Actually, the present generation follows a more sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy on many

levels. A great part of the population does not care about food, sports and leisure. This
way they provide a lower quality of life.

As we all know, the lifestyle of our generation is very different from past generations,
yet close to the level of physical effort, that in relation to physical activity, whether
sports or muscle activity, other occupations. In most cases the current jobs does not
require as much muscle strength, as before, because they are more intellectual.
However, although less physically demanding, it takes as much or more calories than
before. To aggravate the situation, the occupation of leisure time is often spent on
information technology, which is sitting in front of a computer, several hours,
sometimes with bad posture for the spine.

Also in relation to the diet of today, there is much to improve to get closer with the
past generations. Reducing the consumption of fats, sweets, soft drinks and beverages,
rather than a diet based on natural products, fruits and vegetables rich in natural
fiber, minerals and vitamins essential to health.

As the saying goes. "TELL ME WHAT YOU EAT, THAT I'LL TELL YOU WHO YOU
ARE." That is, much of our personality, attitude, and even physical and mental condition
due to the type of food we eat.

  For example, the Chinese population and some Eastern countries, which follow a similar
diet, including soybeans, women do not suffer from the scourge of breast cancer,
contrary to what is happening today, in Western civilization in which every day
increases the cases of this disease. Giving another example, people which diet is based
on the use and abuse of the consumption of garlic and its derivatives are almost
unaware of the existence of diseases caused by cancer.

There are different feeding practices, those that are related to their culture, for
example in India, they do not eat beef, Muslims do not eat pork, this are the choices
people make by choosing not to eat any meat.

Given the social classes there are people with few resources, this will affect most the
children regarding with lack of good nutrition, preventing a good school development.

In the elderly eventually will be reflected in the various types of diseases that may
arise due to lack of nutrients. This deficiency undermines the immune system, making
them more vulnerable.
The Mediterranean diet appears naturally influenced by geography, climate, flora and
fauna typical of this region. The connections and knowledge among peoples and
civilizations that passed through this place affected this diet too.

Several studies indicate the beneficial effect of this diet has the advantage of being
easy to make, is well balanced, allowing a wide prevention of various diseases, is
economic, being this way more environmentally friendly.

My food ends up identifying with the Mediterranean diet, which normally insert all
types of food.

After April 25, 1974, some Portuguese nutritionists decided to create a scheme to
summarize the nutritional virtues of the traditional Mediterranean diet. It was
elaborated a new version of this scheme, the wheel of aliments, that kept the variety
and proportion of aliments regarding this diet.

With the adoption in Portugal of the new food pyramid released by the World Health
Organization, called the Mediterranean diet is even more highlighted. Many studies
seem to indicate that Portugal is the "Mediterranean" country that had less altered
their traditional eating habits.

At the base of the pyramid are the aliments that should be present in greater quantity.
So, as you climb the pyramid levels, the frequency or quantity of those specific
aliments should be restricted in their meals.

Each food group provides some nutrients, but not all the body needs, no group is more
important than another. For the proper functioning of the body is necessary that all
food groups make part of our diet plan.

Nutrients are the products we get after our body processes the food in our organism
and all of them perform essential functions to growth and life.

The nutrients are grouped in proteins, carbohydrates (carbohydrates), fats (lipids),

Energy Function
The proteins, carbohydrates and fats provide the energy needed for all processes (for
example walking) and reactions of the organism (for example breathing).

Constructor function or Plastic

Some nutrients serve to "build" the structures of our body, such as proteins (for
example, muscles) and some minerals (for example calcium for bones and teeth).

Regulatory functions, Activator and Protective

Fiber, water, vitamins and minerals and trace elements (for example the iron present in
meat) regulate and trigger reactions that occur in the body (for example intestinal
activity) and allow other nutrients be recovered and protect it from various injuries
and illnesses.

I will describe the specific function of each nutrient.

Proteins form the structural basis of our body and are essential for the formation and
growth of muscles, organs, skin and bones. In addition, also provide energy.

In a balanced diet, protein should contribute 10 to 15% of our daily energy. The
proteins exist in higher quantities in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy and soy.

Carbohydrates provide the fuel that our brains and our bodies need for their daily
activities. It is recommended to be consumed between 55-60% of daily energy.

Carbohydrates are a diverse group that includes sugars (found for example in fruit and
added sugar) and starches (found for example in bread, rice, pasta and potatoes). As
for sugars, sucrose is beneficial, since it is a natural constituent of many foods like
fruit. Rather, the sugar added to foods or drinks can be problematic, if consumed in
exaggeration.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that for an intake of 2000 kcal /
day, the amount of added sugar should not exceed 50 g / day.

Fats provide energy, they make part of the formation of all cellular structures of our
body, provide essential fatty acids, helps us absorb vitamins A, D, E and K and improve
the taste of food.
However we must not eat them in high doses, should represent no more than 30-35% of
daily caloric intake. Some sources of fat are olive oil, butter, vegetable oils, nuts,
oilseeds, eggs, fatty fish and fatty meats.

Vitamins are essential nutrients for growth and for maintaining the balance of the
body. They don’t provide energy but are essential in small amounts to regulate many of
our metabolic processes. They have diverse functions and are found in a wide variety of
foods of animal and vegetable origins.

 The minerals and trace elements are substances that do not provide energy but are
essential to the human body in small quantities. These nutrients are essential for the
conservation and renewal of tissues, for the proper functioning of nerve cells (brain)
and are involved in many reactions that occur in the body. There exist in many aliments
of animal and vegetable origins. Among these elements, it is worth noting sodium, by its
harmful effects on blood pressure. The main sources of sodium are processed aliments
and salt.

The amount of salt intake per day should be less than 5g. The best way to meet this
recommendation is not only moderate consumption of salted products (for example
canned foods, crisps and snacks) but also the use of the natural salt. The replacement
of salt by herbs (for example celery, rosemary, garlic, chives, coriander, tarragon, mint
laurel, oregano and parsley), spices (for example saffron, cinnamon, curry, paprika and
nutmeg) and marinated in preparation and in the cooking of aliments is a good
alternative to add flavor and enhance the color of foods.

The fibers are nutrients depending on their origin and processing, are only partially
digested and absorbed by our body.

There are two basic types of fibers: the more fermentable (soluble) and less
fermentable (insoluble). Soluble fiber (found, for example, in vegetables, fruits and
oats) have an important role in reducing cholesterol levels and risk of cardiovascular
diseases and also contribute to the regulation of blood glucose levels and increase
satiety. Insoluble fiber (found, for example, cereals and vegetables) have a key role in
intestinal function, helping to prevent obstipation. The intake of fiber also helps
prevent some types of cancer.

Water is a substance that exists in greater quantities in the human body, representing
about two thirds of our body weight. Therefore, it is the nutrient needed in larger
quantities.
It may not providing power, but water has many functions, such as transport of
nutrients and other substances in the human body, it serves as a medium where there
are many reactions in the body and help maintain body temperature.

The amount of servings recommended from each group for an individual depends on its
need for energy that is related to age, weight, height and physical activity. From the
values of each piece, I can ride my food plan.

 There is also a true vegetarian, which is a diet composed only of plants. Strict
vegetarians do not eat any kind of meat, eggs, dairy, honey, etc.., Removing from their
diet all products of animal origin.

For ethical reasons, many vegetarians do not conceive man as superior of animals, from
the point of view of the right to life. Therefore it’s not right to take a life of an animal
to feed a person, especially when that person’s life does not depend on the animal’s life.
Therefore, animals and humans must coexist.

Another aspect refers to the way animals are treated. Animals produced by modern
agribusiness are confined in small spaces, fed artificially and treated sometimes
brutally during transport or before slaughter.

Religious motivations are often faced with great complexity. Buddhists, Hindus,
Christians, Rosicrucian’s and the Seventh Day Adventists are typically connoted with
vegetarianism, but the motivations are not necessarily religious taxes (eating meat is
not necessarily seen as a sin, for example). Many Buddhists prefer the vegetarian diet
because they advocate non-violence, which is therefore an ethical motivation. Many
Adventists advise choosing a vegetarian diet because they see it as healthier and,
therefore, advantageous to the earthly body - which is therefore a motivation of
health.

 In my personal case and my household, when I cook food, in most cases, I resort to the
grill and cooked, ranging from meat and fish, with their accompaniments of vegetables,
preferably all fresh, the meat and fish.

Since I have friends and family who have gardens, they usually give me vegetables, I
usually save the excesses, which are stored in the freezer as tomatoes, squash, green
beans, peppers.
I make use of various meats and fish belonging this to the class of proteins, pasta, rice
and potatoes, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, insisting more because in these
aliments because they are major sources of vitamins, essential to our health. As fat, I
use olive oil when cooking or seasoning the salad. The water is always present
throughout my day, drinking about 2 liters.

One of the dishes I always have present at my table is the soup, the main source of
aliments, conserving their nutritional values, for this purpose I use the pressure
cooker, allowing a faster cooking and the food does not change their aspects.

Knowing the food pyramid and the benefits of good nutrition, I try to maintain a
balanced diet, I have extra cautions since I have children and my daughter being at
school.

The soup, depending on its composition, can provide a wide variety of nutrients
beneficial for our health.

A rich vegetable soup is a dish that usually has a low calorific value, and, moreover, very
rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, antioxidants and water. These nutrients are
essential for the smooth daily functioning of our body.

The soup makes a significant contribution to meeting our daily needs for water. If the
soup is richer in other aliments may also provide other nutrients. A soup with larger
quantities of potatoes or vegetables can provide more energy, verifying the same with
fat. In addition, we may also have soups fortified with meat, fish, eggs or cheese, these
aliments serve to increase their protein content, turning the soup into a main dish.

Vitamins water soluble are vitamins soluble in water. They are absorbed by the
intestine and transported through the circulatory system to the tissues that will be
using them. The body uses only what is necessary, eliminating the clutter. They do not
accumulate in the body, they do not stay in our body for very long, so excreted by the
body through urine.

The water soluble vitamins are very sensitive to cooking and are easily lost in the water
in which vegetables are cooked. Therefore long cooking should be avoided.

The water soluble vitamins are the B vitamins: Vitamin B1, B2, B6, B12, pantothenic
acid, niacin, biotin, folic acid and vitamin C.
The soup has a huge importance in our food not only for the variety of nutrients that
provides but also for the benefits that triggers at the functional level. A soup is usually
a "dish" easy to digest, extremely satiating due to the variety of aliments and type of
nutrients they contain, the volume and the temperature at which it is consumed. These
aspects are also important in regulating appetite, which makes the soup a dish of choice
at the opening of the meals.

On the other hand, it also performs functions in the smooth functioning of our
intestines and in the mechanisms for regulating blood cholesterol levels.

 In rural areas the soup kept its place at the table of the families while in the cities
turned to experience a growing demand of this food, with the quality and quantity of
supply of soup contributed considerably to the increase in that demand. We cannot also
fail to mention the importance of the media who have greatly contributed to enlighten
the public about the advantages and benefits of soup.

 It is very important to have a healthy diet and regular exercise because it helps us to
"fight" the problems we face in day-to-day as stress due to the high pace of life, as
the contact with nature, being with my friends, talk to them and be accompanied by my
daughter makes me feel good, freeing me from all the problems.

 Today, you will find all types of media articles about the importance of good nutrition
and also the need to practice a regular exercise.

At the household level and friendships, I talk about the importance of maintaining good
physical shape, alerting them to their benefits.

 Along with this practice within the food, I try to practice a sport, despite having done
much sport in gymnasiums, today I walk by an economic issue, by the time I have, for
the pleasure of the company, which is my daughter, and the confrontation with nature.