Factors Affecting Fitness

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Factors Affecting Fitness

• There are three reasons why we need food
• GROWTH
• ENERGY
• TISSUE REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR
• A balanced diet is a very important factor in
  maintaining good health.
• There are seven important components in a
  balanced diet.

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• CARBOHYDRATE - (bread, rice, pasta)
• These are broken down to glucose to provide
  fast-release energy.
• PROTEIN - (fish, lean meat, chicken)
• Provides the fabric for most of the soft tissues.
  A good protein intake is essential for growth and
  repair.
• WATER
• As most of the body is water ( 70! ) we need to
  constantly replace that which is lost in urine,
  sweating and breathing, by taking in fluids. This
  will aid in avoiding dehydration.

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• FIBRE - (fresh fruit and vegetables)
• Fibre/roughage is indigestible plant material
  which gives the gut something to push on, helping
  to avoid constipation. Aids water retention.
• MINERALS - (greens vegetables, milk and cheese)
• Iron from the liver and green vegetables prevents
  thyroid problems.
• Calcium from milk and cheese produces strong
  teeth and bones.
• Sodium to regulate body fluids.
• Iodine, used in hormone formation.

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• VITAMINS - ( milk, butter, citrus fruits and
  vegetables)
• Aid growth / Increase resistance to infection /
  Aids metabolism / Assist in avoiding
  deficiencies.
• Vitamins are chemical compounds found in the food
  we eat and they occur in two main groups
• fat soluble vitamins - vitamins A, D, E and K
• water soluble vitamins - vitamins B and C
• FATS - (olive oil, butter, margarine)
• These contain lots of energy. Up to 70 of our
  energy is supplied by fats, these can be stored
  for slow-release energy.