Weight loss, Nutrition and Body needs

Nutrition is a section of science or study of how our bodies obtain energy, build tissue and control body functions using materials supplied in the food we eat. To lose weight efficiently good nutrition is important as it helps to optimize body's energy system to work efficiently. An imbalance in the nutritional state often affects energy levels that result into feeling low and drained of energy. Nutrients are chemical substances needed by the body for growth repair and maintenance.
The ideal natural foods diet is one where you use your own knowledge and intuition to decide what your body needs. Using the following guidelines you can develop your own personal inner feeling as to what food your body needs and don't get too rigid using someone's dietary rules. This usually provides the best nutrition for your body in the long run. Practices such as meditation, yoga can be helpful in this regard. A Balanced Diet includes foods from the four basic food groups or food pyramid:

  1. vegetables and fruits (5 to 9 servings)
  2. grains and grain products like bread and cereals (6 to 11 servings)
  3. dairy products (2 to 3 servings)
  4. protein rich foods like meat, fish (2 to 3 servings)
It is evident from the food pyramid that a healthy diet consists of many more servings of fruits, grains & grain products like bread and cereals and vegetables each day than meats and dairy foods.

Tips to maximize nutrients' absorption

  • Foods high in vitamin C (citrus fruit, strawberries, green pepper, kiwi), when eaten along with iron-containing foods, increase iron absorption. Vitamin C not only helps fight resistance to infections it also helps repair and maintain muscle tissue and blood vessels. Stronger lean body tissue is essential in order to exercise long enough to burn sufficient calories for permanent weight loss.
  • The calcium champion, the food that packs the most calcium into the least calories and agrees with most women is yogurt. If you dislike milk, an equivalent amount of yogurt is higher in calcium and generally more nutritious than milk anyway.
  • Vitamins are found in nearly all foods, so as long as you are eating a reasonably healthy and balanced diet it is unlikely that you will suffer vitamin deficiency.
  • Lean on sunlight as a valuable source of vitamin D.
  • Proper nutrition means providing all the components - proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and electrolytes. The body can last for a long time on a calorie reduced diet but requires a regular supply of essential nutrients to help the body use stored energy - body fat.