No more running away from a boring diet- here's an easy way to maintain your health.
Vitamins, nutrition and health supplements are no more scary words. These are needed for good health and mind. Vitamins nutrition and health supplements can be called as nutritional substances, which provide significant health benefits. Researchers and medical practitioners have already approved these benefits.
Nutritional multivitamin supplements: The best way to get all required vitamins is through balanced diet. But it is not easy in today's life. So with the help of multivitamins your body will produce the required vitamins. Mainly these multivitamin supplements include Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Group B vitamin are suggested for heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and even for osteoporosis. Good nutritional multivitamin supplements are not only minerals and vitamins. The human body needs a wide range of nutrition, vitamin and health supplements as like antioxidants, amino acids, neuronutrients, bioflavanoids, and alpha lipoic acid.
Herbal nutrition supplements: These supplements can be used in place of hormone replacement therapy that is mainly helpful to restore hair growth and even in some skin disorders. Using herbal supplements you avoid further hair loss.
Vitamin C and skin care: Vitamin C helps in collagen formation, which keeps skin looking plump and young. Human body cannot make or store it. The only solution for the problem is to use citrus foods. It is mostly found in Citrus fruits like strawberries, berries and some vegetables. For external use you can take creams containing Alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin C.
Mineral supplements: As like vitamins, minerals are also necessary for normal body metabolism. Different types of mineral supplements perform different functions:
1.Calcium: Helps in nerve conduction, bone formation and blood coagulation.
2.Iron: Helps in carrying oxygen to various body cells.
3.Iodine: Helps in normal functioning of thyroid gland.
Roughages: Like any other nutritional supplements roughages are also necessary for normal body function. They prevent us from constipation.
Thus vitamin ,nutrition and health supplement prevent us from serious health hazards.
http://www.articlealley.com/article_62183_23.html
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Can Nutrition Help Slow Down the Aging Process
We all age. That fact is inevitable. But a lot of the negative changes that take place in our bodies are not. As we age, we become more susceptible to such things as heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and arthritis. However, medical research has shown that proper nutrition can slow down and even prevent many of these ailments.
It is estimated that nearly one half of all health problems in the elderly are directly related to poor nutrition. The elderly are by and large some of the most poorly nourished people. Some reasons for this are as you age your sense of taste and smell decreases, it is harder to chew, and you just don't feel hungry.
In some cases, financial reasons may affect the food choices made and it may be harder to get out and shop for food due to various physical factors. On top of this, as you get older your body may not be able to absorb some of the nutrition from food as well as it could when you were younger. In some cases a good multi-vitamin (preferably in liquid form) could help offset this. Your doctor can help you find one that's right for you.
Here are a few things that you can do to plan for better nutrition in your diet and a healthier life as you get older:
Plan out regular meals for each day and try to include vegetables in at least 2 of them every day. If you must snack, use fruits and vegetables rather than junk food like potato chips and candy.
If you have problems chewing meat, try going with things like fish and ground meats. Also try to eat more soups as they can have plenty of nutrition in them and they are great choices if you are on a budget.
Make meals more interesting by inviting a friend to lunch or dinner once in a while. Sometimes it can get boring to always eat alone and having someone over can entice you to get more creative with meals than you might when eating alone.
One thing you can do to ensure that you'll be getting better nutrition is to make each plate colorful. Different color vegetables for example generally contain different nutrients so the idea here is, mix it up.
Growing old may be inevitable but that doesn't mean you can't grow old gracefully and healthier and with a steady diet of proper nutrition, you can maintain better health well into your golden years.
http://www.articlealley.com/article_54554_23.html
It is estimated that nearly one half of all health problems in the elderly are directly related to poor nutrition. The elderly are by and large some of the most poorly nourished people. Some reasons for this are as you age your sense of taste and smell decreases, it is harder to chew, and you just don't feel hungry.
In some cases, financial reasons may affect the food choices made and it may be harder to get out and shop for food due to various physical factors. On top of this, as you get older your body may not be able to absorb some of the nutrition from food as well as it could when you were younger. In some cases a good multi-vitamin (preferably in liquid form) could help offset this. Your doctor can help you find one that's right for you.
Here are a few things that you can do to plan for better nutrition in your diet and a healthier life as you get older:
Plan out regular meals for each day and try to include vegetables in at least 2 of them every day. If you must snack, use fruits and vegetables rather than junk food like potato chips and candy.
If you have problems chewing meat, try going with things like fish and ground meats. Also try to eat more soups as they can have plenty of nutrition in them and they are great choices if you are on a budget.
Make meals more interesting by inviting a friend to lunch or dinner once in a while. Sometimes it can get boring to always eat alone and having someone over can entice you to get more creative with meals than you might when eating alone.
One thing you can do to ensure that you'll be getting better nutrition is to make each plate colorful. Different color vegetables for example generally contain different nutrients so the idea here is, mix it up.
Growing old may be inevitable but that doesn't mean you can't grow old gracefully and healthier and with a steady diet of proper nutrition, you can maintain better health well into your golden years.
http://www.articlealley.com/article_54554_23.html
Better HealthThe Herbal Nutrition Supplement
Whether you are a world class athlete, exercise nut, or a regular couch potato, one fact applies to everyone - nutrition is fundamental to good health. It is necessary because it keeps your body functioning normally, helps to maintain a healthy weight, and it prevents disease. The problem? What is the best way to supplement your body's health... man-made supplements or the natural herbal nutrition supplement.
Most people believe a balanced diet, the "food pyramid" of old, is sufficient to keep them healthy. These individuals also often supplement their nutrition by grabbing the cheapest "vitamins in a bottle" off the grocery shelf. They bring these products home with the mistaken belief that they are covering their bases with "good nutrition." The problem lies in the fact that most on-the-shelf vitamins and minerals are synthesized products - man-made. Without proper nutritional education, they also do not realize the imbalance of nutrients in these products. Maintaining the proper nutrition supplement balance is critical to its overall impact on your body. Too much or too little and your body reaps no noticeable benefits. Without an appreciable increase in health, those same products go into hiding in the back of kitchen cupboards, long forgotten.
Obviously, this is not the way nature intended you to stay healthy!
But, there is hope, and it comes from nature itself. More and more individuals and families are turning to the herbal nutrition supplement. They are focusing their health needs on a natural approach to nutrition. With fast foods, growing environmental problems, and stress, people turn to the herbal nutrition supplement because it is derived from natural sources. The herbal supplement is nature's way of providing you with a safe and natural way to increase your health. Results are noticeable!
Today's lifestyle is a stressful lifestyle for many. A herbal nutrition supplement is the best natural way to strengthen your body as it assists your body, provides healthy, natural energy, and has the added bonus of increased health protection.
Unfortunately, a lot of confusing information exists about herbal nutrition and herbal nutrition supplements. Almost daily you can read or hear conflicting information on what's good for your body and what's not. It is advisable to use caution when buying any nutrition product, herbal supplements included. They, too, are not all created equal.
Arm yourself in our changing world and realize that with the proper herbal nutrition supplement information, you will notice, and reap, the benefits!
http://www.articlealley.com/article_97296_23.html
Most people believe a balanced diet, the "food pyramid" of old, is sufficient to keep them healthy. These individuals also often supplement their nutrition by grabbing the cheapest "vitamins in a bottle" off the grocery shelf. They bring these products home with the mistaken belief that they are covering their bases with "good nutrition." The problem lies in the fact that most on-the-shelf vitamins and minerals are synthesized products - man-made. Without proper nutritional education, they also do not realize the imbalance of nutrients in these products. Maintaining the proper nutrition supplement balance is critical to its overall impact on your body. Too much or too little and your body reaps no noticeable benefits. Without an appreciable increase in health, those same products go into hiding in the back of kitchen cupboards, long forgotten.
Obviously, this is not the way nature intended you to stay healthy!
But, there is hope, and it comes from nature itself. More and more individuals and families are turning to the herbal nutrition supplement. They are focusing their health needs on a natural approach to nutrition. With fast foods, growing environmental problems, and stress, people turn to the herbal nutrition supplement because it is derived from natural sources. The herbal supplement is nature's way of providing you with a safe and natural way to increase your health. Results are noticeable!
Today's lifestyle is a stressful lifestyle for many. A herbal nutrition supplement is the best natural way to strengthen your body as it assists your body, provides healthy, natural energy, and has the added bonus of increased health protection.
Unfortunately, a lot of confusing information exists about herbal nutrition and herbal nutrition supplements. Almost daily you can read or hear conflicting information on what's good for your body and what's not. It is advisable to use caution when buying any nutrition product, herbal supplements included. They, too, are not all created equal.
Arm yourself in our changing world and realize that with the proper herbal nutrition supplement information, you will notice, and reap, the benefits!
http://www.articlealley.com/article_97296_23.html
Your Diet Nutrition and Arthritis
Arthritis symptoms often come and go without warning so it is hard to attribute the addition or elimination of certain foods to the relief or onset of symptoms. But studies show that adding foods rich in certain nutrients, while eliminating some other foods, can help relieve some symptoms of arthritis. If you have arthritis, you might want to discuss dietary changes with your doctor and you may find that you can control your pain with less drugs and better eating.
Research has shown that a diet that has too many calories can aggravate RA (rheumatoid arthritis), and 5% of sufferers in a different study showed a flare-up of symptoms after drinking milk. In other studies, reducing the intake of fat, red meat and dairy products is shown to help relieve pain. Some other foods that are suspected of aggravating your levels of pain include tomatoes, white potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, corn, lemons, grapefruit, wheat, rye, eggs, coffee and sugar.
While limiting some of the foods you eat, you may also be able to help relieve arthritis symptoms by eating more of certain foods, or taking supplements. In 1998, Finnish researchers discovered that the lactobacillus helped improve symptoms of RA. In this study, mice which were given lactobacillus were found to be less apt to develop arthritis and their immune systems were better equipped to handle it in those that did..
Another food that seems to have a beneficial effect on arthritis pain is fish oil according to a study done in the 1950’s. Fish oil supplements can be taken but sometimes cause a fishy aftertaste so why not simply add fish high in Omega 3's to your diet? You want to eat cold water fish that are wild and not farm raised. These fish include mackerel, tuna, salmon, bluefish, mullet, herring and anchovies.
In a study by the University of Manchester, it was found that individuals with high levels of beta-cryptoxanthin were 40% less likely to develop arthritis. Beta-cryptoxanthin can be found in yellow and orange colored fruits and vegetables and is a key nutrient in helping your immune system as well as bone and skin health. Some foods high in this nutrient include winter squash, peppers and pumpkin as well as papayas, tangerines and persimmons.
Another vitamin you might want to make sure you get enough of is vitamin B. Studies have shown that people who have arthritis are deficient in vitamin B. Although, this could be due to the fact that taking aspirin depletes the bodies stores of the vitamin..
The antioxidant vitamin C is an important addition to any diet as they help neutralize free radicals which contribute to tissue damage as well as disease. In fact, findings show that damaged knee cartilage cells can release large amounts of free radicals. According to the study, people who take a lot of vitamin C have much less risk of damage to their knees. The famous scientist Dr. Linus Pauling recommends that you take 18 grams of V-C every day as a preventative measure for arthritis.
Another antioxidant, Vitamin E works in a similar way and German studies have proven that it also helps to reduce pain. Vitamin E can be found in whole grains, corn oil, wheat germ, sunflower seed, and legumes.
A deficiency in Selenium has been shown to cause a particular type of arthritis - Kashin-Bek disease, but this happens mostly where the soil is deficient in selenium. Interestingly enough, sufferers of RA have less selenium in their blood than others. You can add more selenium to your diet with nuts, Fish, whole grains, organ meats, and beans.
Some trials have shown that zinc can help reduce swelling and stiffness. To get more zinc, try eating more cheese, tofu or oysters or ask your doctor about a supplement. There have been conflicting results in studies on zinc.
In addition to what you eat, other non pharmaceutical ways to relive pain from arthritis include exercise, losing weight, hot-packs, and humor.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Your-Diet--Nutrition--and-Arthritis/1419
Research has shown that a diet that has too many calories can aggravate RA (rheumatoid arthritis), and 5% of sufferers in a different study showed a flare-up of symptoms after drinking milk. In other studies, reducing the intake of fat, red meat and dairy products is shown to help relieve pain. Some other foods that are suspected of aggravating your levels of pain include tomatoes, white potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, corn, lemons, grapefruit, wheat, rye, eggs, coffee and sugar.
While limiting some of the foods you eat, you may also be able to help relieve arthritis symptoms by eating more of certain foods, or taking supplements. In 1998, Finnish researchers discovered that the lactobacillus helped improve symptoms of RA. In this study, mice which were given lactobacillus were found to be less apt to develop arthritis and their immune systems were better equipped to handle it in those that did..
Another food that seems to have a beneficial effect on arthritis pain is fish oil according to a study done in the 1950’s. Fish oil supplements can be taken but sometimes cause a fishy aftertaste so why not simply add fish high in Omega 3's to your diet? You want to eat cold water fish that are wild and not farm raised. These fish include mackerel, tuna, salmon, bluefish, mullet, herring and anchovies.
In a study by the University of Manchester, it was found that individuals with high levels of beta-cryptoxanthin were 40% less likely to develop arthritis. Beta-cryptoxanthin can be found in yellow and orange colored fruits and vegetables and is a key nutrient in helping your immune system as well as bone and skin health. Some foods high in this nutrient include winter squash, peppers and pumpkin as well as papayas, tangerines and persimmons.
Another vitamin you might want to make sure you get enough of is vitamin B. Studies have shown that people who have arthritis are deficient in vitamin B. Although, this could be due to the fact that taking aspirin depletes the bodies stores of the vitamin..
The antioxidant vitamin C is an important addition to any diet as they help neutralize free radicals which contribute to tissue damage as well as disease. In fact, findings show that damaged knee cartilage cells can release large amounts of free radicals. According to the study, people who take a lot of vitamin C have much less risk of damage to their knees. The famous scientist Dr. Linus Pauling recommends that you take 18 grams of V-C every day as a preventative measure for arthritis.
Another antioxidant, Vitamin E works in a similar way and German studies have proven that it also helps to reduce pain. Vitamin E can be found in whole grains, corn oil, wheat germ, sunflower seed, and legumes.
A deficiency in Selenium has been shown to cause a particular type of arthritis - Kashin-Bek disease, but this happens mostly where the soil is deficient in selenium. Interestingly enough, sufferers of RA have less selenium in their blood than others. You can add more selenium to your diet with nuts, Fish, whole grains, organ meats, and beans.
Some trials have shown that zinc can help reduce swelling and stiffness. To get more zinc, try eating more cheese, tofu or oysters or ask your doctor about a supplement. There have been conflicting results in studies on zinc.
In addition to what you eat, other non pharmaceutical ways to relive pain from arthritis include exercise, losing weight, hot-packs, and humor.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Your-Diet--Nutrition--and-Arthritis/1419
Nutrition and Eating Friends for Life
I’ll bet you’ve never even taken the time to consider what your nutritional needs might be, or the importance of that nutrition on your health. Did you know that if the brain doesn’t get enough protein, it doesn’t develop correctly, or if the healthy female body doesn’t get enough flax oil, omega-3 and omega-6 her body’s metabolism will not function correctly and she is more susceptible to weight gain? All these pieces of information and many more are contributing factors to our nutritional needs, and our nutritional needs are met through our eating habits, good or bad.
Nutrition as it applies to our daily lives means that we take in what we need to maintain our body’s healthy state. Nutrition has become an important word thanks to the involvement of the USDA in our daily food requirements, and the FDA’s involvement in determining what is and is not dangerous for us to consume.
But what is our responsibility in the nutrition game? Do we understand what our nutritional requirements are, how to fulfill those requirements, and how to look for real nutritional value in our foods? I’m not sure that nutrition has been successfully addressed in its own right. We hear nutrition in relation to our vitamin intake, our fortified cereals and milk, and in the context that we need “nutritional value” from our food choices. But what really is nutrition when applied to our daily bodily functions?
Nutrition refers to the nurturing of our body, in our ability to keep it healthy and functioning as it is supposed to do. Our ability to provide the body with all the necessary food, vitamins, and minerals so that we continue to thrive in our daily life processes.
How do we determine that we are providing the essential nutritional needs? That knowledge comes by educating ourselves about what our individual needs are, the needs of our family, and then taking that knowledge and applying it to the foods we buy, that we prepare, and that our families consume. Our nutritional needs and caloric needs change as we age, the nutritional needs of a 13 year old teenager are much different to those of a 30 year old woman.
Quite often, our vitamin and mineral needs outweigh our caloric needs. In those instances, we turn to manufactured vitamins and minerals to fill the gap. This is a part of our nutritional needs, also.
Nutrition is one of the most complex areas to gain useful knowledge about, because there are so many components, and because each person has their own individual needs. Women’s needs differ from those of men, and older women’s needs differ from those of a young girl. As we age, our needs constantly change; therefore continual education about nutrition is a fact of life. The information we have available about the health choices and alternatives available to us change daily. Very few medical doctors ever address our nutritional needs, past the needs of a pregnant woman, or an already ailing patient. What about the needs of the well patient? In order to stay healthy, there is nutrition, exercise, mental, and emotional needs that must be met.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Nutrition-and-Eating--Friends-for-Life/2489
Nutrition as it applies to our daily lives means that we take in what we need to maintain our body’s healthy state. Nutrition has become an important word thanks to the involvement of the USDA in our daily food requirements, and the FDA’s involvement in determining what is and is not dangerous for us to consume.
But what is our responsibility in the nutrition game? Do we understand what our nutritional requirements are, how to fulfill those requirements, and how to look for real nutritional value in our foods? I’m not sure that nutrition has been successfully addressed in its own right. We hear nutrition in relation to our vitamin intake, our fortified cereals and milk, and in the context that we need “nutritional value” from our food choices. But what really is nutrition when applied to our daily bodily functions?
Nutrition refers to the nurturing of our body, in our ability to keep it healthy and functioning as it is supposed to do. Our ability to provide the body with all the necessary food, vitamins, and minerals so that we continue to thrive in our daily life processes.
How do we determine that we are providing the essential nutritional needs? That knowledge comes by educating ourselves about what our individual needs are, the needs of our family, and then taking that knowledge and applying it to the foods we buy, that we prepare, and that our families consume. Our nutritional needs and caloric needs change as we age, the nutritional needs of a 13 year old teenager are much different to those of a 30 year old woman.
Quite often, our vitamin and mineral needs outweigh our caloric needs. In those instances, we turn to manufactured vitamins and minerals to fill the gap. This is a part of our nutritional needs, also.
Nutrition is one of the most complex areas to gain useful knowledge about, because there are so many components, and because each person has their own individual needs. Women’s needs differ from those of men, and older women’s needs differ from those of a young girl. As we age, our needs constantly change; therefore continual education about nutrition is a fact of life. The information we have available about the health choices and alternatives available to us change daily. Very few medical doctors ever address our nutritional needs, past the needs of a pregnant woman, or an already ailing patient. What about the needs of the well patient? In order to stay healthy, there is nutrition, exercise, mental, and emotional needs that must be met.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Nutrition-and-Eating--Friends-for-Life/2489
Natural Health And Beauty When Fresh May Not Be Best
Omega 3 fatty acids and protein are great for healthy skin. Hair, skin and nails are mostly made of protein, though the minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals we get from the best type of carbohydrates - fruit and vegetables - are also crucial if skin care is your goal.
Protein is needed to repair cells, it is important for energy levels, balancing blood sugar levels, and is involved with glutathione production. Glutathione is an important antioxidant, and antioxidants are essential components of eating your way to beauty.
So what are some good sources of protein that are somewhat under-represented in our average diet?
Fish is excellent as it supplies both protein, and the omega 3 fatty acids, which are believed to contribute to skin health. The oily fish like salmon, tuna, cod and mackerel are good natural sources of omega 3, that have the advantage of avoiding the reflux problem associated with many fish oil supplements. Being a whole food, these fish also have DMAE, which is excellent for protecting cellular membranes and improving skin tone. (Angyal) Recommended sources of DMAE from fish are anchovies, sardines, and wild salmon.
Canned salmon is a good option, generally. Although it may seem strange to encourage people to eat canned salmon over fresh salmon, it has some important advantages that are the direct result of farming practices for fresh fish. According to Erica Angyal, the author of Gorgeous Skin In 30 Days, canned salmon is typically wild salmon. Wild salmon and farmed salmon that was raised in crowded pens made of nets (think of an underwater battery cage), have some important differences in nutrient value.
The food farmed salmon are fed is very different to what wild salmon eat. Wild salmon eat other sea residents such as shrimp and krill. And it is this diet that gives them the lovely pink color we associate with salmon. On the other hand, farmed salmon are fed soybean pellets and other cereal based food, which changes their ratio of essential fatty acids. They become characterized by higher levels of saturated fats and omega 6 fatty acids (linoleic acid), which we get plenty of in our diets anyway, and their levels of the beneficial omega 3 fatty acids become lower. Given that the whole point many people eat fish for is to change this very ratio in themselves, it seems to negate the point somewhat.
On top of this, farmed salmon, like their counterparts in the poultry and beef industries, are fed antibiotics to keep them healthy and protect the farmer's investment. There is an expectation of cost effectiveness and market value that determines the type of conditions farmed salmon grow in. To compensate for the lack of pink color, colors are added that can be made both naturally and synthetically. Whether they are natural or synthetic is generally up to the farmer.
This is not to say farmed salmon is bad, or has no omega 3 fatty acids. It does, and it is better than nothing. And fresh fish is a lovely meal. But like eating free range eggs in preference to battery cage eggs, wild salmon is an infinitely better nutritional choice.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Natural-Health-And-Beauty---When-Fresh-May-Not-Be-Best/2528
Protein is needed to repair cells, it is important for energy levels, balancing blood sugar levels, and is involved with glutathione production. Glutathione is an important antioxidant, and antioxidants are essential components of eating your way to beauty.
So what are some good sources of protein that are somewhat under-represented in our average diet?
Fish is excellent as it supplies both protein, and the omega 3 fatty acids, which are believed to contribute to skin health. The oily fish like salmon, tuna, cod and mackerel are good natural sources of omega 3, that have the advantage of avoiding the reflux problem associated with many fish oil supplements. Being a whole food, these fish also have DMAE, which is excellent for protecting cellular membranes and improving skin tone. (Angyal) Recommended sources of DMAE from fish are anchovies, sardines, and wild salmon.
Canned salmon is a good option, generally. Although it may seem strange to encourage people to eat canned salmon over fresh salmon, it has some important advantages that are the direct result of farming practices for fresh fish. According to Erica Angyal, the author of Gorgeous Skin In 30 Days, canned salmon is typically wild salmon. Wild salmon and farmed salmon that was raised in crowded pens made of nets (think of an underwater battery cage), have some important differences in nutrient value.
The food farmed salmon are fed is very different to what wild salmon eat. Wild salmon eat other sea residents such as shrimp and krill. And it is this diet that gives them the lovely pink color we associate with salmon. On the other hand, farmed salmon are fed soybean pellets and other cereal based food, which changes their ratio of essential fatty acids. They become characterized by higher levels of saturated fats and omega 6 fatty acids (linoleic acid), which we get plenty of in our diets anyway, and their levels of the beneficial omega 3 fatty acids become lower. Given that the whole point many people eat fish for is to change this very ratio in themselves, it seems to negate the point somewhat.
On top of this, farmed salmon, like their counterparts in the poultry and beef industries, are fed antibiotics to keep them healthy and protect the farmer's investment. There is an expectation of cost effectiveness and market value that determines the type of conditions farmed salmon grow in. To compensate for the lack of pink color, colors are added that can be made both naturally and synthetically. Whether they are natural or synthetic is generally up to the farmer.
This is not to say farmed salmon is bad, or has no omega 3 fatty acids. It does, and it is better than nothing. And fresh fish is a lovely meal. But like eating free range eggs in preference to battery cage eggs, wild salmon is an infinitely better nutritional choice.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Natural-Health-And-Beauty---When-Fresh-May-Not-Be-Best/2528
Your Obese Child and School Nutrition
Good Nutrition in School Can Help to Fight Childhood Obesity
Perhaps you are trying to help your child lose weight, or you feel he or she may be in danger of becoming overweight or unhealthy because of their eating and exercise habits.
If so, it is important that you consider the impact of your child’s time at school as you think about what you need to change.
As the U.S. government has studied obesity, many of their agencies have produced reports and established guidelines to help parents and school systems understand how to make important changes.
These guidelines are designed to encourage our children to eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise.
Across the country, schools are beginning to offer more good food choices, and look at their physical education and extra curricular activities to ensure that they encourage good habits.
Of course your involvement and understanding is important if your child is going to get the right support while she or he is in school during the day.
And, you need to ensure that your child understands the importance of CHOOSING the healthy foods and participating in exercise programs, but the first step is to make sure these choices are AVAILABLE to your child.
Working with medical organizations, the USDA published a ‘Prescription for Change’, and ‘Healthy School Nutrition Environments’.
These reports were meant to be used by schools to improve their nutritional program.
Here are some of the recommendations included in those reports.
** The Serving and Dining Environment
** The Federal, State and local government must provide adequate funding for food and eating environs to support healthy eating.
** Dining space will be adequate, pleasant and socially accommodating, and will accommodate all students and staff scheduled to eat at a certain time of day.
** Serving areas will be sufficient to ensure that every student has access to meals with a minimum of waiting time, so that they have plenty of time to eat before their next class.
** The staff and administration of the school, AND the students and parents will analyze the current environment, working together to create a space that matches the needs of all parties.
Nutritional Concerns Regarding Meals and Foods
** Meals should comply with USDA nutritional standards and guidelines, and students should have plenty of food choices, with new foods introduced to keep the menu interesting and healthy.
** Food preparation and preferences should be varied enough to comply with various tastes and ethnic preferences or religious requirements.
** Additional food and drink offered, over and above meals served, e.g. vending machines and packaged ‘snacks’, will represent the 5 major food groups in the Food Guide Pyramid.
**Students must have designated lunch periods, long enough for them to get their food and eat at a healthy pace.
** Lunch periods should be as close to the middle of the day as possible and should allow time for socialization and a relaxed eating pace.
** All decisions made by the school system regarding the type, variety and quantity of food and drink to be sold in the school will be based on nutritional goals and sound guidelines, NOT on the profit the school can make.
Nutrition and Health Focused Curriculum
** Kindergarten through Grade 12 classes should include education and information on healthy eating habits and the types of foods a child should eat to stay healthy and help them grow.
Now that you understand the concerns and recommendations of the USDA and the national medical organizations, go to a school board meeting and talk to the board members about what they are doing to comply with these guidelines.
If you don’t know what your child’s eating environment and food choices are, visit the school and find out. Get involved with the PTA or PTO in your school system and get to work!
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Your-Obese-Child---School-Nutrition/4007
Perhaps you are trying to help your child lose weight, or you feel he or she may be in danger of becoming overweight or unhealthy because of their eating and exercise habits.
If so, it is important that you consider the impact of your child’s time at school as you think about what you need to change.
As the U.S. government has studied obesity, many of their agencies have produced reports and established guidelines to help parents and school systems understand how to make important changes.
These guidelines are designed to encourage our children to eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise.
Across the country, schools are beginning to offer more good food choices, and look at their physical education and extra curricular activities to ensure that they encourage good habits.
Of course your involvement and understanding is important if your child is going to get the right support while she or he is in school during the day.
And, you need to ensure that your child understands the importance of CHOOSING the healthy foods and participating in exercise programs, but the first step is to make sure these choices are AVAILABLE to your child.
Working with medical organizations, the USDA published a ‘Prescription for Change’, and ‘Healthy School Nutrition Environments’.
These reports were meant to be used by schools to improve their nutritional program.
Here are some of the recommendations included in those reports.
** The Serving and Dining Environment
** The Federal, State and local government must provide adequate funding for food and eating environs to support healthy eating.
** Dining space will be adequate, pleasant and socially accommodating, and will accommodate all students and staff scheduled to eat at a certain time of day.
** Serving areas will be sufficient to ensure that every student has access to meals with a minimum of waiting time, so that they have plenty of time to eat before their next class.
** The staff and administration of the school, AND the students and parents will analyze the current environment, working together to create a space that matches the needs of all parties.
Nutritional Concerns Regarding Meals and Foods
** Meals should comply with USDA nutritional standards and guidelines, and students should have plenty of food choices, with new foods introduced to keep the menu interesting and healthy.
** Food preparation and preferences should be varied enough to comply with various tastes and ethnic preferences or religious requirements.
** Additional food and drink offered, over and above meals served, e.g. vending machines and packaged ‘snacks’, will represent the 5 major food groups in the Food Guide Pyramid.
**Students must have designated lunch periods, long enough for them to get their food and eat at a healthy pace.
** Lunch periods should be as close to the middle of the day as possible and should allow time for socialization and a relaxed eating pace.
** All decisions made by the school system regarding the type, variety and quantity of food and drink to be sold in the school will be based on nutritional goals and sound guidelines, NOT on the profit the school can make.
Nutrition and Health Focused Curriculum
** Kindergarten through Grade 12 classes should include education and information on healthy eating habits and the types of foods a child should eat to stay healthy and help them grow.
Now that you understand the concerns and recommendations of the USDA and the national medical organizations, go to a school board meeting and talk to the board members about what they are doing to comply with these guidelines.
If you don’t know what your child’s eating environment and food choices are, visit the school and find out. Get involved with the PTA or PTO in your school system and get to work!
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Your-Obese-Child---School-Nutrition/4007
Your Immune System: How It Works And How You Can Support It
Do you know what your immune system is? The parts your immune system is made up of? How it works? Those are the things that we'll explore in this article.
What Is Your Immune System?
Your immune system is your body's defense system. Whenever any kind of pathogen, such as a virus, bacteria, or such, enters your body, it is the immune system's job to find, destroy, and remove the pathogen. In short, the immune system is designed to keep you free from disease.
How your Immune System Works
Your immune system is divided into two parts: the innate part and the adaptive part.
The innate part of your immune system is the part of your immune system that is always there and guarding against infection or disease. It is your first line of defense.
Parts of the innate immune system include neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Natural Killer Cells, or NKC's, are also part of your innate immune system. They are specially able at killing cells infected with a virus, as well as cancer cells.
Your innate immune system also includes parts like your skin mucous membranes, and other parts that protect your health by blocking or keeping out pathogens.
Your adaptive immune system is the part of your system that adapts to respond to threats to your health. The adaptive part of your immune system is the reason that you generally will not get the same common cold virus or chickenpox more than once.
Your adaptive immune system is made up of two primary components: antibodies and T-cells. Each of these types is designed to recognize specific types of virus-infected cells, bacteria, or other pathogens.
Note that this is a very generalized overview of how your immune system works. For a more precise explanation, see an encyclopedia or medical textbook.
Nutrition and your immune system
There are many nutrients that play a role in your immune function. Here are just a few of them:
Glyconutrients are an important part of the immune response. Glyconutrients are used to create glycoproteins, which cover the outsides of all cells in your body. These glycoproteins are used by immune system cells (among others) for recognizing pathogens.
Phytonutrients have been found by science to be very helpful in fighting disease. Scientists are not certain whether phytonutrients are actually used by your body, if they have a direct effect on disease, or both.
Colostrum taken as a supplement can help boost the immune system.
Deficiencies in vitamin C can cause poor immunity.
Hopefully this article has given you at least a slightly better understanding of your immune system, and how it works. Make the effort today to support your immune system with proper diet and supplements – you won't be sorry!
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Your-Immune-System--How-It-Works-And-How-You-Can-Support-It/4138
What Is Your Immune System?
Your immune system is your body's defense system. Whenever any kind of pathogen, such as a virus, bacteria, or such, enters your body, it is the immune system's job to find, destroy, and remove the pathogen. In short, the immune system is designed to keep you free from disease.
How your Immune System Works
Your immune system is divided into two parts: the innate part and the adaptive part.
The innate part of your immune system is the part of your immune system that is always there and guarding against infection or disease. It is your first line of defense.
Parts of the innate immune system include neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Natural Killer Cells, or NKC's, are also part of your innate immune system. They are specially able at killing cells infected with a virus, as well as cancer cells.
Your innate immune system also includes parts like your skin mucous membranes, and other parts that protect your health by blocking or keeping out pathogens.
Your adaptive immune system is the part of your system that adapts to respond to threats to your health. The adaptive part of your immune system is the reason that you generally will not get the same common cold virus or chickenpox more than once.
Your adaptive immune system is made up of two primary components: antibodies and T-cells. Each of these types is designed to recognize specific types of virus-infected cells, bacteria, or other pathogens.
Note that this is a very generalized overview of how your immune system works. For a more precise explanation, see an encyclopedia or medical textbook.
Nutrition and your immune system
There are many nutrients that play a role in your immune function. Here are just a few of them:
Glyconutrients are an important part of the immune response. Glyconutrients are used to create glycoproteins, which cover the outsides of all cells in your body. These glycoproteins are used by immune system cells (among others) for recognizing pathogens.
Phytonutrients have been found by science to be very helpful in fighting disease. Scientists are not certain whether phytonutrients are actually used by your body, if they have a direct effect on disease, or both.
Colostrum taken as a supplement can help boost the immune system.
Deficiencies in vitamin C can cause poor immunity.
Hopefully this article has given you at least a slightly better understanding of your immune system, and how it works. Make the effort today to support your immune system with proper diet and supplements – you won't be sorry!
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Your-Immune-System--How-It-Works-And-How-You-Can-Support-It/4138
Milk for Your Childs Healthy Mouth
Studies show that most kids don't get the calcium they need. In fact, more than half of teenage boys and girls don't get enough calcium. Bones grow most during the childhood and teenage years.
By eating and drinking foods with calcium, children and teens can build up calcium-rich bones for now and for when they are adults. This calcium helps keep bones strong and may prevent them from getting fragile and breaking later in life.
Milk and other dairy foods are excellent sources of calcium. Calcium is a mineral that helps make teeth strong and healthy. Even before baby teeth and adult teeth come in, they need calcium. And after teeth come in, they continue to take in calcium so they can develop fully. Calcium makes gums healthy. Getting enough calcium as a young adult may help prevent gum disease later in life. Calcium makes jawbones strong and healthy too. Jawbones need to be strong — they hold the teeth in place.
According to the Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, National Academy of Sciences, 1997, one 8-oz glass of milk contains 300mg of calcium. Children between ages 1-3 need about 500mg of calcium (one and on-half glass of milk). Children between 4-8 years old need about 800mg of calcium (two glasses of milk). And children of 9-18 years old need 1300 mg (four glasses of milk).
Kids can get calcium from:
• Milk and other dairy foods, like cheese and yogurt, are very good sources of calcium. One 8-ounce glass of milk has about 300 milligrams of calcium. Just a few glasses can go a long way toward giving kids the calcium they need each day. Milk also has other vitamins and minerals that are good for teeth and bones. The vitamin D in milk helps the body absorb calcium.
• Other healthy foods with calcium are dark green, leafy vegetables; orange juice with calcium added; and soy milk with calcium added.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following types of milk for children:
• Babies under one year old should have breast milk or formula with iron added.
• Children ages one to two should drink whole milk.
• Children ages two to five should be gradually switched to fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk.
Food labels can tell you how much calcium is in one serving of a food. Look at the % Daily Value next to the calcium number on the food label.
• Try to eat and drink foods with 20% or more Daily Value of calcium (like milk). These foods are good sources of calcium.
• A food with 5% Daily Value or less has just a little calcium.
• For most adults, 100% Daily Value = 1,000 milligrams of calcium — but children ages 9-18 need extra calcium, or 130% of the Daily Value. This age group needs 1,300 milligrams, an additional 300 milligrams of calcium each day. That means one extra 8-ounce glass of milk or extra servings of another calcium-rich food.
Not everyone can drink milk. Some people get an upset stomach if they drink milk or eat dairy products. This may be (but is not always) a sign of lactose intolerance. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and dairy foods. When lactose is not digested it may cause an upset stomach, bloating, diarrhea, and gas. Lactose intolerance is not common in young children. It is much less of a problem if milk or dairy foods are taken with meals. Talk to your pediatrician if you think your child might have trouble digesting milk and dairy foods.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Milk-for-Your-Child-s-Healthy-Mouth/4302
By eating and drinking foods with calcium, children and teens can build up calcium-rich bones for now and for when they are adults. This calcium helps keep bones strong and may prevent them from getting fragile and breaking later in life.
Milk and other dairy foods are excellent sources of calcium. Calcium is a mineral that helps make teeth strong and healthy. Even before baby teeth and adult teeth come in, they need calcium. And after teeth come in, they continue to take in calcium so they can develop fully. Calcium makes gums healthy. Getting enough calcium as a young adult may help prevent gum disease later in life. Calcium makes jawbones strong and healthy too. Jawbones need to be strong — they hold the teeth in place.
According to the Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, National Academy of Sciences, 1997, one 8-oz glass of milk contains 300mg of calcium. Children between ages 1-3 need about 500mg of calcium (one and on-half glass of milk). Children between 4-8 years old need about 800mg of calcium (two glasses of milk). And children of 9-18 years old need 1300 mg (four glasses of milk).
Kids can get calcium from:
• Milk and other dairy foods, like cheese and yogurt, are very good sources of calcium. One 8-ounce glass of milk has about 300 milligrams of calcium. Just a few glasses can go a long way toward giving kids the calcium they need each day. Milk also has other vitamins and minerals that are good for teeth and bones. The vitamin D in milk helps the body absorb calcium.
• Other healthy foods with calcium are dark green, leafy vegetables; orange juice with calcium added; and soy milk with calcium added.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following types of milk for children:
• Babies under one year old should have breast milk or formula with iron added.
• Children ages one to two should drink whole milk.
• Children ages two to five should be gradually switched to fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk.
Food labels can tell you how much calcium is in one serving of a food. Look at the % Daily Value next to the calcium number on the food label.
• Try to eat and drink foods with 20% or more Daily Value of calcium (like milk). These foods are good sources of calcium.
• A food with 5% Daily Value or less has just a little calcium.
• For most adults, 100% Daily Value = 1,000 milligrams of calcium — but children ages 9-18 need extra calcium, or 130% of the Daily Value. This age group needs 1,300 milligrams, an additional 300 milligrams of calcium each day. That means one extra 8-ounce glass of milk or extra servings of another calcium-rich food.
Not everyone can drink milk. Some people get an upset stomach if they drink milk or eat dairy products. This may be (but is not always) a sign of lactose intolerance. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and dairy foods. When lactose is not digested it may cause an upset stomach, bloating, diarrhea, and gas. Lactose intolerance is not common in young children. It is much less of a problem if milk or dairy foods are taken with meals. Talk to your pediatrician if you think your child might have trouble digesting milk and dairy foods.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/Milk-for-Your-Child-s-Healthy-Mouth/4302
The Delicious Path Of Antiaging Nutrition
Plant nutrients play a key role in anti aging. Fruit, vegetables, and plant extracts have an array of chemical constituents, called phytochemicals or phytonutrients, that are hugely beneficial to skin health and beauty.
In plants, phytochemicals confer characteristics like color, which can help the plant by providing an attractive beacon to passing bees to help in pollination. Or they offer a protective effect to the plant to prevent insects from harming it, or repel grazing animals. But they have often been found to have benefits for human health when analyzed in laboratories. It is these chemicals in plants that make fruit and vegetables so much more valuable than simply the macro nutrients like vitamin C.
Antioxidants are one class of phytonutrients, though there are many. Antioxidants work by supplying an extra oxygen molecule to those molecules that are missing one, called free radicals. If antioxidants don't supply the missing oxygen molecule to free radicals, the free radicals will take an oxygen molecule from another compound in the body, making one that was previously healthy and intact itself a free radical. Free radicals are not 'baddies', simply unstable chemical molecules, but the effect they have on the body is negative, as they can damage cells. Free radicals are produced as a normal by product of the metabolic processes of our cells, as well as by our immune system as it counteracts the effects of pathogens and the environment.
The trick is to keep the balance in the body where there is enough of a supply of antioxidants to cope with the body's production of free radicals.
Free radicals affect the skin in three main ways. They can alter the fatty layers in your cellular membranes. These fatty layers provide structure to the cell, and control which nutrients and other agents can pass in and out. They can alter the DNA within cells, which aside from the potential to develop into serious illnesses, can make your skin inclined to wrinkles and sagging before its natural biological time. Altered DNA creates a blueprint for collagen and elastin fibers that don't function as healthy, normal ones would. And to compound matters, the skin's pores need healthy collagen and elastin fibers to stay tight and small. So another undesired result is open, large pores.
Free radicals also lead to a process called the cross-linking of collagen fibers. This occurs in the skin's dermis, as a result of collagen and elastin fibers becoming hard, thick, and then binding together. Cross-linked fibers create wrinkles, skin sag, and cause your regular expression lines to become etched in your face as a permanent fixture. With healthy collagen and elastin fibers these expression lines would simply disappear once you moved your facial muscles in a different way. And enzymes that metabolize collagen are encouraged by free radicals, which, given the importance of collagen in youthful looking skin, is best minimized.
Other phytonutrients in plants that are of importance to skin beauty are carotenoids and flavanoids. Flavanoids are great for the health of blood vessels. They strengthen the capillaries that supply important nutrients to the skin's cells, as well as supporting cellular membranes. Healthy cell membranes regenerate quickly, and slow the aging process. Carotenoids also strengthen cell membranes. It seems carrots are not just good for eyesight! And flavanoids help reduce inflammation, as well as increasing levels of glutathione, which is an antioxidant.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/The-Delicious-Path-Of-Antiaging-Nutrition/2874
In plants, phytochemicals confer characteristics like color, which can help the plant by providing an attractive beacon to passing bees to help in pollination. Or they offer a protective effect to the plant to prevent insects from harming it, or repel grazing animals. But they have often been found to have benefits for human health when analyzed in laboratories. It is these chemicals in plants that make fruit and vegetables so much more valuable than simply the macro nutrients like vitamin C.
Antioxidants are one class of phytonutrients, though there are many. Antioxidants work by supplying an extra oxygen molecule to those molecules that are missing one, called free radicals. If antioxidants don't supply the missing oxygen molecule to free radicals, the free radicals will take an oxygen molecule from another compound in the body, making one that was previously healthy and intact itself a free radical. Free radicals are not 'baddies', simply unstable chemical molecules, but the effect they have on the body is negative, as they can damage cells. Free radicals are produced as a normal by product of the metabolic processes of our cells, as well as by our immune system as it counteracts the effects of pathogens and the environment.
The trick is to keep the balance in the body where there is enough of a supply of antioxidants to cope with the body's production of free radicals.
Free radicals affect the skin in three main ways. They can alter the fatty layers in your cellular membranes. These fatty layers provide structure to the cell, and control which nutrients and other agents can pass in and out. They can alter the DNA within cells, which aside from the potential to develop into serious illnesses, can make your skin inclined to wrinkles and sagging before its natural biological time. Altered DNA creates a blueprint for collagen and elastin fibers that don't function as healthy, normal ones would. And to compound matters, the skin's pores need healthy collagen and elastin fibers to stay tight and small. So another undesired result is open, large pores.
Free radicals also lead to a process called the cross-linking of collagen fibers. This occurs in the skin's dermis, as a result of collagen and elastin fibers becoming hard, thick, and then binding together. Cross-linked fibers create wrinkles, skin sag, and cause your regular expression lines to become etched in your face as a permanent fixture. With healthy collagen and elastin fibers these expression lines would simply disappear once you moved your facial muscles in a different way. And enzymes that metabolize collagen are encouraged by free radicals, which, given the importance of collagen in youthful looking skin, is best minimized.
Other phytonutrients in plants that are of importance to skin beauty are carotenoids and flavanoids. Flavanoids are great for the health of blood vessels. They strengthen the capillaries that supply important nutrients to the skin's cells, as well as supporting cellular membranes. Healthy cell membranes regenerate quickly, and slow the aging process. Carotenoids also strengthen cell membranes. It seems carrots are not just good for eyesight! And flavanoids help reduce inflammation, as well as increasing levels of glutathione, which is an antioxidant.
http://allholisticwellness.com/Article/The-Delicious-Path-Of-Antiaging-Nutrition/2874
Monday, January 29, 2007
Is Eating a Raw Food Diet Actually Healthy for You
Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you eat has to provide your body with the nourishment to properly balance your body's chemistry. If you have health challenges, are overweight or obese, chances are you are not in balance at all. The typical North American diet is woefully out of balance. Even what are commonly considered as healthy diets, such as low fat, vegetarien and vegan diets can be improperly balanced.
The good news is you can forget counting ... cholesterol, calories, fat grams, carbohydrates, etc, if you eat a properly balanced diet. But, just what does a properly balanced diet consist of?
At this time, it is important to remember a quick lesson in chemistry. Many people know about acids. We used to often hear about acid rain and almost everyone knows that acids are dangerous. The opposite of acids are bases, or alkaloids. These alkaline substances will neutralize acids. In fact, if you mix an acid and a base of equal strength, you will get a new liquid that is close to being neutral. The way of measuring how acidic or alkaline a substance is a scale called pH.
It turns out that the body has a set level of pH that it likes to function in. Just as we all have a normal body temperature, we also have a normal pH for our tissues. Different tissues have different pH levels. One of the most important ones is the pH of your blood. The pH of your blood is slightly alkaline. The body will go to great lengths to keep that pH level fixed. It will do this at the expense of other tissues or systems.
The goal of any healthy eating regimen is to provide the body with the necessary building blocks in the proper pH such that the pH balance can be maintained easily. When this happens, the body will detoxify itself naturally. In addition, weight loss is a side effect of being properly balanced. When one is out of balance, or overly acidic, weight gain, chronic illness, allergies, cancer, heart disease and even diabetes can result. This chronic overacidity of the blood corrodes the tissues of the body. It can also be said that the main cause of all sickness and disease is the disruption of the balance in the body.
With that in mind, how does one get in balance?
In order to get in balance, one needs to consume about 80 percent of your diet as alkaline foods. Green leafy vegetables are a great example of alkaline foods. So are sprouts, broccoli and many other green vegetables. A great way to get started on this new way of life is to pick up a copy of "The pH Miracle" from your local or online bookstore. Inside you will learn how to jumpstart your way into a lifestyle of balanced eating that promotes long term health. In addition you will discover all the foods you should avoid and the ones that you can eat as much as you like. This book is written by Dr. Robert O. Young and his wife Shelley provides recipes in the book too. All in all, an alkaline way of life is both healthy and safe when done properly.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Eating-a-Raw-Food-Diet-Actually-Healthy-for-You?&id=67050
The good news is you can forget counting ... cholesterol, calories, fat grams, carbohydrates, etc, if you eat a properly balanced diet. But, just what does a properly balanced diet consist of?
At this time, it is important to remember a quick lesson in chemistry. Many people know about acids. We used to often hear about acid rain and almost everyone knows that acids are dangerous. The opposite of acids are bases, or alkaloids. These alkaline substances will neutralize acids. In fact, if you mix an acid and a base of equal strength, you will get a new liquid that is close to being neutral. The way of measuring how acidic or alkaline a substance is a scale called pH.
It turns out that the body has a set level of pH that it likes to function in. Just as we all have a normal body temperature, we also have a normal pH for our tissues. Different tissues have different pH levels. One of the most important ones is the pH of your blood. The pH of your blood is slightly alkaline. The body will go to great lengths to keep that pH level fixed. It will do this at the expense of other tissues or systems.
The goal of any healthy eating regimen is to provide the body with the necessary building blocks in the proper pH such that the pH balance can be maintained easily. When this happens, the body will detoxify itself naturally. In addition, weight loss is a side effect of being properly balanced. When one is out of balance, or overly acidic, weight gain, chronic illness, allergies, cancer, heart disease and even diabetes can result. This chronic overacidity of the blood corrodes the tissues of the body. It can also be said that the main cause of all sickness and disease is the disruption of the balance in the body.
With that in mind, how does one get in balance?
In order to get in balance, one needs to consume about 80 percent of your diet as alkaline foods. Green leafy vegetables are a great example of alkaline foods. So are sprouts, broccoli and many other green vegetables. A great way to get started on this new way of life is to pick up a copy of "The pH Miracle" from your local or online bookstore. Inside you will learn how to jumpstart your way into a lifestyle of balanced eating that promotes long term health. In addition you will discover all the foods you should avoid and the ones that you can eat as much as you like. This book is written by Dr. Robert O. Young and his wife Shelley provides recipes in the book too. All in all, an alkaline way of life is both healthy and safe when done properly.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Eating-a-Raw-Food-Diet-Actually-Healthy-for-You?&id=67050
Fighting Fatigue and the American Diner Breakfast
I went out for lunch yesterday and ordered a portobello mushroom wrap with some fresh vegetables, no dressing at the local sandwich and coffee shop.
As always, it was a struggle to find something at a deli, restaurant or take out place that fits my somewhat stringent and holistic dietary requirements.
The server brought out the meal and after I took my first bite, I wasn't sure if I had gotten the right order.
What I was eating was something that tasted more like a mix between tofu and tempeh (a fermented soy product). It was fried and--of course--it tasted good. Everything fried tends to have a wonderful taste, doesn't it?!
This required a more extensive analysis. I examined the contents of the wrap closely--pulling out a piece of the fried food-stuff and taking it apart with a knife. Once I was convinced that there were no meat products in it, I decided that I'd give it a shot... and yes, as I had imagined every bite was just as good an the first!
Then I went home.
I sat down at the computer to check my email and do some writing--with every intention to be very productive--and within five minutes my eyes had shut and I was cat napping right at my desk.
When I woke up a minute or so later, I was instantly reminded of the times in college--and even before that, in high school--when right after a meal, I'd go to class and struggle to keep my head up from the desk. The battle was helpless to fight. I remember distinctly one 2:00PM, large lecture class during my Junior year at Marist where I'd, no fail, fall asleep around 2:15PM and wake up around 2:50PM--missing a whole 35 minutes! Every time! I'd love to find the girls that sat behind me who used to kid me after class about it. They would be a great testimonial to this story!
I now am aware of the reason why my energy stores and most likely yours are being depleted after eating.
My class was right after lunch, and whether I ate at the cafeteria or a frozen pizza at home before class, I was not getting enough fresh foods to keep me at a peak level. Not even enough good food to keep me at a CONSCIOUS level!
Eat a frozen pizza and a few mozzarella sticks from the toaster and guage how you feel in 15-20 minutes. If you're on the couch passed out with the TV on, I think I've proven my point.
On the other hand, eat a salad with just vegetables, nuts and beans or drink a fresh juice and just wait to get tired.
You'll be waiting for a long time. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and all other natural uncooked foods have more nutrients and their food life is digested quickly for immediate use. Your body does not have to labor over digestion when you eat these fresh foods. Your digestive system knows what to do with these foods and knows how to distribute them right away.
When your system gets a glob of eggs, meats, cheeses, sauteed vegetables, toast, butter, 2 coffees, cream, sugar and fried potatoes--what is known to us as the "American Diner Breakfast" it goes into a panic and rushes all your blood to your stomach to take care of the crisis. You suffer by falling asleep or feeling like a truck hit you--hard.
So here's the action your should consider taking...
In the next week, before your next installment of this 5 Part series on Body Awareness, I'd like you to take notice of how your body feels after you eat your food. Do you feel tired? Do you feel like exercising? Are you amazed that you've never noticed how poor you felt after a huge cooked meal?
Don't go any further than just noticing how you feel. We'll address what to do next in seven days.
This will begin to tune you into your own body. It's amazing how much time we spend with ourselves and we never really take the time to figure out what we--our bodies--want. Imagine if your friend was always telling you that they get sick and tired every time they eat a fried meal with no fresh vegetables. I imagine, if you were a concerned friend that you'd tell them they should consider trying a new diet, right?!
Chances are your bodies are telling you the same thing. You've learned to ignore the best friend you could possibly have. Listen to it and recognize the signals it is giving you and you've made the first step to optimal health and fitness.
In Part 2, you'll learn how to create radical change in your body image once you recognize what your body wants.
Until then, keep listening--you'll hear something.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Fighting-Fatigue-and-the-American-Diner-Breakfast&id=66698
Take Back Your Life 7
In parts 1-6 of this series of articles titled "Take Back Your Life", we discussed what could be considered the four wheels of the human wellness vehicle. We discussed the importance of proper cell function, the necessity of having and maintaining a balanced endocrine system, and the role of vitamins and minerals, including certain trace minerals as they relate to wellness, the value of antioxidants, the necessity of consuming plenty of enhanced water and what roles lactoferrin (Lf) and proline-rich peptide (PRP), which act to regulate and balance the immune system, play in helping to maintain a healthy body. In this segment we shall discuss what elements in our food and supplements contribute to keeping the digestive functions working well and how that contributes to our health and a higher quality of life.
Since it is not so much what we EAT, but rather what we DIGEST that contributes to our state of health, it is important to consider how well our intestinal processes function. If we make healthy choices when selecting foods that will make up our diets, then we must thoroughly digest those foods in order to get all of the valuable nutrients we seek to benefit from. It is widely known that improper digestion and elimination contribute greatly to ill health and disease and that the cleaner and more efficient our intestinal systems are, the greater the chances that we can avoid the disease processes that often come with colon dysfunction and age.
As we age, we tend to produce lower amounts of those things needed to fully digest the food that we consume. Therefore it is often necessary to supplement our food intake with those enzymes, healthy flora, and bacteria that are necessary in order to fully break down our food and contribute to regular and trouble free digestion and elimination. One way to think of our digestive structures is a balanced ecosystem. One characteristic of any healthy ecosystem is the presence of a diversity of organisms. At birth, the human intestines contain no microorganisms. Shortly thereafter, depending upon the type of food ingested, they become populated with various genera of bacteria. The average modern human’s gut is often not a healthy ecosystem. As stated previously, we must thoroughly digest those foods in order to get all of the valuable nutrients we seek to benefit from. Therefore it is often necessary to supplement our food intake with those enzymes, healthy flora, and bacteria that are necessary in order to fully break down our food and contribute to regular and trouble free digestion and elimination. What follows is information regarding some healthy gut elements that may contribute to proper digestion and healthy colon issues.
One hallmark of any healthy ecosystem is the presence of a diversity of organisms. Lactose and oligosaccharides are two of the most abundant soluble nutrients in human milk. Some enzymes in breast milk can facilitate the digestion of lactose and oligosaccharides, breaking both alpha and beta bonds and releasing simple sugars. Most lactose and oligosaccharide digestion, however, depends upon gut microflora. Within 3-4 days after birth, colons of breast-fed infants become populated with microflora that consists of about 99% Lactobacillus species.
While a healthy adult’s large intestine is normally populated by as many as 500 microbial species, many adults may lack adequate levels of lactobacilli bacteria. After weaning, approximately 70% of the world’s population no longer has the enzyme required to digest lactose--that is, they become lactase deficient. Indeed, the average modern human’s gut is frequently not a healthy ecosystem. Modern consumption of bacteria is estimated to be a million times less than levels consumed by our Stone Age ancestors. Antibiotics can drastically reduce or eliminate lactobacilli from the intestinal microflora. Abusive dietary habits, alcohol consumption, and stress can also disturb the microbial ecology of the gut.
As early as 1908, the Nobel laureate Metchnikoff advocated the consumption of lactobacilli, stating that “ingested lactobacilli can displace toxin-producing bacteria, promoting health and prolonging life.” Metchnikoff’s insight reflected the intuitive wisdom of human societies that have consumed yogurt and fermented milk for thousands of years. Today, a growing appreciation of the importance of a healthy population of bacteria (and some species of yeast) in the colon, and recognition of the health benefits of certain species has spurred interest in the consumption of these living organisms (probiotics), particularly lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
L. acidophilus has received the most attention as a health-promoting probiotic. In vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that some strains of L. acidophilus can adhere to human intestine cells; adhesion and survival are enhanced by milk. Ingestion of L. acidophilus significantly increases the number of lactobacilli in the colon. Numerous animal studies have reported that L. acidophilus consumption can decrease serum cholesterol levels. A laboratory study found that L. acidophilus could remove cholesterol from the laboratory medium only in the presence of bile and under anaerobic conditions (e.g., the environment of the colon).
Any bacterium that produces lactase can improve lactose malabsorption. Some strains of lactobacillus can degrade lactose. L. acidophilus consumption improves lactose utilization following milk consumption. Lactose-intolerant children consuming L. acidophilus-inoculated milk or yogurt experienced decreased symptoms compared with those consuming milk products without L. acidophilus.
L. acidophilus produces many antibiotic-like compounds that are effective against numerous undesirable bacterial pathogens. L. acidophilus supplementation can significantly reduce the incidence of systemic candidiasis in imminodeficient mice. Phagocytosis of E. coli was enhanced when individuals consumed a fermented product containing adherent strains of L. acidophilus. Dietary L. acidophilus has successfully been used to treat patients with a variety of intestinal disorders, and can reduce staphylococcal growth during antibiotic therapy.
Milk, yogurt or colostrum fermented with L. acidophilus has been shown to inhibit the production of implanted tumor cells in mice. Additionally consumption of L. casei demonstrated a strong tendency in protecting against enteropathogens, including Salmonella typhimurium and E. coli. Further studies have shown that supplementation with L. casei can shorten episodes of acute diarrhea in children.
Peppermint is another common element that has historically been accepted as producing a beneficial effect on digestion processes. Studies have demonstrated the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal attributes of peppermint oil. Peppermint oil can provide relief from the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and can reduce postoperative nausea.
Known as prebiotics because they support a healthy bacterial flora in the gut, soluble dietary fibers (including gums) form a gel, providing the matrix in which bacteria survive and physicochemical interactions can occur. Many studies have reported favorable effects of soluble dietary fiber on blood pressure, obesity, serum lipids, diabetes (serum blood sugar), coronary artery disease, and some cancers. Populations that consume high-fiber diets have a lower incidence of numerous gastrointestinal (GI) complaints, including gallstones, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticular disease of the colon, appendicitis, hemorrhoids, and hiatal hernia. A review of over 200 epidemiologic studies found that dietary fiber is among a group of fruit and vegetable-derived substances that show particular promise in cancer prevention.
Over 200 human studies have supported the conclusion that a diet rich in soluble fiber may lower plasma cholesterol. As little as 8 grams of various gums can lower serum total cholesterol. The role of dietary fiber with respect to diabetes is also important. Diabetics who increase their consumption of soluble fiber can experience a drastic reduction of insulin dosage and improved control of serum glucose. The soluble fiber component of the diet can significantly reduce postprandial blood glucose concentrations in patients with either type I or type II diabetes. Twelve daily grams of XG lowered fasting and post-glucose feeding serum glucose levels and reduced fasting levels of total plasma cholesterol in diabetic subjects.
A large portion of the body’s immune system is localized to the GI wall and in mesenteric lymph nodes. XG is a potent polyclonal activator of lymphocytes, stimulating immature B cell populations and the production of IgM and IgG antibodies.
Studies have shown that soluble fiber can enhance intestinal immune function. A large portion of the body's immune system is localized to the gastrointestinal (GI) wall and in mesenteric lymph nodes. Bacteria form a protective layer and help regulate inflammation and immunity. Elimination of bacteria from the mouse GI tract by antibiotics results in significant immune response suppression, suggesting that intestinal bacteria play an important role in host defense. In an animal study, consumption of gum acacia stimulated intestinal and splenic immune system function.
The recommended daily dietary fiber intake is 20-35 grams. The average North American consumes less than half the recommended amount--about 10 grams of fiber daily. The American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics consume even more - at least 40 grams of fiber daily. Because many individuals find it difficult to increase their fiber intake by over 100% through food sources, some physicians recommend concentrated fiber supplements to their patients.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Take-Back-Your-Life-7&id=65349
Since it is not so much what we EAT, but rather what we DIGEST that contributes to our state of health, it is important to consider how well our intestinal processes function. If we make healthy choices when selecting foods that will make up our diets, then we must thoroughly digest those foods in order to get all of the valuable nutrients we seek to benefit from. It is widely known that improper digestion and elimination contribute greatly to ill health and disease and that the cleaner and more efficient our intestinal systems are, the greater the chances that we can avoid the disease processes that often come with colon dysfunction and age.
As we age, we tend to produce lower amounts of those things needed to fully digest the food that we consume. Therefore it is often necessary to supplement our food intake with those enzymes, healthy flora, and bacteria that are necessary in order to fully break down our food and contribute to regular and trouble free digestion and elimination. One way to think of our digestive structures is a balanced ecosystem. One characteristic of any healthy ecosystem is the presence of a diversity of organisms. At birth, the human intestines contain no microorganisms. Shortly thereafter, depending upon the type of food ingested, they become populated with various genera of bacteria. The average modern human’s gut is often not a healthy ecosystem. As stated previously, we must thoroughly digest those foods in order to get all of the valuable nutrients we seek to benefit from. Therefore it is often necessary to supplement our food intake with those enzymes, healthy flora, and bacteria that are necessary in order to fully break down our food and contribute to regular and trouble free digestion and elimination. What follows is information regarding some healthy gut elements that may contribute to proper digestion and healthy colon issues.
One hallmark of any healthy ecosystem is the presence of a diversity of organisms. Lactose and oligosaccharides are two of the most abundant soluble nutrients in human milk. Some enzymes in breast milk can facilitate the digestion of lactose and oligosaccharides, breaking both alpha and beta bonds and releasing simple sugars. Most lactose and oligosaccharide digestion, however, depends upon gut microflora. Within 3-4 days after birth, colons of breast-fed infants become populated with microflora that consists of about 99% Lactobacillus species.
While a healthy adult’s large intestine is normally populated by as many as 500 microbial species, many adults may lack adequate levels of lactobacilli bacteria. After weaning, approximately 70% of the world’s population no longer has the enzyme required to digest lactose--that is, they become lactase deficient. Indeed, the average modern human’s gut is frequently not a healthy ecosystem. Modern consumption of bacteria is estimated to be a million times less than levels consumed by our Stone Age ancestors. Antibiotics can drastically reduce or eliminate lactobacilli from the intestinal microflora. Abusive dietary habits, alcohol consumption, and stress can also disturb the microbial ecology of the gut.
As early as 1908, the Nobel laureate Metchnikoff advocated the consumption of lactobacilli, stating that “ingested lactobacilli can displace toxin-producing bacteria, promoting health and prolonging life.” Metchnikoff’s insight reflected the intuitive wisdom of human societies that have consumed yogurt and fermented milk for thousands of years. Today, a growing appreciation of the importance of a healthy population of bacteria (and some species of yeast) in the colon, and recognition of the health benefits of certain species has spurred interest in the consumption of these living organisms (probiotics), particularly lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
L. acidophilus has received the most attention as a health-promoting probiotic. In vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that some strains of L. acidophilus can adhere to human intestine cells; adhesion and survival are enhanced by milk. Ingestion of L. acidophilus significantly increases the number of lactobacilli in the colon. Numerous animal studies have reported that L. acidophilus consumption can decrease serum cholesterol levels. A laboratory study found that L. acidophilus could remove cholesterol from the laboratory medium only in the presence of bile and under anaerobic conditions (e.g., the environment of the colon).
Any bacterium that produces lactase can improve lactose malabsorption. Some strains of lactobacillus can degrade lactose. L. acidophilus consumption improves lactose utilization following milk consumption. Lactose-intolerant children consuming L. acidophilus-inoculated milk or yogurt experienced decreased symptoms compared with those consuming milk products without L. acidophilus.
L. acidophilus produces many antibiotic-like compounds that are effective against numerous undesirable bacterial pathogens. L. acidophilus supplementation can significantly reduce the incidence of systemic candidiasis in imminodeficient mice. Phagocytosis of E. coli was enhanced when individuals consumed a fermented product containing adherent strains of L. acidophilus. Dietary L. acidophilus has successfully been used to treat patients with a variety of intestinal disorders, and can reduce staphylococcal growth during antibiotic therapy.
Milk, yogurt or colostrum fermented with L. acidophilus has been shown to inhibit the production of implanted tumor cells in mice. Additionally consumption of L. casei demonstrated a strong tendency in protecting against enteropathogens, including Salmonella typhimurium and E. coli. Further studies have shown that supplementation with L. casei can shorten episodes of acute diarrhea in children.
Peppermint is another common element that has historically been accepted as producing a beneficial effect on digestion processes. Studies have demonstrated the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal attributes of peppermint oil. Peppermint oil can provide relief from the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, and can reduce postoperative nausea.
Known as prebiotics because they support a healthy bacterial flora in the gut, soluble dietary fibers (including gums) form a gel, providing the matrix in which bacteria survive and physicochemical interactions can occur. Many studies have reported favorable effects of soluble dietary fiber on blood pressure, obesity, serum lipids, diabetes (serum blood sugar), coronary artery disease, and some cancers. Populations that consume high-fiber diets have a lower incidence of numerous gastrointestinal (GI) complaints, including gallstones, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticular disease of the colon, appendicitis, hemorrhoids, and hiatal hernia. A review of over 200 epidemiologic studies found that dietary fiber is among a group of fruit and vegetable-derived substances that show particular promise in cancer prevention.
Over 200 human studies have supported the conclusion that a diet rich in soluble fiber may lower plasma cholesterol. As little as 8 grams of various gums can lower serum total cholesterol. The role of dietary fiber with respect to diabetes is also important. Diabetics who increase their consumption of soluble fiber can experience a drastic reduction of insulin dosage and improved control of serum glucose. The soluble fiber component of the diet can significantly reduce postprandial blood glucose concentrations in patients with either type I or type II diabetes. Twelve daily grams of XG lowered fasting and post-glucose feeding serum glucose levels and reduced fasting levels of total plasma cholesterol in diabetic subjects.
A large portion of the body’s immune system is localized to the GI wall and in mesenteric lymph nodes. XG is a potent polyclonal activator of lymphocytes, stimulating immature B cell populations and the production of IgM and IgG antibodies.
Studies have shown that soluble fiber can enhance intestinal immune function. A large portion of the body's immune system is localized to the gastrointestinal (GI) wall and in mesenteric lymph nodes. Bacteria form a protective layer and help regulate inflammation and immunity. Elimination of bacteria from the mouse GI tract by antibiotics results in significant immune response suppression, suggesting that intestinal bacteria play an important role in host defense. In an animal study, consumption of gum acacia stimulated intestinal and splenic immune system function.
The recommended daily dietary fiber intake is 20-35 grams. The average North American consumes less than half the recommended amount--about 10 grams of fiber daily. The American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics consume even more - at least 40 grams of fiber daily. Because many individuals find it difficult to increase their fiber intake by over 100% through food sources, some physicians recommend concentrated fiber supplements to their patients.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Take-Back-Your-Life-7&id=65349
Fight Cancer With Broccoli Sprouts
Mom was right to insist on us eating our vegetables. She knew they built health and gave us the minerals we need. Now scientists have found that we can eat foods to help us both prevent cancer and fight cancer.
Take Broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts are rich in a compound that provides significant protection against breast cancer and colon cancer. The compound is called sulforaphane glucosinalate.
Sprouts grown from certain types of broccoli seeds contain up to 50 times more of this compound than mature broccoli to help you fight cancer.
My research shows that a brand of sprouts developed at John Hopkins University is guaranteed to have 20 more times the SGS compound than the mature broccoli. This one is called BroccoSprouts. You can purchase broccoli sprouts at your local health food store or grocery store.
It is possible that Broccoli sprouts could carry the bacteria that make you sick - salmonella and e.coli, so you may want to take them out of the container when you get them home and soak in a bowl of water with a few drops of grapefruit seed extract for three or four minutes.
Don't put the sprouts back in the same container unless you soak that as well. After draining them for a few minutes store them in the refrigerator.
With Breast cancer and Colon cancer so common these days, be sure to add in this protective food, assisting your body to fight off illness and cancer.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Fight-Cancer-With-Broccoli-Sprouts&id=67101
Most of Us Talk and Think About Nutrition and Exercise as a Distant Activity to be Started Some Day
If you do not take time to stand back at your nutrition and exercise habits then be ready with a big paycheck for those hospitals bills and some loans because you will not earn when you are hospitalised.
Taking care of our nutriton and fitness is one of the best decisions we can take in our life. Why? Because our body is the only vehicle we have to carry us through this life journey.
We at nutritioninfopage.com constantly strive to provide you with the best information possible on how to be fit and health.
And most people do only half the things correctly. All they do is eat in moderation or excessive {not calculating calories} and end up fat or highly energised drained. Here is where the exercise part comes in.
Exercising for a better body is as good as,and as essential as eating for the same.
Exercise as you feel but atleast thrice a week and not more than 5 days a week.
Our bodies need break too and remember do not overdo it.
First lets start with 3 days schedule. You can first start with basic or so called ground exercises and do some free weight exercises. Do incorporate aerobis exercises in your exercise routine as well. And then your diet. It's very important and also acts as the best fuel for your body.
Once people start exercising then you get motivated to eat healthy and nutritious foods as well.
Include a high protein, moderate carbohydrates and a low fad diet.
Also weight loss and muscle gain diets are different. As the metabolisms differ it's difficult to give specific advice, and this is where advice from experts come in. At this point if you are serious then do hire a personal trainer.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Most-of-Us-Talk-and-Think-About-Nutrition-and-Exercise-as-a-Distant-Activity-to-be-Started-Some-Day!&id=66563
TsuNoni Green Tea Meets Noni
East Meets West
Asian cultures have realized the medical benefits of green tea for centuries. Those who drank it lived longer, healthier lives. Now science has discovered the reason behind the green tea phenomenon. Polyphenols, the antioxidants in green tea, can actually help lower cholesterol and promote healthy heart function. Plus studies show it is a great weight loss aid, helping to boost metabolism and suppress appetite. Given the amount of green tea needed to deliver these health benefits, it is almost impossible to drink enough in our busy lives.
Across the ocean in Polynesia, Noni is used for its’ health-regenerating properties. Polynesians rubbed this tropical fruit on burns and sores to relieve pain. Extensive research has finally unlocked the secret of Noni. The polysaccharides in Noni are different than the typical sugar type. Those in Noni are actually a form of dietary fiber, promoting proper digestion and enhancing your immune system. Unfortunately, the awful taste and foul odor prevent most of us from drinking it.
Green Tea Meets Noni
When combined, one would think green tea and Noni would make an unpalatable combination. However, just the opposite occurs. These two bitter ingredients actually become a tasty and powerful blend, known as TsuNoni.
In fact, this synergistic result is so rare, TsuNoni was issued a patent. When separate, Noni contains 11 mgs of antioxidants per gram and green tea has 88 mgs per gram. But when combined, lab studies prove these super-foods deliver 47% more antioxidants per gram. This 1+1=3 combination packs over 400 mgs of polyphenols and 70 mgs of polysaccharides per serving. TsuNoni is a healthy, effervescent fusion that tastes absolutely amazing.
http://ezinearticles.com/?TsuNoni---Green-Tea-Meets-Noni&id=66195
Vitamins and Minerals for a Healthy Reproductive System
Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential to the development and proper performance of the reproductive system. Nutrition plays a vital role in the development and maturity of the reproductive system through childhood and adolescence and can even affect the endocrine system which regulates the hormones that rule the functions of the reproductive system. Nutrition can affect fertility and fetal development as well. Striving each day to consume the standard recommended daily intake levels of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that the body needs is an important part of the good health and proper functioning of the reproductive system.
The nutrients that a child consumes while growing up can greatly affect the developing reproductive system. Zinc for example is essential to the development of the reproductive organs themselves. A deficiency in zinc can result in significantly delayed sexual maturity. Zinc also serves in the regulation of male hormones and has a role in prostate functions and sperm production. Iodine helps to regulate thyroid function which in turn helps to regulate growth and body weight. Body weight has to do with the onset of puberty which will not begin until the appropriate threshold of body weight and fat has been crossed.
The endocrine glands secrete hormones and hormones are essential to the ptoper functioning of the reproductive system. Thus the wellness of the endocrine gland is a precursor to mature reproductive functioning and health. While several nutrients are directly associated with the production of hormones like manganese which serves to maintain the production of sex hormones many other vitamins and nutrients act as cofactors to a variety of complicated chemical reactions that carry out the tasks for the benefit of the reproductive system.
Proper nutrition is essential in fetal development as well. Folic acid for example can serve as a way to prevent serious birth defects by reducing the incidence of neural tube defects such as the type that causes spinal bifida. However, this defect occurs so early in fetal development that at the point at which it occurs when the woman has yet to find out that she is actually pregnant. Therefore it is best for any woman of childbearing age to be especially careful to get enough folic acid each day.
The vitamins that make up the Vitamin B complex have a primary role in red blood cell production. The developing fetus gets all nourishment and oxygen via the mother’s blood stream. Therefore, making sure to keep red blood cell production up to par is important to the reproductive system, particularly during pregnancy. The nutrients received by the developing fetus will affect every aspect of his or her being.
Proper nutrition is essential to each part and every stage of the reproductive system from development to maturation to the creation and nurturing of new life. It can be difficult particularly at the rapid pace of life today to get the full amount of each and every vitamin, mineral and other nutrient that serves to support the reproductive system. However, nutritional supplements can offer a safe and reliable way to achieve your dietary needs for you to be able to meet your dietary goals, when used with care and attention to standard dosage amounts. It is important to take note that moderation is key to everything.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Vitamins-and-Minerals-for-a-Healthy-Reproductive-System&id=66188
The nutrients that a child consumes while growing up can greatly affect the developing reproductive system. Zinc for example is essential to the development of the reproductive organs themselves. A deficiency in zinc can result in significantly delayed sexual maturity. Zinc also serves in the regulation of male hormones and has a role in prostate functions and sperm production. Iodine helps to regulate thyroid function which in turn helps to regulate growth and body weight. Body weight has to do with the onset of puberty which will not begin until the appropriate threshold of body weight and fat has been crossed.
The endocrine glands secrete hormones and hormones are essential to the ptoper functioning of the reproductive system. Thus the wellness of the endocrine gland is a precursor to mature reproductive functioning and health. While several nutrients are directly associated with the production of hormones like manganese which serves to maintain the production of sex hormones many other vitamins and nutrients act as cofactors to a variety of complicated chemical reactions that carry out the tasks for the benefit of the reproductive system.
Proper nutrition is essential in fetal development as well. Folic acid for example can serve as a way to prevent serious birth defects by reducing the incidence of neural tube defects such as the type that causes spinal bifida. However, this defect occurs so early in fetal development that at the point at which it occurs when the woman has yet to find out that she is actually pregnant. Therefore it is best for any woman of childbearing age to be especially careful to get enough folic acid each day.
The vitamins that make up the Vitamin B complex have a primary role in red blood cell production. The developing fetus gets all nourishment and oxygen via the mother’s blood stream. Therefore, making sure to keep red blood cell production up to par is important to the reproductive system, particularly during pregnancy. The nutrients received by the developing fetus will affect every aspect of his or her being.
Proper nutrition is essential to each part and every stage of the reproductive system from development to maturation to the creation and nurturing of new life. It can be difficult particularly at the rapid pace of life today to get the full amount of each and every vitamin, mineral and other nutrient that serves to support the reproductive system. However, nutritional supplements can offer a safe and reliable way to achieve your dietary needs for you to be able to meet your dietary goals, when used with care and attention to standard dosage amounts. It is important to take note that moderation is key to everything.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Vitamins-and-Minerals-for-a-Healthy-Reproductive-System&id=66188
Immunity and the Immune System
Since the 1930’s the western diet has dramatically changed. This change is due to the change in farming from the natural farming process which has developed over 1000’s of years to a modern scientific farming which has changed farming into an industry. This food industry is not interested in producing good quality nutritional food for the nation but food that is easy to store and cheap to produce which in tern will maximise profit. This has changed the western diet to concise of high sugar, fat and protein which is low in vital nutrients.
Not only since the 1930’s has the western diet changed but also people’s lifestyles have changed. The over use of antibiotics, stress at work, lack of exercise, excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking, use of recreational drugs, increases in obesity and low nutritional status of food all affect the immune system and are contributing to the increase in degenerative diseases in western societies.
Since the 1930’s over 3500 man-made chemicals have found their way into modern day food, this does not include hormones, pesticides and antibiotics which are in foods such as meat and grains. These chemicals are not only unnatural but stop nutrients being absorbed and used which hampers the body’s action to heal itself.
In the UK today, 50,000 chemicals are released into the environment by industry and 400 million litres of herbicides and pesticides are used. We in the UK consume 83 billion cigarettes, 80 million painkillers, 26 billion alcoholic drinks and a quarter of a million tons of food chemicals. All of this adds up to a nation whose immune systems are seriously compromised. The immune system is affected for better or for worst by the food that is consumed. Foods such as meat, sugar, salt, saturated fats, alcohol, dairy products and processed foods all have a negative affect on the immune system.
People who consume large amounts of meat are more likely suffer from cancer in later life than those who don’t. Meat is high in saturated fats, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and herbicides. These all compromise the immune system.
White sugar has around 90% of its minerals and vitamins removed which when consumed makes the metabolism become inefficient, contributing to weight problems, poor energy control and unbalanced blood sugar levels.
Alcohol abuse severely compromises the immune system. Alcoholics suffer from malnutrition due to the reduction of food, impaired metabolism leading to weight loss and suffer from toxicity of the intestines. Alcohol is linked to cancer, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease and coronary heart disease. Regular heavy drinking can lose up to 10 years of your life expectancy by aging the liver, kidneys, heart and brain. Too much alcohol depletes the body of the minerals zinc, calcium, magnesium and also the B vitamins.?
Salt causes high blood pressure, irritates the stomach and retains fluid.
Dairy produces especially milk causes allergies and intolerances both in adults and children. Milk is also a risk factor for diabetes.
Foods that are good for the immune system are foods that are high in antioxidants such as fresh fruit and vegetables especially broccoli, watercress, carrots and peas. Eating plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and oily fish will boost your immune system. Research has shown that people who consume large amounts of fruit and vegetables have less genetic damage which is one of the precursors to cancer.
Consuming fruit and vegetables such as apples, prunes, citrus fruits, cabbage and lettuce which are high in flavonoids will also boost your immune system. Flavonoids are substances found in plants that can protect your body from disease.
Soy beans are high in isoflavones which are one of the most potent anti-carcinogens of all. Soy products are also good at preventing heart disease.
Oily fish contains Omega 3 oils which keep arteries healthy, reduces the risk of blood clots and lowers cholesterol. Fish high in Omega 3 are salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring.?
Including pre-biotic food such as leeks, Chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, onions, oats and bananas in your diet will strengthen your gut defence system.
Your lifestyle has a huge bearing on your immune system. Pollution, smoking, work stress, lack of sleep, being overweight, lack of exercise and excessive sunbathing all has a negative effect on your immune system.
Pollutants such as pollen, free radicals, household and industrial chemicals, lead, CFCs, carbon monoxide, cigarette smoke, bacteria, pesticides, chlorine, colourants and aluminium are a fact of every day life. These pollutants and toxins have a negative affect on our bodies. The liver, kidneys, skin and bowel are responsible for removing these pollutants and toxins from our bodies. If these organs are working below par due to a suppressed immune system then toxins will remain in our bodies. This will cause allergies and sensitivities and weakening the immune system further.
Stress, repressed anger, depression and chronic worries depress our immune system by reducing the ability of immune cells to form antibodies. It is a well known fact that when we are stressed we are more likely to get ill. Stress increases blood sugar and lipids which contributes to heart disease, infections and cancer.
Being overweight due to lack of exercise and excessive eating can increase the risk of hypertension and diabetes by 10%. Sun bathing uses up anti-oxidants and can age the skin up to 10 years. Too much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer. Smoking cigarettes uses up large amounts of vitamin C and other anti-oxidants, this can leave smokers vulnerable to cancer and heart disease. Smoking ages the lungs, skin, circulation, heart and can lead to early menopause and osteoporosis.?
Since the 1930’s both diet and lifestyle has changed. Although there is an abundance of food, it tends to be substandard in nutritional value. The lack of nutrition in our food with the addition of stresses of modern day lifestyles is suppressing our immune systems at a time when we need it most. This combination has lead to a rise in degenerative diseases despite western societies spending billions in health care.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Immunity-and-the-Immune-System&id=65519
Get Your Full Quota of Nutrients
So, what is new about this that you already don’t know? Think again. It is not what-you-are-aware that is important, but are-you -alert, that is. Keep your eyes and mind open to avoid upsets to your normal health. Well, take out your diet chart and critically examine it again. Are you eating the right food? And are you eating healthy?
At the onset, we will accept that eating healthy doesn’t just end at eating good food. The daily nutrients and calorie charts vary for each individual depending on her requirements. An athlete and a sedentary person have different requirements for their nutrients and calories as they burn up different amounts of them. It also depends on your age and body mass index.
The USDA has compiled required calories chart for Americans for 2005 which is here for you.
If you are consuming less than 1800 calories and you are a teen, you should think of raising it to at least 2000 counts a day. Now, where will you get these many calories from and how do you calculate the calorific values of the food you take? And what other nutrients you need?
I won’t go into boring details about a fantasy called food. In brief, the USDA has also drawn up a chart to suggest us all what to eat to get these many calories. And they call it the food guide pyramid. It is just that you have to do a bit of a calculation in order to balance your diet.
Up to 5 servings of vegetables
Up to four servings of fruits
Three servings of milk products
Up to 11 of pasta, cereals, and bread
Two to three servings of meat (both red and white), eggs, nuts and beans put together.
Very sparingly fats and sweets.
So, how much should you treat a serving to be? Let us see what USDA has to say on this. One serving of grains is a slice of bread, one ounce of cereal, ½ cups of cooked rice and vegetables each, one cup each of juice and milk and 2 -3 ounces of lean meat, one and a half cups of boiled beans (Omi… so much!!)
Additives or preservatives are regulated stringently by FDA for our benefits. The manufacturers establish to FDA, the proven benefits and whatsoever adverse effects of the new additives conclusively before approval. The major criteria for approval are that additives should not cause cancer or heart diseases.
SNAC - S T U D E N T N U T R I T I O N A W A R E N E S S C A M P A I G N, UCLA, has done some interesting findings. According to them, the additives constitute just about 1% of your total food supply. Of which 98% are sugar, salt, pepper, mustard, corn syrup, citric acid and baking soda. And preservatives such as calcium propionate are used to extend the shelf life of bread. But wait a minute! Beware of preservatives like saccharin, sodium nitrate, ace sulfame K, BHA, and BHT. They are known to cause cancer.
The controversies on additives need not worry you if you took some extra caution. This isn’t something none of the Americans do. A good way is to learn more about additives and resorting to more of the fresh or minimum processed foods. Also, keeping track of additives help minimize exposure to particular additives.
It makes sense to be a little careful while buying vegetables or fruits. It is better to buy fresh in season. Look for bruises and scratches or cuts on the vegetable skin. These cuts and bruises hold microbes that spoil the food very quickly. Buy when you want to instead of stuffing your refrigerator. Most fruits and vegetables have a shelf life of 4 -5 days.
Now where on earth this food poisoning came from? Or is it that some body intentionally …? Well. Vegetables and fruits have high health protection values. Still they get contaminated unintentionally because of their handling at the farm or at the market and during transportation. The bacteria and virus come from the environment and soil. And then there are pesticide residues. You never know when you don’t get your health upset, because of any of these. Handle this issue carefully. You don’t need to use specialty cleaning agents for washing your food. For vegetables and fruits use 10% soap solution to soak before washing in running cold water. You know, washing in running water effectively removes up to 90% of bacteria. So, washing twice removes maximum contaminants and bacteria. Also you can use a mild scrub/brush with soap solution to clean. Take care not to damage the skin of your food. Some experts also recommend potassium permanganate to soap solution. But it leaves its characteristic odor.
Never forget to sanitize all surfaces you prepare your food on. Warm soap water or bleaching water (1 tea spoon bleach powder to a liter of water) kills most known kitchen bacteria. Wash your grill twice, before and after you use it. Dry it before you start using it. Don’t forget to wash your hands before you handle the now clean food and every time after you use toilet, sneeze or cough, clear a table et cetera. Use paper disposable towels to dry off hands rather than cloth. This ensures maximum safety by eliminating recontamination chances.
Finally, what chop board you use also determines how healthy you eat. If you are using a PVC, acrylic board, they will have smooth and non-porous surfaces when they are new. They do not have scratches or cuts. As you use them on, scratches appear on the surface and they can hold vegetable particles and microbes begin to develop. This can not be entirely washed away as the scratches are smaller than most of the brushes. Health experts recommend chop boards made of maple wood. Maple wood is less porous than most wood, very hard and is known to have anti bacterial qualities. Wash it with hot water with a tinge of bleach and prop dry it. It is a good idea to oil it twice a month (odorless vegetable oil or mineral oil).
The secret lies in not leaving anything to fate but keeping your eyes open to possible risks to your health. Alertness can only keep you fit, slim and more than anything else -healthy. Wish you ‘Happy Eating’.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Get-Your-Full-Quota-of-Nutrients&id=65516
At the onset, we will accept that eating healthy doesn’t just end at eating good food. The daily nutrients and calorie charts vary for each individual depending on her requirements. An athlete and a sedentary person have different requirements for their nutrients and calories as they burn up different amounts of them. It also depends on your age and body mass index.
The USDA has compiled required calories chart for Americans for 2005 which is here for you.
If you are consuming less than 1800 calories and you are a teen, you should think of raising it to at least 2000 counts a day. Now, where will you get these many calories from and how do you calculate the calorific values of the food you take? And what other nutrients you need?
I won’t go into boring details about a fantasy called food. In brief, the USDA has also drawn up a chart to suggest us all what to eat to get these many calories. And they call it the food guide pyramid. It is just that you have to do a bit of a calculation in order to balance your diet.
Up to 5 servings of vegetables
Up to four servings of fruits
Three servings of milk products
Up to 11 of pasta, cereals, and bread
Two to three servings of meat (both red and white), eggs, nuts and beans put together.
Very sparingly fats and sweets.
So, how much should you treat a serving to be? Let us see what USDA has to say on this. One serving of grains is a slice of bread, one ounce of cereal, ½ cups of cooked rice and vegetables each, one cup each of juice and milk and 2 -3 ounces of lean meat, one and a half cups of boiled beans (Omi… so much!!)
Additives or preservatives are regulated stringently by FDA for our benefits. The manufacturers establish to FDA, the proven benefits and whatsoever adverse effects of the new additives conclusively before approval. The major criteria for approval are that additives should not cause cancer or heart diseases.
SNAC - S T U D E N T N U T R I T I O N A W A R E N E S S C A M P A I G N, UCLA, has done some interesting findings. According to them, the additives constitute just about 1% of your total food supply. Of which 98% are sugar, salt, pepper, mustard, corn syrup, citric acid and baking soda. And preservatives such as calcium propionate are used to extend the shelf life of bread. But wait a minute! Beware of preservatives like saccharin, sodium nitrate, ace sulfame K, BHA, and BHT. They are known to cause cancer.
The controversies on additives need not worry you if you took some extra caution. This isn’t something none of the Americans do. A good way is to learn more about additives and resorting to more of the fresh or minimum processed foods. Also, keeping track of additives help minimize exposure to particular additives.
It makes sense to be a little careful while buying vegetables or fruits. It is better to buy fresh in season. Look for bruises and scratches or cuts on the vegetable skin. These cuts and bruises hold microbes that spoil the food very quickly. Buy when you want to instead of stuffing your refrigerator. Most fruits and vegetables have a shelf life of 4 -5 days.
Now where on earth this food poisoning came from? Or is it that some body intentionally …? Well. Vegetables and fruits have high health protection values. Still they get contaminated unintentionally because of their handling at the farm or at the market and during transportation. The bacteria and virus come from the environment and soil. And then there are pesticide residues. You never know when you don’t get your health upset, because of any of these. Handle this issue carefully. You don’t need to use specialty cleaning agents for washing your food. For vegetables and fruits use 10% soap solution to soak before washing in running cold water. You know, washing in running water effectively removes up to 90% of bacteria. So, washing twice removes maximum contaminants and bacteria. Also you can use a mild scrub/brush with soap solution to clean. Take care not to damage the skin of your food. Some experts also recommend potassium permanganate to soap solution. But it leaves its characteristic odor.
Never forget to sanitize all surfaces you prepare your food on. Warm soap water or bleaching water (1 tea spoon bleach powder to a liter of water) kills most known kitchen bacteria. Wash your grill twice, before and after you use it. Dry it before you start using it. Don’t forget to wash your hands before you handle the now clean food and every time after you use toilet, sneeze or cough, clear a table et cetera. Use paper disposable towels to dry off hands rather than cloth. This ensures maximum safety by eliminating recontamination chances.
Finally, what chop board you use also determines how healthy you eat. If you are using a PVC, acrylic board, they will have smooth and non-porous surfaces when they are new. They do not have scratches or cuts. As you use them on, scratches appear on the surface and they can hold vegetable particles and microbes begin to develop. This can not be entirely washed away as the scratches are smaller than most of the brushes. Health experts recommend chop boards made of maple wood. Maple wood is less porous than most wood, very hard and is known to have anti bacterial qualities. Wash it with hot water with a tinge of bleach and prop dry it. It is a good idea to oil it twice a month (odorless vegetable oil or mineral oil).
The secret lies in not leaving anything to fate but keeping your eyes open to possible risks to your health. Alertness can only keep you fit, slim and more than anything else -healthy. Wish you ‘Happy Eating’.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Get-Your-Full-Quota-of-Nutrients&id=65516
Nutrient Requirements of Women in Sport
Female and male athletes respond to training in a fairly comparable way. As volume and intensity of training increases, so does aerobic capacity and hence performance. Body composition tends to change, whether male or female, indicating that physiologically, we are all actually quite similar.
Nutritionally speaking, fuelling of training is similar too. Regardless of the sport in question, energy intake must match energy output in order to fuel training and recovery. For endurance athletes, carbohydrate intake needs to equate to approximately 7-10g per kg/bwt (or 4g per lb/bwt). If it doesn’t performance tends to suffer, and fatigue creeps in. It is important for any athlete, regardless of gender, to train and compete with optimum fuel reserves, and, of course be well hydrated.
Despite seemingly parallel training responses and “fuel” requirements between males and females, women engaged in regular exercise, and especially those with demanding training and competition schedules have quite unique nutritional needs.
These special needs often mirror a particular time in a female’s sexual development, or during one of the many hormonal changes, which govern a women’s life. Dramatic hormonal shifts initiate quite unique metabolic and chemical changes within the body that demand specific nutrients. Needs change as a female enters her pubertal years (onset of menarche), during her reproductive years and during pregnancy, and then at the stage that marks the end of reproduction (menopause). Disruption in a female’s normal menstrual functioning (e.g. amenorrhoea) may create increased requirements in macro and micronutrients (e.g. calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, protein and essential fatty acids). The BNF’s briefing paper, Nutrition and Sport, reports increased calcium requirements in amenorrhoeic women, and advises all female athletes to pay attention to energy, calcium and iron intakes (1). Vitamin K supplementation has been shown to improve markers of bone metabolism in a small group of amenorrhoeic female elite athletes (2). Vitamin K functions in the synthesis of calcium-binding proteins.
Iron and calcium requirements of the female athlete The two main nutrients that require most attention are the minerals iron and calcium.
Levels of iron in the body are particularly important given iron’s role in many enzyme functions and it’s fundamental role in the formation of haemoglobin (75% of total body iron is in this form) and as a constituent of myoglobin (the O2 carrying material that functions inside the cells). Iron performs the overwhelming activity of transporting oxygen from the lungs to the mitochondria within muscle cells – vital for the athlete. Females have a higher rate of iron loss than men mainly via blood loss through menstruation, as well as during pregnancy and childbirth. This creates a higher iron requirement in women generally.
An athlete’s iron status (measured by levels of blood haemoglobin, haematocrit concentration and plasma ferritin levels) may further be compromised due to a number of factors directly related to training. These have been identified as bleeding within the digestive system, inadequate diet and poor iron absorption, loss of iron through heavy sweating, red blood cell breakdown due to trauma created by certain high-impact activities (e.g. long-distance running), and even over-frequent blood donation.
Iron-deficiency anaemia (haemoglobin levels below 12g/dl) has a major impact on performance and immune status. It decreases aerobic capacity and endurance, induces fatigue, and lowers resistance to infection. It has not yet been clearly established whether iron depletion (low ferritin concentrations and reduced bone marrow iron) negatively affects performance, but certainly low ferritin is not something to be ignored. Many however, suggest changes in plasma ferritin concentration are due to either heavy training, or as a response to inflammation, and low blood haemoglobin in some athletes is simply due to plasma volume expansion. Assessment of iron status in athletes is clearly not straightforward. Taking into account measured indices of iron status, individual dietary habits, digestive function, menstruating patterns and other significant factors should help determine the impact iron status may be having on a particular individual’s performance. It is fair to say that in some cases, borderline measurements or those at the lower end of “normal” are often clinically significant, and iron supplementation produces noticeable improvements in iron status and performance (3).
The use of iron supplements at this point may also prevent the development of full blown iron-deficiency anaemia in some female athletes, which is often when “re-pletion” is most difficult, especially via diet alone. Inorganic forms of iron (e.g. ferrous sulphate, ferrous gluconate) are notoriously poorly absorbed, and often cause gastrointestinal problems such as constipation. More importantly, they often fail to raise Hb levels. Where iron supplementation is deemed appropriate (i.e. anaemia), serious consideration should be given to using new “food-form” iron supplements. Food-form iron is a version of iron that has been grown into yeast cells, and the absorbability of yeast-based iron is much closer to haem-iron. It also produces little or no uncomfortable side effects.
Calcium
National surveys have consistently reported low calcium intake is young and adult females (4, 5, 6), as well as female athletes (2, 7). This is normally due to low energy intakes, fad diets, or poorly planned vegetarian and vegan diets. Inadequate calcium intake and consequently poor calcium status is compounded by diets that contain high phosphorous, high salt and high caffeine food and drink. These have a negative impact of calcium balance, due to an increase in urinary calcium excretion (8).
Calcium and bone health
About 60% of adult bone is laid down during adolescence (9), when calcium deposition is at it’s highest (10). This is due to increases in the hormones oestrogen, growth hormone and calcitriol. Mechanisms are put to work that lead to an overall stimulation of bone cell production and maturation. Bone resorption is out-weighed by bone deposition, leading to an increase in overall bone mineralisation. There seems to be a critical 4-year period during teenage years, from the ages of about 11-15 years, during which time most of the total gain in bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) is accumulated (9).
Peak bone mass is a major determinant of osteoporosis in later life, so building the largest bone mass possible is one of the most important strategies to protect against osteoporosis in later life (11). Females in the UK, aged 19-50 years, are thought to need at least 700mg calcium daily in order to meet the demands for calcium deposition in bone. Recommendations are lower than in most other industrialised countries and it has been suggested that 11-18 year olds require 1200-1500 mg/day to optimise peak bone mass (12).
Numerous well-controlled longitudinal studies have produced consistent positive effects of calcium supplementation on BMD in adolescent females (13, 14, 15), which suggests that our UK reference values are sub-optimal.
Female athletes are a different sub-class all together with regard to calcium needs. Up to 400mg of calcium has been shown to be lost (in males) via sweat alone, from a 2-hr training session (17), and although Ca losses in females are unlikely to be that high, any female athlete such as marathoners or triathletes training twice a day… could be at risk of not getting enough calcium in the diet to achieve a positive Ca balance. Dr Michael Colgan, renowned New Zealand research scientist believes athletes (both male and female, and especially females with amenorrhoea) need to supplement between 1000-2000mg Ca daily.
Supplementation needs should always be assessed in relation to what is actually being obtained from the diet. Dietary intake should therefore always be assessed, along with identifying factors that could potentially increase calcium excretion – e.g. high sodium and phosphorous diets, high protein diets, and an overall high “acidic” load. Knowledge should also be sought as to the types of calcium available and their rates of absorption.
The female athlete triad
A major focus in recent years within nutrition and sport for women has been with respect to the “female athlete triad”. Components of the triad are disordered eating, amenorrhoea (absence of periods), and osteopenia (as opposed to osteoporosis).
A review paper on BMD data in athletes found osteopenia (as defined as BMD scores between 1 and 2.5 SD below the mean of young adults) to be significantly prevalent in those at risk of the female athlete triad. Interestingly, osteoporosis (BMD above 2.5 SD below the mean) was relatively uncommon, even in this selected “athletic” population (16). This by no means relegates the problem as any less significant. A diagnosed case of osteopenia in a young female athlete may actually be a worse scenario in terms of long-term bone health, when compared to a diagnosed osteoporotic in her 60’s. An athlete with osteopenia is at greater risk of developing osteoporosis than is an athlete who has normal bone mass.
There is indeed much concern amongst sports dieticians and nutritionists, who are commonly faced with various subclinical eating disorders, or “disordered eating” (a significant risk factor for female athlete triad).
Disordered eating disrupts menstrual function, and together with intense training schedules, often leads to amenorrhoea, or cessation of periods. A lack of oestrogenic stimulation of bone cells leads to decreased calcium uptake, and over time, loss of bone mass.
Cases such as these do tend to be sport-specific, being confined to sports that either require a low body mass (martial arts, rowing), where a low body weight is thought to improve performance (long-distance running, triathlon) and in those sports that requests athletes to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye (ballet, figure skating, diving).
Of course, any female, athlete or non-athlete, under stress, or with low self-esteem, a tendency toward perfectionism, or family problems is at risk for “disordered” eating, and a down-regulation of sex hormone production, in favour of stress-hormone production.
Decreasing training intensity and optimising energy and nutrient intake must be the key strategies to dealing with any component of the female athlete triad.
Although calcium intake in the diet cannot make up for a lack of oestrogen due to menstrual irregularities, it should be optimised in the diet and by supplementation if necessary, especially if a contributory cause of osteopenia is lack of dietary calcium.
Practical suggestions to increase intake of calcium and iron
· Eat low-fat dairy foods such as skimmed milk and natural yogurt daily
· Add 100g of tofu and sunflower seeds to stir-frys and salads
· Add almonds, dried figs and seeds to breakfast cereals
· Add blanched spinach to scrambled or poached eggs
· Use Tahini (sesame seed spread) on bread and crackers or add a tsp to natural yogurt
· Eat plenty of dark green leaves and leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli, watercress and spinach- always steam or lightly cook brocolli, kale, cabbage and spinach
· Try soft-bony fish (tinned salmon, sardines, pilchards) as a topping on baked potatoes or wholegrain toast
· Eat vitamin-C rich foods to enhance the absorption of iron (i.e. plenty of fresh fruit and colourful vegetables)
· Be aware of substances that interfere with iron absorption (e.g. phytates found in bran, and tannin in tea).
Try NOT to drink tea and coffee with food
http://ezinearticles.com/?Nutrient-Requirements-of-Women-in-Sport&id=65573
Sunday, January 28, 2007
About Women Health Supplements
Question: I want to get my health back on track. What kind of nutrients would you recommend I should look into in the area of women health supplements?
Answer: Great question! There are plenty of supplements out there that can be of great aid to women's health. One problem that plagues women, especially later in life, can be the dreaded osteoperosis. Since your body needs a steady supply of calcium, if you do not meet your body's calcium requirements, it will begin to sap the calcium from your body's teeth and bones, leaving them brittle and weak.
To prevent this, a calcium supplement can be of great aid. Coral calcium is one product on the market that can help prevent this ailment. Harvested from long-dead sea beds, the calcium found in coral sediments can help to pave the way for clear health.
Antioxidants are also key parts in maintaining the health of both males and females. Helping to stop the damaging effects of free-radicals (highly reactive chemicals that capture electrons and modify chemical structures), antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E may reduce the risk of cancer and muscular degeneration. Iron is also a key element that needs to be regularly consumed to help maintain the female body.
The body needs this mineral to produce red blood cells, and an iron shortage can result in anemia, a condition marked by a lack of red blood cells. Many of these simple minerals can help maintain your body's structure and help lead you to great health. Some supplements even offer combined compounds that help to meet your daily requirements in a few of these categories.
http://www.articlealley.com/article_38796_23.html
Answer: Great question! There are plenty of supplements out there that can be of great aid to women's health. One problem that plagues women, especially later in life, can be the dreaded osteoperosis. Since your body needs a steady supply of calcium, if you do not meet your body's calcium requirements, it will begin to sap the calcium from your body's teeth and bones, leaving them brittle and weak.
To prevent this, a calcium supplement can be of great aid. Coral calcium is one product on the market that can help prevent this ailment. Harvested from long-dead sea beds, the calcium found in coral sediments can help to pave the way for clear health.
Antioxidants are also key parts in maintaining the health of both males and females. Helping to stop the damaging effects of free-radicals (highly reactive chemicals that capture electrons and modify chemical structures), antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E may reduce the risk of cancer and muscular degeneration. Iron is also a key element that needs to be regularly consumed to help maintain the female body.
The body needs this mineral to produce red blood cells, and an iron shortage can result in anemia, a condition marked by a lack of red blood cells. Many of these simple minerals can help maintain your body's structure and help lead you to great health. Some supplements even offer combined compounds that help to meet your daily requirements in a few of these categories.
http://www.articlealley.com/article_38796_23.html
Dominos Pizza The Healthy Meal Choice
In the January issue of Glamour magazine, in an article titled "What to eat to stay slim," two slices of Domino's 12" classic hand-tossed Vegi Pizza Feast and a side salad were named as a healthy meal choice. Women’s Health magazine and Men’s Health magazine also recognized Domino's pizza as an option for a healthy diet. Even Weight Watcher’s okays some Domino’s Pizzas.
"The beauty of pizza is that it can be as healthy or indulgent as you want it, and the consumer is in the driver's seat," said Tim McIntyre, Domino's vice president of communications. "If losing weight is on your wish list for 2007, you don't have to sacrifice your slice of Domino's pizza for your waistline."
Of course, your pizza will be light on the cheese, trans-fat-free, thin crust, dipping-sauce-free, and vegetarian to be in the realm of nutrition. And not to mention you can only eat up to two pieces for it to be “healthy.” Who eats only 1 or 2 pieces of pizza in one sitting? Let’s call this one the Grasping-At-Straws Diet.
http://www.articlealley.com/article_122443_23.html
"The beauty of pizza is that it can be as healthy or indulgent as you want it, and the consumer is in the driver's seat," said Tim McIntyre, Domino's vice president of communications. "If losing weight is on your wish list for 2007, you don't have to sacrifice your slice of Domino's pizza for your waistline."
Of course, your pizza will be light on the cheese, trans-fat-free, thin crust, dipping-sauce-free, and vegetarian to be in the realm of nutrition. And not to mention you can only eat up to two pieces for it to be “healthy.” Who eats only 1 or 2 pieces of pizza in one sitting? Let’s call this one the Grasping-At-Straws Diet.
http://www.articlealley.com/article_122443_23.html
Stop feeling worn out and tired and learn how to improve your health quickly
It really annoys me when I keep getting emails from companies advertising supplements which are blatantly ineffective. Over the years we have taken many nutrition supplements to try and improve our health and live more energetic lifestyles.
Unfortunately, we never really found a product that could give us all the nutrients we needed at an affordable cost. Over time, we found that many of the supplements didn't actually have the stated ingredients in them. We also learnt that many multi vitamin supplements actually contained harmful containments in them!
We always assumed that multi vitamin supplements were sold to improve your health. Unfortunately, they can actually impair your health!
We finally found a product recommending that contains a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbs renowned for promoting health. The product makes sure each ingredient works with each other for best possible effects. You can learn more about what we personally use for optimum health at our website.
More importantly however, we decided to create a nutrition book giving information on vitamins and supplements so consumers can be more educated on nutrition, and then have the power they need to make their own choices.
You can grab a free copy of our recommended nutrition book at the end of this article. You need to read this book; you will probably get through the book in one sitting. So set some quiet reading time and grab your free copy while you can. Free spots are limited and we may be adding a small price tag to the book due to customer feedback
http://www.articlealley.com/article_41269_23.html
Unfortunately, we never really found a product that could give us all the nutrients we needed at an affordable cost. Over time, we found that many of the supplements didn't actually have the stated ingredients in them. We also learnt that many multi vitamin supplements actually contained harmful containments in them!
We always assumed that multi vitamin supplements were sold to improve your health. Unfortunately, they can actually impair your health!
We finally found a product recommending that contains a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbs renowned for promoting health. The product makes sure each ingredient works with each other for best possible effects. You can learn more about what we personally use for optimum health at our website.
More importantly however, we decided to create a nutrition book giving information on vitamins and supplements so consumers can be more educated on nutrition, and then have the power they need to make their own choices.
You can grab a free copy of our recommended nutrition book at the end of this article. You need to read this book; you will probably get through the book in one sitting. So set some quiet reading time and grab your free copy while you can. Free spots are limited and we may be adding a small price tag to the book due to customer feedback
http://www.articlealley.com/article_41269_23.html
Better Health The Herbal Nutrition Supplement
Whether you are a world class athlete, exercise nut, or a regular couch potato, one fact applies to everyone - nutrition is fundamental to good health. It is necessary because it keeps your body functioning normally, helps to maintain a healthy weight, and it prevents disease. The problem? What is the best way to supplement your body's health... man-made supplements or the natural herbal nutrition supplement.
Most people believe a balanced diet, the "food pyramid" of old, is sufficient to keep them healthy. These individuals also often supplement their nutrition by grabbing the cheapest "vitamins in a bottle" off the grocery shelf. They bring these products home with the mistaken belief that they are covering their bases with "good nutrition." The problem lies in the fact that most on-the-shelf vitamins and minerals are synthesized products - man-made. Without proper nutritional education, they also do not realize the imbalance of nutrients in these products. Maintaining the proper nutrition supplement balance is critical to its overall impact on your body. Too much or too little and your body reaps no noticeable benefits. Without an appreciable increase in health, those same products go into hiding in the back of kitchen cupboards, long forgotten.
Obviously, this is not the way nature intended you to stay healthy!
But, there is hope, and it comes from nature itself. More and more individuals and families are turning to the herbal nutrition supplement. They are focusing their health needs on a natural approach to nutrition. With fast foods, growing environmental problems, and stress, people turn to the herbal nutrition supplement because it is derived from natural sources. The herbal supplement is nature's way of providing you with a safe and natural way to increase your health. Results are noticeable!
Today's lifestyle is a stressful lifestyle for many. A herbal nutrition supplement is the best natural way to strengthen your body as it assists your body, provides healthy, natural energy, and has the added bonus of increased health protection.
Unfortunately, a lot of confusing information exists about herbal nutrition and herbal nutrition supplements. Almost daily you can read or hear conflicting information on what's good for your body and what's not. It is advisable to use caution when buying any nutrition product, herbal supplements included. They, too, are not all created equal.
Arm yourself in our changing world and realize that with the proper herbal nutrition supplement information, you will notice, and reap, the benefits
http://www.articlealley.com/article_97296_23.html
Most people believe a balanced diet, the "food pyramid" of old, is sufficient to keep them healthy. These individuals also often supplement their nutrition by grabbing the cheapest "vitamins in a bottle" off the grocery shelf. They bring these products home with the mistaken belief that they are covering their bases with "good nutrition." The problem lies in the fact that most on-the-shelf vitamins and minerals are synthesized products - man-made. Without proper nutritional education, they also do not realize the imbalance of nutrients in these products. Maintaining the proper nutrition supplement balance is critical to its overall impact on your body. Too much or too little and your body reaps no noticeable benefits. Without an appreciable increase in health, those same products go into hiding in the back of kitchen cupboards, long forgotten.
Obviously, this is not the way nature intended you to stay healthy!
But, there is hope, and it comes from nature itself. More and more individuals and families are turning to the herbal nutrition supplement. They are focusing their health needs on a natural approach to nutrition. With fast foods, growing environmental problems, and stress, people turn to the herbal nutrition supplement because it is derived from natural sources. The herbal supplement is nature's way of providing you with a safe and natural way to increase your health. Results are noticeable!
Today's lifestyle is a stressful lifestyle for many. A herbal nutrition supplement is the best natural way to strengthen your body as it assists your body, provides healthy, natural energy, and has the added bonus of increased health protection.
Unfortunately, a lot of confusing information exists about herbal nutrition and herbal nutrition supplements. Almost daily you can read or hear conflicting information on what's good for your body and what's not. It is advisable to use caution when buying any nutrition product, herbal supplements included. They, too, are not all created equal.
Arm yourself in our changing world and realize that with the proper herbal nutrition supplement information, you will notice, and reap, the benefits
http://www.articlealley.com/article_97296_23.html
Fat The Good The Bad and The Ugly
It is likely that you are aware that there are many different forms of fat which you knowingly or unwittingly eat every day. You are probably also aware that some types of fat are bad for you and conversely some are good... but, are you sure which ones they are?
If you are not certain and you would like to know, then this article is devoted just for you. I will
attempt to explain the basic facts that you need to know so that you will not allow 'bad; fats to damage your health and you can use the 'good' fats to enhance it.
You will often find that dietary fats are put into two simplistic categories. One being saturated fats and the other being unsaturated fats. You are told that saturated fats are bad and unsaturated fats are good. But, is it as simple as that? No, its not! Before we look at these
closer lets discuss the real 'baddie' fat which is in a category of its own. This is because it is 'man made'. Maybe we should call this fat the 'ugly' one because it does the most damage.
I'm talking about Transfats or Hydrogenated fats... or, oils
OK, what are they, how are they made and where do I find them?
First of all you find them almost everywhere. In most processed foods including cookies, solid and semi solid margarines, commercial cooking oils and many domestic cooking oils. Look carefully at the labels of any processed food that you buy. If you see hydrogenated or partially
hydrogenated on the label put it back on the shelf.
Hydrogenated fats are produced by taking liquid oil and putting it through a process called hydrogenation. This is a process which combines heat and pressure to add several hydrogen atoms to the oil. This process which takes place at around 400 degrees F for several hours in
the presence of a nickel or platinum catalyst converts the liquid to a semi solid.
This helps prevent the oil from becoming rancid even though it destroys its nutritional value. This process enables manufacturers to convert cheap low quality oils into butter substitutes... hence the explosion of margarines on the market.
These reprocessed oils and fats are completely foreign to the body and it cannot assimilate them. There is therefore no nutritional value to them at all. Studies have shown that hydrogenated fats and oils are significant contributors to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, immunity and reproduction problems, as well as obesity.
Give them a wide berth!
What about saturated fats?
These are the fats which are found in animal fats, red meat, poultry skin, and dairy products. Also some vegetable oils such as coconuts and palm oil are high in saturated fat.
These are the fats that the mainstream media warns you to stay away from. This is either through ignorance or influence from their advertisers, or both. There is no doubt that eating saturated fats in excess would not be good for you, but this principle applies to virtually
all food.
The simple fact is that your body is designed to cope with saturated fats and has been since the first human walked the earth. Not only are our bodies designed to cope with the ingestion of a certain amount of saturated fats, our bodies also need it. I accept that many people have too high an intake of dietary fat, but it is not usually through this source, but rather from trans or
hydrogenated fats.
Saturated fats are natural whose molecules have not been 'bent out of shape'! I'm not kidding...the molecules of transfats are actually distorted into an unnatural configuration.
Cut out all hydrogenated fats and oils and enjoy that juicy steak.
OK, what about the unsaturated fats?
There are two types of unsaturated fats. Poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated.
It is generally believed that all unsaturated fats are OK, but this is not the case.Poly-unsaturated fats are bad for your health and are consumed in excessive
amounts. They should be avoided.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in safflower, corn, sunflower and ... soybean vegetable oils. They remain liquid at room temperature. They do not have any redeeming health benefits. They are widely used because they are cheap and although they contain Omega 6 essential
fatty acids most people get far too much Omega 6 which must be partially offset by Omega 3 essential fatty acids. More on that shortly!
Switch your polyunsaturated oils to mono-unsaturated.
The most common sources of mono-unsaturated fats are olive oil, rapeseed oil, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, avocado, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds.
Oils made from these foods are much more stable at high temperatures than the poly-unsaturated alternatives, and they do not have the negative health implications. The
best oil for cooking is without doubt EXTRA virgin olive oil. I put the 'extra' in caps because it so important.
Most of the mono-unsaturated oils have been through varying degrees of processing. The more processing, the greater is the loss of the nutrients. The best is cold mechanically pressed oils which are often processed in darkness because of the sensitivity of these oils to
light and oxidation.
Studies have shown that a quality cold pressed extra virgin olive oil will help lower the bad LDL cholesterol and raise the good HDL cholesterol. However, ordinary virgin olive oil makes no change.
So, only use quality mono-unsaturated oils for your cooking needs.
Where do Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids fit into all this?
This is another subject all on its own, so I will just try and give you the outline in a nutshell!
As the name suggests Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids are just that... they are 'essential'. Many, many ailments can be traced to a shortage of one of these... specifically Omega 3. There are schools of thought which believe the increasing incidence of brain disease is
directly attributable to a shortage of Omega 3. I think that is credible.
There is no shortage of Omega 6 in the typical western diet. In fact there is a general over consumption of this as it is present in most cooking oils. The problem is a deficiency of the Omega 3. The optimum ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 is 3:1. Over the last couple of
decades that ratio has got out of control where it is now estimated that the ratio is something like 20:1 or maybe even as high as 50:1.
Start adding Omega 3 essential fatty acids into your regular diet. The best natural source is flax seeds. Go to your local health food store and buy some ground flax seeds (preferably organic) and sprinkle a heaped tablespoon on your food every day. You can also get omega 3 from oily fishes such as salmon. The problem there though is the difficulty of getting fish which is
100% free of contaminants.
http://www.alltopinfo.com/Article/Fat----The-Good--The-Bad-and-The-Ugly-/116
If you are not certain and you would like to know, then this article is devoted just for you. I will
attempt to explain the basic facts that you need to know so that you will not allow 'bad; fats to damage your health and you can use the 'good' fats to enhance it.
You will often find that dietary fats are put into two simplistic categories. One being saturated fats and the other being unsaturated fats. You are told that saturated fats are bad and unsaturated fats are good. But, is it as simple as that? No, its not! Before we look at these
closer lets discuss the real 'baddie' fat which is in a category of its own. This is because it is 'man made'. Maybe we should call this fat the 'ugly' one because it does the most damage.
I'm talking about Transfats or Hydrogenated fats... or, oils
OK, what are they, how are they made and where do I find them?
First of all you find them almost everywhere. In most processed foods including cookies, solid and semi solid margarines, commercial cooking oils and many domestic cooking oils. Look carefully at the labels of any processed food that you buy. If you see hydrogenated or partially
hydrogenated on the label put it back on the shelf.
Hydrogenated fats are produced by taking liquid oil and putting it through a process called hydrogenation. This is a process which combines heat and pressure to add several hydrogen atoms to the oil. This process which takes place at around 400 degrees F for several hours in
the presence of a nickel or platinum catalyst converts the liquid to a semi solid.
This helps prevent the oil from becoming rancid even though it destroys its nutritional value. This process enables manufacturers to convert cheap low quality oils into butter substitutes... hence the explosion of margarines on the market.
These reprocessed oils and fats are completely foreign to the body and it cannot assimilate them. There is therefore no nutritional value to them at all. Studies have shown that hydrogenated fats and oils are significant contributors to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, immunity and reproduction problems, as well as obesity.
Give them a wide berth!
What about saturated fats?
These are the fats which are found in animal fats, red meat, poultry skin, and dairy products. Also some vegetable oils such as coconuts and palm oil are high in saturated fat.
These are the fats that the mainstream media warns you to stay away from. This is either through ignorance or influence from their advertisers, or both. There is no doubt that eating saturated fats in excess would not be good for you, but this principle applies to virtually
all food.
The simple fact is that your body is designed to cope with saturated fats and has been since the first human walked the earth. Not only are our bodies designed to cope with the ingestion of a certain amount of saturated fats, our bodies also need it. I accept that many people have too high an intake of dietary fat, but it is not usually through this source, but rather from trans or
hydrogenated fats.
Saturated fats are natural whose molecules have not been 'bent out of shape'! I'm not kidding...the molecules of transfats are actually distorted into an unnatural configuration.
Cut out all hydrogenated fats and oils and enjoy that juicy steak.
OK, what about the unsaturated fats?
There are two types of unsaturated fats. Poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated.
It is generally believed that all unsaturated fats are OK, but this is not the case.Poly-unsaturated fats are bad for your health and are consumed in excessive
amounts. They should be avoided.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in safflower, corn, sunflower and ... soybean vegetable oils. They remain liquid at room temperature. They do not have any redeeming health benefits. They are widely used because they are cheap and although they contain Omega 6 essential
fatty acids most people get far too much Omega 6 which must be partially offset by Omega 3 essential fatty acids. More on that shortly!
Switch your polyunsaturated oils to mono-unsaturated.
The most common sources of mono-unsaturated fats are olive oil, rapeseed oil, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, avocado, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds.
Oils made from these foods are much more stable at high temperatures than the poly-unsaturated alternatives, and they do not have the negative health implications. The
best oil for cooking is without doubt EXTRA virgin olive oil. I put the 'extra' in caps because it so important.
Most of the mono-unsaturated oils have been through varying degrees of processing. The more processing, the greater is the loss of the nutrients. The best is cold mechanically pressed oils which are often processed in darkness because of the sensitivity of these oils to
light and oxidation.
Studies have shown that a quality cold pressed extra virgin olive oil will help lower the bad LDL cholesterol and raise the good HDL cholesterol. However, ordinary virgin olive oil makes no change.
So, only use quality mono-unsaturated oils for your cooking needs.
Where do Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids fit into all this?
This is another subject all on its own, so I will just try and give you the outline in a nutshell!
As the name suggests Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids are just that... they are 'essential'. Many, many ailments can be traced to a shortage of one of these... specifically Omega 3. There are schools of thought which believe the increasing incidence of brain disease is
directly attributable to a shortage of Omega 3. I think that is credible.
There is no shortage of Omega 6 in the typical western diet. In fact there is a general over consumption of this as it is present in most cooking oils. The problem is a deficiency of the Omega 3. The optimum ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 is 3:1. Over the last couple of
decades that ratio has got out of control where it is now estimated that the ratio is something like 20:1 or maybe even as high as 50:1.
Start adding Omega 3 essential fatty acids into your regular diet. The best natural source is flax seeds. Go to your local health food store and buy some ground flax seeds (preferably organic) and sprinkle a heaped tablespoon on your food every day. You can also get omega 3 from oily fishes such as salmon. The problem there though is the difficulty of getting fish which is
100% free of contaminants.
http://www.alltopinfo.com/Article/Fat----The-Good--The-Bad-and-The-Ugly-/116
Good Things To Know About Quick Diets
It is a very well known fact that there are no diets to ensure a long-term weight loss. Any diet a person might try, the results are only visible for a short period of time and after that, the struggle begins again from the start! After going through a diet, you will certainly look lighter on the scales, but in most of the cases this only happens because you have got rid of a few pounds of body fluid and muscle. It is not as if you have lost any large amounts of body fat.
Many of you might wonder why these diets fail to offer us the desired result! Well, one of the main reasons diets do not always work is because they make the body go into starvation mode. This is in fact the survival mechanism for times when humans faced periods of famine. The body will then reduce its ability to burn fat, because by cutting back on our energy intake, we are in fact causing our body to lower its metabolic rate. The only result we will get is that we will often crave for sweets and other types of food that are not particularly good for a dieting person!
Diets can never be a good thing to do to your body. A cycle of rapid weight loss followed by weight gain can lead to a loss of lean tissue from your body and calcium from your bones. It also takes the essential vitamins and minerals from the body. The only result off a diet that you can be sure of is the fact that it will lower your metabolism. The main reason for this is the fact that dieting causes your body to preserve its energy, thus making results harder to see.
Another bad thing that diets do is picturing food as being the ultimate enemy. They tell us to refuse the nourishment and comfort food provides. People can therefore become afraid of eating!
The only strategy when a person decides to loose some weight is going on regular physical activity and a healthy and balanced diet. The results are not as fast as a quick diet can provide, but they will most certainly last longer and will not damage our health and mind! It takes a long walk to making things right again, so why face this risk? Choose the better alternative of healthy living and eating!
http://www.alltopinfo.com/Article/Good-Things-To-Know-About-Quick-Diets/3840
Many of you might wonder why these diets fail to offer us the desired result! Well, one of the main reasons diets do not always work is because they make the body go into starvation mode. This is in fact the survival mechanism for times when humans faced periods of famine. The body will then reduce its ability to burn fat, because by cutting back on our energy intake, we are in fact causing our body to lower its metabolic rate. The only result we will get is that we will often crave for sweets and other types of food that are not particularly good for a dieting person!
Diets can never be a good thing to do to your body. A cycle of rapid weight loss followed by weight gain can lead to a loss of lean tissue from your body and calcium from your bones. It also takes the essential vitamins and minerals from the body. The only result off a diet that you can be sure of is the fact that it will lower your metabolism. The main reason for this is the fact that dieting causes your body to preserve its energy, thus making results harder to see.
Another bad thing that diets do is picturing food as being the ultimate enemy. They tell us to refuse the nourishment and comfort food provides. People can therefore become afraid of eating!
The only strategy when a person decides to loose some weight is going on regular physical activity and a healthy and balanced diet. The results are not as fast as a quick diet can provide, but they will most certainly last longer and will not damage our health and mind! It takes a long walk to making things right again, so why face this risk? Choose the better alternative of healthy living and eating!
http://www.alltopinfo.com/Article/Good-Things-To-Know-About-Quick-Diets/3840
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