Foods can be broken down into 3 main categories:

1. Carbohydrates
2. Fats
3. Proteins

We get all our calories from these 3 food components. Each gram of carbohydrate or protein yields 4 calories (Kcal) in the body. A gram of fat yields 9 calories. Ideally, each food component should comprise the following calories percentage in our diet for the maintenance of good health:

Carbohydrates 70% - The 2 basic carbohydrates types are complex and simple.

Complex Carbohydrates are unrefined, unprocessed and as close to the whole natural state as possible. These should comprise 60% of your total calorie intake. Whole oats, whole wheat, whole rye, millet, bulgar, barley, legumes (beans such as pinto, lentil, black, navy, Lima, split peas), fresh vegetables, brown rice, whole white potato, sweet potatoes, and whole fresh fruit are sources of complex carbohydrates.

Simple Carbohydrates are refined, processed, sweetened, foods which do not resemble their whole original state. They should comprise no more than 10% of our calories. “Simple” foods include sugar, corn syrup, white flour, doughnuts, pastries, cookies and food products that use the term “wheat” without the word “whole” in front of it. These foods are devoid of both the bran and germ of the whole grain. Other examples include soda pop, caffeinated beverages, white rice, cereals made with sugar or complex carbohydrates, but it is actually refined white flour.

Simple carbohydrates raise your blood sugar levels quickly and cause your body to secrete large amounts of insulin. This results in increased amounts of fats being stored. Simple carbohydrates thus exacerbate diabetes, hypoglycemia, obesity, chronic yeast infections, high blood cholesterol, and high fats.

Fats 20% - Average Americans get 37% of their calories from fats. There are 2 basic types of fat in the diet, unsaturated and saturated.

Unsaturated fats include essential fatty acids – fats which are essential for health and survival. They are used to regulate the immune system, control blood pressure, and keep triglyceride and cholesterol levels down. Found in foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, oils, and fish, unsaturated fats should comprise 15% of our calorie intake. Much of our current unsaturated fats come from omega 6 oils such as corn, cottonseed, safflower, and sunflower oils. We should actually try to balance these out with more omega 3 oils such as flax, soy, fish, and canola oils. In addition we could benefit from more oils from rice and olives.

Saturated fats are fats which tend to clog our arteries by raising cholesterol and fat in the blood. They worsen diabetes, irritate inflammatory states (bursitis, arthritis, tendonitis), aggravate asthma, and raise blood pressure. The main source of saturated fats are dairy products, red meats, and certain processed foods, Foods with high saturated fat contents are lean beef (50% fat), cheese (60-80% fat), and fried chicken (60% fat), chips (55% fat), and baked goods such as croissants, scones, doughnuts, cookies and various creamy dressings and sauces (40-90% fat). Eggs are 55% fat. They should be eaten boiled or poached rather than fried or scrambled. Avoid margarine, palm, cottonseed, and coconut oils. Read labels carefully.

Protein 10% - Most Americans eat far too much protein. This leads to allergies, increased risk of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and other problems. Environmentally our planet can not to well if we continue to overeat protein. In some individuals, it may be necessary to increase protein levels especially if there is a protein with blood sugar.