Nutrition

Diet

Getting on track toward a healthy diet can be a difficult journey, especially for someone who has never had a particularly healthy diet. Planning a nutrition guide can be a great first step toward improving health benefits, though it can be difficult to stick to this guide. If you’ve tried to get on a healthy diet but are finding it difficult, consider the following tips to make your transition easier and your nutrition guide more effective.

1. Write it down

Don’t just mentally picture how you think your nutrition guide should be. Writing down what your healthy diet should be will give you an idea of how you should be eating on a practical level, and will also allow you to compare nutritional content. Furthermore, more than just your initial nutrition guide, try writing down the foods that you actually do eat to compare with your guide. Though it may be difficult to stick to your actual nutrition guide initially, writing down what you eat may help you to trim off foods that you hadn’t considered, in exchange for the foods you had thought would be easy to cut out and weren’t. Comparing the nutrition guide and your actual eating habits may also help you see what you’re cooking and how to improve those habits to fit in with a healthy diet.

2. Mix up your food groups

Don’t try to cram three servings of fruit in to a single meal. Mix up your food group servings so that at each meal you’re having a little bit of each group, up to the recommended amount. This will not only help you maintain a healthy diet, but may treat you with foods you like while covering up foods you don’t appreciate as much. Furthermore, your body will better be able to absorb foods if you don’t overload your nutrition guide with whatever you happen to be deficient in at the moment, in favor of maintaining a constantly healthy diet.

3. Find foods you like

It can be hard to write a nutrition guide full of foods that you don’t like. Instead, search for ways of cooking your healthy diet foods in delicious ways so that your nutrition guide is chock full of foods that you actually want to eat. That way it will be far easier to stick to it, and may even encourage you into other healthy diet patterns and foods involving the same foods. Though you may think that you dislike some vegetables, a little research and food experimentation should provide you with all sorts of ways of preparing food that you’d never thought of, and can’t wait to eat.

Nutrition Supplements

The food industry has for years subtly controlled the nutrition supplements of Americans by adding various elements and chemicals to a variety of different foods. The lack of these nutrition supplements runs counter to having a healthy life, and all of these should be included to some extent in a healthy diet. However, having too much of any of these can in fact be harmful. With all the nutrition supplements we receive, people should now start to be concerned that we don’t get over-supplemented in a way that interferes with a healthy life, especially for people who are prone to issues with any of the following nutrition supplements.

1. Iodine

Iodine is necessary for proper thyroid function in the body and, thus, a healthy life. Back in the 1920s, iodine deficiencies were fairly common, so iodine started to be added to salt in order to improve health. This was important as a nutrition supplement back in the day, but since so much of our food contains salt, it’s possible that people who have diets high in salty foods will be getting too much iodine. Iodine in extremely small amounts is essential for a healthy life; iodine in high amounts is exceedingly toxic.

2. Fluoride

Fluoride is added into most public water systems as a way of improving tooth health. It has been added constantly for years as a nutrition supplement, however new studies are starting to suggest that fluoride has no benefit as a nutrition supplement, and that we have added so much fluoride into our water that we are now reaping negative side effects from it that interfere with a healthy life, or indeed even a life at all. Some studies even suggest side effects as harmful as cancer and increased levels of lead poisoning, certainly interfering with a healthy life, though these studies have yet to be widely accepted.

3. Water

Some studies suggest that the commonly prescribed amount of eight glasses of water a day may actually be too much for a healthy life. These studies say that drinking that much water could actually cause one’s body to reduce nutritional content, causing it to require nutrition supplements, and possibly reducing the benefits of an otherwise healthy life.

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for a healthy life (mainly for preventing scurvy which can be horrendous). Vitamin C is water soluble and so plenty of people think that they can’t have too much. Evidence shows, however, that too much vitamin C can actually be harmful. Products such as EmergenC that have up to 1000% of one’s daily dose of vitamin C in a single packet could, apparently, contribute to kidney stones, diarrhea, nausea, and fainting, among other problems. Furthermore, vitamin C is one of the most common nutrition supplements in food because it is so easy and cheap to obtain. Be wary of consuming too much in pursuit of a healthy life, though, especially if you consume a lot of vitamin C fortified foods.

Calculate Nutrition

Keeping track of the nutrition data of your food can be extremely important to someone who is looking to improve or maintain a particular diet. However, unless you’re exclusively eating food that is completely pre-packaged (which is not a great idea), it can be very hard to determine the nutritional value of your food. In order to keep track of your nutritional intake, then, it’s important to use other means to determine the nutritional value of your food.

1. Look at nutritional facts

Keep track of the nutrition data of the foods that you use to cook. If you’re combining a number of different foods while cooking, figure out the nutritional value of the food you use and add them together to make the correct value of all your foods. This is particularly important if you are trying to keep track of one type of nutrient, such as fat or iron. It is also important when combining nutrition data to be sure that you are using the correct serving sizes.

2. Research cooking

Cooking can sometimes change the nutritional value of the food you consume. Besides simple additions, like using cooking oils, cooking food can break down some nutrients, causing your body to absorb various aspects of the food differently. Similarly, cooking meats in certain ways can sometimes reduce the fat content by causing the fat to melt off. You may even research cooking utensils, since some people suggest that cooking in iron pots and pans can add iron to your nutrition data, while some Teflon pans can actually add toxins, reducing the nutritional quality of your food.

3. Research nutrition data

Many foods that you buy in stores will not have the nutrition data on them. This is particularly true for fresh fruits and vegetables, or for freshly baked breads and the like. In order to get an accurate idea of the nutrition data of the food you consume, do research into the average nutritional value of the foods you eat. The internet is chock full of nutrition data, and many grocery stores will have nutrition data on hand, even if it’s not displayed.

4. Refrain from condiments

Adding condiments such as salt, ketchup, mayonnaise, etc. to your food can throw off your nutritional calculations. The nutrition data of these foods is difficult to calculate because amounts are often so small that they seem negligible. Moreover, it’s easy to forget that these have been added, though they often have nutritional values that severely augment the negative aspects of your food.

Supplements

A healthy diet is rich in a variety of different nutrients. Many people do not get the recommended amount of nutrients that doctors require, however. Nutritional supplements can be great to ensure a healthy diet, most especially when targeted toward one’s particular deficiencies. These, of course, are supplements, meaning they should be in addition to an otherwise healthy diet. The following nutritional supplements are great ways to ensure that you are maintaining a healthy diet, particularly if you have any problems consuming the recommended amount. Be careful, however, in only consuming nutritional supplements that your doctor agrees to, since some nutrients can be harmful in high amounts, especially if your diet already includes an adequate amount of said nutrients.

1. Calcium

Calcium is one of the most common nutrients in which people have deficiencies in America. Unfortunately, nutritional supplements cannot contain 100% of one’s daily needed calcium because the human body can only absorb about 40% of the daily requirements for calcium at one time. To have a healthy diet, eat foods high in calcium at intervals throughout the day.

2. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the easiest nutrients to get in a natural way, without nutritional supplements. Nevertheless, plenty of people nowadays do not get enough vitamin C. Luckily, your body can absorb high amounts of vitamin C at one time, so a good glass of natural orange juice or a single vitamin C pill should be all the nutritional supplements you need for a bare minimum healthy diet.

3. Water

Though water is not technically a nutritional supplement, many people in America today do not get enough water for a healthy diet. Though many foods and drinks are water-based, many of these do not allow the water to be as fruitful in your body as possible. Sodas, teas, and coffee are actually diuretics that reduce how hydrated one’s body is. The best way to add water into your healthy diet as a nutritional supplement is just to drink more pure water.

4. Iron

Iron is extremely important to having a healthy diet. As a result, nutritional supplements are readily available to people who are deficient in iron. However, iron nutritional supplements should be used sparingly, because iron poisoning is not uncommon and can be devastating.

Nutritional Food Pyramid

The United States Department of Agriculture has recently published a new version of the famed nutritional food pyramid that supposedly leads to a healthy diet. This nutritional pyramid is similar to how it’s always been, but does have a few changes. According to the USDA, it is important to have a full understanding of this new pyramid as a key to having a healthy diet, and important to teach younger people this new pyramid to teach them good nutritional habits and to encourage a lifelong healthy diet.

The most important difference between this new pyramid and the old nutritional pyramid is the fact that none of the food groups are on top of any others any longer. Instead, all of the food groups are vertical stripes running the length of the pyramid and with a width that suggests the nutritional value of each and the number of servings each group should be allotted. This is to suggest that none of the categories contributes to a healthy diet more than another, and that all should be considered.

1. Grains

In particular for having a healthy diet, the USDA suggests consuming at least 3 ounces of whole grains a day. It is commonly believed now that whole grains are healthier than refined grains and offer better nutritional value. In particular, eating whole grain breads and cereals can be an easy substitute for refined grains to serve your nutritional needs.

2. Vegetables

The USDA recommends getting anywhere from 1-3 cups of vegetables a day, depending on your age and gender. It is important to note that 2 cups of leafy vegetables often counts as 1 cup of vegetable servings. The USDA also suggests that darker greens and orange vegetables are high in nutritional value. They also suggest that a healthy diet requires a variety of vegetables.

3. Fruits

It is especially important to have a healthy diet high in fruits. The USDA recommends only slightly less fruit in one’s diet than vegetables, but still several cups each day, depending on your age and gender to get the best nutritional value from your food.

4. Milk

The USDA now defines the milk category to be any milk-based products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, or milk-based desserts. A healthy diet, they say, should include about 3 cups of milk or milk products a day for everyone above a child’s age.

5. Meat and beans

For a healthy diet, the USDA recommends eating 5-6 ounces for most people above children’s age. They say that most Americans consume enough from this category already, but do not make choices that are lean and healthy enough.

6. Oils and fats

Most of the oils and fats that Americans consume come from, as the USDA says, cooking oils and fish and nuts. For most people, the allowances of oils and fats are 5-7 teaspoons per day, however the difference between this group and the others is that oils and fats have an allowance. This means that these oils and fats do not contribute to a healthy diet; instead, a healthy diet involves limiting this group as much as possible.

Exercise Tips

For someone without a regular exercise routine, starting on the path toward living a healthy life through adding exercise can be difficult and, initially, seem insurmountable. While most doctors may recommend getting thirty minutes of exercise a day, this can seem preposterous to one who has never had a serious health regime before. Instead of convincing yourself to go to a gym for a week before giving up, instead try incorporating aspects of a healthy life into your manageable but less than healthy life, such as adding small amounts of exercise here and there on your way to proper health.

1. Take the stairs

If you live or work in a building with multiple stories and you usually take the elevator, try taking the stairs instead. This may seem daunting, but if you are serious about having a healthy life, this can really be a great way to get in a little exercise. If this seems impractical because you, say, live on the fortieth floor of a high rise, try doing it in steps. Walk up to the tenth floor before getting on the elevator, or get off the elevator a few stories lower than your floor. Similarly, try taking the stairs downstairs. Walking downstairs can have great health benefits, but may feel much easier than going up, so you’ll be inclined to doing more, making the transition to a healthy life easier. Stairs can also be a great place to get a little bit of exercise for good health in if you’re feeling so inclined, but don’t have the time to traipse all the way over to a gym.

2. Walk to close places

Rather than driving to the corner store or to a local restaurant, try walking instead. Walking is a great way to fit in some exercise to your new, healthy life, without the stress of running. Moreover, walking can be calming, and can offer a bit of relaxation in between an otherwise packed schedule, thus contributing to healthy life both mentally and physically. To motivate yourself to do this, think about all the traffic you’ll bypass by walking, and how you won’t have to worry about parking. If you’re worried about having to carry home purchases, bring along a backpack or other type of bag to make it easier. Not only will this contribute to your healthy life, but the carrying of your purchases has a fair few health benefits as well. Similarly, if you work at a desk and have to speak with a colleague frequently, rather than calling him or her, as part of your new, healthy life, instead try walking over to see the colleague. If the colleague is busy at the moment, you will have another reason to go speak with him or her later, giving you more exercise and more health benefits, just from working.

3. Do clenches while sitting

Doing muscle clenches can be a great use of otherwise wasted time. If you have a long commute to work or spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, try clenching muscle groups in turns to get a work out. A good work out to improve your health could consist of 20 second interval clenches of 12 times each, perhaps with a few reps in turns. Though they won’t seem like much at the time, strong, simple workouts can be a great path to a healthy life, and may often have more health benefits than you would have thought.

4. Laugh more

Laughing is a great health tip, and only offers positive benefits for someone on the road to better health. Doing all you can to laugh as much and as hard as you can is a great way to get in shape and stay happy about it.

Nutrition Tips

With the current healthy life craze in America right now, many people are looking for ways to live a life with better nutrition in earnest. This can, however, be extremely difficult, especially for someone who has never lived a healthy life before. Many of the healthy life tips constantly tossed about, such as getting large amounts of exercise, can be extremely difficult for someone who is unused to such things and is unsure of how to get up the motivation or make time for a healthy life. The following tips about nutrition are far more practical tips to help redirect anyone’s lifestyle who is looking for a healthy life that is better than how they have been living.

1. Stop buying sweets

Plenty of people know how difficult it can be to reduce intake of sweets, especially when so many of them look so delicious around you. To stop your sweets intake, your first nutrition tip for a healthy life should be to just stop buying them. It’s far more difficult to resist sweets when they’re sitting in your kitchen tempting you than it is to resist buying them in the first place, when you’re unable to consume them immediately anyway, and far easier to resist buying them when you remind yourself that your goal is a healthy life.

2. Make ready-made meals

Plenty of the temptation to eat out (which often leads to poor nutrition) comes from not wanting to cook meals. This is understandable, most especially after a long day of work, or late at night. However, much of America’s poor nutrition comes from meals prepared outside of the home, in fast food restaurants and pre-packaged at the grocery store. To be able to live a fully healthy life, with plenty of good nutrition (that is also far cheaper than eating out), you really need to start making your own meals. If you’re disinclined to cooking every night, though, make extra meals when you do cook. This does not have to be as far as cooking new meals, but simply making more food than you know you can eat, and then refrigerating or freezing the rest. Frozen meals can last quite a long time and, when defrosted, taste just as good as if they were made new, and be far fuller in nutrition than ordering out.

3. Get a cookbook

Having a cookbook with food that has good nutrition is more effective than relying on the internet or other resources for recipes. This is because you are more likely to pick up the cookbook if it is physically tangible around you, just as you are more likely to consume sweets if you have them lying around. Moreover, a cookbook directly aimed at leading a healthy life will have nutrition facts in it so that you’re aware of what you’re consuming. On top of this, you should learn some very fast, simple recipes that also have good nutrition content. If the recipes that you enjoy are easy to make, you will be more likely to make them. More importantly, if they take less time than ordering out, you will be far more likely to order them.

Sports Nutrition

Sports can be very stressful, especially if played competitively. Recently, the level of competitive sports continues to trickle down all the way to children, with the appearance and growth of little league baseball and peewee football. Coaches of these teams are often very demanding, imploring their children (not their children, but children on their team) to play hard and imply that they should do “whatever they can to win.” The truth is, while sports can build camaraderie and responsibility, it can also cause high amounts of stress and expectation.

As information about and use of nutrition supplements continue to grow, the idea of sports nutrition continues to grow alongside of it. Athletes are starting to use more and more nutrition supplements to achieve their dream of becoming top-tier athlete. Sports nutrition has become a big field of study in nutrition, usually focusing on work outs as well as muscle and agility building. Nutrition supplements are commonly used in sports nutrition, usually combined with extreme work out regimens. Although most athletes use some sort of nutrition supplement, sports nutrition is much more than just the use of supplements. In fact, a sports nutrition regimen usually involves a number of important factors, the two biggest of which are a healthy diet and proper exercise.

While nutrition supplements are mostly harmless, there are a number of nutrition supplements commonly used in sports nutrition that may have adverse effects, one of which is quickly racking up suspensions and fines for breaking rules in sports. Some of the most popular sports nutrition supplements are listed below.

1. Androsetnedione and DHEA

Also known as andro and DHEA, these nutrition supplements are prohormones (or natural steriods) that are broken down into testosterone. However, researchers who studied the supplements have concluded that they do not increase muscle size, improve strength or enhance sports performance.

2. Creatine

Creatine is naturally produced in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Creatine supplements are very popular in teens, as it has been found to improve strength. The adverse effects of Creatine, however, have not yet been studied in teens and children. Creatine as a sports nutrition supplement has not been proved useful as of yet. Athletes under 18 years of age should not use creatine.

3. Testosterone Boosters

Many nutrition supplements companies may claim that their plants and vitamins can increase testosterone levels and, subsequently, raise sports performance. However, there is little research or proof regarding the effectiveness of these supplements. Excess testosterone may cause unwanted side effects of hair loss, acne, or converted to estrogen, which brings its own problems of gynecomastia and testicular atrophy.

4. Glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid found naturally in human muscle and is supplemented to refill depleted glutamine levels following anaerobic exercise. This is usually done to avoid a weakened immune system and wasting of muscle tissue. The effects of glutamine in sports nutrition is not proven, however, with conflicting reports on its effect.

Nutrition Guide

When you pick up a pack of Skittles at the local convenience store, it is likely that you are not thinking about the nutritional facts in the nutrition guide the side of the pack. This nutrition guide is placed on food to provide a quick, informed summary of what you are ingesting. It may seen like common sense to know what you eat, but looking at the nutritional guide is often forgotten by consumers.

The information included in the nutrition guide include most if not all of the nutritional facts that one would need regarding the food product. Being conscious about this nutrition guide can help you control your calorie, fat, sodium or sugar intake, enabling you to follow all of the nutritional facts of the foods you are eating. This can be particularly useful when on a diet or when you are watching what you eat.

The truth is, however, that many consumers do not read the nutritional facts in the nutrition guide, and many more do not fully understand every thing that is listed. It is important to understand each section of the nutrition guide, as the label is nearly universal in its format, as well as the specific nutritional facts listed. The rest of this article will break down all of the nutritional facts listed on this label.

1. The Serving Size

This part of the nutrition guide is the first thing you see. This section lists the serving size and the number of servings in each package. All serving sizes use standardized measuring systems to allow easy comparison of other foods. Always pay attention to the serving size, as it is often a recommendation of how much you should eat. For example, if one serving of Pringles is 12 chips, do not finish the whole can!

2. Calories (and calories from fat)

This section of the nutrition guide lists the amount of calories per serving. Calories measure how much energy you will get from each serving. You should note the calories from fat section, as these calories are much more harmful to your body. For one serving, a low calorie count is approximately 50; a high calorie count is 400 or more. Be aware of this section, as eating too many calories is directly linked to gaining excess weight.

3. Nutrients

This part of the nutrition guide shows how many nutrients are consumed with each serving. There are typically two sections, one section of nutrients to limit (such as cholesterol and sodium) and one section of nutrients to aim for (vitamins or calcium, for example). Most Americans consume too much of the top section and not enough of the bottom section of nutrients. These nutritional facts can be used not only to limit bad nutrients, but to increase nutrients that help your health.

4. The Percent Daily Value (%DV)

The % Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Following this section of the nutrition guide is subjective — if you are trying to gain weight, you will likely eat more then 2,000 calories a day as an adult. Conversely, an individual who is dieting will eat less than the recommended 2,000 calories a day. This section of nutritional facts assists you in determining whether the serving of food is high or low in a particular nutrient. The percentage that you see on the label is the percentage of that particular nutrient, recommended for an adult on a 2,000 calorie diet, daily.