Food is any material consumed for the purpose of providing nutritional support to an organisms. More specifically, food is of plant, animal, or fungi origin, and has necessary nutrients, including vitamins, protein, carbohydrates, sugars, or even minerals. When properly digested and absorbed by the body, these nutrients provide the necessary building blocks needed to build and repair body tissue. While all foods do contain some nutrients to support your diet, not all foods are created equally. For example, some plants contain more plant matter per calories than other types of food, while some contain more protein per calories than others, while others contain more fiber per serving than the others, and so on.
The three main nutrients found in food that you consume are carbohydrates, proteins and fat. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy in the body, with fats providing an individual with additional energy needs. When comparing food, it is important to keep in mind the difference between carbohydrates, which provide a small amount of energy for the body and fats, which provide a large amount of energy but require relatively more nutrients to be assimilated into the body at a maximum level. As a general rule, if carbohydrates take up a larger proportion of your daily calories than fats, then the carbohydrate is considered “good” and the fat is considered “bad.”
One of the most important nutrients found in foods is Vitamin A or Beta Carotene. This nutrient is responsible for giving human eyesight, as well as the skin its color. In addition, Vitamin A is vital in the production of growth hormones and various vitamins in the body. Unfortunately, insufficient amounts of Vitamin A can lead to a form of blindness called retinal detachment, and deficiency of Vitamin A can cause serious damage to the retina. Therefore, foods such as carrots, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, mangoes, peppers, and eggplant should all be consumed in their natural form – raw.
