Diet and metabolic rate

Diet
The kinds of food that a person or an animal eats.
 * In order to remain healthy your diet must provide enough energy for you to live and get on with any day to day activities that you do.
 * Taking in more energy than you expend will result in you 'putting on weight' in the form of stored energy called fat.

Food groups
Different types of food can be classified depending on the properties that food has. In order to remain healthy you should have a balanced diet that contains foods from all the food groups.

Carbohydrates

 * Carbohydrates are needed to release energy
 * Examples of carbohydrates include bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.
 * Carbohydrates are an essential part of the human diet as they are storing a lot of chemical energy in the form of glucose molecules which your body can break down and use or store as fat.

Fats

 * Fats are needed as insulation for the body to keep warm.
 * Fats are stored by the body and can be used to provide energy if you are lacking in carbohydrates.
 * Foods that contain fats include chocolate, milk and other dairy products.
 * Fats should only be eaten in very small quantities relative to other food groups as there are a lot of heath problems associated with eating too much fat. These problems include high cholesterol levels and increased chances of heart related disorders.

Protein

 * Protein is needed for the production, growth and repair of cells in the body.
 * Foods that contain protein include meat, fish, eggs and beans.

Fibre

 * Fire is needed to help food pass through the digestive system.
 * Foods containing fibre include fruit and brown bread.

Vitamins and minerals

 * Vitamins and minerals are only required in very small quantities and in most cases help the body to run more efficiently.
 * Calcium is a mineral which helps to make your skin and bones stronger and can be found in milk.
 * Vitamin C is needed for normal growth and repair of the body. Vitamin C cannot be produced by the body and any excess vitamin C cannot be stored so it is removed through urination. Vitamin C can be sourced through various citrus and also by eating broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower. For more information on Vitamin C please click this link
 * Vitamin A is used for strengthening immunity against infections and helping vision in dim light. It can be sourced from cheese, eggs and yogurts.
 * Vitamin D is used to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. Enough vitamin D can be absorbed from the sun by your body so you don't need to eat any special foods for this vitamin.
 * A lot of minerals can be obtained by drinking mineral water or tap water.

Deficiencies and malnutrition
Lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat.

Protein deficiency

 * A deficiency in protein can cause a disease called Kwashiorkor. Kwashiorkor is more commonly known as " the pop belly disease" and it is common for children in the tropics.
 * As the name "the pop belly disease" would suggest, Kwashiorkor causes the liver to expand with fatty infiltrates.
 * Cases of kwashiorkor are rare in the developed world.

Vitamin C deficiency

 * A deficiency in Vitamin  C can cause a disease called scurvy.
 * Scurvy is often characterized by swollen gums that bleed regularly and the re-opening of healed wounds.
 * Cases of scurvy were common amongst 18th century nautical navigators as they often did not have the facilities to store fruit upon their vessel.