✨Updated Music✨ Do you know about food? 🥧

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Speaker 1: Hi, science fans, Guess what. We are launching season four of sleep Tight Science this September, and we need your help to make it extra special. Did you know that your voice can be part of our show. We want to hear your amazing voices in our show opening. It's super easy and fun to join in. Just record yourself saying you are listening to sleep Tight Science. Then send your recording to the email address in our show notes. How cool is that. We can't wait to hear all your fantastic voices. Thank you for listening. You're listening to sleep Tight Science. You know that rhubarb grows so fast you can actually hear it? What? It is said that as the buds crack open, a sound is made wow, and other people say there is a constant creaking during the growing season. Hello friends, and welcome back to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers the questions you have about science. In this episode, we are going to start to learn about food. Food is very important for all of us, but what should we be eating? What is a good balanced diet? This is one of the questions sent in by Manasby that we are going to be looking at during this episode. Diet is a widely discussed topic which leads to all kinds of opinions. We are going to answer Manasvi's questions with the best science we have available. How can we describe a balanced diet? A nutritionally balanced diet fulfills all nutritional needs of the body, meaning we get everything our body needs from the foods we eat. Each of us needs a specific amount of nutrients and calories to stay active and healthy. Eating a good diet allows us to get all those required nutrients while taking care not to take in too many calories. Calories in food mean the energy stored in that food, and we use those calories to perform daily activities. Things like thinking, breathing, moving, and walking. All need the energy that comes from our food. We can get all this energy from eating a balanced diet that has food from all the food groups. The basic food groups are grains like bread, rice and cereal, vegetables and fruits, protein like meat, fish, eggs, tofu, beans and nut butters, dairy like milk, butter and yogurt, and some healthy fats called unsaturated fats. These are fats found in plant based foods like nuts, vegetables, seeds, and also a lot of the fish that we eat. A healthy, balanced diet should contain different vegetables and fruits every day, starchy food with higher fiber like bread, dairy products or their alternatives like dairy free soy or almond products. Proteins such as meat, fish, beans, or eggs, small amounts of unsaturated fats, and about six to eight glasses of fluids. Before we get started on our topic, let's look at a couple of questions sent in by our listeners. Question number one, what is a black hole and how it made? This question was sent in by Wilson Gregorski Well Wilson. According to NASA, a black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying because no light can get out. People can't see black holes. They are invisible to us. Question number two, why do snakes only slither? This question comes from Wilder. According to Nicole Finch, a professor and veterinarian at Washington State University, snake's slither to move around because they have no leg They rely on their muscles and scales. The scales on a snake are made from material called keratin that's the same material that makes up our fingernails. These scales help the snake move on different surfaces. Finch says that when a snake moves, some of the scales on its belly will touch the surface of the ground, while other scales do not. The scales drag against the ground to help move the snake forward. She also says that a snake's strong muscles help it lift some scales and allow it to move along rough surfaces like branches and trees. Rough surfaces are easy for a snake to move on because the scales can more easily grip the surface. Although a snake can move on a slippery surface, it can be awkward because a slip surface is harder to grip. And Our third question comes from fay Mihan, Why is poop stinky? WELFA poop can be stinky for several reasons. One of the main reasons is usually the food you eat. If you are eating a lot of foods like eggs, meat, dairy, and leafy greens, your poop is probably going to smell really bad. If you have a lot of fat in your diet, your digestive system might not be able to break it all down and that can cause some really smelly diarrhea. A balanced diet like we are going to talk about will help keep your poop less stinky. The questions for today's episode were submitted by manas what is a balanced diet? A balanced diet means several things. First, a balanced diet means that we need food from all three food groups grains, protein, and fruits and vegetables. We also need three meals every day and snacks as well. We might need one to three snacks depending on our activity level. These snacks might be mourning, afternoon and just before bed. Making sure these snacks are healthy snacks is just as important as serving healthy meals. The best choices for foods, according to Canada's pediatricians, are whole fresh foods. A great example is fresh vegetables or fruit and home cooked meals. Another important thing is using unprocessed sugars or sugars that have nothing done with them, like honey for those sweet treats. When you are thirsty, try water first. This is especially important between meals and snacks. You should try not to drink too much juice during the day, but if you do need to drink some juice, try to drink a small glass or box about one hundred and twenty five milliliters of one hundred percent unsweetened juice. You could also try eating a piece of fruit instead of drinking some fruit juice, and then you would be getting some fiber in your diet also, but we'll talk more about that later. Try not to drink too much at meal time, as it will make you feel full and then you might not be able to eat as many healthy foods as possible. It is important to try and have regular meal and snack times, and it is best if you can eat these meals with your family. Try to have a balance and a variety of foods from all food groups at your meal, filling half of your plate with colorful vegetables and fruits, and then split the other half between whole grains and healthy protein. The more vegetables and the more variety you have the better. Eating fruits of all colors is best. You can have them whole or sliced. Have healthy choices for dessert, like a fruit cup or yogurt. Fat is also a part of our diet and we need to remember that, but it is important to eat the right kinds of fats. Plant based fats are the fats we should try to choose. These can be things like nuts, seeds, or oils made from plants like olives or sunflower oils. Another thing to remember is that choosing the right foods is important, but you also need to keep active during the day. We should try to have at least one hour of physical activity each day. This doesn't mean we need to go to the gym. We can play on the playground or play games with other friends. What are the nutrients needed by a body? There are six essential nutrients that are needed by our bodies. Essential nutrients are compounds, which is a substance made up of different elements joined together by a chemical bond that our body cannot make enough of by itself. These nutrients need to come from food. They are very important for growth, good health, and preventing diseases. These essential nutrients are protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Let's look at each of these a little bit closer. First, protein helps our bodies build cells, break down food into energyte infection, and carry oxygen. Some foods that contain high levels of protein include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, and dairy products. Number two is carbohydrates. These are actually our body's most important source of energy. They help our bodies to use fat and protein for building and repairing tissue. There are several different kinds of carbohydrates, like sugars, starches, and fibers. We should be eating more of the starches and fibers than less of the sugars. Some foods that contain high levels of carbohydrates are breads, cereals, rice crackers, pasta, and potatoes. The third one is facts. These are a great energy source and are easily stored in our bodies. These are also helpful in helping the body to properly use some of the other nutrients the body needs. Some foods that contain high levels of fats are whole milk, dairy products, cooking, oils, meat, fish, and nuts. Number four is vitamins. And vitamins are very important for keeping us healthy and fighting diseases. We need vitamins to help our bodies support its functions. There are thirteen essential vitamins that our bodies need to work properly. These include vitamins A, C, B, six and D. Vitamin A is very imp important for good eyesight, especially for color and night vision. It also gives the immune system, or the body's defense against germs and infection fighting boost. We can find vitamin A in carrots and other orange vegetables and fruits like cantelope and sweet potatoes. Vitamin D is good for strong bones and teeth. We need this nutrient every day. Vitamin D helps us absorb calcium so our bodies can build up bones. The skin makes vitamin D when the sun hits it, but we shouldn't get too much sun because of the danger of the UV rays. Instead, you can boost your vitamin D with fortified milk, cereal, tuna, salmon, or eggs. Each vitamin plays an important role in the body, and not getting enough of them can cause health problems. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system and helps the body heal. If you eat a well balanced diet full of a variety of vegetables and fruits, and your digestive system is working well, you probably don't need to take any extra vitamins. Number five is minerals. Like vitamins, minerals help support the body. They're essential for lots of body functions, including building strong bones and teeth, and staying properly hydrated. Some of the most common minerals are calcium, iron, and zinc. As well as making our bones stronger, calcium helps with maintaining healthy blood pressure and muscle contraction and relaxation. Iron supports your red blood cells, while zinc strengthens your immune system and helps your wounds. Heal number six is water. Water is very important for all systems in our body. Did you know you can go days without food, but you cannot last more than a few days without water. Your body weight is made up of about sixty two percent water. Water helps your brain function and improves your mood. It flushes toxins or poisons out of your body, It carries nutrients to our cells, It keeps our body hydrated with enough water, and it helps us poop. What type of carbohydrates are there? There are three main types of carbohydrates. They are sugars, starches, and fibers. Sugars are called simple carbohydrates because they are in their basic or simple form. Sugars can be added to foods, such as sugar in desserts and regular sodas. These sugars can also be found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and milk. Starches are considered complex carbohydrates because they are made up of a lot of simple sugars put together. Our body needs to break down starches to sugars so that we can use them for energy. An example of a starch could include bread, cereal, and pasta. It could also include certain vegetables like peas, corn, and potatoes. Fiber is also a complex carbohydrate, but our body cannot break down most fibers, and this means that when we eat foods with fibers, they help us to feel full longer. Fiber also helps us to go to the bathroom regularly. Fiber can be found in lots of foods that come from plants, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. In this episode, we talked about what makes up a balanced diet, what are the nutrients needed by a body and what type of carbohydrates are there. We found out that our body needs food from the main food groups grains, fruits and vegetables, and proteins, as well as water and daily activity. There are six main nutrients that our bodies need to function well. These include protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Each of these nutrients has a specific function, and we can get all of these by doing our best to eat a balanced diet. We also found out that there are three types of carbohydrates sugars a simple carbohydrate which gives us energy, starch a complex carbohydrate like bread or cereal, and fiber also a complex carbohydrate that can help us feel full longer, like fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains. So, in conclusion, what is a healthy balanced diet? A healthy balanced diet should contain different vegetables and fruits every day, starchy foods with high fiber like bread, dairy products or their alternatives, proteins such as meat, fish, beans, or eggs, small amounts of unsaturated fats, and about six to eight glasses of fluids. Fun facts about food Lemons float, but limes sink. The most expensive pizza in the world costs about twelve thousand dollars. Crackers have holes in them to prevent bubbles when they are baking. Potatoes were the first food planted in space. The University of Washington created a way to plant food in space. Their goal was to be able to feed astronauts who had gone out on long voyages. Root loops are all the same flavor. McDonald sells two point five million hamburgers every year. Honey is basically bee vomit. When bees are collecting honey, they just drink it and keep it into their stomachs, and when they get back to the hive they just regurgitate it. Broccoli contains more protein per calorie than steak, but you would have to eat a lot of broccoli to get the same amount of protein. I'd like to say thank you to Ian Felix, Nina from New Zealand and Hunter and Grace. We hope to have a chance to use your ideas in future episodes. If you'd like to send us your questions, please send them to Hello at sleeptitescience dot com.