The Basics of Nutrition

Toward a Healthy Life : Nutrition Basics

By: Dr. Korey Jay, BSc DC

The following is the first in a series of posts in which a discussion on health and wellness will be initiated, with an emphasis on nutrition.  However, as some of the specific concepts can tend to become verbose and somewhat complicated, we have decided to give an overview of the basics of nutrition as a guideline.

 Nutrition in its simplest form is the means by which an individual provides energy to the most important property any of us will ever have, our bodies.  It is a sad truth in modern society that we tend to spend more time and effort worrying about all of our other properties, and neglect or improperly care for our bodies.

 There are a wealth of websites, articles, books, seminars etc. devoted to the concept of nutrition.  Indeed the variety of opinions, often contradictory, regarding the subject of nutrition can be bewildering and frustrating to those attempting to each a more optimal level of health.  This series of posts is an attempt to shed some light on time-tested truths regarding nutrition in the real world.

 Remember when making decisions regarding nutrition that above all else that the Nutrition Industry is a vast and wealthy industry.  Although nearly every product or company will claim its altruistic purpose and interest in your health, in reality the whole industry is more interested in your money.  Thus the consumer must take all claims made by nutrition companies with a grain of salt (but not too much salt!).

 Homeostasis is the over-riding concept of all health.  The American Stedman Medical Dictionary defines homeostasis as the following;

ho·me·o·sta·sis

  /ˌhoʊ mi əˈsteɪ sɪs/  

–noun

1.

the tendency of a system, especially the physiological system of higher animals, to maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus tending to disturb its normal condition or function.

2.

Psychology . a state of psychological equilibrium obtained when tension or a drive has been reduced or eliminated.

  A touch verbose, to be sure.  However, the concept of homeostasis can be simplified to be the human body in an ideal state of health where all processes are run efficiently and in unison.  This concept is not unlike the perfect factory, and like the perfect factory the ideal of homeostasis can never fully be achieved.  However, with exercise and proper nutrition the state of homeostasis can be more fully realized.

 Homeostasis is a term which will figure largely in the forthcoming posts in this series, and the importance of understanding this over-riding concept cannot be over-stated.  It is also vital to realize that homeostasis is not a set level for all individuals.  A variety of factors influence what a particular individual’s homeostatic state will entail.  In no way would anyone expect a ninety year old to run marathons (although it does happen), and at no age does homeostasis involve washboard abs or bulging biceps.  Such conceptions, and mis-conceptions, will be discussed in future posts.

 The food and liquids we put into our bodies are the central factors influencing our nutrition.  While at first glance this would appear to be a simple concept, it is central to many of the problems of the modern developed world (childhood obesity, Type II Diabetes, cancer etc.).  We tend to spend more time worrying about the quality of the fuel we put in our automobiles than the fuel we put in our bodies.

 There are several players on the chess board of nutrition, and each provides a separate and distinct role.  Protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins etc. all bring something to the table (quite literally!) and each of these factors and more will be dealt with in separate posts in this series.  The following is a general overview of each factor;

 Protein –

 The factor that everyone seems to associate with strength and “health”.  Composed of amino acid chains, protein is a vital building block and also is involved in hormonal functions.

 Carbohydrates –

  No other factor has become so reviled in the past decade.  The term “carbs” has almost achieved the status of a dirty word.  In truth, the term carbohydrates encompasses everything from simple table sugar to the most complex and indigestible fiber. 

 Minerals –

 Covers a variety of different chemicals which all work synergistically to drive cellular processes in our bodies.  The most famous (infamous?) of the group of minerals would be sodium, which is generally regarded as “salt”.

 Vitamins –

 A difficult group to define, as it encompasses a variety of chemical compounds providing a wealth of different functions from improvements to liver function to nicer/healthier looking skin.

 The balancing act of all of these factors, and more, is how we as human beings can influence our homeostatic state.  The key to keeping all of these factors at appropriate levels is MODERATION.  Simple health choices are always the most important health choices.  Remember that ultimately we are all responsible for our own nutrition, and possess the ability to alter our lives for the better.

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