Nutrition and fitness go hand in hand to complement each other. To describe the correct amount of nutrients that the body needs in order to maintain health and fitness, dieticians have come up with a term known as ‘Baseline Nutritional Requirements’. As the name goes, the baseline nutritional requirement is the foundation for healthy eating. When the amount of food consumed by an individual meets the basic requirements, the body will have enough nutrients to be used to maintain health and normal body functions. Besides this, meeting the basic requirement will mean that the body will receive sufficient nutrients to be converted into energy.

In contrast, if the baseline nutritional requirement is not met, the body will be malnourished and problems related to nutritional inadequacy will arise. These problems include extreme fatigue, frequent illness, lack of concentration, poor performance and slow recovery from illness and injury.

Important Nutrients for the Body

In order to realize the baseline nutritional requirement for the body, there are certain important nutrients that must be regularly consumed. These include carbohydrate, fiber, protein, fat, water, vitamins and minerals. In this article, we will only be looking at surface information regarding these nutrients. Readers who wish to gain in-depth knowledge about them should reference the myriad of texts available regarding this.

Carbohydrate functions as the fuel for the body. It provides the energy that the body requires for both physical activities and normal bodily functions. However, carbohydrate can only be stored in limited amounts within the body and needs to be replenished regularly. Fiber on the other hand helps to keep the bowels functioning regularly and also reduces blood cholesterol.

Protein, fat and water are also important nutrients that must be kept in balance in the body. Protein is important to assist the growth and repair of body tissues, muscles and bones. Besides this, protein is a minor source of energy.

Fat provides the most concentrated source of energy. In fact, it is the largest source of energy. Fat is also required for normal growth, healthy skin, hormone production and also to supply the vitamins A,D, E, and K.

Water functions to cool the core body temperature and acts as a transport medium within the body. Above all, it keeps the body hydrated.

Other important nutrients include vitamins such as B complex, C and E. Minerals such as iron, calcium and zinc are also crucial to meet the baseline nutritional requirement.   

How to meet the baseline nutritional requirement

There are several dietary aspects that should be given strong emphasis when trying to meet the baseline requirement. By covering these aspects, one can be sure that the baseline requirement for the body is met. This in turn creates a healthy and fit individual.

One should try to eat a variety of foods everyday from each of the four major food groups. This ensures that the body receives a steady intake of carbohydrate, fiber, protein and fat. For example, a daily diet should consist of breads, cereal and/or rice for carbohydrate, fruits and vegetables for fiber, milk and dairy product for protein and meat for fat.

To ensure that one eats a healthy diet, one should try as best as possible to avoid food with added sugar, fat and salt. This can lead to obesity and also coronary problems. Besides that, it is important to maintain a healthy body weight by engaging in regular physical activity and by eating healthy.

Keeping oneself hydrated is also important to allow healthy bodily functions. If possible, avoid drinking as alcohol can be harmful to the body.

Summary

To summarize, the baseline nutritional requirement is basically a measure of the basic nutrients that your body should intake in order to generate energy, maintain healthy bodily functions and to promote tissue and muscle growth. Overlooking this will simply prevent you from being fit, healthy and energetic.