Vegan Nutrition Is Easier Than You Think

Vegan nutrition is one of those topics of discussion filled with misconceptions. At the Thanksgiving table, well-meaning relatives are likely to have all sorts of opinions about how you can't possibly be healthy without consuming any animal products. It's easy, however, to prove them incorrect.

There are at 4 typical topics of controversy when it comes to vegan nutrition. They are: vitamin B12, protein, iron, and calcium.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is admittedly challenging to obtain from a vegan diet. And it's certainly true that it's a very important nutrient. A vitamin B12 deficiency can be very serious, so it is important to obtain enough. Nutritional yeast is one vegan food that contains vitamin B12. Many vegans enjoy its cheesy flavor and sprinkle it on popcorn popped with coconut oil.

Vitamin B12 supplements are often suggested for vegans, and you can get all the vitamin B12 you need in a day if you take a good, high-quality supplement.

Protein

Protein is not as much of a concern if one is eating a well-rounded vegan diet. While we don't think of them as protein sources, vegetables do contain protein. Nuts and seeds also offer a lot of protein. Chia seeds have 3 grams of protein in just 2 tablespoons. Hemp seeds contain a complete protein, meaning they contain all the amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Brown rice is also high in protein.

In addition to all these vegan sources of protein, most vegans do not believe that humans need the amount of protein we are led to believe is necessary. Between the lessened need for protein and the bounty of plant protein sources, most vegans with a well-rounded diet get all the protein they need.

Iron

Iron is not just found in meat. One surprisingly rich source of iron is raw cacao powder. Happily, just 2.5 tablespoons have 8% of the RDA for iron! Chia seeds are another good source of iron, with 2 tablespoons containing 8% of the RDA. Blackstrap molasses are high in iron, with 1 tablespoon offering 19% of the RDA. 23% of the RDA is found in just one ounce of pumpkin seeds, which are delicious roasted and eaten out-of-hand. Baked potatoes and spinach are also high in iron. And there are also excellent vegan iron supplements available at any health food store if iron is a particular concern for you. The best and most easily digested tend to be the liquid supplements.

Calcium

Got kale? Many vegetables contain calcium and kale is one of the most concentrated and easily digestible sources of calcium. Sea vegetables, nori or dulse, for example, also contain high amounts of calcium, as do chia seeds. And just one tablespoon of blackstrap molasses contains 17% of the RDA. It's generally accepted in the nutrition community that vegetable and other plant sources of calcium are easily digested, therefore your body reaps the benefits more readily than from animal sources like cow's milk. Speaking of milk, coconut and almond milks contain 45% of the RDA for calcium in just 1 cup!

Serena Li is a web content contributor with Basic-Natural LLC, a socially conscious company dedicated to providing consumers with up-to-date information on the sustainability industry. For news, information, and everyday green living tips, please visit the company blog.

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Nutrition in Sport

There are a lot of common misconceptions with correct nutrition whether it is for general health and well being or race and high performance situations, most people these days don't actually take in the correct amount of nutrients and minerals required for a general healthy diet as most the most common product missing from a healthy balanced diet is plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables which taken in the correct quantities can improve your own quality of life due to the human body being able to operate a lot more efficiently which also boosts your immune system so you are a lot less susceptible to basic illnesses like the common cold. 

Even if you do catch an illness like the common cold a healthy diet can actually speed up your recovery so it can be out of your system a lot faster meaning you can spend a lot less time suffering and feeling sorry for yourself.

Most people like I have said before do not cover the basic requirements for a healthy diet and within that group of people those that exercise regularly and train hard to improve their own performances are no exception as most of them believe exercise is enough for them to have a healthy lifestyle and by training hard and regularly they can eat and drink poor quality food and drink and still live forever.

 This is generally not the case as correct nutrition is a massive part of a normal lifestyle let alone one that involves an individual constantly striving to achieve their personal goals in sport whether that is winning races or beating a personal best time on a regular training circuit. Correct and proper nutrition can help you make bigger leaps and gains in your own sport or quality of life mainly because the body will be more 'primed' and ready, this also goes against the most common excuses made by individuals rejecting change to their poor diet to a healthier balanced diet like;

"It won't make that much difference to me as I'm not that fit anyway"

Or

"I would gain more if I train harder and lose weight instead"

Or

"It's not like I am racing the Tour de France so I don't need to take it that seriously"

All these excuses are very poor reasons not to as the reason top athletes are at the top is because they train hard but also take in a healthy diet in order to reap the full benefits from training which include; the body being refuelled properly so you don't feel the need to eat everything in sight after exercise, having a lot more energy to start with so you can exercise for longer and more efficiently meaning you will increase your fitness and performances a lot quicker,

 the body will also become used to burning better quality food so you will again find an increase in fitness, well being in general and you will find the body will be storing less fat as the fat will be used as fuel but there will also be less trans fats and saturated fats in the body.

To follow correct sports nutrition in this modern era the human body now requires a larger percentage of carbohydrates in a general diet in order to fuel the body enough for exercise but also to refuel the body after exercise for better recovery, a common misconception is that for optimal recover you need to take in a large dose of protein after exercise to rebuild the muscles, 

what is generally more important for recovery is taking in more carbohydrates to refuel but also to take in more amino acids which are required to break the protein down so the body can use it to rebuild the muscles. There are generally a lot more supplements and nutrients that need to be taken in for optimal recovery but you will find certain supplements won't be in basic recovery drinks so in a way recovery products are very much a 'you get what you pay for' product as you can buy recovery products at half the cost of another brand but that doesn't necessarily mean you are getting more for less as generally you will be paying for less ingredients and sometimes a lower quality of ingredients which can actually be counter productive in some cases.

The easiest way to take in carbohydrates and electrolytes to fuel and hydrate the body during exercise is now in very convenient methods compared to carrying sandwiches and fruit around during exercise, most brands now have produced a 'energy bar' which is a very quick and easy way to deliver key nutrients, carbohydrates and more calories to the body,

 calories aren't a bad thing to take in during exercise as you can't exercise without burning calories as they are a key fuel source for the human body. Another quick and easy method of refuelling and hydrating the human body is again a lot of nutrition brands have produced products in powder or tablet form which you can then mix with water to have a drink that contains enough carbohydrates to fuel the body for longer but also deliver it faster through the body as it is already in liquid form, another key ingredient which is sometimes overlooked in 'sports drinks' is electrolytes as they are very important salts needed in the body which you lose through sweating, without enough electrolytes in the body can then cramp up which is something which will not go away quickly whilst exercising.

As outlined above the key points are as follows:

1) good nutrition can benefit everyone whether they exercise or not

2) good nutrition for those who train and exercise isn't just for professional athletes as good nutrition can also give you that extra advantage your looking for without spending every waking minute of your life exercising and training.

3) modern energy and recovery products are a good way to help put in the correct amount of nutrients and carbohydrates during exercise and training without carrying a fruit bowl around with you.

4) without correct nutrition and a balanced diet with enough carbohydrates in your diet for exercise and training your body can get run down and lower your immune system so you are more susceptible to illness, a good quality recovery product can help prevent this.

Why not have a look at what sort of nutrition is available.

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How to Practice Good Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition is defined as the study and practice of nutrition and dieting as it relates to athletes and their performance. It is mainly concerned with the types and quantities of food and drink ingested by athletes and deals with vitamins, minerals, supplements and organic substances such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which are the most important macro-nutrients needed to build the ideal athletic diet.

Sports nutrition is something you'll commonly hear in strength and endurance sports like weight lifting, swimming, cycling and running because these are the sports that require athletes to strike a perfect balance in order to sustain themselves during intense workouts and competitions. Sports nutrition is a concept that has been around since the time of the ancient Greeks, who credited their Olympic victories from being able to ably combine wine, meat and bread that gives them all the nutrition they need, as well as the strength and energy to win challenging competitions.

Sports nutrition these days has come a long way from the simple bread, meat and wine regimen of the Greeks. Continuous study has proven that diet along with specialized exercise and training routines enables athletes to lead healthy and productive lifestyles and helps them prevent or manage non-chronic diseases like non-insulin dependent diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease and osteoporosis to name a few.

What you eat and what you drink greatly affects your performance and how you feel during your workouts/training which is why knowing your basics on sports nutrition can not only help keep you healthy but also ensure you make the most of your exercise routine. It is known to often focus on carbohydrates, an example of which is the training routine of endurance athletes, who load up on carbohydrates days before their event to boost their performance. It is also best to complement your diet regimens with the best sports supplements as well to take care of any nutritional gaps.

Sports nutrition goes beyond what you eat because you need to consider the times when you need to eat as well as coordinating your meals, snacks and drinks helps you maximize your workout. For starters, you need to eat something every 2-4 hours to keep your blood sugar levels stable and your energy high enough to boost your metabolism. By coordinating your meals and snacks, you make sure that you are never too hungry to reach for the nearest bag of chips and will be able to train at any time during the day.

Ideally, you will need to eat a pre-exercise meal that will depend on the kind of exercises and workouts you do but generally they should be food that is easily digestible and high in complex carbohydrates like pasta, breads, salads and fruits. You can also go for a big salad that is high in protein or select a small amount of lean meat like chicken or fish.

 If you're the type who likes to train or exercise in the morning, a light snack of fruits, toast and an egg will probably be best.

On the other hand, if you would prefer to have a snack thirty minutes before you start your workout, it would be best to partake of trail mix, half a granola bar, a big banana or a few graham crackers to get your energy levels going. 

Remember though, to drink lots of water before you start working out so you can replenish the electrolytes you lose when you sweat. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated before, during and after your training and workouts to keep from being dehydrated.

To maximize your training and exercise, you need the best supplements to complement your sports nutrition efforts. Find them all at affordable prices on http://www.nutritionwarehouse.com.au and be at the top of your game every time, all the time.

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Detox and Nutrition

General health

As the Christmas season has come to an end, most are (relatively) happy to see the back of it and thinking of regaining our health in the New Year!

Our livers have been given a good run, so the first thing to do is to take some time off drinking alcohol. Processing alcohol creates numerous toxins in your system (such as Acetaldehyde) that your liver has to process. Your liver is a resilient organ and can regenerate but needs time to do so! A few other things to consider:

Whole Foods

Try to eat whole foods (naturally grown and unprocessed foods). There are several thousand chemicals that can be used in processing foods. Your liver filters out and detoxifies these chemicals. Organic whole foods (fruit, vegetables and meat) will take pressure off your liver as it will not have to filter or detoxify the food chemicals.

Exercise

Exercise increases blood flow around the body. This enables blood to more rapidly carry toxins and waste to the liver and kidneys, to then be filtered out of the body.

Through aerobic exercise, breathing increases, allowing lungs to expel more toxins from the body.

The skin is our largest organ. Waste is eliminated through the skin by sweating.

Detox Foods

There are a diverse range of foods that are good for your liver/digestive tract and for detoxing. Some are a bit more unorthodox than others such as seaweed and dandelions (which contain powerful antioxidants to cleanse the digestive tract and liver) to household items such as lemons and garlic.

A full list of detox foods are as follows:

Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits such as lemons and limes contain Vitamin C and help cleanse the liver and digestive tract. The also alkalise the body to offset the acidity of foods.

Fresh fruit

Full of vitamins, antioxidants and fibre, fruit is great for detoxing after a boozy Christmas season. Although if you are not active/exercising try to restrict your fruit intake to one piece per day, as it is high in natural sugar.

Ginger and Garlic

Ginger and Garlic are beneficial to the liver because they help it get rid of free radicals (molecules that can damage body cells) that are built up in the body.

Greens

The chlorophyll in these plant-based foods rid the body of harmful environmental toxins, as well as help the liver in detoxification. A blood cleanser and natural antibiotic, chlorophyl also reduces blood fats, thinning the blood and lowering blood pressure.

Beets

Fiber in beets help increase the production of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, which help the liver and gallbladder eliminate bile and other toxic substances from the body.

Cabbage

Cabbage is rich in antioxidant nutrients, which neutralize free-radicals. Antioxidants have been strongly linked to the protection from numerous diseases, from heart disease to regulation of the immune system.

Dandelions

Dandelions are great for detox and particularly effective for treating a build up of toxins in the liver by helping to remove waste products. It also may help reduce side effects of medication and as it can help improve bile flow & reduce inflammation.

Seaweed

Seaweed rids the body of toxins that cause a variety of health problem such as obesity, arthritis and high blood pressure. It is rich in minerals like iodine and potassium, and is also believed to boost the body's natural immune system, and improve thyroid and liver function which also helps with detoxification.

Practical advice

Personally I can't see myself cooking up seaweed and dandelion soup! But there are plenty of practical and easy ways to detox and improve your diet. Try to make these changes permanent as a temporary change to your diet will only return temporary result.

Eat whole (unprocessed) foods

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables although more vegetables than fruit

Eat at least two vegetables with your meals - one green and one coloured

Restrict your fruit intake to one piece a day if you are not active

Eat plenty of different coloured fruit and vegetables

Drink plenty of water (at least 1.5 litres per day), more if exercising regularly

Put a slice of lemon in your water

Stay off the booze for a few weeks

For references and further reading see:

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com

http://www.livestrong.com

XRWear was founded through an interest in, and knowledge of cycling, running, adventure racing, triathlon and hiking. We offer you a wide range of top quality products at competitive prices. In addition to our excellent product range, we have regularly updated blogs on Training and Nutrition, Triathlon Training and Adventure Racing to ensure you get extra value from visiting our site. Some of this is from experience and some is research. We encourage you to let us know your comments on our blogs and products.

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Weight Loss Nutrition Plan - Your Complete Guide To Finding Your 6-Pack

You want to find your 6-pack, and you've got a workout plan, so what do you eat? Am I eating enough? I'm not losing weight, why? Those questions, by far the most asked on the message boards. I'm going to give you the straight skinny on research I've done, what I feel works, doesn't work etc.

What You Stuff In Your Face Will 100% Impact Your Results

First, it's not a "Diet Plan", if you want a crash diet, it's not going to work long term. Really what most of us need to do is adjust our thinking on food and nutrition. In the world today it's been way to easy to sacrifice nutrition for convenience That's how I got fat, I'm lazy when it comes to cooking for myself. I'm a single guy, and making an ornate meal is about the lowest thing on my agenda, just above cutting the grass or shoveling snow. I just like to eat, and if someone else wants to make the food I stuff in my pie hole that's even better.

So what will it take to get your 6 Pack? Well I'm going to be honest, it's going to take dedication like no other. You need to be sub 10% body fat for a guy or sub 15% for a female. The food you stuff in your face is one of the few things you control in your life. Double Bacon Cheeseburger, or Extra Lean Turkey Tacos? You decide, and the path you chose will have consequences, and that is either carrying around a keg, or a 6-pack.

MATH. It's Not Just For School - Your "Food Budget"

Losing weight, in it's simplest form is easy math. Calories Eaten - Calories Your Body Needs To Live - Calories Exerted On Other Activities = Weight Loss/Gain. To lose weight you need to be in what is known as a Calorie Reduced State, a negative number.

To lose 1lb weight, you need that equation to = -3500/week. Or roughly 500/day. So how the heck do you figure that out? Well there are a number of studies and formulas, but the one I use is this:

Calories Your Body Needs To Live (aka you Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR):

Men: 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age)

Women: 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.7 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age)

So lets use me as an example, 213lbs when I started, I'm 5'11 and I'm 34 years old... a quick Google calculator conversion to get from Imperial to Metric gives me this: 66 + (13.7 x 96.61) + (5 x 180.34) - (6.8 x 34) = 2,522.46 calories just to breath, and sleep.

Then we need to figure out what does life take to live, so there are some other generally accepted numbers:

1.0 Sedentary - you do nothing but sleep and veg out on the couch

1.2 Very light activity - nothing too physical, you work an office job,

1.4 Light activity - office job but a lot of walking, but no real "working out"

1.6 Moderate activity - your job requires physical labor, maybe an occasional workout

1.8 High activity - you are training a lot, running regularly, lifting etc.

2.0 Extreme activity - very physical job, plus working your butt off on the off hours.

The way I use this is NOT to factor in any working out (we'll get to the why later). So for me, I'm a 1.2, I'm a computer nerd by trade sitting in cube world so:

2,522.46 * 1.2 = 3,026.95 calories just to maintain my weight doing what I do all day or 21,188.65 calories a week. So now that we have that, lets subtract 20% to get some weight loss going. 3,026.95 * 0.8 = 2,421.56.

If you look at those numbers, reducing my caloric intake everyday by 20% will come out to a 605.39/day or 4,237.73/week deficit. Since 1lb = 3500 calories, just doing this will be a 1.21lb/week loss.

Let's take that a bit further, I want to lose on average 2lbs (a generally acceptable weight loss for someone overweight), that means I need to consume 7,000 calories less in a week or 1,000/day. So, if we take my BMR - 1,000 calories, we're down to 2,026.95 calories a day is my food budget. That is the number of calories I need to eat, each day to keep my body running, but still losing weight. AND THAT IS WITHOUT WORKING OUT. Even if you're not exercising this will work, I've done it in the past, I know it works. What that DOES NOT MEAN, is to limit yourself to 1,000 calories and lose 10lbs a week, your body doesn't work that way, it's smarter than that and there's more on that below.

How Does My Workout Plan Figure In?

So any workout plan, be it P90X (which I currently use), Insanity, training in the gym, the boring treadmill, is going to burn extra calories, just think of it as a bonus. Everyone will burn a different amount of calories depending on size, exercise, length of workout etc. If you want to know, strap a HR monitor on yourself and it'll tell you what it thinks you burned based on the metrics above (height, age, weight), but that can be inaccurate. I've done the HR monitor, and a number I'm comfortable with is 400 calories/workout on average when I do P90x for example. Sometimes way more, sometimes less, it all depends how I'm feeling, how much I put into it etc, but for the sake of a constant # I use 400.

Sooooo, where does that get us?

2026.95 calories - 400 = 1626.95 calories a day is what's left over for my body to use to sleep. Back to the top, we can easily figure out that 1626.95 - 3026.95 = -1400/day * 7 days = 9800 calories "saved" a week. Then we take what we saved, 9800 I either didn't eat or burned working out and divide it 3500 and I'm at 2.8lb/per week loss. THIS IS MY AVERAGE Loss this round so far, by eating about 2,000 calories a day. Math is math.

All Food Is Not Created Equally

Running hard for 20 on a treadmill will burn somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 calories. What is 200 calories?

two pieces of whole wheat bread - nothing on them.

or 29 almonds

or a doughnut

or less than two 8oz glasses of apple juice

or not quite a pint of Guinness

or 1.5 cans of soda

or two cans of energy drink

So, what would you rather do, run your butt off for 20 minutes, or eat/drink one of those things? The thing to remember is your body is not a computer or calculator. How your body handles nutrients is different based on the nutrients you're consuming. While eating less calories than you need will indeed help you lose weight, you should be conscious of what that food you're stuffing in your face contains. Try and eat lean proteins. Eat GOOD carbs, you know, ones that grow from the earth, not put together in a factory and have a bunch of junk added in as fillers and other junk. Get your fats from good places like nuts, seeds, avocados.

The way I usually eat is on the 50/30/20 plan. 50% of my calories are from lean Protein sources, 30% from Carbs, and 20% from fat. This works for me all the way through the workout program I use and I see great results. I'd recommend this at least through the first 30 days and then listen to your body. Different nutrients make you feel different ways. This particular breakdown, while being in a big deficit tends to make me feel hungry at times once I hit week 3 and 4, at which point I tell my brain and stomach to be quiet and drink some water. I also am intaking calories every 3-3.5 hours the entire time I'm awake (5am-9 or 10pm). The major meals have more calories than the in between "snack" times.

So how do you track all this? First, you buy all your own food, and limit going out to eat as much as possible. Second, you need to track your caloric intake, which is WAY easier than you might think. I use a website called MyFitnessPal.com. It's a free site, has a great free application for your phone, and a huge user supported and verified database of just about anything you want to eat, easily searchable by brand and what it's called on the bag (including a lot of restaurants). It sounds daunting, but once you do it a few times, it just becomes second nature. The key is to find a variety of foods that you can put together and hit your needs. The third thing you need to buy is a cheap food scale, I personally use the Taylor Precision 37204014T, it's $4.50. Then you measure out every portion you put into every meal, it takes 2 seconds. You can even create custom "Meals" on MyFitnessPal based on ingredients you're using, so it's easy to recall it later to track.

So I Should Just Really Stop Eating And I'll Lose All The Weight Right?

WRONG! Your body is a smart machine, and it adapts. I can't constantly keep eating 1,900 calories and keep that weight loss up. Some people call it "Starvation Mode", call it what you will, but your body adjusts your metabolism in an effort to keep you healthy and protect itself. After the first 30 days, I take my weight, and refigure things. I also INCREASE my caloric intake. The reasoning is because your muscles will actually burn more fat while sleeping, sitting, working out than the tubs of lard you just spent 30 days burning off. Remember, you want your body going after the fat stores, not the lean muscle mass you're working on toning and building. Your body needs more to keep the furnace pumping. If you've hit a plateau with your weight loss, my first reaction is Eat MORE! I typically will bump up my intake by 400-500 calories after the first month, and believe me, it works, there are plenty of resources and forum posts discussing this.

Anyway, that's my "quick" lesson on nutrition, this should set you in the right direction. If you have any questions at all, PLEASE get a hold of me on my website!

Learn what to eat to make the most of your weight loss journey!
http://www.pbjfitness.com

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The Nutrition Weight Loss Secret - The Thermogenic Effect of Food

Thermogenesis, or the "Thermogenic Effect", is the heat-producing effect of calories consumed from food. In other words, when your body digests the food that you eat, it produces heat in the body that temporarily increases your metabolism. In fact, it is this heat produced that facilitates the very digestion of that food, and in turn, provides you the greatest degree of nutrition weight loss and other health benefits per quantity of food eaten.

A calorie is actually a measurement of a unit of heat. And heat is a measurement of energy. Digesting food and properly absorbing it for nutrition weight loss and general health requires energy, which requires heat, which is measured in calories.

But not all calories are built alike.

Some calories are more available to the body for easy digestion through the production of heat than others. By the same token, some calories require more energy to digest than others.

An Easy Example: Chew Your Food!

For a familiar example, the more your chew your food, converting it from a solid mass into a more liquefied mush, the more available those calories become and thus the easier they are to convert to heat (or energy) for easy digestion. Who hasn't had the experience of inadequately chewing their food, only to later suffer bloating and/or indigestion?

Which Calories Are More Thermogenically Available Than Others?

The easiest macronutrient for reaping the most nutrition weight loss and other health benefits for the least amount of food eaten is protein. An average of 27% of the calories consumed as protein are converted to heat to be utilized in the digestion of that protein.

Meanwhile, 7% of the calories consumed in the form of carbohydrates are converted into heat energy for use in the metabolic processes of digestion and absorption. That means not as much energy is produced by eating carbohydrates as by proteins, and therefore it requires the body draw on various other energy sources (like exercise) to get the job done, or else it won't get done at all.

Keep that in mind as we look at the last-and worst-macronutrient in terms of thermogenesis, and that is fats, which only convert 3% of their calories into energy for use in digestion and absorption. That means a body must find 97% of the energy it uses to digest and absorb those fats from other sources. And what happens if it doesn't?

Why is Knowledge of the Thermogenic Effect Important For Nutrition Weight Loss and General Health?

The answer to this question is simple. Because what do you think happens to those other calories not used in the thermogenic process (in other words: not converted to heat for use as metabolic energy)? Some of it gets digested-yes-its nutrients absorbed into the bloodstream.

But the rest is either eliminated as waste (leading the body to crave more food to meet its nutritional needs) or stored as fat. Either way, this contributes to all that unwanted weight gain. The more calories not used in the thermogenic effect, the likelier that some of the remaining calories in that food-whatever it is-will show up on your belly, thighs, hips, cheeks, or wherever it is that your body typically and most easily puts on weight.

It's About More Than Macronutrients - Thermogenesis is Also About Eating Patterns

The more food your body takes in at once, the harder it is to convert any part of that food into heat for digestion and absorption. So the more you eat at once the harder it is to produce and sustain an appropriate metabolic rate for proper nutrition weight loss and general health. That's why it is always recommended that you eat several smaller meals throughout the day rather just one or two large meals. In this way, you can actually eat more and still wind up weighing less!

Download your free copy of the "Experts Guide to Understanding Weight Loss" using the below link right now and get started losing weight naturally and healthily right away.

Dr. William Berkowitz has been in the natural health field for more than 23 years. His focus is on maximizing health and vitality through natural means. One of his passions is Diet and Nutrition and its application to Weight Loss. Frustrated by the confusion in the Weight Loss marketplace, through his research he developed a Weight Loss program founded on the Laws of Human Physiology. He has also developed a companion Exercise Program that turns up the metabolism in just minutes a day. Click on this link to download your FREE copy of the "Experts Guide to Weight Loss - 7 Keys to Weight Loss" [http://RapidNaturalWeightLoss.com/]

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Good Nutrition: Benefits of Optimum Nutrition

Nourishment of your body is known as nutrition. Nutritious diet is required to maintain overall health of your body. Your diet should be a balanced one which contains vegetables, fruits and poultry. The benefits of optimum nutrition are numerous. Nutritious and healthy diet gives energy to function throughout the day and promotes sleep. Let's take a look at the various benefits of good nutrition.

Why you should have Nutritious Diet

Good diet is required to perform your daily activities - Carbohydrates, Fats and proteins are some of the nutrients that provide energy to your body. However, the body also needs vitamins and minerals to use as well as convert the energy. When you diet does not contain the required vitamins and minerals it can lead to serious health issues.

Nutritious diet ensures growth and tissue repair - Optimum nutrition helps in growth during your childhood, healing and maintaining muscle mass in case of injury. To build muscles you surely need protein. This can be obtained from legumes, beans, eggs, milk and meat.

Nutrients are required by the body cells - To synchronize the functioning of all the vital organs, you need to consume a nutritious diet at least once in a day. Though many nutrients are produced by the body, there are many more nutrients that have to be got from the food we consume. Without the essential nutrients, the cells of your body cannot simply function.

Balanced diet prevents lifestyle diseases - Many health issues that arise due to your lifestyle such as diabetes, blood pressure, obesity and overweight can be combated with the help of balanced nutritious diet. Avoid saturated fats and sugar. Consume many helpings of green leafy vegetables. Phyto-chemicals fight the free radicals in the blood stream and prevent terminal diseases such as cancer.

Strengthens your bones and teeth - A balanced diet rich in calcium during the growing years is a must if the child needs a set of healthy teeth and strong bones. As an adult you can control the intake of sugary junk and soft drinks. However, you can snack on nuts, cheese and plenty of vegetables.

Along with good sleep you also need highly nutritious food for good mental health - Including food items such as fruit and vegetables, lean meat, poultry and diary, unprocessed cereals and grains can keep depression and mood swings at bay. Consumption of sea food especially the fish that is rich in omega-3 acid can even prevent Alzheimers and improve your concentration.

Summary

Optimum nutrition is essential to keep you mentally and physically fit. Therefore your diet must be a balanced one that contains proteins, carbohydrates and fats. If you are planning to reduce your weight, then it is mandatory that you follow a good nutritious diet.

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Weight Loss Secrets: Diet, Nutrition, and Healthy Living

Weight loss secrets that consist of nutrition and diet product has helped many people nurture a healthier and better lifestyle by supplying essential minerals and vitamins in the diet. Nutrition and diet is substantial for everyone, especially for runners, or for those who work hard. If you're on a diet, or you're sick, or you regularly eat fast food, you have to really pay attention to what you and your family get from the food, whether it meets the standard diet and proper nutrition for your body or not.

Nutritious diet is important for everyone because these foods provide the nutrients the body needs to stay healthy, grow, and work well. In 2005, the dietary guidelines for US citizens, introduced something called "nutrient density," a term that sounds complex but simply refers to how many nutrients are contained by a food. Nutrient density is absolutely important, especially when nutrition and health has become primary consideration.

Experts believe that the nutrients can help avoid heart attack, fight some cancers, and even slow the aging process in particular ways. And if you're like most of us, did not get enough to eat unhealthy foods, you may be trying to trick your body by providing nutritional supplements to make up for the guilt of not paying attention to your diet.

Even the best weight loss secrets will give better results when coupled with regular exercise and proper nutrition, because when people consume a healthy diet and do some exercise, they will feel better, have so more energy and more immune to health issues. Health and nutrition products can help to ensure the proper level of nutrition to be given to your body so that your body remains healthy.

Nutritious snacks can be very important to your overall health and nutrition. When you eat snack, you can fill in nutritional gaps, if you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. 
This will help you keep your mood stable, and helps suppress appetite and control weight. However, too much snacking can also be a bad thing as well, and can definitely contribute to adding some excess weight to your body. If you're searching for a major culprit in US's obesity epidemic, the majority of nutritionists will tell you to stick a poster on a wall: a picture of glass of cold, bubbly soda pop.

Good nutrition is one way to improve the body for health. As you can see, the habits of good nutritional and adequate caloric intake are very important. However, it is expected to also keep the intake at least some dairy products because they represent a lot of good sources of nutrients, such as calcium and protein. And good nutrition is synonymous with good health.

In the end, it all comes back to each of us to learn all that we can learn about these weight loss secrets, and then apply that knowledge for the good of our lives. Nutrition puts us on the path to good health, and good health is something we all want to live and be happy. 

For a more detailed information, diet, nutrition, and healthy living plans, motivation and specific weight loss secrets, please visit http://www.weightlosssecrets90.com/

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Nutrition Is The Best Medicine

March is National Nutrition Month. Personally, I think nutrition should be front and center in our health all year. It's the only side-effect free medicine!

For example, omega-3 fatty acids are known to help lower cholesterol. The Mayo Clinic lists fatty fish, such as salmon, as it's #2 food to help lower cholesterol. That's because natural wild-caught salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. 
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine produced a study that showed healthy mono and poly-unsaturated fats can lower cholesterol as much as 18%. Eating 1-2 servings of salmon per week and combining that with other food with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, olive oil, flax seeds and Brussels sprouts, can help lower your cholesterol without dangerous medications.

Nutrition also plays a huge role in keeping kids healthy and active. Kids who eat a healthy diet and are allowed to play as children are supposed to experience less illness, are of a healthy weight and have better concentration.

Recently, there has been much controversy over type 2 diabetes in children. Sadly, many of these reports sideline or completely forget that the top recommendation for children is to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and run around to burn energy. What frightens me is the second recommendation is to give metformin to children. 
Not only is this drug not test on children, the side effects are scary. WebMD lists the side effects as sinus infections, head pain, nausea, diarrhea, swelling of the abdomen and inadequate vitamin B12 absorption. The manufacturer's website confirms this, and lists nearly 20 more side effects. Diarrhea and B12 deficiency in children can be fatal side effects in children.

What people sometimes forget is that diabetes is a disease that originates in sugar control problems. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys the pancreas in kids. Type 2 comes from overeating sugar. It's easy to stop overeating sugars: Eliminate pre-packaged foods, soda and candy from the diet, focus on fruits, vegetables and quality meats and get plenty of exercise and fun.

The problem of being overweight can be solved with nutrition. In fact, nutrition and exercise are the only two methods of weight loss that has no side effects, is long term and never been pulled off the market. It's the only safe way. Switching unhealthy pre-packaged foods for healthy, fresh foods is the best way to incorporate good nutrition.

Our local farmers are a treasure trove of fruits and vegetables. Look at some of their stands this month. You will find fresh fruits and vegetables that these very farmers grew themselves. 
Yes, I know it is March and yes, we do have fresh food. Rhubarb, mushrooms, lettuces, spinach, parsnips, radishes and peas can all be grown with a little care to be harvested now. Much more is available from local greenhouses. Apples, squash and onions can be stored and used throughout the winter. Shop around, you will be surprised!

Christina Major is the Naturopathic Doctor and Holistic Nutritionist of Crystal Holistic Health Consulting. Crystal Holistic Health helps people, especially women, who have Type II Diabetes, High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure lower their numbers, get off medication and increase their energy so they can save money, take back control of their lives and improve the health and happiness of their families. You can get a free report on health at http://www.crystalholistichealth.com/

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seven Nutrition Tips To slenderize quick !

Here is the third and final installment in this 3-Part article, giving you all of the nutritional advice you need to achieve extreme weight loss and take control of your life. Our bodies are a reflection of our habits and values. Let your body demonstrate to others that you are a person who has mastered their own health.

1. Nutrition Ratios - Whenever possible, try to increase the amount of protein that you are consuming with each meal during the day. The higher the ratio of protein compared with fats and carbohydrates, the better the metabolism boost and the lower the insulin spike.

2. Eat Often - As I have discussed in Parts 1 and 2, every time that we eat a small, protein-packed meal, we stimulate our metabolism. Therefore, we need to use this to our advantage as much as possible. Try to eat every 2 to 2.5 hours and never let it go longer than 3 hours. This will keep that metabolism of yours in overdrive and ultimately lead to extreme weight loss.

3. Only Protein Before Bed - Always remember to avoid carbohydrates at least 3 hours before going to sleep. Apart from the obvious insulin boost and weight gain that follows, having low blood sugar levels before sleep will result in more growth hormone being produced by the body. This means that you will burn more fat while you sleep. So stick to protein shakes or seafood just before hitting the sack.

4. Muscle Is King - Although it is important to cut your calories to a certain degree in order to lose weight, never cut them down to a point where you are jeopardizing your muscle mass. If you are not eating enough (primarily protein), your body will rob your own muscles for amino acids and other nutrients. This is the worst position to be in, as when your muscle mass reduces, your metabolism will come to a screeching halt.

5. Cautiously Dine Out - It is easy to get carried away when eating out at a restaurant with friends and family. I am by no means telling you that you shouldn't have fun, but be careful. Keep your weight loss goals in mind and remember to make smart food and drink choices. For example, if the restaurant doesn't offer meals that include complex carbohydrates, you may want to consider eating a salad to play it safe. Also, keep in mind that alcohol is packed with sugar and calories. Drinking your alcohol straight up is a good way to offset additional weight gain.

6. Drink Green Tea - I have covered the benefits of green tea in detail in a different article, but all you need to know is that you need to be drinking it. Not only is it full of cancer-fighting antioxidants, but it also has a remarkable effect on weight loss. Green tea is the perfect drink to have before performing your morning cardio, as it contains basically no calories, but will provide long-lasting energy.

7. Take a Break - By cutting down the amount of food that you are eating combined with physical exercise; you are placing a lot of additional stress on your body. If you feel that you are doing everything right, but your results are starting to slow up, you may want to consider taking a break. This break doesn't have to be too long and it shouldn't be: 2 days is enough. For 2 days eat a reasonable diet and avoid exercise, then jump back into your weight loss diet.

Now with the third installment of this 3-Part article series, you will be absolutely armed to the teeth with information on how to lose weight fast. Follow all of this advice and extreme weight loss is just around the corner for you. Everything really comes down to increasing your metabolism, so keep this in mind and do everything that you can to keep it firing.

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twenty two ultimate reasons drinking a mangosteen juice

A coworker of mine at work brought in a very mangosteen supplement drink and she or he was commercialism it for $30 (her price) for a twenty five FL oz bottle. She additionally gave ME info and these twenty two reasons why everybody ought to be drinking mangosteen juice:

1. prevents hardening of the arteries
2. protects the guts muscle
3. anti-Parkinson, anti-Alzheimer and alternative varieties of insanity
4. anti-depressant
5. prevents and arrest plant
6. prevents microorganism infections
7. infectious agent fighters and bar of infections
8. prevents fum sickness
9. anti-diarrheal
10. lowers fevers
11. eye care-prevents eye disease and cataracts
12. pansystemic - a synergistic impact on the entire body
13. energy boosters - anti-fatique
14. anti-aging
15. weight loss (wooo, i am going to drink to this!)
16. lowers blood fat (what the euphemism, I did not recognize there's fat in our blood!)
17. anti-tumor edges
18. cancer: Mangosteen helps within the bar of cancer with its powerful anti-oxidants.
19. lowers force per unit area
20. varied references to "Immunostimulants"
21. blood glucose lowering
22. it tastes sensible

I thought to myself, holy smokes! United Nations agency within the world would purchase that? what'smangosteen? I even have ne'er detected of it or have the slightest plan what it's like.

Upon any analysis, the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) could be a tropical evergreen tree, believed to possessoriginated within the archipelago and also the Moluccas. The tree grows from seven to twenty five meters tall. The garden truck is deep empurpled once ripe. In Asia, the mangosteen fruit is understood because the"Queen of Fruits," whereas the durian (Durio spp.) is understood because the "King of Fruits." it's closelyassociated with alternative edible tropical fruits like button mangosteen and lemondrop mangosteen. 

The outer shell of the fruit is very onerous, usually 4-6 cm in diameter. Cutting through the shell, one finds a white, fleshy fruit 3-5 cm in diameter. looking on the dimensions and maturity, there might or might not be pits within the segments of the fruit. the amount of fruit pods is directly associated with the amount of petals on rock bottom of the shell. on the average a mangosteen has five fruits (round up figure). 

I have ingested lots of exotic fruits in my life, as well as the King Of Fruits - durian, however I even have ne'erseen or tasted this Queen of Fruits. I bought the $30 bottle from my coworker and chucked down the mangosteen juice. I do feel a lot of energetic for the remainder of day, and that i can need to allow you to recognizewithin the close to future if it'll facilitate lose some weight!