Nutrition

Detoxifying the body has become a very popular practice over the past few year. It seems most people choose to live in such a way so as they do a lot of damage to their body, then they want to fix it by doing a bunch of weird things to it, supposedly to flush out all the poisons in a matter of a few days. But, does this really work?

There are many different types of carbohydrates, some of which are broken down and absorbed very quickly by the body, such as simple sugars, which is not good, and some that take longer to break down, also known as complex carbohydrates. Consuming complex carbohydrates is much healthier, as the energy is made available gradually. This means the body doesn't need to store it. However, over consumption will result in excess carbohydrates being converted into fat and may lead to obesity.

Fat, although it has gotten a bad rap over the years, is not bad for you and if fact you need some to live. Fat plays some very important roles in the body. The problem is that most people eat way too much and eat too much of the wrong kind of fat. Whereas some fats are required for the body to function, other fats are harmful to the human body.

There are three primary sources of energy the human body can use. These include sugars (and there are different types of these), proteins, and fats. All three of these sources are vital for proper function and optimum health, in their proper amounts of course. There is also a fourth, alcohol, which is usually categorized as a sugar.

There are many steps you can take to lower your levels of cholesterol including exercising more and reducing your intake of foods with cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also said to be useful. And of course the pharmaceutical companies have also stepped into the lucrative market with cholesterol reducing drugs. In addition to these there is one other option worth considering -- plant sterols.

Proper nutrition is important no matter who you are and no matter what you do. We need to think of food as our fuel. The better quality the fuel the better the machine will work. The machine being our bodies. Most people in North America have very poor diets. Too much sugar, saturated fats, trans-fat, cholesterol, salt, and alcohol. And not enough fruits, vegetables, fiber, and quality protein.

No doubt all of us have heard much research about unhealthy high cholesterol levels. What we also need to understand is that there are different types of cholesterol and that their effects on the body are quite different.

Iron is a very important dietary mineral. It is vital in forming hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells which absorbs oxygen from the lungs and transports it through the circulatory system. Iron is also vital for transporting oxygen from the blood stream into the muscle cells. The equivalent of hemoglobin, but at the muscle site, is called myoglobin.

Do you remember the days when in your grocery store margarine was no where to be found? That's because there simply wasn't any. Then one day the doctors and the nutritionists started telling people to stop eating butter and start eating margarine. Then all of the sudden 20 brands of margarine appeared. Then came light and extra light margarine. Now the butter section is only about 1/3rd of that of margarine on the shelf.

Below are some nutritional myths that I'm sure most of us have heard of. Always be aware of any claims made without scientific evidence, and always do your homework.

Proteins, which are made up of amino acids, are incredibly important for building body parts such as muscle, skin, hair, and nails. Without protein the body will slowly break down and not be able to repair itself. Protein is primarily found in animal products such as meat, eggs, milk, and cheese. However, it is also found in lesser amounts in non-animal products such as soy, nuts, and beans.

The word vegetarianism implies that there is a restriction of animal related products in the diet. Within this definition there are variations. For example, one might choose to exclude all animal derived products, such as milk, cheese, and eggs. Some may even continue to include foods such as fish and chicken. To the strictest form, vegetarianism can also include not wearing clothing that is derived from animals. This level of vegetarianism is referred to as vegan.

Vitamins and minerals are vital to a healthy body. The primary role of these nutrients is metabolic functions. The best way to ensure one gets the variety and the quantity of vitamins needed is by eating a wide variety of natural, unprocessed foods. Heating, cooking, and frying will destroy delicate vitamins.

Although most people are usually concerned with weight loss there are some people that are interested in weight gain. Being underweight can be caused by a few things, such as, poor nutrition, lack of access to enough food, disease or illness, being hospitalized with food restrictions, etc. The bottom line is a situation where more calories are being used up compared to what is taken (and absorbed) in.

Whey protein is an excellent supplement for anyone wishing to assure adequate protein intake. In fact, of all the protein sources (natural and supplemental) it has the highest biological value. This is a measure of how well it is absorbed by the body.

Whey protein is a by-product from the production of cheese. Since its source is milk/animal it is considered a complete protein, and can provide amino acids which the body can not produce.