Eating healthfully does not require an advanced degree in nutrition. It doesn't require an analysis that rivals a NASA shuttle launch, either. All it involves is some basic knowledge about what's good for you and what isn't.

First, it's important to know about three of the four macronutrients: carbs, protein, and fat (vitamins make up the fourth category). The first two listed contain four calories per gram, whereas fat contains nine calories per gram. Does this mean that fat should be avoided? Yes and no -- unhealthy fats, such as the trans fats found in donuts, should be avoided, while healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, should have a place on your daily plate. Similarly, fast-digesting carbs, such as those found in white rice and sugary soft drinks, are not a good choice, whereas slow-digesting carbs, such as vegetables and wholegrain products, are.

Second, you need to know what foods are good sources of these macronutrients. Here's a quick breakdown to help you along:

PROTEIN

• Fish
• Chicken Breast
• Eggs
• Whey Protein Shake
• Beef
• Lentils
• Nuts
• Soy
• Venison
• Greek Yogurt
  
• Bison
• Ostrich
• Milk
• Cottage Cheese

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We've all accepted the fact that we need protein. But do you know specifically how much protein you need to be getting as part of a nutritious diet? If you're anything like me, you might not be getting enough. I'll be honest here--I'm not a protein person. I prefer carbs, veggies and fruits to anything else out there, and seeing as I'm not much of a meat eater, it's sometimes a struggle to get my fair share. But I do ok--or at least I though so.

I recently paid attention to what the recommended daily intake of protein is for people depending on their weight. Here's a quick breakdown (to find out your own, just multiply your weight in lbs by .36:)

• If you weigh 100 lbs, you need 36g
• If you weigh 120 lbs, you need 43.2g
• If you weigh 140 lbs, you need 50.4g
• If you weigh 160 lbs, you need 57.6g
• If you weigh 180 lbs, you need 64.8g

That seems like an awful lot, doesn't it? But there's good news--protein isn't only in meat. You can find it in a variety of dairy products, not to mention nuts, beans, lentils and vegetables.

How do you get your protein?

Here's another installment of what I'm sort of making an ongoing feature here on That's Fit. It's not really one of our true features (those are listed on the right hand side of this page), it's just something I felt like putting together myself. It's called Vitamins and Minerals 101, and this time around we're taking a look at Iron.

Name: Iron

What it Is: One of the most abundant metals on earth. It is essential to most life forms and to normal human physiology.

What it Does: It is an essential component of proteins involved in oxygen transport, as well as for the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. A deficiency of iron limits oxygen delivery to cells, resulting in fatigue and decreased immunity. Excess amounts of iron, however, can result in toxicity and even death.

How Much You Should Be Consuming: Recommended Daily Allowance for men age 19 to 50 is 8mg/day; women age 19 to 50 is 18mg/day; men age 51 years plus is 8mg/day; women age 51years plus is 8mg/day.

Where to Get It: Soybeans, lentils, kidney beans, tofu, spinach, fortified cereal and oatmeal.

Consuming an adequate amount of Iron is important for maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet. For more information on this vital mineral, click HERE to visit the National Institute of Health's website.

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Zinc is more than just a way to use a 'z' in scrabble -- it's an essential nutrient that your body needs, both to heal wounds and injuries and help your body break down carbohydrates. How do you know if you're getting enough? Here are some signs that you're not, according to Everyday Health:

• Wounds, lesions and infections are difficult to heal.
  
• Your appetite is decreased.
  
• You experience an abnormal sense of taste and smell.
  
• You have difficulty seeing in the dark
• You experience abnormal hair loss.
  

Think you might be low on zinc? Load up on protein sources like red meat, turkey, seafood and legumes, as well as veggies like spinach and peas. Whole wheat bread, yogurt and milk are also good sources.

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We're lucky today to have access to all kinds of food from all kinds of places around the world, but it can still be hard to eat right because it's amazingly easy to end up eating the same things all the time. If you're stuck in a dieting rut then it might help to shake things up a bit and try some of these healthy staples from across the globe:

Cabbage, from Ireland
Here in the States cabbage isn't all that popular as a main player in dinner, but in Ireland it's a basic staple that originated hundreds of years ago. Most people just think "smelly" when then think of cabbage when in fact they should be thinking "cancer and disease fighting goodness." Cabbage, as well as its cousins broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, and brussel sprouts, is known to be a beneficial fighter against stroke, all kinds of cancers, cognitive decline and diabetes.

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Can you name the 50 state capitols? I could in 5th grade. Today is a different story, however. I'd probably remember about 35 of them or so. Just chalk it up to the arbitrary filing system of the human intellect. Being able (or not being able) to recall such facts clearly are indicative of this fact, but in some cases it could be due to a decline in our overall brain function.

To help remedy such a decline, nature has provided us with several brain-boosting foods, many of which are available at your local supermarket.

You would think that we, as a nation, would remember every fact and figure since the dawn of time, given the amount of coffee we consume. It's key nutrient, caffeine, can improve concentration and reaction time. Also, studies from the French National Institute of Medical Research of Montpelier (which is also the capitol of Vermont -- booyah) found that drinking caffeine daily may help aging adults better remember names and words.

Packed with protein, lentils make for a great, healthy meal. But, it's the folic acid they contain that may cause people to have better recall ability than those who are deficient in this B vitamin. And, similarly to caffeine, people who have high blood levels of this B vitamin may see less decline in their verbal skills as they age.

While eating them in pancakes is delicious, blueberries are far healthier when eaten as-is. Taste aside, eating these high-antioxidant berries in any fashion will help combat free radicals and inflammation of brain tissue, thereby helping to ensure that cognitive function remains strong.

I wonder if eating these foods will help me remember those other 15 state capitols. I tell you, it's always the Carolinas that get me. Raleigh ... and ... argh!! Forget it.

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