All About Protein

All About Protein

Proteins are very important to our bodies. It isn't just for bodybuilders who use them to gain muscle mass. Those who are sick use them to rebuild damaged tissue and even in normal states, our body uses protein for many different tasks.

Proteins are made of amino acids that are folded together. There are essential amino acids - those that our body cannot make, and non essential amino acids - those that our body can make. Proteins that are made up of all the essential amino acids are said to be complete while those that lack in one or more essential amino acid are incomplete. Complete proteins come from sources such as meat, eggs, cheese, dairy and soy. Incomplete proteins come mainly from vegetable sources with the one exception being soy.

The ideal source should be complete proteins. For most people that isn't a problem. If you are worried about fat intake, try lean cuts of beef, chicken and turkey. For vegetarians whose main source comes from incomplete proteins, getting a variety of vegetables and whole grains throughout the day will ensure that all essential amino acids are consumed. Also, using soy protein (which is the only complete vegetable source of protein) is very beneficial.

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A Healthy Guide to Good Nutrition

A Healthy Guide to Good Nutrition

Whether you are at your ideal weight or striving to reach your weight goal is it simply a matter of burning more calories than you take in? The answer, I suggest, is no! Overall body health improvement as well as weight gain or loss must be factored in to the equation or you could be heading for problems. Correct nutrition can help to reduce the risk of a miriad of health-related problems, the most frightening of which are surely heart disease and cancer. Proper nutrition, however, entails eating many different foods, monitoring your consumption of some food and beverage items, and counting calories. Good diets offer balanced nutrition that reduces cholesterol, blood pressure, and helps with weight control.

To function properly, your body must have the correct combination of nutrients:

Carbohydrates. They are the primary source of ammunition in your diet. The body uses carbohydrates to build glucose which can be used immediately or stored in your body for later. Too much glucose, however, is stored as fat. There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Starches and fibers are complex carbohydrates.

Proteins. Proteins help your body build and maintain muscles and other tissues. They also function in the creation of hormones. Like carbohydrates, excess protein is stored as fat.

Animal and vegetable are the two major types of proteins. Too much animal protein can cause high cholesterol, as it is high in saturated fat.

Fat. Strange as it may seem; fat is another nutrient your body requires. It comes in both saturated and unsaturated forms. Saturated fat puts you at risk of health problems. Unsaturated fat is healthy, but if it goes through any type of refinement process, it can become saturated fat.

Vitamins. These are also required nutrients. Different vitamins perform different tasks within the body. They can work with the metabolism to help with energy levels for any task you can think of that you need your body to perform. It has also been noted that certain vitamins can prevent disease.

For example, vitamins A, C, and E, also called antioxidants, can assist with the prevention of coronary artery disease by keeping build up from occurring on artery walls. Vitamin B-1 is needed for digestion and proper nervous system function. Vitamin B-2 is needed for normal cell growth. Vitamin B-3 helps to detoxify your body. Folic acid assists with production of red blood cells. Vitamin D assists with the absorption of calcium. Vitamin K helps your blood clot.

Minerals and trace elements. These are another nutrient your body requires. Both are used in many different body processes. Minerals like chlorine help make your digestive juices. Phosphorus helps build strong bones. Both can be found in the foods we consume, but with a trace element, your body just needs a tiny amount. Salt is one final nutrient your body requires. You should not consume more than 2400 milligrams per day, though, as it might raise your blood pressure.

You should follow several guidelines to create a well balanced, nutritional diet. First, try to consume two and one half cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit each day. When making your selections for each day, be sure to choose a good variety. A good rough guide is to eat as many different colors as possible, this will help you to select from all five vegetable subgroups at least four times per week.

You should eat at least three ounces of whole grain products each day. At least half of your grain intake should be whole grain based. Milk should also be part of a healthy diet. Consume at least forty-eight ounces of low fat milk or milk products on a daily basis. Your total fat intake should only be between ten and thirty percent of your calories. Most of the fats you consume should be in the form of unsaturated fats, as saturated fats can do much to damage your health. Meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products should all be lean, low-fat, or fat-free. Less than ten percent of your calories should come from saturated fats, and you should always try to avoid trans-fatty acid.

Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be a regular part of your diet as should potassium rich foods. Alcoholic beverages should only be consumed in moderation.

Excellent nutrition is the basis of a healthy diet.

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Healthy Food Choices

Healthy Food Choices

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, although it can be hard. In order to eat healthy, youmust first make the right food choices. Eating healthyis all about what you eat, which makes the choices very crucial to your results.

Grains
You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day. To do this,you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice crackers, or pasta. You can get an ounce of grains in a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.

Vegetables
These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of them each day. You should start eating more of the dark vegetables, such as broccili and spinach. Carrots and sweet potatoes are good as well. You should also eat more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidneybeans.

Fruits
Fruits are very important. You should try to eat 2 cupsof them each day. Focus on eating a variety, such as fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit. You can drink fruit juices as well, although you should use moderation when doing so.

Milk
Milk is your calcium rich friend. For adults, 3 cups is the ideal goal. For kids 2 - 8, 2 cups is where you want to be. When choosing milk products or yogurt, you should go for fat-free or low-fat. Those of you who don't like milk or can't have it, should go for lactose free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified foods and beverages.

Meat and beans
Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should golean with your protein. When eating meat, always bake it, grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from adding to the equation.You should vary your protein as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard. These foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can also help raise your cholesterol as well. Therefore, youshould try to add these foods and any foods that happen
to contain them.

To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low, you can check the nutrition facts label. This label can be found on the food package and will tell you all the information you need to know about the food item.

By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat,you'll help control your lifestyle. Exercise is great as well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating lifestyle. No matter what your age may be, eating healthywill help you keep your active lifestyle for years and years - even help you and your health in the long runas well.

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Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating

Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating

When the holidays arrive, many people forget all about their diets and healthy eating. Weight
gains of 7 - 10 pounds are common between Halloween and Christmas. To make the holidays
easier, these tips will help you with healthy eating through the season and not gaining weight.

Most traditional foods can be made low fat. Turkey is very lean without the skin, and gravy
can be made without any fat. Potatoes that areserved without butter can be very healthy. The
beloved pumpkin pie is nutritious, although it can be made into a fatty dessert with the adding
of whipped cream.

Even though the holidays are in, don't forget about the exercise. Keeping weight off during
the holiday season is burning off the extra calories. You should plan a walk after meals, park farther from stores when you shop, and take a few walks around the mall before you
begin shopping.

During holiday parties and at family dinners, feel free to sample foods although you shouldn't
splurge. Decide on what you plan to eat in advance, then stick to your plan. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, low fat dressings, and slices of lean meats. Before you go to a party, eat a small snack to help curb your appetite.

If at all possible, avoid alcohol. Having toomany drinks can cripple your will power, and also add excess calories to your diet. In the place of alcohol, drink water with lemon. Water can help to limit your appetite and keep you from binging. Also make sure to avoid eggnog, as each glass can have up to 300 calories.

Be flexible with your healthy eating, as one badmeal won't ruin your diet. Try to balance your calories over a few days and don't just look atone meal or day.

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Tips For Healthy Eating

Tips For Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you eat to keep your body in great health. With healthy eating, you'll have energy all day, get the vitamins and minerals you need, stay strong for activities you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Below, you'll find tips designed to help you with healthy eating.

1. Don't skip any meals

Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the ideal way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight. When you skip meals and get hungry, you're more than likely to choose foods that aren't very good for you.

If you are eating away from home, take food with you or know where you can buy healthy food from.

2. Learn about how to prepare foods

Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying,microwaving, baking, and even boiling. You should
also try fresh or even dried herbs and spices to add flavor to your food. Before you eat any type
of meat, be sure to trim the fat and skin off of it.

3. Avoid a lot of sugar

Drinks that contain sugar are a major source ofempty energy. What this means, is that the drinks contain a lot of energy that your body may not need, and it doesn't contain any vitamins or minerals. If you plan to drink sugary drinks,don't go overboard - limit yourself to 1 a day.

4. Avoid thinking about diets

There are no good food nor any bad foods. All food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten in moderation. You don't need to buy any low carb, fat free, or even diet foods, as these foodsnormally have lots of other added ingredients to replaces the carbohydrates or fat.

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