It is used to build muscles and organs, to create hormones, to synthesize neurotransmitters for a healthy nervous system, and to strengthen the immune system. They are made up of basic building blocks called amino acids.
There are 20 amino acids, and 11 of these are “non-essential, that is, there’s no need to get these amino acids from our diet because our body can produce them from chemicals that are already present in our body. Some of the non-essential amino acids, such as arginine, cysteine, glycine, and tyrosine are called “conditionally essential” because some people, due to genetic defects, cannot produce these in their body but have to get these from their diet. The 9 essential amino acids are not produce by the body. We take it from the food we eat.
Good sources of protein are meats, eggs, and dairy products. But due to the exposure of cattle and fowls to various toxic chemicals such as growth hormones, feed additives, and the many preservatives, flavorings, enhancers, and colors in most processed meats, animal protein is no longer safe. Animal flesh meats are carriers of infectious diseases that are easily transmitted to humans. Also animal proteins are heavy proteins that are hard to digest.
Plant-based proteins are light, and are easily digested by the body. They do not ferment easily to cause acidic system that is common in most flesh meats. Good sources of plant proteins are legumes, nut, seeds, grains, cereals, seaweeds, and other green leafy vegetables.
To be in optimum health, we need vitamins and minerals too. Vitamins are organic substances that come from plants and animals, whereas minerals are inorganic elements that come from the earth, soil, and water that are absorbed by plants. Most vitamins and minerals are found in plants such as fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetable. Busy people who have no time to cook can also take Herbalife vitamin and mineral supplements to stay in the best of health.