NUTRITION

Concept of Nutrition
The term nutrition is most often linked to the act of nurturing. That is, improve the substance of the body from the intake of various foods. Here we will follow this perspective on the word nutrition. In this way, nutrition is the name given to the process of providing nutrients necessary for both animal and plant life. The word is also used to define the science that studies the relationships between the human being and the food ingested by it, as well as the prevention of diseases through nutrition in an attempt to improve and preserve the health of human beings. Therefore there are certain basic foods that are essential for the formation and maintenance of the human organism and that must be ingested daily.

Nutrition can be done naturally, ie eating and drinking food, or artificially in cases of people with special needs or in a hospital situation, of patients with difficulty eating.
By having a good process of nutrition an individual can prevent diseases and have a better quality of life. Through a good diet, the human being and also the animals can avoid certain diseases. Nutrition can often be related to food, but nutrition differs from food by the fact that nutrition binds more to the nutrients ingested by humans and observation of the body's responses to the nutrition process. And food is related to the voluntary actions of the human being in the process and to the way of choosing and ingesting the food. As the way of preparing and digesting food is different in each region or country, the term food is associated with cultural and social issues. The nutritionist is the professional that within the area of health studies the various nutritional processes and elaborates menus to meet the needs of each person or social group.

In short, the term nutrition in a more common conception belongs to the area of biology and relates the relationship of ingestion by the food and beverage organism. It is through nutrition that the human organism can develop and maintain its main functions.

The art of eating better to live better

Since we were born, food becomes central to our survival and our well-being. However, not always throughout the life we feed in the correct way, what can bring diverse problems and diminish the quality of life. Therefore, taking care of food is important if we want to bring benefits to our health. In fact, having a  healthy and balanced diet allied to the practice of physical activity is one of the main recommendations for those who want to increase the quality and life expectancy.

In order to be aware of the foods most suited to a  healthy diet, it is essential to have some knowledge of nutrition. But what is the importance of nutrition in our daily lives? What kind of food should be eaten in order to have a healthy and balanced diet? Nutrition is the science that studies the composition of foods and controls the relationship of man to food for the well-being and health of the individual. Each food has nutrients that are important for the proper functioning of the human body. However, we do not always know what is healthier, and we often resort to crazy diets to try to get the desired result.

An ideal diet includes the ingestion of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and lipids. Therefore, removing carbohydrates or proteins completely from the menu, for example, is not recommended since no single food group has all the nutrients necessary for health. Exaggeration in sweets or fatty foods should also be avoided.

The Importance of Nutritionist

To avoid that the diet is done in an inadequate way, the ideal is to seek the guidance of a  nutritionist. Depending on your needs and the goal to be achieved, he devises a nutritional program that must be followed for as long as it is determined by the professional and, of course, throughout life if you do not want to have those undesirable extra pounds. One of the main recommendations is to avoid being without food for a long period, so in addition to normal meals such as breakfast, lunch or dinner, a collation is always indicated, ie at mealtimes you should eat something light in the snack morning and afternoon. Thus, to have a balanced meal one should make 5 to 6 meals a day.

It is the nutritionist's assignment to indicate a number of portions of food that must be ingested per day. This quantity is different for each type of person since it takes into account some characteristics of the person as size (weight and height), age, sex, medical history and level of physical activity.

The nutritionist, however, is not only present in the life of those who wish to lose weight. Those who want to maintain a healthy diet due to the practice of physical exercises also use the professional that guides the athletes to feed properly. Their work is also valued in companies, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, spas, and schools, as they are responsible for elaborating the menu of meals that are offered to clients, students, guests or patients. The nutritionist is also of fundamental importance in the choice of foods that should be prescribed for hypertensive, diabetic, obese, renal disease patients or anyone else who needs special care with food.

Specialization and professional qualification are required to work with nutrition. The course takes about 5 years and the professional can work in the areas of clinical or hospital nutrition (working in health teams and multi-professional teams), public health nutrition (sustainable food and nutrition programs), sports nutrition, food industry ( food processing, storage, and packaging) and food hygiene and inspection (microbiological analysis in food).

A healthy diet

Keeping a  healthy diet is not always possible. Even more so with the daily run, when you can not always stop for lunch properly, opting for a quick meal. However, despite the difficulties of everyday life, eating well and properly is fundamental to our body. It is also necessary to invest in the quality of food and not so much in the quantity of what is ingested.

At every stage of our lives, as in childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age, there is a greater need for certain types of food. But it is in childhood that one should start investing in the quality of foods that will be consumed, even if the child has a habit of eating healthy, it is likely to maintain the habit during all stages of life. Therefore, check the type of food that should be highlighted in the various phases of life.

• Childhood - breast milk is a complete food because it contains all the important nutrients for its development, so it should be the only food offered to the baby until 6 months of age.From 6 months of age, new foods are already allowed. Juices and papas can be part of the menu. Fruits (crushed or shaved), vegetables and vegetables should be offered one by one so the baby begins to get used to the new flavors. The child should also eat cereals, meats, and legumes and avoid the consumption of treats and foods that contain a low nutritional value. It is at this stage of life that the child forms his taste, so it is essential to present healthy foods to him. In this way, when you become an adult she will continue to maintain healthy eating habits as well as a balanced diet.
• Adolescence- At this stage of life, teens like to eat healthy fried foods, fast foods, but a balanced diet is key. Therefore, it is important to explain why vegetables and foods rich in calcium, iron, and zinc should be included in the menu. Calcium (milk and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt), for example, helps strengthen bones (which grow and gain mass up to 30 years of age). Iron (red meat, beans, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.) helps in muscle development and is essential for making red blood cells and transporting oxygen to body cells. Zinc (meat, rice, brown bread, oats, pumpkin seeds, whole milk) contributes to the adolescent's growth and sexual maturation,
• Adult - the adult phase is called the maintenance phase, since the person has his / her acquired eating habits, and the tendency is to maintain them, being, therefore, more difficult to change. However, if until now the person has not yet been convinced that having a healthy and balanced diet is the best for their health, it is worth reviewing their concepts, because the proper functioning of the body will help prevent diseases and improve their quality of life when they are elderly.
• Elderly - At this stage, many changes occur as changes in the ability to chew, swallow, digest and absorb food, and reduction in taste and smell. It is important to consume foods from different groups, prioritizing those with high nutritional value. The consumption of foods that stimulate chewing should be encouraged. The elderly should eat in a fractional way, that is, more often during the day. Also, it is important to have the habit of drinking water, because the lack of liquid can lead to kidney problems or even dehydration.