nutrition 101

      by Janine Elenko, RD

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      I believe that everyone should have access to reliable nutrition information to help them make decisions about their health. What we eat impacts us throughout our lives, from our mother’s diet during our fetal development to our golden years. My interest in nutrition started when I met my husband, back when we were still kids. He was diag-nosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus at the age of 12, and I was fascinated with how food had such an immediate impact on his health. This sparked my journey to become a dietitian so I could help equip people to meet their health and nutrition goals.

      Making a change is not a simple process because not only do we eat for physical nourishment, but also for social, psychological, and cultural reasons. Time, busy schedules, and finances impact our food choices, as well as the myriad of dietary preferences and requests of the people we are cooking for. Then, there is the flurry of information about nutrition from television, the Internet, and social circles (social media anyone?) that we try to sort through to make the best choices we can. What a process! Everyone should have access to trustworthy nutrition information; however, one of the challenges in the Information Age is being able to navigate, interpret, and trust the overwhelming amount of information at our fingertips.

      Our body is a complex system of organs (large scale) made up of many types of individualized cells (small scale).

      The foods that we eat provide the essential building blocks for these cells and organs to function, of which our understanding continues to evolve. The body relies on macronutrients—carbohydrates, protein, and fat—along with micronutrients—vitamins and minerals—to carry out life-giving func-tions. The Complete Plate is in no way a comprehensive lesson on nutrition, but I hope to clarify some of the founda-tions of nutrition as you embark on your healthy lifestyle adventure.

      Macronutrients

      Carbohydrates, protein, and fat act as the main building blocks in our body and are the components of food that contri-bute calories. Now here is a significant question: how much do calories count? When looking at weight management, the number of calories you consume makes a difference, as this is the amount of energy we are feeding our body, and that energy either needs to be used or stored. However, it is more important to put the emphasis on choosing foods that are “nutrient dense” versus “calorie dense.” This means your calories should come from foods that provide many nutrients important to our health (nutrient dense), rather than foods that have few nutrients but are high in energy (calorie dense). The body needs energy to function, but as with other concepts in nutrition, moderation is key—we want to give our body the energy it needs, not a lot of extra energy to store.

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      Carbohydrates are the primary fuel source for our body, in particular for our brain, and provide fiber and multiple vitamins and minerals.6 A healthy diet should get 45–65 percent of its calories from complex carbohydrates,7 not refined (highly processed) carbohydrates and free sugars (see next paragraph). Whole grains, starchy vegetables, and legumes are considered complex carbohydrates, meaning they are high in fiber and require more work for our body to digest, helping us feel fuller for longer and stabilizing blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Refined carbohydrates are grains that have been processed (think of turning grain kernels into flour) and have had most of the fiber removed. Examples include white flour and white pasta. These foods are digested faster by our body, which impacts our hunger, blood sugar, and heart health. If you enjoy refined carbohydrates, try to make a shift to include them as treats, not as a staple part of your diet.

      Sugars that are found in whole fruit and dairy products are also part of a healthy diet in moderation, as these foods are nutrient dense. Free sugars, on the other hand, are found in treat foods such as candy, cakes, sweetened yogurt, and ice cream, as well as in sugar-sweetened beverages (think pop), honey, syrup, and fruit juice. Yes, even 100 percent fruit juice! Limiting free sugars is beneficial for our overall health and helps with weight management and in reducing the risk for associated chronic diseases.8

      Protein is the key building block of all structures in our body, including organs, muscles, and skin, as well as things we cannot see like enzymes and hormones. It is recommended that protein account for 10–35 percent of our caloric intake or 0.8–1.0 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight (you will also need more protein if you are very active or have certain medical conditions).9

      Typically, when we think of protein, we think of animal products such as meat and poultry, eggs, and dairy products. These protein sources are complete proteins, meaning they contain all of the amino acids (protein components) that our bodies need but cannot make, and therefore must get from food. It is possible to get too much protein, although this is often achieved through supplemental protein intake rather than diet alone. Excess protein intake leads to protein being stored as fat and puts extra stress on the kidneys.

      Grains, nuts and seeds, and legumes also contribute protein to our diet. But since plants (except quinoa and soy) are missing some of the amino acids our body needs, eating a variety of plant-based foods is important. Adding more plant sources of protein also helps cut back on the fats we get from animal products and increase our fiber intake, which improves overall health. Really, it is all about variety and moderation.

      Fat also has important roles in our body, including insulation, protecting

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