Health and Diet Articles

Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

Healthy Diet Helps Avoid All Types Of Liver Disease

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

diet-1Our livers are responsible for processing everything that our bodies consume. This makes having a nutritious diet ever more important since otherwise you can develop liver disease. If this happens, the body will not be able to handle food correctly and in turn will leave you open to developing a number of health problems.

Any balanced diet should include a healthy ratio or proteins, fats and carbohydrates and going on a diet which seeks to eradicate one of these is often harmful for your body. A healthy and balanced diet can help the body to replace damaged cells in the liver with new ones.
Proteins play an important part in the health of the liver.

We get proteins from a number of sources including fish, meat, eggs and airy products as well as nuts. Proteins are essential to building up the muscles and help the body to regenerate damaged tissue but an excess of this if the liver is damaged will only allow toxic chemicals into your body.

One very popular diet which encouraged the intake of high amounts of proteins instead of taking carbohydrates is the Atkins diet. The diet has attracted a lot of critics because of this and become quite controversial although it has also been shown to be effective in its own right.

An excess of protein has been shown to make the blood very acidic which can in turn can cause the liver to be severely damaged by a condition caused ketosis.

Carbohydrates are also important for the healthy functioning of the liver. These come from starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, cereals and pasta and are one of the most common things in our diets. Carbohydrates are dissolved by the body and turned into glucose which is kept in the liver in the form of glycogen.

This is crucial for creating energy for the body and if one does not have enough carbohydrates in the body, then the body must get all of its energy from proteins instead.

This is not ideal, and the vast majority of health experts and nutritionists agree that you need to have carbohydrates as your primary source of calories for energy.

Many people do not realize the great importance of fats in any balanced diet.

Fats typically come from dairy products, cooking oils and of course, animal fats. The consumption of certain types of fats is actually very good for the body. These ‘good’ fats are of the Omega-3 type which can be found in various types of seafood and nuts.

Many people think that fats of all types should always be avoided in order to lose weight and have a healthy diet. This is not the case our body needs a certain amount of fat intake as part of a balanced diet. Even the very bad fats are fine in moderation as your liver will process what it needs and discard the rest.

Omega-6 And Saturated Fats Should Be Replaced With Omega-3

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

omega3One of the main reasons why obesity is becoming such a problem in the States today is because of the increasing amount of processed and junk food available which contains fats such as Omega-6 and saturated fats. These fats are all bad for the body and now account for a considerable part of many people’s diets.

However, few people realize that fats are actually essential for the proper healthy functioning of the body. These fats are of the Omega-3 variety, which are actually good for you but have unfortunately been rapidly disappearing from our diets in recent times. Health experts agree that Omega-3 fats offer a great number of advantages to your health, including lowering the risk of a number of medical conditions and diseases.

To make this even worse, the Food and Nutrition Board have constantly downplayed the benefits of Omega-3 and do not even include it on the recommended daily intake statistics provided on the packaging of food products. This is unfortunate, since it makes it more difficult for people to be aware of the benefits.

Health experts say that there a number of benefits of incorporating the right amount of Omega-3 in your diet. These include benefits for the brain and helps to prevent Alzheimer’s. They also state that it can reduce the inflammation of the arteries.

There are also less certain benefits of Omega-3 which have not yet been entirely proven. These include the decreased chance of a number of disorders such as prostate cancer and arthritis, but there are many more.

Omega-3 fats can be found in some types of fish, this being the most common natural resource for the fats. Another option is to take food supplements which contain Omega-3 fats.

It is recommended to have a combination of the two to ensure that you get enough Omega-3.

Mackerel, tuna, salmon and sardines are all good natural sources of Omega-3. Unfortunately though, a lot of these fish are farmed these days and contain higher amounts of contaminants that they did not have before. Eating fish that has not been farmed is a good idea if you want to get the maximum health benefits from it, however, this can be expensive.

Perhaps the easiest way to increase your Omega-3 intake is to buy fish oil which you mix with certain types of food. Cod liver oil, for example, has a number of great health benefits and it is wise to include this in any healthy diet.

If you are looking for a good fish oil supplement, make sure you read the label to find out how much DHA and EPA there are in each capsule, rather than the total number of milligrams.

Capsules can also come in liquid form if you prefer. One thing to note of importance is that, if you are taking blood thinners, you should consult your doctor first for advice regarding the dose you should take.

Using Diet To Build Muscle

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

using-diet-to-build-muscleTo build up your muscles properly and healthy, it is crucial to do it correctly. While changing your daily habits with regards to eating may seem like a restrictively challenging task, it is still something that you have to do and gather the willpower required to do it.

Doing some research into what you should be eating and when is essential if you want to have a healthy diet and speed up your metabolism in order to burn the excess pounds.

The human body relies on proteins, fats and carbohydrates to function properly and healthily. Attempting to completely cut one or more of these three essentials out of your diet can damage your health in the longer term.

The body uses carbohydrates for energy and if you are taking up exercises such as weight training, then increasing the amount of carbohydrate in your diet is essential. These carbohydrates need to be the right ones, however, since there are healthy and unhealthy carbohydrates.

This means avoiding heavily processed foods and any foods containing carbohydrates that are not going to help you build up your muscle.

Contrary to popular belief, skipping meals is actually a very bad idea if you are trying to build up your muscles. In fact, if this is what you want to achieve, then you need to be eating a number of small meals throughout the day which will allow the body to release insulin which in turn helps your body to use the carbohydrates to build up the muscles.

The consumption of protein is also essential if you want to build up muscle. Proteins can be found in abundance in lean meats and chicken without the skin. There are a number of other sources of course, but these are perhaps two of the best and most popular options.

Health care professionals recommend that you should consume two grams of protein per each pound of body mass per day.
Fat should also not be avoided if you are trying to build up muscle.

As with carbohydrates, consuming the right type of fats is essential. These ‘good’ fats can be found in the fatty acids of things such as salmon. It is called Omega-3.

Avoiding the fats which are bad for you must be paid strict attention to as well. Fats such as that found in much junk food or most diary products are generally not good for you and should be replaced by the fats found in ingredients such as nuts or seeds.

You can also try supplements such as cod liver oil, which is also very good for the bones. When cooking, using olive oil is far healthier than the other options.

A highly nutritional and balanced diet with a focus on the best types of carbohydrates, fats and plenty of protein is essential if you want to get into muscle building and live a generally healthier lifestyle. If you need more motivation, you can also try talking to a professional trainer who will be able to help you.