Healthy Living Diet

Green tea, with its popularity amongst many Asians, particularly Japanese for thousands of years, is an excellent beverage drink which everyone should not ignore its medicinal capability in the treatment of various diseases.

Being part of the evergreen shrub Camellia sinensis, it contain compounds known as polyphenols, a class of bioflavonoids which are found in all plants and believed to have anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties. Highly believed for its ability to guard against cancer by limiting the primary characteristic of cancer cell replication, it scavenges for free radicals which are the by-products from all the chemical reactions that occur in the body and which can damage the cells that have that capability to block the action of carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and detoxify them.

However, many studies in the past had provided contradictory evidences on its protection capability against cancer. Reviews over time from 1980 to 2003, have varying results basically over controls used and thus many factors were included in the adjustments such as:-

• BMI and the dietary profile aside from the simultaneous tea usage and alcohol consumption, economic status,

• education as a surrogate for socioeconomic status,
• fruit and vegetable intake,
• fiber intake from all sources,
• fiber from fruit, vegetables and cereal separately considered,
• calcium, vitamin C, vitamin D and folic acid as well as total caloric intakes

This makes cross comparisons of studies difficult because different subsets were used.

(more…)

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Hello readers. Welcome back again. It has just struck my mind about enlightening you all about the reality on nutrients and detoxification.

Hey, have you seen people who still look haggard despite having proclaimed they are on a well-balanced diet? Many people like you and me (okay, it was those days when I thought as you are now) keep thinking that so long as we consume a well-balanced diet, we should be benefiting from its nourishing ingredients. This may not be thoroughly true. Why? Many at times, putting good stuffs into your body is just not enough. It may comfort you that your body is being pulverised with the good nutrients but what is more important is at times, or rather most of the times, there is a need to take out the bad stuff. By this, we are talking about how the body digests and eliminates the bad stuffs.

A well working digestive and elimination system would ensure absorption of nutrients and supplements with ease and you will be more healthier, energetic and resistant to flu. As one ages, it is undoubted that the body has to work harder; resulting from the slower pace it goes about working. The enzyme production, for example, diminishes and affect all other systems in the body where digestion takes longer with longer intestinal transit time; thus affecting the nutrient absorption rate and its quantity. Alarming indeed as this results in the difficult and inconsistent bowel movements

The marvel of the body is seen in its ability in breaking down complex food molecules into smaller digestible nutrient molecules that can absorbed into the blood stream to nourish the 6 trillion body cells. Nourishment depends on the availability and ability of enzyme production level within the body which in general slows down with age.

To live healthily, the body relies on at least 40 nutrients found in food. Different nutrients need different conditions to be properly absorbed.

The problem commences here. The human body is exposed to the many toxins in the environment, ranging from the air one breathes, the water being drank to the tainted foods eaten. It is all being accumulated in the body and pose a threat to the natural functioning of the digestive and elimination systems at their optimum efficiencies. When these toxins are not properly neutralised and eliminated and excreted, they end up being in the body; stored within the cells, tissues and organs. This is the process of detoxification. Chronic fatigue, indigestion, bloating and building up of disease threatening substances are commonly experienced which further compromised the ability of the body in nutrient absorption.

Detoxification is a natural process that the body does automatically. Being a marvelous body by itself, the various body organs can function specifically for certain processes. The liver in particular is the most important organ that detoxifies. Glutathione, synthesized by our bodies from amino acids, scavenges free radicals, detoxifies heavy metals, helps ferry amino acids into the cells, helps in bile production, and much more. Armed with all its capacities, glutathione, known to be crucial in maintaining immunity, is found in the liver where it detoxifies many harmful compounds to be excreted through the bile.

Similarly, in many schools of alternative medicine, including Ayurveda, naturopathy and chiropractic, the detoxification concept plays a significant role. In this context, detoxification refers to a belief that toxins accumulated in the body are a major cause of disease, and that health can be promoted by removing them through various means. Alternative practitioners use various detoxification methods with the intention of removing the toxins. One such conventional recommendation is drinking at least a quart of water daily, fasting (on juice, water, fruit, or brown rice), using “cleansing” herbs and supplements (such as olive oil and lemon juice to flush the liver, dandelion root to purge the gallbladder, psyllium seed to cleanse the colon), taking high colonics, receiving intravenous vitamin C, and/or removing mercury fillings.

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If ONLY it is so simple as that! Huh, WOW!, that’s great and many of us would have no worry on leading a healthy lifestyle.

Taking exercise or adopting an exercise regime, as many of you believe, gives you the license to eat anything without any adverse effects under the sun from the fattening foods so consumed. That is only a myth as any effective exercise programme must supported by the right food consumption. Bad nutrition, as the case may be akin to fueling a car, enhances under-performance and leaves you feeling lethargic, sluggish, nauseating and perhaps falling sick.

Going to the gym or having regular exercise only frees you up but not much and it depends on how much overweight you may be. It is all about balancing the calories in and out of your body. It is that equation that determines your state of physical health as well.

So what is the standard by any measure to eat yourself fit and healthy? If you are exercising, the standard norm to be referred to should include a 60% carbohydrates, 10-15% protein and the balance being fats. Should losing weight is your intention, eat less carbohydrates and fats but more protein. Again, you have to decide what type of protein is best for you. It is common knowledge that eating more red meat as a protein source is not good for health and it is advisable to draw on lean meat, fish, tofu, soya mince, quorn, quinoa or chicken as alternatives. Athletes going for body building have a different diet programme where protein sources are totally different. Have a variety of various types of foods routinely to keep you adequately replenished.

Proteins increases your metabolism and gobbles up calories much faster. Eat your carbohydrates in the early morning or immediately after exercise when these are less likely to turn into fats. To assist the ability of the body to burn more fats, grab a carbohydrate-based drink that is able to increase your blood sugar levels during a rigorous exercise programme.

What your intentions and goals may be, the most important thing to do is to make sensible food choices to attain healthy living. As the saying goes, “It is easier to put on weight than to lose weight”, your choice is always in your hands. Eat yourself fit. Not all carbohydrates were created equal. Look out for those good carbohydrates that have low glycaemic index and do not result in energy crashes; ones where the glucose is released slowly into the blood.

Drinking sufficient water is ideal. Diabetics are unaware that their lower water consumption is detrimental to their health. Pharmaceutical companies keep this a secret away from diabetics. Gym-goers do not realise that mild dehydration 30% can impair their performance. Drink half a litre of water two hours before commencing physical exertion and three litres per day is advisable. Do you know that you need to drink half a litre of water for every pound of weight loss while exercising? Avoid alcohol consumption at all cost.

Due to the work environment nowadays, many of you do not adhere to a strict meal time. Should you need to exercise, ensure a timing difference gap of 3-4 hours for a big meal and one and a half hours for a smaller meal before doing so to avoid feeling nauseatic and lethargic. Work out your basal metabolic rate(BMR) to find out how much calorie needs based on activity levels that you intend to do. Morning workout meals differ from lunchtime workout meals. The former would include fruits and bread before workouts and oats, yogurts, wholemeal toast and poached eggs after workouts. For lunchtime workouts, nibble some fruits, nuts and yogurts at about 10.30am with some teas or sports drinks. In the after-work workouts, ensure to intake some yogurts and fruits at about 4pm to ready the body for the evening session. This ups your blood sugars level to carry out the session and not be ravenous by dinner time when you can overeat most of the time.

Healthy adults should at least engage in half an hour of moderate physical activity over five days per week which may take the forms of just speaking to others during exercise or alternatively have 20 minutes intense exercise. This is to lessen the chances of metabolic problems and development of other illnesses.

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Your kids today love fast food. Let us face it. The bright and cheerful atmosphere, the toys and collectibles enticing them that come with every order and the awesome “cool” feeling over a food that has ever come out of their generation spiced up all the need to throng and grab hold of one.

Are you, as parents, to be blamed for taking your children there? For Americans, fast foods have been a regular grab for a quick bite. But many of you do not know, behind that delightful packaging of fast foods, is the misinformed dangers. While these conveniently packed burgers and fries can be a tasty meal, they are low in fibre but high in saturated fats, sodium and additives-laden with flavour enhancers to spice up your child’s taste buds.

Correspondingly, researches had attributed the high fast foods calories to obesity with increasing rise in children having previous adult diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The alarming hype of fast foods is the result of aggressive advertisements and promotions in the past. Though this may be banned in some countries where there are mandatory labeling of specific nutrients to be stated, the many outlets sprucing up in shopping malls is sufficient enough to nullify it; thus it can be seen even at gas stations nowadays with drive through lanes to accommodate this.

With this in the background, how then would you deal with your children in curbing their craze over fast foods? Do you always say no or at times say yes? How do you manage this tricky path yet able to maintain their healthy living? I have seen many parents who gave in to their children demand every time they throw a tantrum but sadly, these parents failed in their parenting skills.

Never say no and ban fast foods from your children’s life but instead teach him the principles of healthy eating and manage your child’s diet by setting reasonable limits. Refer them to the Food Guide Pyramid if they are old enough to understand. Practise what is termed as the “balance, moderation and variety” model. In the balancing part, if there has been a high calorie, low nutrient and low fibre fast food meal previously, avoid further calories in the next meal by adding on fruits,wholegrains and vegetables. In general, lighten the meal and get rid of the excess calories via physical exercise. Meanwhile, it is definitely not wrong to eat fattening foods but it should not be in excess. It is how much and how often that matters. Moderately limited to once a month, in the context of the moderation aspect, is advisable. Introduce a rotation of food variety over the week so that your children get the entire range nutrients to enable them to grow up strong and healthy. This variety module is the most difficult to handle especially with certain children who nowadays are choosy about what to eat and what not to. I have seen some of my friends’ children who do not eat any greens at all!

There are healthier options in fast food to pick from ranging from porridge, fruit juices, soya bean milk, grilled chicken, and salads. Giving your children an option with the opportunity to teach them about nutritious foods is a better gamble than to control them as such unhealthy foods can always find their way behind parents into their eating habits.

With these in mind, perhaps, a few tips on how to manage their limits would do them a world of a difference in their healthy lifestyles:-

• Scrutinse before leaping
  Look out for the nutritional content of the item before ordering since it now mandatory to label all foods. Notice the calories and the sodium content as both are detrimental to their health. Calories intake determines what type of food will be eaten next and whether your children need to do more exercise and activities after consumption. Sodium content is harmful and is a cause of hypertension.
• Avoid patronising when the children are dead hungry
  Choose a time when they are not hungry to avoid them overeating fast foods. Perhaps drink a large glass of fruit juice or water or have a light wholesome snack prior to making a beeline to the fast food restaurant.
• Alternatives
  If your children must have fries, advise for mashed potatoes instead or down-size the order instead.
• Go for a “Small” package size
  Since they had some prior food or drinks which have a dulling effect on their appetite, order only single pattied ones over the supersized value meals. Order thin crusted pizzas rather than the cheese-engorged larger ones.
• Savour every bite
  Advise them to enjoy their food with each bite and chew slowly. Eating slowly enables the stomachs to psychologically tell their brains it is full.
• Limit salad dressing
  Avoid over-dressed salads. Make it a habit to have thin dressing.
• Discard chicken skin
  Layer of fats under the chicken skin, if consumed is detrimental to their health.

It is matter of good over evil. Educating your children about healthy eating is undoubtedly good for them in the long run. On the contrary, avoiding fast foods would invite undue sneaks behind parents. Children should be taught that fast foods are prepared using trans fats in deep frying which undoubtedly gives a desired taste and texture but it also raise their bad cholesterol (LDL) levels while lowering the good ones (HDL). Children should be educated and reminded regularly that trans fats dramatically increases their chances of heart diseases and stroke in the later part of their lives. Accompanying them on a visit to the hospital or a cared home to allow them to see for themselves the effects of people suffering from various diseases. This will etched in them they should not fall into such situations and be mindful of their diet intakes. Leave them with a choice but as parents, you should also keep your own distance in patronising fast food outlets. Leading by example while our children are young is the best path to manage your dietary health of your children.

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An important part of your diet comprises of fish. As a lean source of protein, fish is also one of the best sources of Omega -3 fatty acids which is known for its ability to reduce the risk of heart diseases. Many of you may not be comfortable with a meal without fish on the table.

Have you noticed that you are in fact unaware that by consuming fish, you are actually ingesting mercury into your body as well. Wow!! It may alarm you by this revelation that you may react irrationally and put an immediate stop to have as part of your nutritious diet for healthy living. Hold on…….seems scary to all fish-eating lovers, right? The pertinent question is how much mercury have you been ingesting up to now and are you prepared to continue consuming fish for the rest of your life? What about maintaining a healthy life then? Are you kidding?

Herrings, salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines being cold water fish fatty fishes tend to have high levels of Omega-3 contents. For a fact, larger fish tend to have higher levels of mercury based on two reasons. Being older, they have accumulated more mercury over time and being predators themselves, by eating smaller fishes, these larger fishes ingest their prey’s mercury levels as well, so to speak.

According to experts on food safety, this is not about to spark a hue and cry of the safety in consuming mercury-laden fish. They have been assertive that mercury has a three months “half-life” which is a term actual translating to its decrease by 50% from its original amount over a period of three months. It will further reduce by another 50% of its residual amount in another three months time. Though three months may be deemed as fast, it takes over a year for 94% of the mercury level so-ingested to be reduced. Does it mean, that by this, you have to STOP eating fishes for one solid years? What happens then to your planned nutritious and balanced diet craved out ideally to suit your needs for healthy lifestyles?

There is no such thing as no risk in any thing you consume. Of course, it is the balancing game on the benefits against risks that you may have to consider. Farmed salmon has very high levels of Omega-3 and low mercury level but it also has relatively high levels of contaminants due to their consumption of processed food that can have pesticide residues and industrial by-products. Meanwhile, wild salmon has much lower contaminated substance levels but it is more expensive due to its seasonal availability.

There is, thus, no such thing as a perfect food. You just have to be careful with what you eat. Even some organic foods cultivated inorganically have found their way in being labeled as organic food. Commercialization aspect of food production had taken over ethics over food safety of today. What other choice do you have? Plant your own vegetables is one way, but how many of us can have the time and liberty to rear your own fish? Simply said, no one is immune to today’s toxic ingestion. It is only a matter how much less you would consume.

Happy eating for continued healthy living and reading.

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When you talk about the subject of nutrition, without exception, it springs to the mind of everybody that it is all about what nutritious food intake should be our diet and of course how it delicious it could be as well. That has always been in your mind as you have been “intoxicated” by the many articles you have read in the internet, books and health magazines you may have laid your hands on.

But how many of you had actually thought about nutrition is beyond what I have just mentioned above? And how many of you actually believe that you could actually have the “dream nutritious diet” on the table to stay healthy and achieve healthy living? Or how much and how often you get to lay your hands onto consuming such dream nutritious diet? You can talk all about it until the cows come home but ultimately, you have to ask yourself honestly whether you had those opportunities and privilege to ingest them! Honestly speaking, I doubt many of us do have basing on the lifestyle trends most of us are enjoying.

Further evidences are obtained by the numerous diseases that people out there are contracting. Of course, apart from other factors leading to diseases, nutritious diets has always played a part in keeping away diseases. Lacking one such nutritious diet contributes substantially to this end. So the question of the day is staring starkly in our faces.

I am pretty sure your inability to ensure you have the daily required nutritious diet has some other reasons to consider. Let us look at a family with two children. It’s nutrition diet is unlikely to improve significantly if healthy eating policies fail to take into account the diverse nature of contemporary family life. There has been initiatives by the authorities in many countries where attempts to change people’s dietary behaviour and the amount of exercise they take were not met with successful satisfaction. Families remain ambivalent about altering their eating habits despite compelling evidence of the need for healthier eating. In order to succeed in improving it, these initiatives need to acknowledge that families have differing domestic routines, relationships and resources and this affects how and what they eat. Furthermore, its success fails to address the fundamental basis as much of the current policy literature provides factual information on healthy eating and is aimed at individuals rather than families. It has to do with the family in mind as a whole where the decisions to have what type of foods on the tables would have inputs from various family member, their preferences, their likings, taste, time constraints, environment, religious beliefs and the like. In fact in reality, the decisions about what to eat aren’t simply a matter of individual choice is a whole lot more complex and are instead rooted in people’s diverse family circumstances, embedded in the routines and rhythms of their everyday lives, subject to their available resources and shaped by their social, ethnic and religious ties.

Thus nutrition diet is merely a guide so chastised by all but eludes many. Most people are atoned to eating ‘five-a-day’ smaller portions but many don’t achieve these targets because they are forced to act within their circumstances. Less than nutritious diets are rationally being served by poorer families to their children knowing that ‘healthier’ meals is beyond their means. Parental skills and lack of understanding on nutrition is a perceived deficit in family practices, being direct impact of poverty and other social factors and these often second fiddle to the ‘blame’ culture. Changes in family life, family constituents are food culture intake determinants and vice versa. As families are changing, with fewer and later marriages, more single-person households exist, increased numbers of divorced and separated couples have great impacts on what to consume daily. This has included the rise of ‘convenience’ foods, new cooking technologies and an increased emphasis on snacking rather than formal meals.

It has also been the preoccupation of women to look beautiful, with a beautiful body and shape, new insights into what to take under various circumstances have emerged. Women’s magazines have been full of dietary advice since the 1940s, even though the nature of that advice has changed dramatically over time. A glaringly example is the introduction of ‘Healthy Start’ food support programme for the benefit for pregnant women which involves a higher proportion of pregnant and postnatal women consuming the recommended daily intakes for key nutrients, like calcium, folate, iron, vitamin C, fruits and vegetables but at a cost of a considerably increased calorie intake.

Do you now know that nutrition diet intake is also determined by your family as well, not just you alone. Your loved ones perhaps, one day, may be the compass that leads the way your daily nutritious needs would be and whether you would lead a healthy lifestyle into your later years!……..Keep reading and be knowledgeable.

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Are you aware that the typical Western diet of fried foods, salty snacks and meat contributes to about 30 percent of heart attack risk across the world? Gosh!! This is a fact, according to a study of dietary patterns in 52 countries reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers identified three dietary patterns in the world:

As opposed to (1) an Oriental diet of higher intake of tofu, soy and other sauces and (2) a Prudent of higher intake of fruits and vegetables, a Western diet comprising of higher intake of fried foods, salty snacks, eggs and meat has been determined by researchers as contributing to increase in heart attack risk globally.

Trained medical personnel who interviewed heart attack patients and the control group centered on questionnaires included healthy food items (such as fruits and vegetables) and unhealthy food items (such as fried foods and salty snacks). It was found that the Oriental diet, because of its higher content of food items typical of an Oriental diet, is recommended by the American Heart Association although the Oriental diet, said to have higher sodium content of soy sauces (that may increase cardiovascular risk and neutralizing any relationship), the study helped confirm that changes in dietary intake, including the consumption of more fruits and vegetables, can help reduce the risk of having a heart attack in populations worldwide.

Western foods which involves a lot more on fried and processed foods are said to be very detrimental to the well being of many westerners. High temperature cooking causes mutagens which are chemical substances that can cause changes in the genetic materials of cells by a mechanism yet unknown to the field of science. Though some mutagens may cause cancer, not all mutagens are carcinogenic in nature. Deep-frying chips, in particular, produces large amounts of the cancer-causing chemicals which are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It also produces the compound acrylamide, another carcinogenic chemical. Heterocyclic amines have been linked to prostate, breast, colorectal, esophageal, lung, liver, and other cancers. While health-conscious people try to avoid foods that are known carcinogens, even burn-marked grilled salmon contains a potent dose of gene-mutating heterocyclic amines.

Then comes the question of whether fried foods are more detrimental to healthy living than grilled foods. Well, regardless, grilling is clearly the leaner way to cook your meat than deep frying. Deep frying is said to produce acrylamide, another carcinogenic chemical which causes cancer. If fried foods become burned or scorched at temperatures up to 1000 or 1100 degrees F, “cis” fatty acids are converted to “trans” fatty acids which in short means the unsaturated fats behave as if they were saturated. Thus, fried foods are more likely than un-fried foods to increase the likelihood of hardening of the arteries and consequently triggers a heart attack in the long run. When fat is reheated to frying temperatures the second time, as in a deep fryer, the fat is more likely to develop the cancer producing agent acrolein. The dangers to health of frying and deep-frying result from rapid oxidation and other chemical changes that take place when oils are subjected to high temperature in the presence of light and oxygen. Similarly, antioxidants in the oil (vitamin E and carotene) are used up.

All these seem to point to increased risk to our heart and expose ourselves to contracting cancer. The choice is yours.; whether the taste buds satisfaction should prevail over our health. There is no one option for both. Either you have one or the other. Be guided by yearning health over taste!!

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In the past, the aborigines of the Amazon jungle had discovered a Brazilian palm berry know as acai (pronounced as AH-sigh-EE) berry and today, it is sweeping the globe as a popular health food for its antioxidant value though little research has previously been done on it as opposed to now where it may have its purported benefits better understood. <.p>

With 10 times the antioxidants of grapes and twice that of blueberries, the acai berry is considered to have the best nutritional value of any fruit on earth. Tasting like wild raspberry with the hint of a grape, it has the symmetry of a grape and the size of a giant blueberry. With a dense source of a particular class of flavonoids called anthocyanins, its ORAC value (a measure of its antioxidant properties) is higher than any other edible berry on the planet.

Concentrated in Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, the tall slender palm is grown by the natives there for its fruit as well as for the cluster of new leaves more commonly called the “cabbage” or the “heart of palm”. Grown abundantly in swampy areas, each acai palm tree produces small deep purple, almost black, fruit (berries) in groups of 3-8 per bunch. Its fruit is edible, and its pulp is used in wines and liqueurs, as flavoring and colorant, and on its own as a juice.

Much studies have been done since 2001. Initially, their studies on the berry examined antioxidant and nutritional components in pulp and juice. Later studies showed the berry’s activity against cancer cells. In clinical trials, both acai pulp and acai juice showed significant absorption of antioxidant anthocyanins into the blood and antioxidant effects. In 2006, a team of Texas AgriLife Research scientists found that cancer patients consuming extracts from acai berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested and has proven its ability to be absorbed in the human body when consumed both as juice and pulp. Other researches particularly by 4Life Research LLC into the berry’s absorption in humans is important because of its known numerous antioxidants which is the basis the berry is heavily marketed in the U.S. as a health food. Amongst one such product marketed is Riovida Transfer Factor Juice.

Researchers believe the results point to the need for continued research on the berry which is commonly used in juices, beverages, smoothies, frozen treats and dietary supplements. Acai is naturally low in sugar and the flavor is described as a mixture of red wine and chocolate, so there is nothing much to demand of it for as a supplement. Sales of acai products as a super food have increased dramatically in the U.S. where it has been touted as a metabolism booster, weight reducer and athletic enhancer. Advertisements using buzzwords such as health, wellness, energy, taste and organic is rampantly seen.

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So here I am, my message across to all of you who are my readers. Today, after being away for about 5 days into the serene township of Kota Bahru, the capital of Malaysian state, Kelantan, I was literally disadvantaged by the fact that this township is typically a Muslim-majority area where their food is typically short of supplements. Arrh…..what an experience. This prompted me to write about this topic.

About 10 years ago, the suggestion of food supplements was viewed as some sort of a fad or a weird cult. Those days, many were actually frowned upon for advocating food supplements. However, today, with the great number of diseases that followed the types of food intake, the subject of food supplement takes priority in most people’s choice for a healthy lifestyle, healthy living and to cherish the great lifestyles one aspires to have. So exactly what are the main reasons to have supplements nowadays? Ironically, now many of us are realizing our foods are not as nutritious as they used to be. Processing, shipping, depleted soils and shelf-life all take their nutritional toll. Additionally, the nutritional disaster of our manufactured foods and the damaging fast foods available readily to all add pressure for the need to adopt supplements.

To the average American, given the foods available, the so-called balanced diet seems to be a myth to them. Despite being told to eat healthily, the billions of dollars being poured into advertisements swayed us to opt for the fat, sugar, and poor nutrient density route. America is now a nation of speed eaters and grazers and elsewhere is catching up on this fad where it is rare to see people sitting down for three decent home-cooked meals with the entire family each day. Most typical would be just a meal a day with the family is achievable and even then, it is consumed on the run or the food eated is over-processed, microwaved “wonder meal” for that matter. The point is most do not now eat raw, wholesome, nutrient-loaded foods of yesteryears.

91 percent of Americans do not adopt the following prescribed diet:-

• 6-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and other pasta

• 3-5 servings of vegetables
• 2-4 servings of fruits
• 2-3 servings of milk, yogurt and cheese
• 2-3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs or nuts
• fats, oils and sweets should be sparingly consumed.

This means that this group needs to radically change and add a few supplements to make up a proper standard diet. Notwithstanding the above prescribed diet, one still faces the problem of obtaining sufficient vitamin C for optimal health. Vitamin E for the protection of diseases are impossible to get from our normal diets whilst certain nutrients such as cold water fish oils are not prominent in our daily diets in adequate amounts. Let it be said that the main reason for taking supplement is to add zest to a valued lifestyle and to have it must at least have nutrient intakes up to the Daily Value (DV) standards.

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I was appalled by the sight of a child the other day when I happened to be nearby a childcare center. The child’s health condition was really pitiful. From the sight of it, I could easily distinguished that the child is undernourished.

That prompted me in posting the above captioned article here. Choosing a nutritious diet is not an easy thing to do if you have a family of your own. Unlike being unmarried, you have to blend the type of foods your wife and kids like with you likings. However, striking a balance between their likings, yours and the nutritious foods that you want them to have is an arduous feat for you or your wife.

It is advisable to have a weekly record of the types of food that were being served in order to achieve a nutritious diet over a period of time. The factors taken in choosing the type of foods to be served to the family are:-

• age of family members,
• cultural beliefs & whether the family is on a vegetarian diet or otherwise (raw diet),
• the timing of the meals (breakfast, lunch or dinner)
• daily activities of family members,
• goals to be achieved and so on and so forth………..

There is indeed no end to it. Every one has his own choice but the basic advice to a nutritious diet is one that brings you optimum health. Eat yourself fit is the keyword. For example, your child who attends to gym work may require a different diet with more proteins to keep up with his body-building schedule as compared to you and your wife who both need less protein per serving. Likewise, the type of food intake for breakfast, lunch and dinner vary.

You may be eating healthy, well-balanced meals with the right servings of fruits, vegetables and grains, fish, meat and fats at different times of the day, but your body may not benefit much from any of the nourishing ingredients. Putting good stuffs into your body is not always enough. Sometimes, you need to take the bad stuff out as it is not just what you eat but how your body digests and eliminates it. When your digestion and elimination systems work well, your body absorbs nutrients and supplements with ease and are therefore healthier, energetic and flu-resistant.

As you age, enzyme production diminishes leading to a slower digestion rate which gives rise to the difficult and inconsistent bowel movements. Thus your body’s ability to breakdown complex food molecules into smaller molecules is somewhat impaired. This is the beginning of the problems about nourishing your body. Children nutrition differs from adults whose food intake is merely to replenish the body requirements whereas for children, the food intake is for growth and replacements.

If you are on a vegetarian or raw diet, supplement your daily nutrient requirements from the various sources. Vegetarian and raw foods do provide a wide range of food classes needed by the body. In fact many of such foods are rather healthy in terms of nutrients and many who are on such diets have proven to live longer.

(more…)

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