Health and Fitness

Zinc probably the most well known of all minerals is indispensable for human beings.

Zinc is the component of many enzymes. Zinc is required in the metabolic breakdown of proteins and glycogen. It helps in the synthesis of the glucose regulating enzyme insulin by the pancreas and also in the maintenance of immunity.

Zinc can be found in small amounts in all tissues. Zinc is also required to maintain in the normal functioning of the prostate gland and growth of the sex organs. Zinc is indispensible in maintaining the sense of smell.

The biochemical process involved in the sense of smell requires adequate amounts of zinc to bind the particles with the concerned receptors.

The Normal level of Zinc is 96 microgram per 100 ml of blood for a healthy adult (both male and female) and about 89 microgram in the case of children. Normally our body contains around 1.4-2.3 grams of zinc.

Foods like milk and milk products, meat and fish are good sources of zinc. The recommended daily intake should be 15.5 gram as the bioavailability of zinc is low. Pregnant and nursing women and growing children need a higher amount of zinc in their diet.

Low blood levels of zinc can lead to pernicious anemia, liver diseases, heart attack, diabetes and thalassemia.

Copper is an important mineral for human beings. Many enzymatic reactions in our body necessitate the use of copper in a harmonic way. Except taking part in enzymatic reactions, copper also assists in the biological transfer of electron particles through the nerves and the muscular tissues.

After absorption in the gastrointestinal system, it is carried through blood via ceruloplasmin – a protein present in plasma. Copper is stored in your body in your liver after making an albumin-copper complex.

An average healthy young adult contains about 100-150 mg copper inside their body in various forms. Copper is found in most foods. Therefore, deficiency of copper is not common.

The blood level of copper is increased in Wilson’s disease, a type of liver disease as it is not excreted out from the body through bile. This disease can lead to severe liver or brain damage.

Chronic use of copperware to prepare foods can lead to toxicity. The increased amount of blood copper can also be seen in cases of blood cancer, severe anemia, Hodgkin’s disease, hemochromatosis and hyperthyroidism.

Recommended Daily Intake of copper is 0.9 grams a day and the daily requirement is 2.2 micrograms per day for a healthy young adult.

The chances of getting cancer are increasing among people from all walks of life, thanks to modern lifestyle, overall genetic and environmental metamorphosis.

Is there any natural way to fight against cancer? A healthy lifestyle, regular physical exercise and a balanced nutritious diet can definitely beat cancer.

According to the recommendations from American Institute For Cancer Research, at least 2/3^rd of your total diet should be vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains and beans. Certain antioxidants can definitely prevent the genetic changes that occur in the pathology of cancer.

Following is a list of foods that can help to fight against cancer –

Avocado: this is particularly rich in glutathione, beta-carotene and potassium. Avocados can destroy free radicals in our body which are responsible for cancer formation.

Carrots: Carrots are also good source of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Optimum use of carrots can prevent cancer of the liver, lungs, mouth, stomach, breast and prostate cancer.

Broccoli: Rich in a typical chemical compound indole 3-carbinol. This is especially helpful in preventing breast cancer.

Garlic: Has been used for ages in Indian traditional medicine (Ayurveda) for treating any kind of growth in the body.

Mushrooms: A good source of beta-glucan which hit the cancer cells and prevents them from multiplying.

Oranges, lemons, grapes, grapefruits: all these fruits are good source of antioxidants which fight against cancer cells.

Green tea: The Chinese have used green tea to treat cancer for a long time.

The list is not exhaustive. There are hundreds other foods that can help to fight against cancer.

An anti oxidant is defined as a molecule that can either prevent or slow down the process of oxidation.

The oxidative process generates free radicals, free radicals can have a very detremental effect on your health and are responsible for several diseases.

Free radicals inside any cell can slow down its growth and will eventually make the cell die.  Antioxidants prevent the natural aging process of our body, because they antagonize the oxidative process. These qualities help antioxidants fight disease.

The Human brain is very susceptible to damage by the free radicals that are generated by oxidative procedures because of its high level of metabolic reactions and increased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Doctors prescribe various forms of antioxidants to treat different forms of brain injury.

All exercise produces an amount of free radicals. So anyone undertaking physical activity requires supplementation of antioxidants.

Dietry Sources of Antioxidants

The most powerful dietry antioxidants include – Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Glutathione, Melatonin, Selenium, Molybdenum etc.

There are some naturally occurring antioxidants found within the human body – ALC (Acetyl L Carnitine) and ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid).  Both of them are part of Omega-3 fatty acid group. Omega-3 fatty acids are well known to be a potent antioxidant.

Foods that contain are larger amount of antioxidants are – broccoli, cabbage, spinach, yeast, beef besides the heart and kidney as well as dairy products.

Reading the below information might improve your health, I wanted to leave you on this very wet Friday afternoon with some weekend reading material.

If your trying to lose weight the below information might help.

Healthy weight Loss follow this advice to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way. Because its raining and you might decide theres not much to do but get drunk heres some Low fat beer, beer doesn’t really contain fat its the calories in alcohol that make your belly grow.

Heres some more fat and weight loss tips, one more thing this weekend try and consume some Essential Fatty Acids.

Five Fatloss tips to help you shed pounds.

1. Eat a little, More often

Eat more meals that are smaller, eat 5-6 small meals a day as opposed to 2 or 3 very large ones. Never miss meals, if you don’t currently eat breafast then start. Eat healthy snacks like fruit between meals. Eating  more frequently prevents hunger pangs and the crisp binges that follow, eating more often gives you consistent energy, eating also speeds up your metabolism meaning you burn more calories.

2. Don’t starve yourself

When you don’t eat at all your body goes into famine mode hording fat,  any weight loss gained in the early days of  starvation will probably be just water and muscle not fat.

Losing Muscle will slow your metabolism, you will have to start eating sooner or later (if not you will die) and then you will have a slower metabolism, which means you’ll get fatter than you were before.

3. Drink Water

A lot of the time we confuse hunger with thirst, if you feel hungry have a glass of water first. You can also replace sugary drinks with water cutting your calorie intake and saving your teeth.

4. Cut Down on sugar

Sugar is whats called a simple Carbohydrate, it provides our body with a lot of instant energy within a very short period of time. If you don’t use that energy it gets stored as fat.

Sugar causes an insulin spike which is followed by a drop in insulin level’s, this drop leaves you feeling tired, hungry and wanting to eat more sugar.

5. Eat more Fiber

Fiber in your diet actually has a fat binding property, more info on the benefits of fiber can be found in this articles How fiber Blocks Fat.

More fat loss tips tommorrow in the meantime heres more Fat Loss Info

Some fats are good for you

Essential fatty acids are unsaturated fats that can not be constructed within the body and need to be obtained via your diet. They are one of the most vital nutrients, required for the normal growth and functioning of nerves, cells, muscles and organs of your body. The EFAs are required as raw materials for a number of compounds and hormones like prostaglandins and leukotrienes that help in many important functions of your body. Dietary deficiency of EFAs causes major health problems like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer.

Depending on the chemical composition there are two classes of EFAs, the omega-3 fatty acids and the omega-6 fatty acids.

Sources of essential fatty acids

The omega-3 fatty acids are technically alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), stearidonic acid, EPA and DHA. These are mainly found in flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnuts, hemp seeds, soybeans and dark green vegetables. EPA and DHA are found in cold water fish like sardines, salmon, trout and cod.

The omega-6 fatty acids are technically the linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and arachidonic acid (AA). They are found in olive, almond, soybean, sunflower, hemp, safflower and sesame. Evening primrose oil contains GLA while AA is present in meat and other animal products.

Experts recommend a balanced use of the EFAs in your diet. Dietary deficiency of EFAs cause various disorders like high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, dry or scaly skin, dry hair, fatigue, aching joints, frequent infections and allergies, depression and poor memory. EFA supplements are used to treat and prevent more than 60 health related conditions including asthma, eczema, arthritis and menopausal problems.

Fats have always been associated with calories. Dietary fats play a vital role in your health and they should be included in your diet but within the recommended limit. Fats are high energy foods that provide 9 kcal of energy per gram of fat  in contrast to carbohydrates or proteins that provide only 4 kcal of energy. Proteins are largely spared from being used by the body to supply energy, as long as fat is present. Besides supplying energy, fats serve as mode of transport for the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fats support vital organs of the body like the heart, kidneys and the intestine. Fat is present underneath the skin which acts as an insulator against cold. But above all, the food becomes more palatable with the use of fat.

Fats are linked with weight gain and obesity. The US dietary guidelines restricted the intake of fats in diet as not more than 30 % of the total calorie intake for both adults and children. The reason was to prevent them from becoming obese, possible heart and other diseases. But it was seen that children having a low fat and low cholesterol diet failed to grow properly and on the contrary they became more prone to heart diseases. Children need a high amount of fat in their diet throughout for their proper growth and development of muscles, bones and brain.

Diets rich in EFAs reduce the chance of heart disease. Animal fats help to provide vitamin D and A and omega fatty acids that are required for the assimilation of protein, development of immunity to fight against infections, development of brain and vision, also the development of sexual functions and fertility is influenced by fat.

Eat Fiber block Fat

Fiber is the indigestible portion of all plants, its found in their cell walls and fiber provides the structural support to the plant. Dietary fiber comes from plant foods like grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Animal products do not contain this dietary fiber. Most of the fiber rich foods are found to contain soluble and insoluble forms of fiber. Fibers, mainly the soluble fibers are medically potent as cholesterol reducers and help regulate blood sugar. While the insoluble forms of fiber are potent laxatives.

According to health experts diets consisting of more fiber help weight loss. The reasons fiberous foods fight against fat are,

• Fiber controls the intake of sugar and fat
• Fiber helps to regulate the level of blood sugar
• Fiber has a fat binding property

Most dietary fibers have zero calories in them. They have low sugar and fat content. So when you fill your stomach with fiber rich foods, there will be less space for fatty foods. As a  high fiber diet requires longer for food breakdown you do not feel hungry. The fibers bind to the fat you eat and help to remove them from your body before they are stored on your body as fat. Less Nutrients are absorbed from the food into your bloodstream as fiber slows down the production of insulin after a meal. Cholesterol is produced in our body by the liver. Food also provides a smaller portion of it. But as fat is blocked in the intestine by the fiber, most of the cholesterol does not get absorbed. Even the fat soluble vitamins are blocked by the fiber along with the fat.

Raw Food Diet

Fluorine is an element that is most abundantly found in nature. Being highly reactive it is only found in a combined form and not in elemental gaseous form. Fluorine is very essential for our body as it maintains the proper mineralization of the bones and helps to form the enamel of our teeth. A major part of the element, about 96 per cent, is found in the bones and teeth of the human body.

Dietary sources

Drinking water is the main source of fluorine to humans. The level of fluorine in drinking water varies from 0.5 mg/L to 2 mg /L. In the fluorosis-endemic areas the level may be as high as 3 mg/L to 12 mg/L. Many foods also contain trace amount of fluorine. But a few foods like sea fish, tea, and cheese have a rich content of fluorine in them.

Dietary deficiency/ excess

Proper balance of fluorine intake is very necessary as it is like a two edged sword. Deficiency of fluorine can cause dental caries whereas, in excess of the daily recommended dose of fluorine may lead to a condition of the bones and teeth called fluorosis. However, fluoride is the most effective means that can prevent dental caries in human.

Requirement

 In the areas where water intake is more the recommended level of fluorine in water is 0.5 to 0.8 mg/L. In the temperate climates the accepted level is 1 to 2 mg/L, as the water intake is low in these areas.