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Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

Why should I take nutritional supplements? Can’t I just eat healthy, exercise, drink plenty of water, etc.? A fair question. After all, quality nutritional supplements are not cheap. Let’s look at the arguments for taking nutritional supplements in addition to a healthy lifestyle.

Argument #1: Our foods no longer contain the nutrition they should

Due to modern processing and farming methods, foods that should be high in certain nutrients no longer are. For example, the tomato is an excellent source of phytonutrients, specifically, lycopene. But when you buy a tomato from the grocery store, there is little to no lycopene or other nutrients left in it. The tomato was likely grown on nutrient depleted soil, fertilized and sprayed with toxic chemicals, picked green, then gassed to turn it red. Little wonder it has no nutrition value left!

Another culprit in the nutrition depletion of foods is our food cooking and preparation. Even if you could by some magic acquire a nutrient rich tomato, cooking or storing the tomato will destroy most of the nutrients. For example, studies have shown that phytonutrients begin breaking down less than 24 hours after the vegetable was picked!

Of course, there are many other factors contributing to the poor nutrient content of our foods: breeding, GMOs, storage, etc, etc. Once you consider all of the factors causing the poor nutrient content in our food, it becomes quite logical to take supplements to replace these nutrients.

Argument #2: We no longer eat the right foods

If you eat a 100% organic, fresh diet, you’re a long ways ahead of the rest of us. Of course, the foods you’re eating are still nutrient depleted, as we saw above.

But for the rest of us, we need to supplement our diets also because we’re just not eating the foods we should. Currently, french fries are the most consumed vegetable in the United States. We’re just not getting the nutrients we need!

Argument #3: Environmental stress necessitates nutritional supplements

The Los Angeles Times ran an article last year revealing a startling finding: scientists announced that by the time a child born in LA was 2 weeks old, he had already been exposed to more toxins than would be acceptable for his entire life! While we don’t all live in Los Angeles, we’re all subject to environmental stress that puts extra burden on our immune systems. Even our drinking water has chemicals and toxins in it.

The best way to counter the stress on your body’s health caused by all of these toxins and such is to support your body with proper nutrition. Since our foods are nutrient depleted, the only way to properly support your health is through nutritional supplements.

Argument #4: Nutritional supplements allow us to benefit from nutrient rich foods around the world.
Even if our foods weren’t nutrient depleted and our environment wasn’t toxic, nutritional supplements would still have benefit. They allow us to benefit from plants and nutrient rich foods found around the world that otherwise we would be unable to benefit from. Good examples would be the goji berry from China, the Australian bush plum, and many others.

Do you want optimal health? The only way to properly support your body’s health is to take quality nutritional supplements.

With our busy lives these days we are more apt to dine out, pick up take out food, or have food delivered to us. The problem is we are not aware of the calories and fat we are consuming when we continually eat food other than what we, ourselves have prepared.

The average dinner meal at a restaurant is 1200 calories, and 60 grams of fat. Men should not have more than 70 grams of fat a day, and women 40 grams of fat a day. One meal alone can make up one whole days worth of fat, or two, in the case of women’s diets. If you do find a meal that is low in fat, make sure you do not consume such a large serving that you eat more calories than you should.

There are restaurants out there that do have meals considered lower in fat and calories. If you do not see it on the menu ask your server for the information. Remember low carb is not low-fat. When you are eating a low –carb meal out at a restaurant you are usually eating high-fat. Make sure you do not take in more than 20 grams of fat in a meal. Below is a list of restaurants that offer low-fat meals.

RESTAURANTS

APPLEBEE’S
CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN
CLAIM JUMPER
CHILI’S
MACARONI GRILL
TGIF FRIDAY’S
MIMI’S CAFÉ
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
TONY ROMA’S

FAST FOOD

ARBY’S
BURGER KING
CARLS JR.
CHICK-FIL-A
JACK IN THE BOX
MC DONALDS
SUBWAY
WENDY’S
KFC

We use food as an important part of our cultural and social lives to connect with one another. We also use it as a comfort when we have had a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, or a bad year. Reducing the foods we do not need helps us stay healthy in mind and body.

Remember, even though we are overwhelmed, stressed out and tired, we must make healthy decisions when it comes to what we eat. Trans fat, found in most cooking oils in restaurants- is the worst kind of fat you can put in your body. It increases the level of blood fat called triglycerides, and has even been found to contribute to insulin resistance, which raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Children as young as 10 years old are developing heart disease and diabetes. Set an example for your children and ensure you both will live long, healthy lives.

With the amount of information that exists about good nutrition, you would think it was a big mystery. The truth of the matter is, there is no mystery involved in getting the proper nutrients that your body needs. Why should you care about getting the proper nutrients? Many people are under the misconception that eating healthy is for the young because they are growing. Tissue and cells are constantly being renewed in both children and adults. The failure for these elements to repair themselves can result in diseases of lifelong misery or worse, death. To lower your risk of developing a disease, you simply need to follow three simple steps of good nutrition.

Proper Hydration
Plain and simple, your body needs water. Being properly hydrated will benefit you from head to toe. Water keeps your cells hydrated and flowing throughout your body. It doesn’t take long to witness the benefits of drinking sufficient water. Just a week of being hydrated and your skin will have a new glow. If you need to lose weight, water can help you achieve your goal. In many instances, people misinterpret thirst for hunger. Unless it’s been a few hours since you have eaten, have a glass of water the next time you have hunger panes.

There are numerous guidelines for how much water to drink. Consuming eight glasses of water each day is the most popular guideline. People have different needs. A better indication of how hydrated you are is your urine. When you are properly hydrated your urine is almost clear. There is the possibility of water intoxication so you don’t want your urine to be completely colorless.

Eating Healthy
In addition to being hydrated, you need to eat a variety of foods. Forget fad diets that restrict certain foods. The key to healthy eating is to eat in moderation and variety. Your food choices should include a large percentage from complex carbohydrates, which is sufficient for energy. You should also consume several servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy every day. You should limit your servings of protein and fats to two or three servings each day. By including all of these food groups in your diet, you are less likely to be hungry or have cravings for sweets and other non-nutritional foods.

Vitamin Supplementation
As long as you live in a country where food is plentiful and produced safely, you should have no problem obtaining the amount of vitamins and minerals your body needs. However, food allergies, dislikes, and illness may prevent you from eating certain foods. Some people, for example, are lactose intolerant and cannot consume dairy products. In these instances, supplementation should become a part of a plan for healthy nutrition. You don’t need a prescription to purchase vitamins, but it is a good idea to discuss your particular needs with your medical doctor. Consuming excessive amounts of some vitamins can cause toxicity and unpleasant side effects.

More than 100 million Americans have high cholesterol. So, you probably know someone dealing with the condition, or you may have high cholesterol yourself.

Almost anyone can have an unhealthy cholesterol level. In fact, one in five people have high cholesterol. It’s a very common problem and, in many cases, it may be inherited. So even though having high cholesterol may not be your fault, it’s still very important you treat it now.

Having a high cholesterol level can lead to cardiovascular disease. One life is lost every 33 seconds due to cardiovascular disease.

Everyone should have their cholesterol levels tested to know if they are at risk. Maintaining healthy eating habits and exercising regularly may lower your cholesterol levels.

Here are a few ways you can fight high cholesterol in your diet.

* Stick with the basics. Basic foods like raw fruits and vegetables can help you lower your cholesterol.

* Reduce your fat intake. Learn what the label really means. Just because a label says “low saturated fat,” “low cholesterol” or “cholesterol-free” does not necessarily mean the product is low-fat.

* Substitute healthy sides. Fruit is much better for you than fries.

* Do not eat poultry skin. It is high in cholesterol.

In addition to eating right, ask your doctor about dietary

supplements that can aid you in your fight. For instance, Advanced Plant Pharmaceuticals Inc. (APPI OTC BB) produces a product called Lo-Chol designed to help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels naturally. APPI is a pharmaceutical company that uses whole plants to develop products for the treatment of human diseases.

Lo-Chol is derived from six selected plants that work in concert to help normalize cholesterol levels.

Unlike almost all other herbal supplements on the market, Lo-Chol does not contain any extracts. Instead, it utilizes the entire part of a specific plant that is processed and standardized to deliver optimum potency and nutritional benefits. In clinical studies, people using Lo-Chol have shown cholesterol reductions of up to 58 percent with an average of 29 percent.

Unhealthy eating patterns lead to an eating disorder. This is very common among teenage girls who are obsessed about becoming thin, and start harming their body by not eating. Poor nutrition harms their body organs. This is a very serious problem as it affects them mentally as well, and leads to depression and anxiety. An eating disorder can be overeating as well.

When a person finds refuge in food to cover their mental disturbance, then they are suffering from an eating disorder.

The three most common types of eating disorder are:

• Anorexia
• Bulimia
• Compulsive eating

Anorexia:

This is a psychological disorder, mostly seen in teenage girls, as a result of low self esteem or emotional or physical abuse. Obsession to become thin is the main reason for these people to start over dieting. The more they lose weight, the more they have the drive to push further. They stop worrying about their body, and they become only interested in losing weight. They starve so as to take control over the body. They start neglecting their health, which can sometimes even lead to death. This disorder is also a type of addiction.

They develop psychological fear of food and fatness, which leads them to the extent of vomiting out anything and everything that they eat. Some people also start using laxatives to reduce weight. No matter how thin they grow, they are never satisfied.

Bulimia:

This is also similar to anorexia, where the person becomes obsessed with growing thin. Here the person may binge on food, then throw up everything she/he just ate. They may first eat a large amount of food, and even indulge in rich food in a short period of time, then later force themselves to vomit. They may also start exercising excessively, use laxatives, or fast to make up for the food they had, as they start to feel guilty about having eaten food. Bulimia is most common in adolescent and young adult women.

Unlike anorexia where the person stops eating, bulimic people do eat food, but they either force themselves to vomit or use laxatives.

Health problems related to Anorexia/Bulimia

They are:

• Poor circulation of blood
• Irregular menstrual cycle
• Brittle bones
• Infertility
• Fainting and dizziness
• Dehydration leading to kidney damage
• Slowed heartbeat
• Low blood pressure
• Reduced body temperature
• Hair loss

Compulsive eating:

When a person starts binging, leading to a feeling of guilt and shame, she/he is said to be a compulsive eater. This is not like bulimia where the person involves purging. This leads to weight gain and depression. Here the person has an uncontrolled urge to eat all the time. 40 percent of people who are obese are binge eaters.

How would you know if you are a compulsive eater?

These are common signs of a compulsive eater:

• Eating uncontrollably
• Depression
• Dieting frequently
• Preoccupied about their weight
• Vigorous exercise or vomiting to lose weight
• Health problems like heartburn, dental problems, fatigue, weight gain, insomnia and high BP.

Treatments:

Recovery from these disorders is possible. The person must undergo certain lifestyle changes with the help of the people around him/her. There are different kinds of psychological therapy available to treat these problems. For a person suffering from anorexia, hospitalization may be necessary in extreme cases; when due to severe weight loss different parts of the body get affected. Intravenous feeding may be required, and the focus would be on gaining weight. Family support and assistance is very important. The person is given nutritional education for a healthy alternative to weight management. A lot of counseling is given, and therapy to boost up one’s self esteem. Everyone has the right to love his own body.

So with the help of medical, psychological and nutritional assistance, people with eating disorders can be healed.