What is a balanced diet? Why protiens are so important in the diet?

by sydshahid

Dr Shahid has summarised his six principles of health in a very simple form. Simplicity sometimes is not politically correct. Well.. what is wrong if people get the message and decide to live until 100 - 125 years and longer, without ever having to see any health care provider.
Isn't that wonderful? Isn't all that what counts. Right? A longevity of spiritual, mental and physical health, (without ever having to see a health care provider all your long life). Isn't that the most desirable thing we all want? You bet it is.

So here are the Six Principles. Please make these part of your life. You will never regret it.
Dr Shahid's First Principle of Preventive Holistic Lifestyle (PHL)

It is your diet. Your diet is your LIFE. What you eat as nutrition (balanced diet) becomes life. That is why it is so important to eat a balanced diet.

What is a balanced diet? Very few people really know what the balanced diet is and moreover what are the dangers if we don't adhere to a balanced diet.

Modern pace of fast life has created an enormous unhealthy phenomenon known as " FAST FOOD". Fast foods are anything but balanced diet. The only thing fast about the food is that it kills you fast.

If you wish to live healthy and long life then stay away from the fast foods as far as you can. The purpose of fast foods is only one. That is to remind you that :

"Life is short so eat anything and everything (except the balanced diet) and live to the fullest extent of its short and miserable end.."

Frequently asked question is.....

"So what should we eat and what is a balanced diet?"

BALANCED DIET


Balanced Diet constitutes three basic daily requirement for health. That is for spiritual, mental & physical (Holistic) health ( SMPH ).

You may call it "The Three Basic Necessities" of healthy life style.

1. Proteins, Fat & Carbohydrates.
2. Vitamins, Minerals, fibres
3. Water and Air (oxygen)

For a balanced diet all the above nutrients must be in proper proportion. You substitute one of the above more for the other and it becomes an unbalanced diet.

1. Proteins, Fat & Carbohydrates.

Our daily requirement of all of these is in a ratio of P1 : F1 : C3. In percentage, we need 20% Proteins, 20% Fat & 60% Carbohydrates. Body needs 2000 - 3000 Kcals daily for its regular work. One gram of protein & carbohydrate provides 4 cals each, while one gram of fat contains 9 cal. Therefore we need 100gm of proteins, 100gm of fat & 600gm of carbohydrates daily. The daily requirement varies depending upon the level of daily activity.


Proteins

Proteins are the building block of almost every tissue in our body, not just the muscles. Therefore, importance of proteins for human body is like the hollow blocks & cement for a building.

Proteins can serve, e.g., as structural material (as in connective tissue and hair; as enzymes and hormone, as transporters of essential substances such as oxygen via hemoglobin, as antibodies, or as regulators of gene expression. Proteins may be covalently linked to other atoms or molecules, as to sugars (glycoproteins), phosphate groups (phosphoproteins), or sulfur (sulfoproteins). Proteins are an essential human nutrient, obtained from both plant and animal foods.

Protiens are also part of chromosomes (the genetic material) as nucleoproteins (DNA). Chromosomes are highly complex nucleoproteins, that is, proteins conjugated with nucleic acid. Viruses are also nucleoprotein (RNA) in nature.

Many hormones, such as insulin and growth hormone, are proteins.

One of the most important lifeline of a complex living organism is its immune system.

An immune system is a collection of mechanisms within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses and bacterias to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own healthy cells and tissues in order to function properly.

The most efficient way an immune system works is through the "Compliment System" with the help of antibodies. Antibodies contains over 20 different proteins and the system is named for its ability to “complement” the killing of pathogens by these antibodies. Complement is the major humoral component of the innate immune response. Not just mammals, many other species have complement systems, including non-mammals like plants, fish, and some invertibrates.

Malnutrition (of protiens) is the most common cause of immunodeficiency in developing countries. Diets lacking sufficient protein are associated with impaired cell-mediated immunity, complement activity, phagocyte function, IgA antibody concentrations, and cytokine production. Therefore, the importance of protiens should never be underestimated.

Of the more than 200 amino acids that have been discovered either in the free state or in small peptides, only 20 amino acids are present in mammalian. These proteins provide us the essential Amino Acid (the building blocks). There are 8 of these. Body needs about 20 amino acids but it can make the other 12 from the 8 essential amino acids. Essential amino acids must come from outside. The foods which contains these proteins are meat, fish, egg (egg white), milk & lentils.

There is common misconception that vegetarians are deficient in proteins. This is not true. Milk contains all the essential amino acids. It is a complete diet in itself. A growing baby needs only milk. The speed with which a baby grows reminds us how important is milk as complete & total nutrition. Vegetarians can also obtain proteins from beans and lentils.

Another misconception among meat eaters is that one must eat meat three times a day. This is also not true. As mentioned before, any amount more than 20% of the total daily requirement of meat is a waste.

An unbalanced protein diet is when one consumes more than or less than 20 % of calories from proteins. Although over consumption of proteins is, though wasteful, yet it is not dangerous. Under consumption or no consumption of proteins, on the other hand, specially in a growing child, has disastrous consequences.

It is advisable to consume white meat (chicken, fish, eggwhite, seafood etc) and avoid red meat (pork, beef, lamb etc). The reason for this will be discussed in the next blog.

Next we will discuss the imprtance of Fats in a balanced diet.

FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS PLEASE WRITE TO:

syedshahidmd@yahoo.com.au

Posted 10/7/2008 6:43:17 PM
About the Author



Syed Shahid MD
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Perth,  WA

Interests: Dr Sydney Shahid has many interests. He ejoys reading scietific magazines. He likes to keep himself busy with latest medical researches. He has special interest in Alzheimer’s illness. he has strong evidence that this tragedy can be delayed (if not prevented) for as long as 25 - 30 years and even longer, if one follows Dr Shahid’d six principles of health faithfully. He likes to make friends with those who have similar interests as his. He has few friends and they all appreciate what he is doing for humanity. He believes in positive thinking. In his opinion one must pursue those interests which make one believe in oneself. He loves to play tennis, table tennis and cricket if he can find time. Travelling is his other interest. He has travelled all over the world. He enjoys different cultures and their varied way of life. Lately world politics has become his passion. He wishes to see peace in the world but he doesn’t think it is possible because of the greed in the mind of most of the industrialised nations who are exploiting third world countries. He is also interested in writing a book about his Six Principle of Health (EUREKA). He is already in the process of making it happen. He wants the whole world to know his secret of healthy long life.

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