In this paper you will see how human body response to food. You will also learn how the human body releases insulin in order to turn food into substance that benefits the whole system. The next topic is to understand everything about calorie, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins and what the benefits of them for the human body. The last topic in this paper is types of diet plans. With these diet plans you may or may not achieved the weight that you desired. There are six main categories of diet plans in this paper they are:
• Low carbohydrate diet
• Structure program diet
• Dietary supplements program
• Prescription drug program
• Reduce fat diet
This paper will only focus on the two most popular weight loss plan, which is low carbohydrate diet and structure program diet. Low carbohydrate diet is a controversial topic. Many do not agree with substituting carbohydrate with protein, which is the main strategy in low carbohydrate diet. Lastly is the structure program diet. This diet works around the psychological side of a person. It believes that psychological also plays an important role in the weight loss program. Many diet programs such as Jenny Craig support this idea.

How does the Human Body React to Food?
How does the human body react to food? For example someone eat breads then what will happen to these breads inside our body? When the breads reach the small intestine, the human body will release insulin. The amount of insulin releases is depending on how many breads he or she ate. This Insulin will then turn carbohydrate in breads into fat (Haspel, 2003). In deeper details carbohydrate in breads will turn into glucose and stored as fat, and whether is being used up right away to serve the brain and nervous system or stored inside our body (Bran-Miller et al., 1999). But Bran-Miller et al. study (1999) said instead that excessive amount carbohydrates, which eventually turn into glucose, that doesn’t get used up right away, is stored in muscle and liver in the form of glycogen. And then this glycogen will be converted back into glucose when the body does not get enough carbohydrate to serve the brain and the nervous system. When the body used up all the stored glycogen, it will then start to break down the muscle protein to synthesize glucose (Bran-Miller et al., 1999). So when someone did not eat enough carbohydrate they will, eventually, loosing muscle protein. In another word someone who did not eat enough carbohydrate will lose his/her muscle gradually and become weak. This is a critical point because a lot of people mistaken by this process. They think that if they do not eat carbohydrate, the body will then used the amount of fat stored in the body to function. In fact that fat can not turns to glucose to serve the brain and the nervous system, but glycogen and eventually muscle protein can.
What is Calories?
According to Layton’s study (2003) calorie is a unit of energy that is not only available on food. Calorie can be found in anything that applies to energy such as one liter of gasoline. Specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy or heat, it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) (Layton, 2003). Layton, (2003), Heslin et al., (2000), Krauss, (2001), Haspel, (2003), Akins, (2000), studied agree that carbohydrate and protein has 4 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram. In order to keep our body going we have to keep it warm. The heat is achieved by burning the food that we ate. The heat produces by burning the food is measured and converted into calories, and this is how we get a unit of calorie. Another source of calorie beside carbohydrates, proteins and fats is alcohol. A moderate use of alcohol can enhance your enjoyment and health (Blackburn, 1999). A moderate use is no more than a drink or two a day (Blackburn, 1999). Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram (Blackburn, 1999) compared to 4 calories a gram in carbohydrate and protein, and 9 calories per gram in fat. This has to be taken into consideration when you are thinking to lose some weight.
The Benefits of Calories for the Human Body
Human beings need energy to survive, to breathe, move, pump blood, and they acquire this energy from food. The number of calories in a food is a measure of how much potential energy that food possesses. A gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, a gram of protein has 4 calories, and a gram of fat has 9 calories. Foods are a compilation of these three building blocks. So if you know how many carbohydrates, fats and proteins are in any given food, you know how many calories, or how much energy, that food contains.
What is Carbohydrate?
Most foods contain carbohydrates, compounds that include sugars, fibers, and starches. Carbohydrates come from a wide variety of foods, including beans, milk, popcorn, bread, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, and cherry pie, but these foods don't all contain the same type of carbohydrate. Complex carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, and other starches provide a steady amount of blood sugar and simple carbohydrates or sugars such as table sugar, candy, and honey provide a quick burst of energy because they are very easy to break down.
The Benefits of Carbohydrates for the Human Body
Carbohydrates are a necessary part of a healthy diet because they provide the body with the energy it needs for physical activity and to keep organs functioning properly. Simple sugars are easily converted to glucose and enter the bloodstream shortly after consumption. This can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, giving you a quick burst of energy and a rapid boost in your mood. In the mean time complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly than simple sugars and release glucose at a slower rate, resulting in a steadier level of blood glucose. Aside from the slower, steadier release of energy, there are other reasons to eat complex carbohydrates. Many of them contain other nutrients vital for good health, such as fiber. A slice of whole wheat bread will provide you with B vitamins, zinc and some protein. Complex carbohydrates also tend to be lower in fat.
Sources of carbohydrates
As it mentioned earlier, most food contains carbohydrates. Some of them are simple carbohydrates such as milk, fruits, honey and sugar (brown, molasses, maple syrup). The main sources of complex carbohydrates (whole grains) are potatoes and grain products such as pasta, rice, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes and porridge.
What is Protein?
Take away the water, and about 75 percent of your weight is protein. This chemical family is found throughout the body. It is in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes up the insulin and other enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. Because the body does not store proteins, as it does fats or carbohydrates, it needs a daily supply of proteins to provide enough energy.
The Benefits of Proteins for the Human Body
Lack of protein can cause growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening of the heart and respiratory system, and death. In short-term studies, a lower-calorie diet that includes more protein and less carbohydrate is more effective for losing weight or keeping weight steady than a low calorie, high carbohydrate diet. Eating high protein foods such as beef, chicken, fish, or beans makes you feel full longer because they slow the movement of food from the stomach to the intestine. This strategy also delays the feeling of hunger. The digestion of protein results in smaller, steadier increases in blood sugar than carbohydrates. This helps avoid the sudden increase and decrease in blood sugar, which trigger hunger and occur after eating rapidly digested carbohydrates. Unfortunately, there are only a few data have been collected on the long-term effects of a high-protein diet on weight control.
Source of Proteins
What are the sources of proteins? Cereal with milk for breakfast, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, and a piece of fish with a side of beans for dinner adds up to about 70 grams of protein, more than enough for average adult. Another great source of proteins is nut. Many people think of nuts as just another junk food snack. In reality, nuts are excellent sources of protein and other healthful nutrients. People who regularly eat nuts are less likely to have heart attacks or die from heart disease than those who rarely eat them. Studied have shown a consistent 30 percent to 50 percent lower risk of sudden cardiac death, or cardiovascular disease associated with eating nuts several times a week.
What is Fat?
Fat is one of the three nutrients (along with protein and carbohydrates) that supply calories to the body. Fat provides 9 Calories per gram, more than twice the number provided by carbohydrates or protein. Fats are organic compounds that are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are the most concentrated source of energy in foods. Fats belong to a group of substances called lipids. Fats come in liquid or solid form. All fats are combinations of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Fats can be called very saturated or very unsaturated depending on their proportions.
The Benefits of Fats for the Human Body
Fat is essential for the proper functioning of the body. Fats provide fatty acids, which are not made by the body and must be obtained from food. Fat is the most important substance for the growth and development of infants. Fatty acids provide the new materials that help in the control of blood pressure, blood clotting, inflammation, and other body functions. Fat serves as the storage substance for the body's extra calories. It helps to insulate the body. Fats are also an important energy source. When the body has used up the calories from carbohydrate, which occurs after the first 20 minutes of exercise, it begins to depend on the calories from fat. Healthy skin and hair are maintained by fat. Fat also helps in the absorption, and transport through the bloodstream of vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Source of Fats
They are found in meat, seafood, milk and dairy products (cheese, milk, and ice cream), poultry skin, and egg yolks. Fat contains in these food are also known as the bad fats, because they tend to worsen blood cholesterol levels. The Good Fats can be found in products derived from plant sources, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.
What are Vitamins?
Vitamins are nutrients you must get from food because your body can't make them from scratch. There are thirteen substances (and their multiple forms) commonly recognized as vitamins. Vitamins are required for life and were originally thought to be amines. Although not all vitamins are amines, they are organic compounds required by humans in small amounts from the diet. Presently scientists are examining the potential for specific vitamins to prevent and treat disease, as well as to enhance physical and mental health and performance.
What are The Benefits of Vitamins for the Human Body?
If you eat a healthy diet, do you need to take vitamins? Not long ago, the answer from most experts would have been "no". Today, though, there is good evidence that taking a daily multivitamin makes sense for most adults. Intake of several vitamins above the minimum daily requirement may prevent heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and other chromic diseases.
Sources of Vitamins
The vitamins needed by humans are divided into two categories: water-soluble vitamins (the B vitamins and vitamin C) and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Vitamin can be found in vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables, which are the main sources of vitamin E, animal foods such as whole eggs, whole milk and liver, which are the main sources of vitamin A. Another source of vitamin is exposure to sunlight, which is an important source of vitamin D. And the last fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin K is found in cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables, cereals, soybean, and other vegetables. For fat-soluble vitamins, 93 percent of the vitamin C can be found in most fruits and vegetables. Another main source for vitamin C is citrus fruits and tomatoes. And lastly the largest vitamin compound in the fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin D is found in whole-grain cereals, bread, red meat, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables, legumes, sweet corn, brown rice, berries, yeast, the germ and husks of grains and nuts, cheese and peas, meats, fish, potatoes and liver.
Different Types of Weight Loss Plans
Six different types of weight loss program are; low carbohydrate diet, structure program diet, dietary supplements, prescription drug diet, liquid diet and reduce fat diet. According to Haspel’s study (2003) among all of these diets, the most recommended diet is the reduced fat diets.
The basic concept of weight loss is to limit the amount of carbohydrate intakes taken by the body to limit the number of insulin released, which then decrease the ability of the human body to turn food into fat (Haspel, 2003). One of the solutions is to substitute carbohydrate with protein (Akins. 2000). But this study is against by Haspel, (2003) because some form of protein source such as eggs, cheese and bacons are high in saturated fat, which has been shown to increase cholesterol and boost the risk of hearth disease and certain kind of cancers (Haspel, 2003).
Structure program diet tackles on the psychological side of loosing weight. Using motivational words to make you feel good, this in fact plays an important role. A good diet is has to make you feel good about yourself and not feeling guilty when you eat. Diet without the feeling of being good will not make you lose weight but instead you may even gain weight because of the stress. One book explains why people should quit diet (Jonas et al. 1997). Jonas et al. (1997) said that diet could turn into eating disorders. The obsession to be thin can lead to anorexia, bulimia, bingeing and compulsive exercising (Jonas et al. 1997). Learning to love and accept yourself just as you are will give you self-confidence, better health and a sense of well being that will last a lifetime (Jonas et al. 1997). Seven basic principles by Weil (2000) mentioned that we have to eat to live, and food that is healthy is not mutually exclusive.
Conclusion
After three weeks of studying food nutrition, the conclusions come to these main points. The reason that Wedi Mote always feeling tired and sleepy might be caused by low blood sugar level. He also needs to watch out his eating habit. Based on the nutritional findings above, these conclusions are drawn.
In order to stay fit your body needs:
• Balance nutrition of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins
• Enough calories, shortage of calories can cause feeling tired, headache and stomachache
Recommendation
Make sure you eat a variety of complex carbohydrates every day to provide energy. Here are some suggestions:
• Wholegrain cereals for breakfast
• Whole wheat bread or pasta for lunch
• Potatoes, grains and legumes for dinner
• Biscuits for snacks
For full fourteen-day meal plan see appendixes

References
Akins, R. (2000). New diet revolution. New York: Avon.
Blackburn, G. (1999). Food for Health and Healing. New York: Meredith
Bran-Miller, J. Wolever, T., & Colaguiri, S. (1999). The new glucose revolution: the authoritative guide to the glycemic index. New York: Marlowe.
Haspel, T. (2003). The Dreaded Broccoli Cookbook: A Good-Natured Guide to Healthful Eating with 100 Recipes. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Heller, R., & Heller, R. (1998). Healthy for life: the scientific breakthrough program for, looking, feeling, and staying healthy without depreviation. New York: Penguin.
Heslin, J., & Nataw, B. A. (2000). The calorie counter (2nd Edition). New York: Pocket Books.
Jonas, S., & Konner, L. (1997). Just the weight you are: how to be fit and healthy, whatever your size. Scarborough, ON: Webcom.
Kraus, B. (2001). Calories and carbohydrate (rev. ed.). New York: New American Library.
Layton, J. How calories work. Retrieved March 17, 2003, from < http://home.howstuffworks.com/calorie.htm>.
Weil, A. (1997). Eight Weeks to Optimum Health. New York: Alfred, Knopf.

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