With today’s wealth of nutritional information and misinformation, it is easy to get overwhelmed. But healthy eating is pretty simple.

Focus on a healthy balance of nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy, lean meats, fish, nuts, and seeds. Avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, and salt.

Nutrition and Disease

Nutrition is the study of foods and their effects on health. Nutritionists use ideas from many disciplines, including molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics, to understand how diet affects the human body.

They also research the relationship between infections and nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and help develop dietary guidelines for healthy eating. These nutritional guidelines help to reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

However, good nutrition is more than just following a dietary guideline or eating a specific type of food. It involves consistently choosing nutritious foods and beverages and balancing a person’s favorite foods with healthier choices.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are organic substances the body needs in small amounts to work correctly and stay healthy. Most people should be able to get all of the vitamins they need by eating a well-balanced diet.

Minerals are inorganic elements that the body uses but doesn’t make itself. Some minerals, like calcium, iodine, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, are needed in more significant amounts (called major minerals) than others. Others are required in tiny amounts (called trace minerals), such as chromium, copper, fluoride, iron, and selenium.

Many people take vitamin and mineral supplements. However, taking high doses of some vitamins and minerals can be harmful. Most health professionals, like Dr. Jason Campbell, recommend getting nutrients from your food rather than supplements.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy. They are broken down during digestion into glucose, which cells and the brain need for fuel. Foods high in carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. Some carbohydrate-rich foods can also provide fiber, which does not provide energy but helps ensure regular bowel movements.

Sugars and refined carbohydrates, such as those found in candy or soda, are often called empty calories. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates take longer for the body to break down and contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Athletes need to eat enough carbohydrate-rich foods to help them maintain their glycogen stores, which are used as energy during exercise. During long periods of exercise, athletes need to replenish these energy sources quickly.

Fats

Fats, or lipids, are essential macronutrients that provide energy and help protect the skeleton, nerves, and skin. They also make it possible for other nutrients to do their jobs. Fats are found in meat, cheese, high-fat dairy products, table spreads like butter or lard, and plant foods like avocado, peanut, sunflower, and sesame oils.

Saturated fats, solid at room temperature, increase heart disease risk, while unsaturated fats decrease them. Choosing the right type and amount of fat is critical to healthy eating.

Proteins

Proteins are large, complex molecules that serve as the chief actors within the cell, carrying out tasks specified by information encoded in genes. The word “protein” is derived from the Greek protein, meaning “of primary importance.” Proteins provide four kilocalories per gram of energy, but that is not their most important function; they are vital for conducting most of the chemical reactions required for life.

The authors equip students to navigate the vast amount of nutrition information (and misinformation) and develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.