環(huán)球英語(yǔ)—860：Food in Danger, Part 2

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Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Robin Basselin.
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And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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All over the world, the price of food is rising. This is making it difficult for people to feed their families. Fatima knows this reality well. You may have heard Fatima’s story in another Spotlight program called “Food in Danger: Part One.” Fatima lives in the country of Egypt. She works very hard to feed her sons and her father. But with rising food prices, providing a healthy diet for her family is difficult. She told the Christian Science Monitor,
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“It is not good to avoid fruits and vegetables. But I have no choice…My family never eats beef from cows…We never have enough money to pay for it. So we eat other meat, fish and sometimes chicken - if it does not cost too much money. And we eat plant seeds, like beans.”
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Stories like Fatima’s are becoming more common in many countries around the world. She cannot buy all the foods she bought in the past. But, with a little knowledge, people like Fatima can make good, healthy food choices for their family. Today’s Spotlight is on making simple food choices. These choices can help people get the most value from their foods.
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There are four main kinds of nutrients that the human body needs to survive. These are: water, carbohydrates, proteins and fat. Each of these nutrients is important to the body in its own way. People can get all the nutrients they need - even with rising food prices. They can do this by combining basic foods in new ways.
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The human body is made of almost seventy percent water. Human beings can survive thirty to forty days without food! But without water, a human can survive only three to five days.
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Water is involved in almost every physical process of the human body. Water helps the body to process food. It also helps the body use the nutrients found in food. It helps spread nutrients to the parts of the body that need it most. And then water helps the body get rid of the waste it no longer needs.
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Most experts say a person should drink about eight to ten glasses of water each day. Different people need different amounts of water. When the body is tired or in pain, it needs more water to help it heal. However, drinking plenty of water is important for healthy people too. It can help them get the most nutrients from their food.
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The second kind of nutrient that the body needs is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are sugars that the body uses for energy. Sometimes they are called “carbs”. Almost all carbs are found in plant foods like: fruits, vegetables, or plant seeds like peas and beans.
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There are two kinds of carbs: simple and complex. Simple carbs are found in fruits, sugar and milk. The best way to get simple carbs is by eating fresh fruits. Often, simple carbs are low in cost. And while the body needs simple carbs, it is easy to eat too many.
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Complex carbs provide much more energy for the body than simple carbs. Complex carbs are more dense forms of sugar. The body takes a longer time to use them. This means the body receives more energy and nutrients from them. The best way to get complex carbs is by eating vegetables, whole-grains, peas and beans.
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Fresh fruits and vegetables can be high in cost. However, they are very important to a healthy diet. They contain many necessary vitamins and minerals. Sometimes, processed and packaged fruits and vegetables can be lower in cost than fresh. However, experts agree that processing food can make it less healthy. Also, when food is already prepared, it usually contains more unhealthy substances. So, when choosing carbs, like fruits and vegetables, it is good to choose unprocessed or natural foods.
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However, a person can reduce the costs of fresh fruits and vegetables. They can buy only fruits and vegetables that grow locally. Fruits and vegetables cost less money when they are natural to a climate.
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Protein is the third kind of nutrient the body must have to work well. The body uses protein to build and repair itself. Proteins help the body produce energy from food. And they also help the body fight against disease. All the cells of the body contain protein - including organ, hair and skin cells. When most people think of foods that are high in protein, they think of meats like chicken or beef. But protein can also be found in other foods.
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Ines St. Martin lives in the country of Haiti. Her husband died and she supports their eight children herself. Recently, Ines began to use corn and rice for her meals instead of potatoes or meat. She is worried that a meal without meat is not a complete meal.
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But there are many ways to mix foods to get a complete meal: Mix beans with: Brown rice, corn, nuts, seeds or wheat.
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If meat and potatoes cost too much money, Ines can use corn and rice instead. She can mix rice with some seeds or nuts. Or she could mix her corn with some beans. By mixing together different proteins, her family can eat healthy meals without meat.
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The last major nutrient the body needs is fat. Many people think that fat is something to avoid. This is only a little bit true. The body needs fat for energy and to grow. But fat is the nutrient the body needs the least.
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It is important to know which kinds of fat to eat. This can lead to better health. Some fats are better than others. For example, the best kinds of fats are oils from vegetables and tree nuts - like olive oil and peanut oil. Some less healthy fats are in corn, soy or sunflower oil. The least healthy fats are in animal products. This includes fats from meat and milk products - like cheese and cream. These fats are called saturated or trans fats. Eating too many of these fats can lead to heart disease and diabetes. They can also lead to cancer and becoming overweight.
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Many unnatural and processed foods also contain high amounts of unhealthy fats. This is another reason why experts tell people to eat foods that remain closest to their natural condition.
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Basic knowledge of these nutrients can help families eat healthy. This is true even when food prices rise. Laurence lives in the country of Madagascar. She attends a program by the World Bank. It helps her learn how to better feed her four children. She told the World Bank,
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“I already had three children before this community nutrition program opened. My fourth child ... has more energy and learns more quickly than his brothers and sisters.”