Nutrition Know-How

Written By Elise Doppel

Do you even nutrition, bro?

In all seriousness, prior to my education as an FNTP, if someone had come up to me out of the blue and asked me how I’d define “nutrition,” I’d probably stare at them until the nervous laughter ensued.

Really -- think about it. One concise, comprehensive sentence of what nutrition is? I’ve been a nutrition geek for years and couldn’t have given you a solid answer… which means that, likely, someone without a background in nutrition might have even more trouble figuring this all out.

Allow me to help! This quick and dirty post will lay the foundation for the key things you should keep in mind as you embark on your health journey.

Let’s start with the basics:

Nutrition = the way food nourishes organisms, which includes all the processes that turn food into the parts used for fuel, and the parts sent out as waste.

Nutrients = the small molecules found in food that are released after the food is broken down by the body, which enter our bloodstream, cells, and tissues to take part in the processes of daily living. There are three broad categories of “nutrients” -- one of which is water. The other two are terms you’ve probably heard before: macronutrients and micronutrients.

Macronutrients = basically proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Each has a different chemical makeup, and each performs different (sometimes interactive) functions in the body:

Proteins

  • Comprises enzymes that are working constantly to fuel our biochemical functions

  • Form antibodies to fight infection and support immunity

  • Form hemoglobin (protein in the blood) to transport oxygen to your tissues through the bloodstream

  • Forms peptide hormones (e.g., insulin, which helps shuttle glucose from the bloodstream into the cells)

Carbs

  • Fast-burning fuel for the brain and muscles

  • The macronutrient that makes up all types of fiber (which feeds our good gut bacteria and produces regular, healthy stools)

  • Helps fight infections

  • Aids in the growth of new bodily tissues

  • Lubricates joints

  • Stored in the human liver and skeletal muscles as glycogen (stored in plants as starch) for later energy use

Fats

  • Allow for the actual absorption and utilization of fat-soluble vitamins from our food (A, D, E, and K)

  • Keeps you full longer (satiety)

  • Regulates the timing of the digestion process and therefore the blood sugar/insulin spike after a meal

  • Slow-burning fuel for the brain and muscles

  • Builds cell membranes, hormones, and the protective lining surrounding your organs -- therefore fats are essential for cell signaling, cell integrity, and overall organ function and vitality

Micronutrients = things like vitamins (vitamins have single letter distinctions, or have been named, like vitamin A or “retinol”), and minerals, or usable, healthy elements found on the periodic table (zinc, sodium, copper). These all work with and alongside enzymes (proteins) in the body to keep you functioning.

Vitamins

  • Serve as cofactors that assist in the completion of enzymatic reactions (like turning your food into usable energy that keeps you alive)

  • Support tissue growth (e.g., vitamin D plays a role in bone mineral balance)

  • Aid in digestion and elimination (e.g., the B vitamin family helps metabolize food into energy)

  • Play roles in immune function (e.g., vitamin C aids immune cell types in fighting infections)

Minerals

  • Serve as cofactors that assist in the completion of enzymatic reactions

  • Regulate blood pH (the acidity or alkalinity level in the blood, which is very sensitive and very important to maintain)

  • Aiding in cell transport mechanisms to get nutrients through a cell membrane

  • Allow nerve conduction to take place (without this, you could not think, move, or survive)

  • Furthermore, minerals contract and relax our muscles

  • Support tissue growth

The cool thing about all these macro- and micronutrients is that none work without the presence of the others -- it’s an entirely connected, symbiotic mechanism, as we humans are in general.

This supports the case for consuming natural, whole foods that have all of these components in perfect balance, and only supplementing specific nutrients on a short-term basis, when needed. We should realistically be able to get everything we need from a balanced diet free of processed foods.

I can go into more detail in future posts, but I just wanted to put some basic information out there to meet anyone wherever they are. Even the most advanced nutrition geeks need a refresher on the basics. It’s always good to keep this stuff in mind.

As usual, let me know of any thoughts, questions, or ponderings! Contact me by social media links below or send me a message!

#PGMW #Nutrition #Basics #Macros #Mircos #Macronutrients #Micronutrients #Vitamins #Minerals #Protein #Carbs #Carbohydrate #Fat

Elise Doppel
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