Archive for Healthy Eating
In today’s hyper-busy and instant gratification society, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that we are what we eat. If we eat healthy, we can expect to live a long and active life. Choose the wrong kinds of food and you can expect your body to be polluted and lacking in energy and vitality.
All foods are not created equal and processing them only takes more of their nutrients out. So how do you choose the right foods for eating healthy? In this post, I have listed the top ten foods that are packed with nutrients and should be part of any eating healthy diet. Read More→
I’m sure you’ve heard of similar weight loss claims before. So, what’s so different about these 15 tips? They are all easy tips that help you eat right while you shed 10 pounds or more, fast.
These weight loss tips are not the latest diet fad or some magic pill but simple things you can do right now and everyday of your life. Just pay attention to what you eat and be sure to have good tasting, fresh and healthy food including snacks, fill up on vegetables and keep your taste buds happy with fruits.
You don’t have to make any big sacrifices, just follow these simple guidelines to lose your first 10 pounds, last 10 pounds or give your current weight loss program a boost. This is a balanced and flexible plan that you can use for as long as you want.
1. Cut in half your intake of all pure or added fats. This means using half as much butter or spread on your bread, toast, muffins and potatoes; half the usual amount of mayonnaise or sauce on your salad; and half the oil in the frying pan every time.
2. Limit treats containing sugar to three times per week. This includes chocolate, ice cream, desserts, cake, pastries, cookies, etc.
3. Include a lower fat source of protein in most meals: chicken, fish, beans, cottage cheese, or low fat yogurt. Have eggs, nuts and red meat occasionally but not every day.
4. Plan at least one lunch and dinner every week without meat or cheese. Build those meals around whole grains, vegetables and beans to increase fiber and reduce fat.
5. Reduce the fat content in your milk products. If you are currently drinking whole milk, reduce to 2% fat. From 2% reduce to 1%. Choose lower fat cheese and yogurt. When you buy yogurt, also check that it does not contain sugar.
6. Include at least two servings of vegetables at lunch and dinner. If you get hungry, have more.
7. Have at least two servings of fruit every day. This can be for dessert or snacks. Choose fruit that is in season.
8. Grated carrot makes a great snack. You will find that a grated carrot is much more filling than a whole carrot. Strange but true.
9. Use whole grains wherever possible. The fiber will give you a fuller feeling and help your digestion.
10. Drink water instead of sodas, juices, milky drinks or alcohol. Avoid diet soda – the sweet taste only encourages you to crave sugar. Warm water with a slice of lemon can be very refreshing in the morning.
11. Make a note of everything that you eat and drink. You do not need to estimate calories. Just write down what and how much of everything you had to eat. You will find that being more aware of what you are eating helps you plan healthy meals and snacks.
12. Eat slowly. The body is slow to register when you are full and it is easy to eat too much if you are racing through your meals.
13. Choose food that you can chew. Again, this will increase your fiber intake, and the act of chewing will make you feel more satisfied too. This means eating whole fruits instead of drinking juices. If you have soup, make sure it is chunky.
14. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Plan your shopping too – make a list of what you need and stick to it. If you just grab something when you are feeling hungry, you will probably choose high calorie food.
15. Always switch off the TV when you eat. That includes snacks as well as meals. Studies have proved that we eat larger portions in front of the TV, probably because we are much less aware of what we are eating.
Remember when you eat, eat right if you want to lose weight fast.
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Everyday 44% of Americans take a vitamin or dietary supplement of some sort, which increases the risk of vitamin toxicity. Toxicity from vitamin intake is a condition, which develops from taking massive doses of either a multivitamin or specific individual vitamins. The risk of vitamin toxicity increases when people are unaware of how vitamins are utilized, stored and excreted from the body.
Vitamins differ in the amount that is required to cause toxic. This is often referred to as vitamin poisoning which is becoming more common because of the popularity of vitamin supplements.
84% of Americans consider vitamins safe, no matter which vitamin which ones we are talking about. In 2007, vitamin C, vitamin E and multivitamins were among the five best selling supplements in the United States. It wasn’t until the early ‘80s that researchers and scientists got a good handle on identifying different types of vitamins that our bodies need for optimal health. However, even today, researchers have not identified everything that the human body requires in order to function at its best. Vitamins are organic molecules needed in small amounts for adequate growth, reproduction and maintenance of good health.
We know that there are two broad categories of vitamins. In the first category are water-soluble vitamins, which are easily excreted through the kidneys when maximum amount of vitamin has been achieved.
In other words, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that we can take in large doses without fear of bad side effects from toxicity, save diarrhea and may be abdominal cramping.
On the other hand, vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is stored in the fat cells of the body for later use. The body is able to store excess amounts of vitamin E that can lead to toxicity and significant side effects.
Other fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin D., vitamin E, vitamin A. and vitamin K.
All other vitamins, including vitamin B complex can be dissolved in water and are called water-soluble vitamins.
Vitamin D and vitamin A. are the most toxic of the fat-soluble vitamins. Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Individuals can also experience constipation that alternates with diarrhea or have a tingling sensation in their mouth.
The dosage required to bring on toxic side effects will differ depending upon the size and age of the individual. The dosage will be much smaller in an infant (a single dose of 15 mg or greater) than in adults (a daily dose of greater than 1 mg over a long period of time or a single dose of 50 mg). The immediate effect is abdominal cramping, nausea and vomiting. Prolonged exposure can result in reversible deposits of crystals damaging the heart, lung and kidney.
Vitamin A toxicity can also happen with a long-term consumption of 20 mg of retinol or more per day. The symptoms include hydrocephalus, vomiting, fatigue, constipation, bone pain, severe headaches, rough and dry skin and loss of hair. This is a special issue during pregnancy since mothers who take 10 mg of vitamin A. or more on a daily basis can have a child with birth defects.
It is also possible to take in toxic levels of vitamin A. by eating large quantities of certain foods such as beef liver or eggs.
Vitamin E can produce headaches, tiredness, double vision and diarrhea in humans. Animal studies have shown that large doses of vitamin E can interfere with the absorption of other fat-soluble vitamins and large doses over many weeks can result in deficiencies of vitamin D, vitamin A. and vitamin K.
Prolonged consumption of large doses of vitamin K. will result in anemia, which is reduced number of red blood cells in the blood stream. An infant will experience deposits of pigments in the brain, nerve cells and destruction of the red blood cells as well as death.
Vitamin toxicity from water-soluble vitamins is much less common. Niacin is one water-soluble vitamin that has been known to produce common toxic side effects which results in the flushing of the skin. It also causes nausea, diarrhea and liver damage. In spite of the side effects, large doses of niacin are used to lower blood cholesterol in order to prevent heart disease. Although the flushing skin is a side effect that happens when the therapy is started, it can disappear with continued therapy.
In all cases, the treatment for vitamin toxicity requires discontinuing the supplementation. Vitamin D toxicity will need additional actions to reduce the calcium levels in the blood stream because severe hypercalcemia (an elevated calcium level in the blood. Normal range: 9-10.5 mg/dL or 2.2-2.6 mmol/L) which is a medical emergency.
The prognosis is usually excellent and side effects usually go away as soon as the overdoses or stopped.
The exceptions are severe vitamin D. toxicity, which leads to deposits of calcium salts in the soft tissue of the body, birth defects due to vitamin A toxicity and damage to the nervous system caused by mega doses of vitamin B6.
A variety of diseases is treated with the proper use of vitamins. In the correct dosage, they also help reduce the risk of developing diseases.
For example, women are encouraged to take folic acid supplementation when they are in childbearing years because a lack of folic acid in the first 28 days of gestation can result in a neural tube defect in a developing baby.
Iron is a known chemical found in multivitamins, which can negatively affect the immune system and the bon structures of the body when taken in excess. Men and postmenopausal women should never take multivitamins which contain iron for this reason. Only menstruating women should take an iron supplement to make up for the extra blood loss every month.
Do Women and Men Need Different Nutritional Supplements?
Posted by: · Commentsin Categories : Diet & Nutrition, Men's Health, Women's Health
Do men and women really require different nutrition? Can’t they both take the same vitamin supplements and be done with it?
And the answer is — as much as women and men like to believe that there are very little differences between the genders, this is actually not true when it comes nutrition and vitamins. Let’s take a look at some of the differences in the vitamin and mineral requirements of both men and women to accurately determine why supplementation must be different.
Vitamin A is a key nutrient that our bodies cannot produce naturally. Therefore we must obtain it from diets and supplements. It is not only helps to prevent vision problems, but also promotes a healthy immune system. It is essential for the growth and development of cells and will keep skin cells healthy, one reason why it is such a popular topical factor in skin care regimens. Good sources are milk, eggs, darkly colored vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes and orange fruits such as cantaloupe and apricots. Men require of 900 mcg of vitamin A each day and women need only 700 mcg. It is very possible to get too much vitamin A which will result in toxicity and significant side effects.
Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, helps turn food into energy in the body. It will maintain healthy skin and it is important for nerve function. Niacin is found in red meat, poultry, fish and fortified hot and cold cereals. Because of the different muscle mass between men and women the average man require 16 mg of niacin a day and the average woman needs 14 mg a day in order to provide overall optimal health.
Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is needed to form collagen, which is the tissue that holds the cells together. It is essential for healthy bones, teeth and gums and helps the body to absorbs iron and calcium as well as aiding in wound healing. There are high levels of vitamin C in red berries, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach. The requirements for non-smokers are different than those who smoke because of the action of tobacco on the body and the destruction of vitamin C. Non-smoking men need 90 mg and women need 75 mg, while smoking men need 125 mg and smoking women need 110 mg.
Many of the differences in the vitamins required by both men and women are related to body mass size, muscle mass and hormonal balances. The body uses vitamins and minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and enzymes to support the balance of hormones necessary for good health. Women require a different balance of vitamins and minerals in order to support their female hormones and reproductive system than do men.
Let’s take a look at some of these:
Iron is another mineral which would be dangerous to nonmenstruating women and men. Only menstruating women should take an iron supplement because of the blood loss they experience every month. Otherwise, the body stores the iron and it can reach toxic levels very easily.
Calcium is another requirement which differs between men and women because osteoporosis affects a larger percentage of older women than it does men.
Calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K and phosphorus all work together to build strong bone density and the greater amounts of bone which is laid down in the early teens and 20s the less risk woman face for osteoporosis as she grows older.
Interestingly, while scientists and researchers do understands that nutritional guidelines for men and women are different most products in the vitamin and supplement industry are not guided by guidelines. And currently there are no studies which show that gender specific vitamins have any particular health benefits because they would be very difficult and costly to undertake.
Some of these nutritional differences, such as the requirement for calcium and iron, are significantly different between the genders and must be addressed while other vitamins, such as vitamin A. or vitamin C, have minimal differences and don’t require a different vitamins.
Other nutritional differences between men and women fall under category of products which are not vitamins and minerals such as protein and fiber. Men require more protein than women do simply because of the difference in muscle mass and because excess protein will accelerate calcium loss in the urine. Interestingly, men also require more fiber than women because requirements are calculated based on how much protection and they offer against heart disease. Since men in general require more calories they also need more fiber.
So the bottom line is that a good multivitamin without iron can be used for both the men and postmenopausal women, while premenopausal women require a higher iron intake in order to decrease their risk of developing anemia. Women who are entering menopause in their latter years may also find it necessary to increase their iron intake based on their amounts of menstrual flow and blood loss.
Multivitamin Liquids or Pills – Which is Better?
Posted by: · Commentsin Categories : Diet & Nutrition
The convenience of buying and using highly processed foods in our fast-paced society has led to the necessity of taking a multivitamin to make up for the poor diet. Even though the best source of vitamins and minerals is a well balanced diet, most people have poor eating habits no matter where they live or their income level. It is critical that you eat a well-balanced diet that is high in vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds in order to help your body work in an optimal fashion.
Supplements and vitamins can help but cannot compensate for a diet that is high in fatty fried foods, carbohydrates or loaded with sugar. It will however complement your nutritional intake to reinforce your immune system and provide those vitamins which you would not get otherwise.
So when you’re considering a multivitamin, which is better – liquid or a pill?
For the sake of argument we are going to consider that the vitamin and mineral content in either the pill or the liquid will be equal in order to fully evaluate which format is best.
Much of the new literature suggests that liquid vitamins are better absorbed by the body because of the format in which they are introduced into the body. Claims by manufacturers of liquid vitamins suggest that over 90% of vitamins taken in pill form will be flushed down the toilet and are never absorbed.
That statement may or may be true, but it does not depend upon the method by which the vitamins are delivered to the body, i.e., pill form versus liquid. This is because there is a huge variation in the way that vitamin supplements are manufactured.
Before discussing which format is best let’s take a quick look at how nutrients are absorbed in the body.
We take in food in through our mouths we chew it and mix it with saliva which starts the process of breaking down the food. Next the fluid goes into the stomach where it is broken down even further by stomach acid and passed along into the small intestines. It is in the small intestines that the nutrients from the food are actually absorbed into the bloodstream.
This means that the claims by liquid vitamin manufacturers that their product is absorbed better because of the form in which it is delivered is not entirely true. It isn’t the format in which the vitamins are delivered but rather the quality of the vitamins which are delivered that makes the difference.
Other than the active components in the vitamin pill there are products called excipients. These products, excipients, are responsible for delivering vitamins to the right place in the digestive tract so that they can get absorbed in the small intestines and not broken down in the stomach acid. A good multivitamin will use high quality excipients to deliver the vitamins exactly where the body can absorb it best.
On the other hand, poor quality multivitamins use poor quality excipients and therefore deliver a smaller percentage of vitamins for the bloodstream because the remainder of the vitamins get dissolves and broken down by the gastric acids in the stomach.
Many of the high quality multivitamins also claimed to be more bioavailable, meaning that the body has access to a higher percentage of vitamins delivered to the bloodstream and therefore at the cellular level. This claim is dependent upon the delivery system that the vitamin uses and the excipients to which they are bound.
Before deciding on the exact type of vitamin you wish to use do your homework. Unless you have trouble swallowing a pill, liquid vitamins are really no better absorbed then the solid pills are. The difference comes in the quality of excipients used in either the liquid vitamin or the pill form which should be the criteria upon which you make your decision.
Discover the Healthy Eating Secrets You Can Use to Lose Weight & Feel Better Than You Have in Years. With all the foods out there claiming to be low-fat or fat-free or cholesterol free and with all the conflicting research that one day says a particular food is bad for you and the next says it is good, deciding how to “eat healthy” can be extremely difficult. Learn more about 