Priorities for nutrition

At any age, the maintenance of quality of life and health depends to a large extent on the relationship between levels of physical activity and nutrition. Many people easily maintain the right balance between these two human needs; however, for others it is difficult, especially because for various reasons they have not followed a dietary program aimed at transforming their lifestyles for good.

This course will not try to force you to lose weight, gain weight, gain muscle or maintain a healthy life by making great sacrifices; on the contrary, it intends that you learn to achieve your goals through knowledge and feeling the pleasure of planning varied diets, which have proven their effectiveness; indispensable requirements for you to reach your goals and your achievements are irreversible.

Changing our eating habits is not a complex task, but it requires above all will and knowledge that will allow us to do it successfully. That is why in this introductory unit we will begin by providing you with the theoretical foundations of nutrition and in the remaining units we will introduce the more practical tips.

In this presentation we will teach you the priorities of nutrition, that is, the elements in order of importance that we must take into account to adapt our eating habits to our needs.

Elements to keep in mind to make your meal plan work

The human diet (although it is very varied because it depends on geographical, cultural, religious, economic, family and individual factors, among others) must precisely define some quantitative and qualitative aspects of food so that it contributes to the achievement of our purposes while remaining healthy. For the meal plan to work we must not only know all the necessary elements to take into account in its elaboration, but also the order of priority, since practice has shown that there are some aspects that play a much more important role than others.

Below we present in order of priority the main elements that we must take into account to elaborate the meal plan:

• The amount of energy provided by the food (calories).

• The macronutrients contained in the food.

• The schedule of meals.

• The foods.

• The supplements.

In the list we must highlight the first two elements because they are much more important than the rest when it comes to making a diet. Here we will explain why.

The first thing: The amount of energy provided by food. How much do you eat?

Our body needs a continuous supply of the energy necessary to breathe, grow, maintain temperature, repair tissues, among many other functions. This energy (expressed in calories) is found to a greater or lesser extent in all foods, so its levels in the human body depend directly on the amount of food we eat. Its deficiencies and excesses in the body are almost always the factors that most impair the success of the diet.

That is why calorie intake is the first element that is taken into account when for some reason we want to make a diet or meal plan. For example: to lose weight the first thing to do is to reduce the consumption of high-calorie foods; if, on the contrary, we want to regain some lost pounds, we must first of all, increase the consumption of high-calorie foods.

The second thing: What macronutrients do foods contain? What do you eat?

The nutrients required by our body in large quantities are called macronutrients, this group consists of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids (fats).

The three types of macronutrients are not found in sufficient quantities in all foods, so to obtain adequate levels of each of them in our body, we must develop a varied diet that as a whole contains the necessary amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.

Macronutrients are very important in the diet because in addition to providing the energy necessary for the various metabolic reactions, they participate in the construction of tissues and contribute to the regulation and maintenance of body functions.

What time do you eat?

Although the time of meals is less important than the previous points, we must also take it into account, since the daily diet should be distributed throughout the day, at various times, so that the body can replenish the energy consumed during the activity.

Why do foods occupy the fourth place?

Knowing the properties of foods allows us to moderate or increase the quantities and frequencies of certain foods at meals in order to adapt the diet to our needs. It occupies the fourth place in the list of priorities since the control of the quantities, the variety of the diet and the frequency with which we eat are much more important aspects than eating certain foods and avoiding others.

Finally: Do we need nutritional supplements?

Supplements, as their name suggests, have the function of supplementing the diet. We should take them into account only after having put all our efforts in the first four points, because if the diet is varied, sufficient and adequate to our needs, in most cases, they are not necessary. Likewise, if the diet does not meet the minimum requirements of quantity, variety and balance, it would be difficult for supplements to cover this deficit.

It is advisable that the consumption of nutritional supplements be oriented by health professionals only to certain people and during certain stages.