#1 - NUTRITION: Get a grasp on your diet.    
Carbohydrates
Where we get our energy.
Carbohydrates (sometimes referred to as “carbs”) are either starches (complex carbohydrates) or sugars (simple carbohydrates.) Concentrate on the “complex” carbohydrates. They’re filling, provide lots of energy and can stave off the “hungries” for long periods. Complex carbs can be found in great quantities in pasta, so if you enjoy Italian food, you’re in luck! You can also get plenty of complex carboyhydrates from whole grain breads and cereals.

Proteins
Body-builders.
Proteins are needed for the repair, replacement and growth of body tissue. Proteins are composed of building blocks called amino acids. Our bodies make some of these amino acids. We get others, called essential amino acids, from the food we eat. Most Americans have no trouble getting enough protein, which comes from meat, eggs, milk and cheese. You can also get your protein from vegetables, cereals like rice, wheat or corn, and from peas and beans. Individually, vegetables cannot supply you with sufficient protein. By combining cereals with legumes, you can get he protein you need. Beans and rice is a classic example of a nearly perfect combination. A word of warning: you do need to eat proportionately more vegetables than meat to get enough protein.

Fats
Usually, just a little.
Fat comes in several forms. We all need some fat in our diets. None of us need a lot, except for very young children. You can find fat in all kinds of food, but most fat is found in foods that have an animal origin. Meat, dairy products and eggs are high in fat content. Chemists look at the structure of a particular fat to classify it. There are the saturated and unsaturated fats. Essentially, you want to avoid saturated fats, and any unsaturated fats made into saturated fats through a process called hydrogenation. Confused? Just follow these hints: Saturated fats generally come from animals in meat, milk, cheese and eggs. They raise your total blood cholesterol, which is can increase heart disease. Mono-unsaturated fats raise the concentration of high density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol in your blood stream.

Hint: Foods with an animal origin contain the kind of fat you want to avoid (saturated).

Hint: Oils and fats that are solid at room temperature contain the kind of fat you want to avoid (saturated).

Hint: Remember the letters SOCC. Soybean, olive, corn and canola. These four oils are mono-unsaturated and are good for you in terms of cholesterol.
Warning: All fat is high in calories and thus fattening!

Vitamins
Your Body's Helpers
Vitamins help our body use the carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the food we eat. Certain vitamins are also needed by our bodies to produce blood cells, hormones, genetic material and the chemicals needed in our nervous systems. We need 13 different vitamins in small but important amounts.

Minerals
For Good Development
Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium are important to the development of bones and teeth. Potassium is important to muscle development. Sodium helps regulate fluids. Sulfur is needed in protein tissues. Other minerals needed in smaller quanties include iron, oodine, zinc, copper, fluoride, selenium, manganese and others.

Calories
Keeping Count
A calorie is a basic unit of measure (essentially heat or energy). We all need energy, but we don’t need very much. Two-thousand calories a day is about all the average adult needs to maintain normal body weight.

Water
Your Helpful, Calorie-Free Friend
Very important! Drink lots! Water helps your body make blood and other fluids to transport nutrients, waste and other material vital to life. Eight glasses a day are recommended. Water can also help you lose weight, by carrying away the waste your body creates as it burns fat. Remember, water alone won’t make you lose weight, but it will help you to achieve your weight loss goals through diet and exercise.

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