Category: nutrition

Vitamins For A Healthy Heart

Posted Aug.30, 2009 under health care tips, nutrition

As we all know, vitamins are very important when it comes to keeping your heart healthy.  You need to eat the right foods of course, although you also need to supplement the food you eat with the necessary vitamins your body needs to stay in shape and keep your heart working healthy for a long time to come.  If you don’t consume the right nutrients, you won’t be doing your heart any favors – and may end up having problems later on in life.

The first vitamin that comes to mind for most people is vitamin E, a vitamin that is essential to improving the overall health of your heart.  When taken correctly, vitamin E will stop the cholesterol in the body from harming the arteries that surround the heart.  Anytime cholesterol oxidizes, it sticks to the sides of the arteries and can lead to blockages which can cause heart attacks or other serious problems with the heart.

To help you keep your heart healthy, most doctors recommend that you take additional supplements that contain vitamin E.  They may also suggest that you eat foods that are naturally rich in vitamin E, such as nuts.  Nuts have high amounts of vitamin E, and most of them taste great.  You can find other foods that contain vitamin E as well, although nuts have the highest amounts.

In the past, research has shown Vitamin E to help those who have already suffered the wrath of a heart attack.  This vitamin helps to prevent heart attacks in the future by opening up the arteries and eliminate blockage.  Those who have had a heart attack in the past are always encouraged to add more vitamin E to their diet.

What many aren’t aware of, is the fact that you can use vitamin C to boost the effects of vitamin E.  Vitamin C is known as an antioxidant, which prevents the damaging effects that cholesterol has on the body.  Along with preventing cholesterol from damaging the body, vitamin C also helps vitamin E with it’s functions – such as protecting your arteries and your heart.

By taking both vitamin C and E as a combination, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier heart.  Overall, this is the easiest way that you can be sure you aren’t damaging your heart, especially if you have had a heart attack in the past.  If you have a history of heart disease or heart problems in your family, these vitamins are essential to your diet.  Even if you are just concerned about the health of your heart, these vitamins will give you the peace of mind in knowing that you are eating for a healthy heart.

As far as your dosage goes, it will vary from person to person, although 400 international units of vitamin E and C are the recommended amounts for most people.  On it’s own, vitamin C can be tolerated in large doses, without imposing any harmful effects.  You can take around 500 mg of it twice a day, and ensure that your heart remains healthy.

To be on the safe side, you should always make sure that you get the proper amount of vitamins in your daily diet.  Taking additional vitamins and supplements isn’t a bad idea either, especially if you are trying to boost the health of your heart.  Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body, which is why you should always take care of it.  If you eat the proper diet and take the necessary vitamins – you’ll be well on your way to keeping your heart healthy.

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Fiber-rich food is the best nutrition for dieting

Posted Jun.26, 2009 under healthy life, natural, nutrition

In this article I will reveal some little known facts about the fibers and the beneficial effect they have over your body.

First of all let me explain what fiber is…

Fiber is an indigestible part of all plant foods. It is found in fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Your digestive system cannot stomach fiber, so it is excreted undigested. Well, you may think you don’t need fiber, because it’s excreted undigested, but that’s not true.

Let’s imagine the following picture:

You overeat at least once or twice a week, more often at weekends, and your regular menu doesn’t include much fiber. Well, this might be your life style; however you should consider that it may cause you lots of health problems like:

- indigestion
- discomfort stomach aches
- gases in the digestive tract
- constipation
- hemorrhoids
- you got tired faster
- can’t concentrate on what you’re doing

I mean you become less productive at work and more irritable at home. Besides all this, you gain weight and that’s the moment when you realize you have a problem.

In order to solve a problem, you should first find the reason for it. In this case it’s the lowered intake of fiber-rich foods and respectively – the higher intake of foods containing no fiber (like meat). The average amount of fiber intake is about 25-30 grams per day. Unfortunately most people regular diets include less than 10-15 grams daily.

You should start consuming more fiber-rich foods:

- all bran cereal
- beans
- peas
- spinach
- sweet corn
- wholemeal brown bread
- red cabbage
- carrots
- baked potato with skin
- apples, bananas, oranges and all fruits

There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. If you start eating more food rich in fiber, you’ll be amazed of its beneficial effects over your body, health and way of life.

Soluble fiber forms glue like gel in the intestinal tract. The gel softens stools (no more constipation) and improves your digestion (no more indigestion).

Fiber slows down stomach emptying and you feel fuller longer. This effect helps you eat less, your body burns additional calories to digest fiber and you can lose weight.

Insoluble fiber is an excellent natural laxative, because of its abilities to hold onto water and to push waste faster along the intestines – this way fiber decreases the risk of colon cancer.

In conclusion I’d like to tell you that you won’t be sorry if you start eating more fiber-rich foods. Like many other people I used to take not enough fiber, and I suffered stomach aches. Then I started to eat more fruits and fiber-rich foods in my daily menu. I must admit that it really worked for me, and now fiber-rich food is the most important nutritious part of my regular diet.

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Nutritional Supplements And How They Help Your Health

Posted Jun.07, 2009 under health care tips, healthy life, nutrition

From ancient times people have been taking nutritional supplements. They started with natural herbs often home grown which were usually brewed into teas and tonics.

Now they have become more sophisticated and are available in all sorts of pills, capsules, liquids and of course teas of all sorts.

What are nutritional supplements? Nutritional supplements are used to add nutrients to our diets that are missing or not taken in large enough quantities. They are available in pills capsules, liquids and teas. They can be synthetic or from natural sources. They will contain one or more of the following ingredients:

• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Herbs
• Amino acids
• Saccharides

Why do we need nutritional supplements? These supplements are not intended to replace meals but enhance our diets. There are several reasons that we would be taking them:

• Environment: our environment has deteriorated over the years and we are now getting more toxins from the air, the water and even in the foods we eat, than ever before. Our bodies have to work more to protect and rid ourselves of these unwanted substances. Therefore it is wise for us to take nutritional supplements to help our bodies to do this.

• Stress: Stress will cause your body to function less efficiently. This will put your body at risk for a number of things, especially low resistance for disease. Supplements, especially Glyconutrients will help your bodies immune system get stronger and also help your body function better.

• Poor eating habits: Due to busy lifestyles, our ways of growing food and green harvests we are not getting the important nutrients our bodies need to keep us in good health. We often do not even stop to eat proper meals. This makes it necessary for us to take supplements to enhance our diets and add important nutrients to our diets.

• Athletic activities: when we take more exercise then normal our bodies need more nourishment. A professional athlete or even someone doing extra work outs needs more nutrition. Dietary supplements would include, Proteins, minerals, vitamins and saccharides (Glyconutrients).

• Part of a weight loss plan: when you go on a diet to lose weight you will be eating less and running the risk of not getting enough of the essential nutrients in your diet that your body needs. Therefore you would often be taking some nutritional supplements. Some of these substances even claim to help you to lose weight.

How do they improve your health? Different supplements will help you in different ways.

Glyconutrients: The latest nutritional supplements to come on the market are the saccharides. These are known as Glyconutrients. There are 8 of these essential nutrients:

• Mannose
• Glucose
• Galactose
• Xylose
• Fucose (not fructose)
• N-acetylglucosamine
• N-acetylneuramic acid
• N-acetylgalactosamine

These nutrients have only lately been researched with a technology known as Glycobiology. These nutrients have been shown to be vital to our health especially regarding our immune system and the ability of the body to heal itself.

Ambrotose: is a supplement made up of these Glyconutrients. Taking these supplements will help you to feel healthier and enjoy your life to the fullest.

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Benefits of Vitamin B12

Posted Apr.05, 2009 under health care tips, nutrition

Vitamin B12 is a safe, reliable and inexpensive vitamin. For health-conscious individuals, a quantity of intake of vitamin B12 is a key element for preserving a balance in the human body. B12 can be obtained from food sources or could be taken in the form of supplements orally or by injection.

In combination with other B vitamins, vitamin B12 ensures the smooth functioning of vital life processes of the human body. It is important to maintain a healthy nervous system and production of DNA. Vitamin B12 helps to regulate the formation of red blood cells in the body. Other benefits of vitamin B12 include its role in maintaining and increasing energy levels in the human body.

Vitamin B12 is highly beneficial in several ways. Methylcobalamin, the coenzyme form of vitamin B12 is a body version, which means that no metabolic steps are required for its ingestion and can be used as normal. It is available as a sublingual tablet that dissolves under the tongue (because the digestive system can adapt this molecule). Through this method, vitamin B12 can directly penetrate the bloodstream and produce many benefits. Hydroxocobalamin is another form of vitamin B12 has been recognized as an effective cure for cyanide poisoning.

Research studies show a clear inverse correlation between homocysteine (an amino acid found in the human body) and vitamin B12 levels. Blocking the formation of homocysteine leads to endothelial dysfunction (a narrowing of the arteries) and is a precursor of atherosclerosis, vitamin B12 helps to curb atherosclerosis. A vitamin B12, also increases the efficiency of the ability of folic acid to reduce homocysteine levels. The researchers are of the view that in relation to folic acid, an appropriate dose of vitamin B12 helps to counter heart disease and thrombosis. The synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAME), a compound involved in immune function and mood, depends on the association of folic acid and vitamin B12.

Studies indicate that the absorption of vitamin B12 decreases with increasing age. Therefore, an increased intake of vitamin B12 is very useful for adults over fifty. The recommended intake in the form of a supplement, since the elderly this way a better absorption of food forms of vitamin B12. A supplementation of vitamin B12 helps in the cure neurological and cognitive function in this group.

In most cases, vitamin B12 must be taken together with a supplement of folic acid and vitamin B-Complex. The good news is that while an intake of vitamin B12 facilitates functions necessary for everyday existence, an extra dose causes no harm, but that could be stored for future use.

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Facts About fiber

Posted Jan.30, 2009 under healthy food, nutrition

If you’ve been looking for a way towards a high octane diet, you’ll find fiber to be exactly what you need.  Even though research has shown fiber to be powerful, many people aren’t taking this nutrient seriously.

To help you fuel your health with fiber, here are 10 facts to help.

1.  Fiber fights diseases.  A diet high in fiber can help to prevent colon cancer and heart disease.  High fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by
binding it in the digestive tract.  For thousands of years, fiber has been used to stop constipation.

2.  Fiber can actually help with overeating.  All high fiber foods will take longer to chew and digest, making you feel satisfied longer

3.  Most popular foods don’t have enough fiber.  If you like the more popular foods, you probably need to increase your intake of fiber.

4.  Grains offer the most fiber.  Dietary fiber is actually plant matter that we cannot digest.  The best sources are whole grains and concentrated grain
products.

5.  Kids need fiber as well.  Children that are older than 2 years of age should consume a daily intake of fiber.  Kids are most receptive to fiber found in
fruits, vegetables, and even fortified breakfast cereals.

6.  More fiber needs more water.  In order to keep fiber moving through your digestive tract, you’ll need to consume a lot of water.  With your diet of
fiber, you’ll need eight or more glasses of water every day.

7.  Fiber cannot be cooked out.  When you cook your fruits and vegetables, don’t worry about cooking the fiber out, as it stays.  The fiber found in
fruits and vegetables aren’t just in the skin or in the peel.

8.  You can get enough fiber.  If you eat more than 50 grams of fiber in a day, you can get diarrhea and bloating, which can interfere with your body’s
absorption of other key minerals.

9.  Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet doesn’t have to be hard.  Even though you may think so, getting the amount of fiber you need isn’t very hard to do.  All you have to do is eat the right foods and you’ll be well on your way to a fiber rich lifestyle.

As one of the key ingredients to healthy eating, fiber is something you don’t want to skip.  Fiber can serve many different purposes, which were covered
above.  If you aren’t getting enough fiber in your diet – you should do something about now instead of waiting until it is too late.

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