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Posts Tagged ‘Nutritional’

Importance Of Nutritional Health in Sports

August 20th, 2010

Nutritional health is very important. The nutrients that we take in are practically the reasons why we are healthy or why we are not. It could also be a grid to determine if we can eventually become sports superstars or not. Nutritional health may be the main reason why you are tall, strong and have the skills to be good in sports. This is also vital for having a strong mind and a healthy body because of the fact that these nutrients fuel almost all bodily functions.


In reality, many people fail to achieve a high level of nutritional health. Some reasons why they are not adequately nourished is because of their lack of information. Some people do not even know that what they are eating is bad for them. Some food also lack nutritional facts that they should have on their labels. And some just do not care at all.


People also have this misconception that what is tasty is good for your health. It is really hard to resist unhealthy food because of their availability on the market. Media also advertise more on unhealthy junk foods rather than healthy ones. Unhealthy food may be a reason for us to be fat. If you want to keep healthy, you must first get rid of unwanted fats and be fit as possible.


Some athletes also have low nutritional levels because of certain factors. One is poor understanding of sports nutrition principles. They think that eating many will make the healthy.


Nutritional requirements also differ among people depending on their training program and personal characteristics like age, sex and body type. Their failure to recognize these may also cause malnourishment as they may take too much or less of their nutrients required.


Some athletes also diet too much compromising their nutritional needs. Their lack of knowledge on nutritional facts also contributes to it. Their lack of time and opportunity to eat and the tendency to skip meals is also one reason. Overeating is also a factor of malnourishment because you might eat and take in a lot of fats and unwanted chemicals that may be unhealthy.


The sports nutritional health can be broken down into the foundation of what food is basically made of namely proteins, carbohydrates and fats. We should get optimum amounts of these types for more energy and more muscle gains. You can only lose more than one pound of fat per week if you exercise properly and eat the right food instead of starving yourself. Starving will only bring you malnourishment.


If you are losing fat quickly by starving yourself, over dieting and doing too much exercise, you may be at a risk of slowing down your metabolism and your body might start using the glucose found in your muscles as a source for energy. That is why losing weight bit by bit for a long period of time instead of losing weight quickly is much more preferable.


There are toxins found in our fatty tissues and when we loose fat, these toxins are released back into our body. Losing too much fat in a short period of time means that you are releasing more amounts of toxins into the body causing us to be sick.


On your diet, try to avoid eating food with too much saturated fat because they are bad fats and will make you gain more weight. What you should do is to ingest unsaturated fats of the good fat because it will help you lose weight.


By eating good oils like deep-water fish oil, flax seed oil and linseed oils, you are actually aiding yourself as it rids your body of fatty deposits helping you lose more fat. This weight loss program actually takes a lot of time so only take measurements every two months to give you a better look on how your are progressing on keeping fit and sexy and how much fat you are actually losing.


I discourage you on taking those commercial diets because they will only set you up for failure and disappointment. These diets make you lose fat so quickly that when you try to start eating again more than you did while on diet, you will gain weight very fast. You should look for a way to lose weight in a slow and realistic rate.


Here are some tips: First is to stay away from white sugar and all other natural sweetener. You should also stay away from simple sugars and take in slowly digested complex carbohydrates. Eat food high in fiber in order to detoxify. And lastly, exercise. The right combination of exercise and nutrients will give you a high level of sports nutritional health.

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Educate Yourself About Nutritional Supplement

August 15th, 2010

Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, some steroids, the pineal hormone melatonin, and herbal supplements all fall under the heading of nutritional supplement. The Food and Drug Administration classifies dietary supplements as foods, and not as drugs, so they are regulated differently than prescription drugs.


The FDA requires the manufacturer ensure the safety of their product before it goes to market. The Food and Drug Administration will only take action against any unsafe nutritional products after it reaches the marketplace.


Nutritional supplements are any product that is intended to supplement the diet and contain any of the following dietary ingredients:


A vitamin

A mineral

An herb or other botanical (excluding tobacco)

An amino acid

A dietary substance for use by people to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake, or

A concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or combination of any of the above


Furthermore, it must also conform to the following criteria:


It is intended for ingestion in pill, capsule, tablet, powder or liquid form.

It is not to be represented for use as a conventional food or as the sole item of a meal or diet.

It is labeled as a dietary supplement.

While hormones are not included in the above list, some hormones are labeled as “dietary supplements”.


Dietary supplements are permitted to make structure and/or functional nutritional value claims. These are broad claims that the product can support the structure or function of the body, as in “glucosamine helps support healthy joints”, “the hormone melatonin helps establish normal sleep patterns”. The FDA must be notified of these claims within 30 days of their first use, and there is a requirement that these claims be substantiated.


Keep in mind the possibility of interactions between a prescription drug and nutritional supplement. Just because a product is derived from “natural” or “herbal” sources does not assure its safety.


Many herbal products produce pharmacological side effects. Just because herbal products are available without a prescription, medical advice is necessary because of the adverse effects of these products and the potential for drug interactions.


The bottom line is, in order to protect yourself; it is highly recommended you investigate a nutritional supplement before you start taking it. Make sure plenty of studies have been conducted that show its nutritional value, safety and effectiveness. A good rule of thumb is to evaluate whether you are already getting enough of the vitamin, mineral or herbal supplement through your dietary intake, without additional supplementation.


Eating a healthy, nutritious diet is preferable, if that is a feasible option. If you recognize you are falling short of recommended daily allowances, ask your physician or nutritionist what supplements and dosages he recommends.

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Taking The Right Nutritional Supplements

August 13th, 2010

Some people take nutritional supplements for years before they realize that they are not taking the right ones. With so many nutritional supplements on the market today, many people wonder what type of nutritional supplements do they actually need to achieve and maintain health and wellness. Some are surprised to find that the body only needs 13 vitamins to function correctly and other supplements are experimental methods that people use to treat or prevent a certain disorder.

The human body uses various amounts of vitamins A, C, D, E, K, folic acid, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, and biotin and pantothenic acid every day. The other vitamins and minerals on the store shelves that are offered for sale are purely supplemental doses that the body could use to achieve a better lifestyle. People use nutritional supplements of these vitamins and minerals to ensure that they are getting the essential vitamins that the body requires each day.

The body will require certain increases in some nutritional supplements because it uses this particular vitamin to perform several bodily functions. If the body does not have this amount to use, then health problems could be the result and vital organs could cease to function if the deficiency went unnoticed. Some people might take vitamin D to ensure they have strong bones later in life, but fail to realize that Vitamin A will alleviate this problem if it is taken at the same time.

The human body uses vitamins in different ways. Some are used immediately after ingestion because the vitamin is water-soluble and passes through the body through blood, organs and any excess is depleted through the urinary system. The body has the capability to store certain vitamins and use them on an as-needed basis. These fat soluble vitamins are nutritional supplements that use the body fat cells as a storage facility until they are needed.

Some people overdose on water-soluble vitamins because they take in excess amounts that the body is not able to eliminate as quickly as it should. This type of ingestion will cause damage to vital organs such as the stomach, kidneys, and liver. While water-soluble vitamins are processed quickly, the vitamin B12 has been found to remain in organs for a long time.

The body will use the vitamin supplements for a specific body function and people can ensure that they are taking the right nutritional supplements by knowing which bodily functions are lacking. People that suffer from neural disorders will realize a difference in neural responses if they increase the dosage of nutritional supplements such as Vitamin B12 into their daily diet regimen or in the nutritional supplements, they ingest in pill form.

Overweight people might turn to dieting to reduce the number of calories introduced into the body. With this diet change, people will also deplete the body of nutritional supplements that the body needs to function correctly. Increasing the amount of nutritional supplements that are high in Vitamin B will help the body to change its metabolism, which will in turn change the way the body burns calories from the foods that are consumed. Weight loss will be realized with this simple change and the need for dieting will be significantly reduced in the process.

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Which Nutritional Product is Best?

August 12th, 2010

Nutrition is something which most of us are aware is essential to good health. I should rephrase that and say good nutrition is essential for good health, because poor nutrition leads to illness and poor health.

I have been aware of my body’s nutritional needs for some decades now. This is because I would go long periods of time without food. Not from necessity but because I used to fast. I tested various nutritional supplements that were on the market at the time and have to say the majority of them were just a waste of money. In this respect I can concur with medical opinion that multi-vitamins result in expensive urine.

One brand of multi-vitamin, however, did make a difference, so I began taking that on a regular basis. Some years later, another brand of multi-vitamin came on the market. A friend of mine, who happens to be a veterinary surgeon, has found, by taking these at optimum levels, they enable him to have a better day. Sadly, most people who take the product skimp on dosage and do not derive the benefit they should.

Myself, I went one step further. I tested a number of products that were on the market in powder form. I went without food and attempted to see how long I could last living on the powdered products, and still go for my thirty-minute run every morning. I found I could last up to three days and then my body would start to feel weak.

Eventually, I stumbled on a product that enabled me to go one whole week without feeling any weakness and gave me a sense of well-being. I used to swear by the product, telling people that this was what was given to people who were dying to keep them alive. I said this because of what I was told by hospital staff once. The pharmacist who originally sold the product to me said that the product was for old people not someone young like me. But I figured if it was designed for old people because of their failing health, it would have to be of benefit to me. Prevention is always better than cure.

I took the product on a regular basis over a number of years, but the product did not prevent me from suffering a worn out cartilage and early osteoporosis, particularly in my left leg. My left leg got so bad that the knee would lock and I was experiencing continual pain. The medical doctor, I sought advice from, arranged for some tests and then informed me that I would be a cripple in a couple of years and I should avoid stairs.

Surprisingly, vets know a lot more about nutrition than medical doctors. So I decided to have a talk with my veterinarian friend. He put me on to a product, which is given to dogs with arthritis. I love dogs, so I did not have a problem being numbered among them for treatment. You would not have believed it, in a matter of days, my leg was improving.

Now I was still taking my other supplements because it made me feel full of energy throughout the day. But this product the vet gave me was ghastly to eat, so I would put it in milk and began adding a couple of spoonfuls of brewers yeast to it so I could consume the stuff. After two months, my leg was feeling better but I began feeling like I was being poisoned. My vet friend was surprised I ordered another tin from him, but I noted that his wife, who was suffering the same problem as myself, did not take the product, she had a knee reconstruction instead.

As fate would have it, just after treating myself like a dog, a pharmacist introduced me to another product that had performed miracles for him. I started taking the product, and after five years, I had my bone density tested. Amazingly, my bone density is now that of a 20 year old.

While I am unable to mention the name of the product here, over the years I have become not only aware of the importance of nutrition, but also of the importance of getting the right nutrition.

Just having a few supplements is insufficient for good health. What we need is a optimal balance of synergistic nutrition that includes fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Also, in the polluted climate of today, detoxifying herbs to protect the body daily. This is what the product I use contains.

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The Importance Of Healthy Eating And Our Bodies Nutritional Needs

August 12th, 2010

When we talk about nutrition we are talking about the types of foods we humans need to eat in order to maintain our bodies in a healthy state. While the USDA has developed ways to determine our general daily nutritional needs, our individual eating habits also have an impact on our health. The ability of the body to maintain its health in any conditions other than the ideal ones is directly related to the nutrition it receives every day. And the mind has an enormous role to play in our ability to stay healthy as well. The human brain does not develop or function very well without its required dose of protein every day, however.


Nutrition means nurturing the body to keep it healthy and functioning. We must provide our bodies with all the food, vitamins, and minerals they need in order to thrive. So, how can we determine whether or not we are giving our bodies what they need?


A health class in school is taught as a science. Such classes address issues such as personal hygiene, disease, and other health matters as they apply to the general public. There is no individual attention give to methods for achieving optimal health levels through our eating habits. It is ironic that the most important and basic thing we can do to influence out health is essentially ignored: the way we eat and what we eat.


Experts recommend combining the fields of nutrition and physical activity to develop an approach that can be offered to everyone who enters the school system. A program such as this would give each individual the personal knowledge to meet his or her bodys unique caloric and nutritional needs. Then they could complete their education by attaining the mental competencies expected.


Nutrition represents an important concept that should be given more attention in the educational system. Our ability to recognize nutritional requirements and to find the foods that meet those requirements is a critical part of good health. We need to learn the difference between healthy eating and unhealthy eating habits if we want to live long and healthy lives. We need to incorporate good nutrition into our lifestyles.


Bad nutrition choices currently receive more advertising money than healthy alternatives. This does not mean that it is easier or more convenient to follow a bad nutrition path. It just means that habits should change. Research has shown that it takes about two weeks to move from conscious action to unconscious thought. This is not a long time to spend altering patterns that could affect us for the rest of our lives. It is also not a long time to spend in order to achieve the reward that comes from setting a good example to your children and others.

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