Shift workers are also more likely to eat an unhealthy diet (high in carbohydrates and fats) or smoke to compensate for their lack of sleep.

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The National Institute of Nutrition and the World Health Organization both have set certain benchmarks of how much salt, sugar, carbohydrates and fats every individual can have on a daily basis to stay healthy.

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They do a lot, such as building thousands of proteins, breaking down toxins, storing vitamins, metabolizing carbohydrates and helping digest fats, just to name a few crucial functions.

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He has since been following the Zone Diet - consisting of a strict formula of carbohydrates, proteins and fats - which has enabled him to nearly halve his body weight.

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O'Rourke: In general, you want to reduce fats because they have the highest number of calories compared with carbohydrates and protein.

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