The idea of food refers to the intake of food.
Feeding is the process and result of feeding (providing food to a living being or energy to a machine). By extension, the group of elements that are considered food is known as food.
For a person or an animal to survive, it is essential that they feed themselves: that is, that they eat food . Food provides them with the necessary resources to maintain vital functions and develop. Food, however, varies according to species and age.
human nutrition
In the case of humans , nutrition not only depends on biological issues, but also on culture . Cannibalism , for example, is prohibited by law and generates repulsion: however, throughout history there were various tribes that resorted to this way of eating. Pets, such as dogs and cats, are also not part of the human diet in the Western world, although their meat could be ingested.
The latter generates great contradictions when the ideas of veganism come into play, which proposes the same rights for all animals, without distinction of species or race , since questions arise such as "why can we eat beef but we cannot "Do you even think about trying the dog one?" . Vegan people reach a point of compassion that prevents them from supporting the system of torture and exploitation necessary for the diet they call carnista , which includes all types of products of animal origin.
Each species has different feeding needs.
Meat intake
Food, therefore, is not only related to a series of biological processes and cultural issues, but also says a lot about the person's principles . More and more studies show that our body is not prepared to eat meat , at least not by nature: we do not have the claws and teeth necessary to hunt and tear apart other animals, and this should show us that we are, in essence, herbivores.
If we understand food as an essential part of our life , then we have to try to carry it out responsibly, knowing that our physical and mental health depends on its characteristics. Although we are very used to buying industrially processed foods , we should not forget that eating is also relating to the planet , to other living beings, and it is important to do so consciously.
When the diet is based on the consumption of meat, it is classified as carnivorous . If the diet is centered on plants, the beings are herbivores . Those who eat meat and plants, on the other hand, are called omnivores .
Food, digestion and nutrition
Once the person or animal finishes eating food, a process in the body known as digestion begins, which involves the transformation of food into nutrients . The necessary substances are absorbed by the body, while the rest is discarded through defecation.
Even if we aim to eat a healthy diet, not all individuals of the same species can eat the same products. Some of the most common problems in this context are indigestion , halitosis (commonly known as bad breath ), allergies and intolerance . For each case there are various home remedies, as well as recommendations to prevent its appearance or minimize its effects; On the other hand, it goes without saying that medicine has its own resources to deal with them, although many people prefer to opt for natural methods.
It is important to distinguish between food (food is ingested) and nutrition (the process that takes place at the cellular level). Plants that take in the sun's rays to obtain energy, to name one example, resort to autotrophic nutrition .