Keep Your Health Tips

Health, according to the World Health Organization, is defined as:

The integral well-being of a person that includes spiritual well-being (Soul and Spirit).

Mental well-being: Which is what a person thinks and what his brain carries out,

Physical well-being is what our body lives, suffers, enjoys and desires,

Environmental well-being is a person’s agreement with his surroundings.

And all these joined to socio-cultural well-being, and socio-economic well-being. Health is NOT THE APARENT ABSENCE of ILLNESS. Unfortunately, most people think that Health is simply not being confined to a bed, not running a fever, or not being ill. Being healthy includes all the concepts of integral well-being described by the World Health Organization and not just the absence of illness.

What does Health have to do with Food and Nutrition?

Since you are reading this on your computer, you are probably aware that you can

- feed the hard drive of your computer by inputting new information.

- feed the container where you deposit trash, and fill it with something, anything at all.

- feed your body with anything, and you may be filling it with something that may not necessarily be good for your health, with no nutrients or good substances for you.

On the other hand NURTURE is a function of ingesting those NUTRIENTS that ARE essential for good performance of each of our cells, and of course our whole body.

So what those nutrients?

There are several types of essential NUTRIENTS. Classified in a broad and simple way these are

- Macronutrients,

- Micronutrients,

- Enzymes and

- co-Enzymes.

Besides these we have the new concept of Phyto-Nutrients known also as the nutrients coming from the vegetable kingdom.

It is important to mention oxygen and water. Without oxygen and water we could not live. Even though oxygen and water do not contain calories they are essential to our health and life.

“Mr. Energetic” or “Mr. Carbohydrate” also known as sugar and please don’t think that is just the sugar you use to sweeten your drink. This sugar comprises of a list of nutrients that include monosaccharides or simple sugars. Here we find the basic building blocks to create very important molecules. One kind of these molecules is called glyconutrients.

Additionally we find other sugars also known as complex carbohydrates made up of several molecules. Some are called disaccharides, and the prefix “Di” stands for two molecules monosaccharides and other called polysaccharides or starch - shaped by several monosaccharide molecules.

Next, we have the group called dietary fiber which are divided into two groups: Soluble and insoluble in water. They do not produce calories, but possess great features aiding the body in digestion.

What is the purpose of these molecules?

In summary, these molecules supply energy and assist us in the multiple and complex processes of our cells through out our life, from the first second of our life until the last. In another report we will concentrate on these processes. We will be covering Fatty Acids, Proteins, Trace Elements, Phyto Chemicals and others.

In conclusion, when we eat we are nourishing our cells. This is a concept that goes way beyond simple eating. You feed your body with what you want to eat, but you are not nourishing it.

Before we begin to nourish ourselves it is important to know that the foundation for good health is prevention. Prevention begins through radical changes in our lifestyle, by eliminating all harmful practices and learning to think correctly. Learn to relax your body with meditation, and have a better quality of life. All this is key to good health.

Elleyne VanBryce is a member of the AIANE (American International Association of Nutritional Education) and is currently being certified in Nutritional Education and Health. Visit her health blog today. She invites you to leave your comments.

Share This

Vitamins supplements are so common amonge us. We can easily buy them at supermarkets or our local drugs store. But what are vitamins? and why should we take them? Nobel Laureate Fritz Lipmann once commented, “Doctors like to prescribe vitamins and millions of people take them, but it requires a good deal of biochemical sophistication to understand why they are needed and how the organism uses them.”

Vitamins are essential micronutrients that the body cannot supply in sufficient quantities. They therefore must be obtained from the environment (diet or supplements). For simplification, vitamins are classified in two groups, according to whether they are water-soluble or fat-soluble. The water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins; these are considered for the most part relatively non-toxic. The fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, K, tend to accumulate in tissues and can be quite toxic at high doses.

What are Enzymes?
Enzymes are the work horses of the body in that they function to facilitate biochemical reactions necessary for activities such as muscle contraction, wound healing, digestion of food, metabolism of carbohydrate, fat and protein, and virtually all the numerous chemical reactions necessary for growth and vitality. The body manufactures approximately 4,000 different enzymes, and 22% of them require a helper molecule, a coenzyme, to carry out their activity. The relatively tiny B vitamin fits snugly into a specific site on the enzyme, much like a ball in a catcher’s mitt. This interaction between enzyme and vitamin must be a near perfect fit for the enzyme to be active. Once this reaction is complete, the enzyme, now known as a holoenzyme, can perform work for the cell.

Why should we supplement with vitamins?
Many people, especially as we age, require more nutrients than the diet supplies. Unfortunately, few of us eat the recommended 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables/day. Scientific evidence continues to accumulate to strengthen the view that vitamin deficiencies are more common than previously thought. It has been estimated that at least 50 human genetic diseases are caused by specific errors in the DNA blueprint, and that these diseases can be corrected or attenuated by taking vitamins several-fold in excess of the recommended daily intake. Other disorders that may be related to genetic factors and vitamin deficiencies include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, rage, depression, bipolar, and other more minor disorders.

How can megadosing with a particular vitamin make up for some genetic errors?
Vitamin must fit tightly in the pocket of the enzyme for full activity. If an enzyme is produced from a gene containing a genetic error (especially in the formation of the vitamin pocket), the error will most likely affect the ability of the enzyme to bind with the vitamin. This will result in reduced enzyme activity, because the vitamin will not be properly fitted to the enzyme. However, enzymologists working in the laboratory have demonstrated a method to force the vitamin into a pocket of an enzyme with low binding affinity. The technique involves raising the concentration of the vitamin, thereby increasing the chance of a productive interaction between the vitamin and its binding site (pocket) on the enzyme. This is precisely what is believed to occur in some of the 50 or so known genetic diseases that are corrected or improved by ingestion of megadoses of vitamins. The high doses essentially force the imperfect pocket to pop into the vitamin-binding conformation, thereby creating the active holoenzyme.
Other genetic errors can also interfere with the transport of the vitamin into the cell. For example, a protein known as intrinsic factor is produced by the stomach and functions as a vehicle to carry vitamin B-12 from the intestine into the plasma. A defect in this factor will also produce a B-12 deficiency, which can be corrected by B-12 injections or high doses of sublingual B-12, both of which by-pass the intrinsic factor block. Since many vitamins have carrier proteins, this type of error is potentially more common than presently realized. Furthermore, stomach acidity is important in vitamin absorption and it is known that some individuals (more common in the elderly) have low vitamin absorption due to abnormal stomach acidity, which again may be corrected by high-dose vitamin therapy.

Vitamins may also serve a role in protecting enzymes from free radical attack. Enzymes are longer-lived when they are in the company of substances they normally work with or bind to, such as the vitamins. The enzyme-bound vitamin affords a shield from free radical attack, as well as promoting a more compact, stable enzyme structure.

How much should one take?
One should avoid taking vitamins in excess of the safe upper limit (UL), unless prescribed by a qualified physician. This safe UL can be several hundred times the recommended daily required intake, yet clearly within the range of the vitamins and minerals present in one multiple vitamin plus a super-B complex/day. A complete list of vitamin-mineral UL can be obtained from the US government National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.

The U.S. Government’s dietary guideline of 5 to 7 fruits and vegetables per day is widely cited, but often not well understood. Will 5 fruits and no vegetables meet the guideline? What about all veggies and no fruit? Could it be that they mean 5 to 7 fruits AND 5 to 7 vegetables?

Detailed examination of the guidelines reveals that the recommendation is to consume at least 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables per day. The rationale is that different fruits and vegetables provide different nutrients. For further information, and details on what constitutes a serving, go to Dietary Guidelines: Build a Healthy Base at www.health.gov.

Although the need for vitamins and minerals is widely recognized, most people don’t bother to take supplements that would ensure adequate vitamin intake. A national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced data indicating that 60% of the U.S. population had not taken at least 1 vitamin or mineral in the past month.

Vitamin C is the most commonly consumed vitamin, followed by several B vitamins. Vitamin E is 7th, A is 8th and D is 9th on the list of the top ten most common ingredients. Folic acid, well known for its importance during pregnancy, is 10th.

Vitamin consumption correlates with age, education, gender and geography. The groups with the highest vitamin supplementation are those who are non-Hispanic whites, women, 50 and over, have 13+ years of education, and live in the West.

For most of us, vitamins are synonymous with good health. Yet most Americans do not take vitamins. Changing diet affects the need for vitamins, as does age, since older bodies don’t absorb vitamins as well as younger ones.

Ito Nakamura is a Internet Health Enterpreneur who specialise in marketing health supplements, execise equipemnst & beauty products. http://www.detoxprofessor.com

Share This

When considering what to include in a weight loss diet, there are two factors that you should always consider early. The first is whether or not your chosen diet will be sufficiently nutritious to keep you healthy. The second is if the diet will be tasty enough to maintain your interest, rather than for you to opt out through boredom.

It is possible to address both of these concerns at the same time by considering health food vitamins, and in so doing you may be in for some pleasant surprises. Much will depend in your tastes in food, but with experimentation, you should be able to construct a diet, within the guidelines of your nutritionist and doctor, that is also interesting enough to enable you to not only stick to the diet but enjoy it also.

If you are able to end up with a diet that you can really enjoy, then there is a chance that it will become a lifelong habit. It is possible to make permanent changes; I know that from personal experience. Initially, it can be difficult to make drastic changes, but it can be done much easier if you are enjoying the food you are eating. In many cases, drastic changes may not even be needed, but that is something it is best to discuss with your doctor in relation to your own health and weight problem.

I have selected five of my best diet foods, health foods rich in vitamins and other nutrients, which will provide you with some of the most important nutrients to sustain you during your diet:

Tomatoes

I find tomatoes one of the most versatile and useful foods for cooking, and can be used to add interest to all sorts of meals, such as curries, casseroles and soups. Tomatoes go well with lean meats, or mixed with other vegetables, when used for cooking. They are also delicious raw, if you can find good tomatoes rather than the insipidly flavoured tomatoes you may find in the supermarket.

Tomatoes also happen to be one of the most valuable health foods, rich in lycopene, plus vitamins A and C. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant, which is why much scientific attention has been paid to tomatoes in recent years. Lycopene’s ability to neutralize free radicals that cause cell damage has been the centre of attention, due to the possible potential in cancer prevention.

Tomatoes also have one other special asset. That is, that the nutrients are not destroyed during cooking, and even processed tomato products such as tomato sauce or ketchup, and canned tomatoes, retain the nutritional benefits. Tomatoes are therefore my health food super hero.

Garlic

When it comes to making boring foods tasty, garlic is way up there amongst the best. Along with tomatoes, garlic is an important part of the Mediterranean Diet. Like tomatoes, it can be used with just about any other cooked food, so whatever your diet regime is, you should find you can utilize garlic widely to satisfy your palate.

Garlic has some important nutrients too, such as calcium, vitamin C and vitamin B6, phosphorus and selenium, plus antibiotic properties.

Basil

Basil is a humble and popular herb that can be used liberally to bring its distinctive flavour to other foods. What you may not realize is that basil also packs a punch when it comes to calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin C. Also, basil is a good source of iron, potassium and magnesium, and carotenoids such as beta carotene.

How about tomato and basil soup, with a touch of garlic? A super combo of health foods that will fit into most diets.

Strawberries

The mention of strawberries seems like a self indulgence; their flavour to some can seem too good to be true (me included). Well, indulge, because the strawberry is a great health food too, with some nutrients you may not have anticipated. Strawberries contain Vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese, folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.

Strawberries are best fresh and eaten on their own. (Please read carefully. I did not say strawberries should be eaten laced in sugar with a dollop of clotted cream.)

Spinach

Many may turn their noses up at the mention of spinach; I know I did as a child. However, once you discover its true flavour, spinach does make an excellent food as a side vegetable, in a soup or in a curry. All the old stories about the goodness of spinach were true, as it contains Vitamin C, iron, beta carotene and calcium., plus vitamins E and K, fibre, lutein and zeaxanthin (carotenoids).

Those are just a few ideas for healthy foods, rich in nutrients, that can add flavour and interest to your diet, as you set out to make a permanent lifestyle change to lose weight.

This best diet food article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and part author of the Routes To Self Improvement website. Roy is also owner and author of the health foods website Health-Food-Farvest.com

Share This