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Almost all foods give us energy. Some give us more energy than others. Energy is measured in calories. Foods rich in fats, starches or sugars have a lot of calories. Fat is a big source of energy.
At times you eat foods that have more energy, or calories, than you need. The extra energy is then stored in the body as fat. If you eat too much, you become overweight. When you eat fewer calories than the body uses, you lose weight.
The body can pick and choose what it needs from the nutrients in the diet. Your body sees to it that each organ gets exactly the right amount of nutrients it needs. However, if the diet lacks some of the needed nutrients, the body has no way of getting them.
Your body keeps busy. It works twenty-four hours a day. It is always building itself up, repairing itself, and getting rid of waste products. It needs a constant supply of nutrients to do its job. When it receives the nutrients, it sends them where they are needed.
Let’s take calcium as an example. The body needs calcium. Calcium helps to clot blood. It also helps build bones. Calcium helps make the nerves and muscles work well. If your body does not get enough calcium from the food you eat, it steals some from your bones. If the stolen calcium is not replaced, the body is in trouble. You may not realize this fact for some years. As much as one-third of the normal amount of calcium may be taken from an adult’s bones before the loss shows up on an X-ray film.
Nutrients working with other nutrients make the difference in our health and well-being. No single nutrient can work properly alone. For example, it takes calcium to build strong bones, but that is only the beginning. Without vitamin D, the calcium cannot be taken into the body. The use of protein is another example. Protein forms part of every cell and all the fluids that travel in and around the cells. However, it takes vitamin C to help make the fluids between the cells. Without vitamin C, the protein could not do its job.
The foods you eat keep you healthy for today, but they also build your body for a lifetime. They keep you well today, tomorrow and always.
