Posts Tagged ‘Health’

Sports Nutrition And Athletic Health

To those who do not know, it is quite a pleasure to announce that sports nutrition health is extremely detrimental to an athlete’s performance. Why detrimental?

This is what drives athletes to prioritize their health and maintain a healthy lifestyle to be able to excel in their sport. How can you play your sport well if you do not have the energy nor do you have the muscle strength to run fast or to jump high?

However, there are certain factors that can prevent you from attaining that sports nutrition health that is deemed to appropriate for your status.

You, assuming that you are an athlete or thinking of becoming one, must, first and foremost, understand the principles of sports nutrition completely. What is the point of staying healthy when you do not even know what being healthy is all about?

You must also avoid engaging yourself in false beliefs and misconceptions. Myths are completely different from facts, and your sports nutrition health is indeed a fact so do not, under any circumstances, mix unreal and unproven principles with facts. Doing so will do a great deal in compromising your health, thus, your career as an athlete.

You must also take note of nutrition requirements that are related to your training program. Failure to recognize these said requirements would bring bad effects to your health status. Why? You might be taking carbohydrates all right but not in the right amount or in the amount that is appropriate for you. So there will either be an excess or a lack, and neither is helpful for your health status.

There is a fine line between having a good sports nutrition health and dieting to lose fat. In fact, it is not just a fine line but a huge line. Do not mistake them to be the same thing or else your health will be compromised.

You may have an extremely busy schedule, being an athlete and all, but you must still consume appropriate amount of food. So you must manage your time well to have an adequate time for eating. Time management is definitely the key.

For starters, you may not be financially stable right away, but that is how it always is when you are just beginning. However, this scarcity of finances might be a factor for you not to be able to attain adequate food supplies.

For those who are already making it big, your sports nutrition health should always come first. This means you have to manage your money efficiently so that you can have the appropriate supply of food, and still have enough to spend on those blings.

Frequent travelling might also be a factor to a faltering sports nutrition health. Aside from the fact that it is expensive, there is also a huge tendency that you will be taking your food on the road.

This will then minimize the selection of your food to those that are portable, which will leave out the food that are difficult for you to carry but important for your sports nutrition health. The time for eating should also not be modified.

Sports nutrition health experts break sports nutrition health down to what food is basically made up of, that would be protein, carbohydrates and fats. These components are very important but an excess would be a cause of a nutritional downfall.

Fats are the things that you should be more concerned about since these are the ones that “decide” what kind of figure to give your body.

You must not lose more than one half pound of fat in a week because if this happens, your body will individually think that you are undergoing a fasting, trying to starve yourself.

If this is the case, your metabolism slows down since there is a need to conserve calories that have been used and also since your muscles will be used as sources of energy.

So listen to these tips and you will be on your way to stardom as a successful athlete, but still keep your sports nutrition health very much intact. Why? It is because without proper sports nutrition health, you will not have a chance or an opportunity to be a successful athlete. An athlete yes, but a successful one? Think again.

Learning English – Lesson Seven – (Health & Exercise)

In this new version of Lesson 7, we look at health and exercise.

Nutrition for Good Health

Malnutrition is a word often associated with famine and starvation, especially in developing countries. But another form of malnutrition, or poor nutrition, is prevalent in countries such as the United States and Canada and in areas with a similar diet. This is malnutrition caused by poor selection of foods and excessive food consumption.

To gain a better understanding of the nutritional problems representative of the industrialized nations, Awake! spoke with nutritionist Nilda Tirado, New York City coordinator for the Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program, which is administered by Cornell University, Cooperative Extension. The Cooperative Extension programs throughout the United States provide free information and help to the public in the proper selection and use of foods to maintain good health. The following are Nilda Tirado’s answers to questions of an Awake! representative.

What would you say are the major nutritionally related health problems in industrialized countries?

The most common nutrition-related problem would be dental caries, or tooth decay, affecting every age group. Obesity, or excessive weight, would be next, and iron-deficiency anemia, which is still prevalent in women, adolescents, and infants. However, of great concern are several chronic diseases or conditions, such as high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and gastrointestinal problems, which are directly related to overconsumption of high-calorie foods, fat, and salt, as well as insufficient fiber consumption. These conditions are all related to the many changes in our life-style and in our eating and food-preparation patterns.

You’ve mentioned the problem of too much food. Is this really of major concern?

Obesity is a major public-health problem in all age groups in many industrialized countries. Changes in life-style and greater availability of food contribute to this. In school-age children, we see it especially in grades one through three and notably in urban areas where opportunities for exercise are often limited. When a person is carrying more than 20 percent above normal body weight, he is said to be obese. An overfed infant can easily grow into an obese child, and then if steps aren’t taken to correct eating habits, the obese child becomes an obese adult—with risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.

What problems do you encounter with infant nutrition?

We often find that many mothers wean their infants too early and introduce solid foods too soon. They also tend to give more food than is really needed for the health of the child. Many mothers, pressured by family and friends, often try to wean babies at three months. Since babies’ tongues are conditioned to suck in liquids and not to push solid food back properly for swallowing, the baby will often spit out most of the food. Frustrated by this, mothers concoct a kind of baby-food milk shake by diluting the food in formula. Then they feed this through a baby bottle after enlarging the hole in the nipple. Besides the risk of the baby’s choking, this type of feeding increases the tendency toward an overweight baby and has also been related to a higher incidence of ear infection.

When is a good time to wean a baby?

Most infants do not need solid foods until they are about six months old, and even then they should not be introduced to high-protein food immediately. Their gastrointestinal system often cannot handle the protein, so there may be slight bleeding in the intestines, which the mother will not even notice. This can manifest itself as anemia. There may also be a problem with the development of allergies and skin problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that when weaning a baby, something easily digested, such as rice cereal, be given for the first two or three days. And whenever a new cereal is introduced to the infant, it is suggested that only that cereal be given for three days in a row to determine if there are any allergies to it.

Do you recommend breast-feeding?

Most certainly. By all means. Breast milk contains not only needed nutrients in the proper amounts for infants but also antibodies, which prevent many of the infections common in infancy. Breast-fed infants rarely become obese and generally have fewer allergies and gastrointestinal upsets. Unfortunately there is still the misconception among some women that if you can possibly afford it, baby formula is better. Although formula is nutritionally adequate, it doesn’t afford the antibodies and the perfect balance of nutrients that one finds in mother’s milk.

What about older children?

We see a twofold problem with toddlers. First, they are often overfed, and, second, they are not taught to eat a variety of foods.

Infants require numerous feedings throughout the day, and sometimes mothers keep up that routine as the child grows. But toddlers don’t require as much food per pound of body weight as infants do, and they should not be forced to eat all the time.

In addition, toddlers often go through food jags, preferring only one or two foods all the time. This can create problems if not handled properly. Children may have trouble adopting a well-balanced diet later. For example, much of the nutritious food incorporated into school-lunch programs gets thrown away because children have never been exposed to some of these foods prior to starting school. So it is important to encourage children to be open to new foods. Encouraging children to select, prepare, and even grow food are ways of making foods interesting and fun. Parents also need to serve as role models here. Some toddlers are not given the opportunity to feed themselves. In order to shorten their mealtime, or because mothers feel it’s their role, toddlers are often spoon-fed instead of letting them learn to eat by themselves.

Do adults have any particular nutritional problems?

Studies have shown that adults among all income groups consume too much fat and sodium (salt) and not enough fiber. Excess fat intake is often reflected by an overweight condition or by arteriosclerosis in some people. Preference for a high intake of meat, which is also high in fat, and snacking on empty calorie foods contribute to these conditions, as does a lack of adequate exercise. Sodium intake is high due to a heavy reliance on processed foods, which, because of today’s life-style, people find very convenient to use. Consumption of fiber, on the other hand, is lower because people eat less of the foods in which it is present, including legumes (beans, peas, lentils), fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals.

Americans especially eat larger portions of meat than is really needed. To meet the body’s daily requirement for protein, only about two to three ounces (57 to 85 g) of meat is necessary. But it’s common to see people consume six to eight ounces (170 to 230 g) of meat at supper alone. This is in addition to the protein in their breakfast ham, bacon, or sausage, and their hot dog or hamburger for lunch and the protein that is found in all the other foods they may eat. The individual who sits down and consumes half a chicken, for example, is really getting four times the amount of protein required for that day and many more calories than needed. By increasing our protein sources from animal foods, we also increase our intake of fat, since almost all are high in fat and cholesterol. The more animal products consumed, the more calories and fat. Sometimes people who want to lose weight cut out other foods and eat only meat, not realizing that meat has many more calories than does pasta or rice.

Do nutritional needs change with age?

Yes and no. We all need the same nutrients no matter what our age but in different amounts. As we age, we require fewer calories. This is because the energy needed to maintain the body decreases with age, although the activity and health may remain constant. If a person becomes less active, then even fewer calories are required. So the elderly need to eat fewer calories and exercise more or they will become overweight. Sugars, fats, oils, and alcohol should be limited as they are high in calories and lack essential nutrients.

Our nutritional needs also change during growth periods—childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy—and after illness or surgery. At these times, we do have to increase the availability of nutrients to our bodies by eating foods providing more calories and nutrients.

The most common nutritional problem in women still remains that of iron deficiency. The tendency among many women is to cut back on calories, which may be a good thing for their weight, but since iron is difficult to obtain in food, and because it occurs only in certain foods and in limited amounts, the amount of iron available is decreased even more. Iron supplements are often recommended as a safety measure.

Another increasing problem, especially in older women, is osteoporosis, caused by a loss of calcium in the bones. About 40 percent of all women who reach age 80 have this condition. This loss of calcium is actually a normal part of aging, but since women do not usually have a good store of calcium in their bodies—due to a calcium-poor diet and decreased activity throughout life—what would be normal is instead a serious problem. As the calcium comes out of the bones, they become less dense, and many times the person will shrink, appearing much shorter. Curvature of the spine is common along with fractures of the hipbones and spinal column. It is for this reason that calcium-rich foods should be part of the diet throughout life.

What recommendations do you give homemakers for healthier eating?

Besides doing what has already been mentioned, we encourage people to eat a variety of foods to assure that they receive all the nutrients they need. Also, since there seems to be a pattern today of opening packages and cans and eating frozen TV dinners, we urge people to look around and select from the wide variety of fresh foods available in the marketplace and then to learn to prepare these foods so that nutrients, taste, and color are preserved. Stir-frying, steaming, and baking are cooking methods that help to do this and are preferable to boiling and frying. It’s amazing just how many people have not learned to cook well or just don’t feel they have the time to do it.

We try to help people see that they can better control what they eat by doing their own cooking. Instead of falling back on, say frozen prepared chicken that is coated, has additives and extra fat, a homemaker can buy a fresh chicken, or frozen chicken parts, prepare it, add ingredients enjoyed by her family, and serve it attractively for all to enjoy.

We also encourage homemakers to limit the use of commercially prepared mixes, such as powdered soups, meat helpers, and cake mixes. These often contain high quantities of salt and other ingredients that may not be the best for our health. A homemaker can prepare some of these mixes herself and store them for later use. This will save time and money and allows for the creativity of the cook. In this way the homemaker can also control what goes into the food she feeds her family, and she can limit fat and salt if she wants. This is almost impossible to do if you use prepared mixes.

We urge, too, that homemakers become knowledgeable about what nutrients are needed for good health and become informed consumers by looking for ingredients listed on the labels of products before they buy. Since there are new food products and nutrition information in the media every day, homemakers should also get advice from reputable sources of nutrition information. Such reputable sources include health professionals in government agencies, in hospitals, and in local health agencies, and naturally Cooperative Extension, which operates nutrition programs in every state in the United States.

Natural Nutrition: Regain your Health With Proper Nutrition

Natural nutrition has two governing precepts: the body has the remarkable power to heal itself but is also unable to work against itself. Natural nutrition is not only about what we ingest in the form of food and drink it is also about taking responsibility for the quality of our decisions.

The multitude of combinations of ingredients naturally found in fresh produce, as opposed to supplements, are essential in order to maintain peak health. Choose to take in to your body only those foods that are full of natural enzymes and nutrients and your body will feel and look healthier and more energized. Many health conditions can be treated successfully through proper nutrition.

Nutrition Should Not Come From A Factory

Stay away from foods which have unnatural additives, which have been irradiated and which are genetically modified. Processed, prepackaged, refined, manufactured, artificially flavored and/or colored, preservative-laden, chemically treated, or chemically engineered foods are highly discouraged. They do not contain the nutritional value of whole foods and they contain many additives, which further depletes the system of essential nutrients. To keep in tune with the cycles of nature you can select foods that are in season.

Consume Natural Vitamins

The body requires vitamins which for the most part should come from selecting nutritious foods. Keep in mind that vitamins consumed as a supplement are missing most of the enzymes, co-enzymes, minerals, mineral activators and other substances that work with vitamins which allow them to be absorbed and fully used by the body.

Nature Heals

Your body is for the most part a self repairing machine if it has the required nutrients and is not compromised by toxins and pollution. Unfortunately we live in a toxic environment and the mass market food supply no longer provides all the nutrients we need. The first essential step toward wellness, therefore, is to be sure you are getting the correct amounts of the proper nutrients by choosing only the freshest, least altered foods.

Balance

Various health conditions have been corrected time and time again by supplying the body’s requirement for balanced nutrition. Rather than treating areas or symptoms in isolation, natural nutrition treats the whole person, restoring a state of balance, so that the body may then correct its own symptoms. High quality natural nutrition is about ‘balance’ not ‘potency’.

Natural Nutrition Is Healthy

By consuming natural nutrition you are able to reverse many conditions including:

Allergies

Arthritis/Rheumatism

Asthma

Childrens’ behavioral problems

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

IBS/Digestive complaints

Headaches

Infertility

Skin problems, including Acne, eczema and psoriasis

Weight problems

Summary

Natural nutrition is about handing us back control of our own health, enabling us to see and feel what is going on and take action accordingly. It is without a doubt the most effective form of nutrition. Consuming only natural ingredients continually keeps us aware of our current health picture.

Unnatural nutrition is one of the major causes of many of our diseases, while natural nutrition is an equally powerful agent in curing these diseases and rejuvenating our health. A poor diet could be unknowingly contributing to your pain and discomfort, short temper, heartburn, fatigue, weight gain, depression, allergies, and anxiety.

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Natural Health Supplements

Natural health supplements can be found in a variety of different places. Become informed on holistic alternatives: digestive enzymes, thyroid, fats and oils, women’s hormones, anti-aging, digestion problems, allergies, enzyme nutrition, natural health supplements, herbal remedies, diet and much more. Garlic is a natural health supplement that has been used all over the world to treat coughs, toothaches, earaches, fungal infections and poor circulation. When looking to buy natural health supplements, leading the list should be the daily vitamin/mineral/nutrient supplement that is the basis of your supplement program. Learn as much as you can before you buy natural health supplements and the natural tonics for health and wellness you’ll be taking every day.

Vitamins

Vitamins like C, D, E and the B complex family, enzymes like CoQ 10 and essential fatty acids that are found in fish and certain vegetable oils all have proven antioxidant properties. Many of us are already aware that the wide variety of vitamins and natural supplements available over-the-counter lack this kind of quality. What about children? This question of whether or not children should be taking natural health supplements is answerable by asking yourself one simple question: do your children get enough vitamins and minerals in their daily diet to help them face the challenges of modern life. If your child has allergies, then there’s a good chance that they are not receiving the required level of vitamins and minerals they need. Daily vitamins (all found in herbs) are just one example of natural health products that in the modern era, we’ve come to accept as a part of our lifestyle.

Controlling Your Weight

So you’ve been working out, cutting calories and eating healthier but you’re still losing your war against weight. Get your weight under control with safe and nutritious weight loss dietary supplements. I am convinced that natural health supplements along with proper diet and weight control can help us fight common lifestyle illnesses and maintain optimum health and longevity. A natural herbal nutrition supplement is the best way to strengthen your body and prepare it for losing weight, exercise or just general good health. Natural health supplement and natural weight loss products are now available everywhere, just be sure to research the ones that will work best for you first.

Nutritional Supplementation

Nutritional supplements can provide the essential elements our bodies need to thrive, and to achieve optimum health. Pregnancy is a time when a woman’s nutritional needs can be greater than at any other point in a woman’s life which is why a multivitamin/mineral prenatal health supplement is so necessary for both mother and child. There are manufacturers that provide advanced nutritional products in one broad high-quality daily supplement. Many people get off track because of a desire to find that one magic supplement that will provide all of their nutritional needs. We know that one supplement simply cannot fill the entire nutritional needs of an individual.

Natural health supplements and advancements in nutrition and modern medicine have certainly done their share to contribute to the overall wellbeing of modern man. Rarely are natural health supplements sold with testimonials and before/after photos immediately available for your review. But you will find them especially on many online health sites. Information regarding weight loss, natural health supplements, wellness, healthy living and improved natural health is provided in our articles for you to learn from, and to adapt into your own lifestyle. We specialize in the research and development of alternative medicine, natural health supplements and remedies. At last, the knowledge about natural health supplements acquired by local shamans and herbalists over thousands of years is available around the world, thanks to the internet, and brought to you directly through our health articles and websites.