Day 66...Let's Talk Nutrition!

I know much of the content of this blog has centered around nutrition, but I felt that it might be helpful if I dove a little deeper into the subject.  After all, if the information in this blog helps just one person to become healthier, or more fit...well, that makes it a success in my book!

Is this confusing to you?

There are so many nutrition myths out there, that it makes it hard to know what is right and what is wrong.  The subject of nutrition is sort of like automatic transmissions.  Over the years, people have been made to think that automatic transmissions are the most specialized, mysterious pieces of machinery on the planet...when in fact, they are simply pumps, that direct fluid into valves, that control clutches, that turn gears.  

The mystique around nutrition has become similar to that of automatic transmissions.  Sure, there are registered dietitians and nutritionists who specialize in this field, but believe me...you don't need to have a degree in nutrition to understand the basics.  Does it help?  Sure it helps, but if you are simply looking to have a better understanding of what types of food you should be putting in your body, a degree is not necessary!  There is plenty of sound information available...you just need to know where to look.  Oh, by the way...wikipedia is not a sound source!

I am not a dietitian...nor am I a nutritionist.  I have taken a number of undergraduate and graduate level courses in nutrition however, so I have a pretty good understanding of the subject.  This is what I would like to share with each of you.  I know I have discussed some nutrition principles in previous posts, and I promise to do my best not to duplicate what I have already shared.  Some of it however, will inevitably be duplicated...but we'll just call it review! :)

So here's my plan.  I kind of borrowed it from my friend Scott, who writes a travel blog called "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles".  You see, Scott is sharing his journal entries from a particular trip that he took with some friends a few years back, and is breaking up the trip into multiple blog entries.  I wont be sharing any journal entries, but I will be breaking up the topic of nutrition into three separate categories, over multiple days.  Thanks for the idea Scott!

There are three macro-nutrients that must be present in our diets (in the correct amounts and types); Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat.  I will spend the next few days breaking down each of these macro-nutrients, quite possibly providing more information than you want!  But hey...information is power, right?  Rest assured that what I type about this subject is not merely personal opinion, but information backed by research.  When appropriate, I will list my references so that you can know for sure that the information is sound.

My goal here is to help some of you (or all of you!) get a better grasp on the principles of nutrition, and to help provide advice on how to use your new found knowledge in your daily struggles with food.  Oh...you don't have daily struggles with food?  Then maybe you should write this instead of me, because the Lord knows that I certainly have mine!

Stay tuned...we will soon begin our discussion on what is quite possibly, the most misunderstood macro-nutrient out there...the dreaded carbohydrate!