Why not fast food?

Image via Wikipedia

Well, Most of us knows that the physical health affects our mental health, I think you probably are aware that fast food has extremely high amount of calories, high in fat as well as sodium and carbohydrates than protein, vitamins and minerals, So if somebody is constantly eating those fast food, they'll going to be getting all those extra energy fuel for their body except that it's not going to have the vitamins and minerals that the body need.

So if you are consuming fast food on a daily basis, maybe not everyday but maybe every other day. You are still be getting high amount of calories with really low nutrients, so now your body is constantly needing the nutrients that you are not getting from the food, so I think that it contributes to food cravings, basically a food craving is your body wanting and saying that he needs those nutrients, so you are always hungry and always looking for food. and you may eat a meal and shortly after that you are hungry again and so you are looking forward for another meal.

now remember all those energy you get when you eat at fast food, in just few days of eating them constantly, You will now feel irritable, grumpy i must say. You may have that energy back if you eat again, but it will soon fade away, the fast food really does makes you fat and not getting any food nutrients that we need. So this maybe hard but this must be stop. Maybe once in a while is ok, but everyday? or every other day? think again. So when you are hungry why not grab something healthy.

>>>READ MORE

The Importance of Vitamin C

Image by comingstobrazil via Flickr

We all know that there are a lot and I mean a lot of vitamins that every one needs every single day of our lives for our body to function correctly and properly of course.

And I guess one of the most popular most needed is vitamin C. There are so many stuffs around there that could give you your daily dose of Vitamin C, but I still think that the best way is to have a well balanced diet, a diet that has foods like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, milk, fish tomatoes; A well balanced meal has to have all the major vitamins on it. Vitamin C is also known as Ascorbic acid, There are times that we are worried that we are not getting enough amounts of vitamin c naturally in our food, then you could ask your doctor,

he could recommend some Vitamin C supplement that is suitable to your body , I mean the enough dosage or proper levels of vitamin C that should be taken for you. Ascorbic Acid or Vitamin c is one of the 13 vitamins that our body needs. This vitamin is not fat-soluble, Thus our body cannot store it, so you have to consumed it everyday, Now the vitamin levels and dosages depends on your age, gender, weight, lifestyle, pregnant or not. So you really have to consult your doctor to know the perfect dosage for you.

What does vitamin C do? Basically , vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means that it battles the forces in our body that can cause organ, tissue, and cell damage. Therefore, vitamin C protects the body and may specifically be linked to reducing the signs of aging. If you do not have enough vitamin C in your body, you will develop scurvy. Scurvy is very uncommon in the United States, but can cause anemia, gum disease, skin hemorrhages, and weakness.

When you begin taking vitamin C supplements, make sure that you follow your doctor’s recommendations. If you take to much vitamin C, you can overdose, just as you would with a typical drug. This is rare, because vitamin C is water soluble and high amounts will leave the body at a normal rate, but when it does happen, it can cause kidney stones and interfere with vitamin B12 absorption, causing anemia. Diarrhea is also a side effect. Therefore, it is best to listen to you doctor’s recommendation.

In most cases, you will automatically get enough vitamin C in your foods, especially if you are eating a healthy diet. If you are not and your doctor tells you to begin taking vitamin C supplements, look carefully at the labels of different brands before you buy anything. Because vitamin supplements are classified as foods and not drugs, they are not regulated by the government and each brand’s potency will vary slightly from the next.

>>>READ MORE

Vitamin B12 and it's importance to our life!

When you are learning about the vitamins your body needs to survive, you may notice that there are a number of vitamins listed. However, each is important in specific ways. Vitamin B12 is another part of the vitamin B complex, and without it, our metabolism would be affected. Vitamin B 12 is also important in helping to form red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body, and in maintaining the nervous systems, which sends messages to and from the brain to tell us that things are hot, painful, itchy, moving, and so forth.

Vitamins fall into two general categories. The first are called fat-soluble vitamins and include vitamins E and K, among others. These vitamins can be stored in the body and, in some cases, produced by the body, so deficiency is very rare. However, vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. While is can be stored, in some cases, it cannot be used properly. Therefore, eating is every day is very important to our bodies. If we do not, our bodies cannot function properly. If you believe that you are not getting enough vitamin B12, you should talk to a doctor he or she can help you find the right vitamin supplements to take, so this will not be a problem.

Of course, your diet is the best way to get vitamin B12 into your body. If you eat a healthy, balanced diet, you should not have to worry about not have to worry about have lower or higher than normal levels of vitamin B12 in the body. However, if you have special dietary needs or medical conditions, vitamin supplements may be needed. You can find fairly high levels of vitamin B 12 in eggs, poultry, beef, pork, shellfish, and dairy products, especially milk.

Because vitamin B12 is one of the few vitamins that can be stored in the body, extreme deficiency is very rare. However, if you body cannot use vitamin B12 properly or absorb it from foods in the intestinal tract, you may need vitamin supplements to help your body. Vegans are especially prone to this and should take vitamin supplements, since most of the vitamin B12 we get in our diets is found in meat. If you don’t get enough vitamin B12, you develop a condition known as pernicious anemia. Symptoms include numbness and tingling in your arms and legs, weakness, low of balance, and other neurological symptoms. If you are worried about developing pernicious anemia, you should talk to your doctor about beginning to take vitamin B12 supplements today.

>>>READ MORE

Eating healthy? Try dragon fruit.

Another healthy food to add in your healthy diet is Dragon fruit. This dragon fruit is really new to me, but i know that it has been in the American/ Asian market for ages. I'm just curious how so many people in my country are now getting into this, This fruit was originally from Mexico,South America, Vietnam,Taiwan and South East Asian Countries. And whenever a new and healthy food is out I always make it a point to try that "something new to me" food and prove it to my self.

So here's another one on my list, Dragon fruit. So what exactly is a dragon fruit? This unusual looking fruit, brightly colored and named Dragon fruit is also known as Pitaya. I heard there's a story behind why it's called Dragon fruit, but don't know the exact story.

At first, i found the fruit a little scary, because it reminded me of the plant from that movie" little shop of horrors " the plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. hahaha! (I'm sorry but i was six then, and even though it was a comedy movie it scared the hell out of me.) But this fruit won't eat you but you will eat this fruit.

This healthy food is rich in vitamins and minerals especially vitamin C. Here are the rest of the nutrients that you can get from the dragon fruit.


Protein, Niacin

Fiber,Iron

Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Calcium, Vitamin A

It also has antioxidants, and we all know how antioxidant helps our body to prevent certain diseases or even cancer. This is one vitamin-packed fruit.The dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out, like eating a sherbet. And best eaten when chilled. It has a refreshingly sweet taste. SO the next time you're looking for a new and healthy fruit to eat. Look for the dragon fruit. The name is too big to forget.



images courtesy of www.nutrexsolutions.com and
www.thirteenmonths.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Read About Vitamin C (articlesbase.com)
• Acai Berry Juice - the Secret to a Healthy Life (articlesbase.com)
• Vitamins That Can Help Your Heart (articlesbase.com)
• How To Make Your Juice An Anti Aging Elixir (after50health.com)

>>>READ MORE

Healthy food, dried fruits?

Image via WikipediaHealthy food:Dried fruits or frozen fruit, which one is better? I love fruits no matter how it's done dried, frozen and of course fresh.

The nutrients of dried fruits depends on how long the fruit was around before it was dried. Some commercial dried fruits may contain an additional sulfur dioxide which can lead to asthma for some people, Now, you might be asking why sulfur? The sulfur is used to "fix" the color of the fruit.

But there are also no-sulfur dried fruits available in stores that you can try. So, what nutrients do you get from dried fruits?Here are some vitamins that you can get from dried fruits

Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6,

pantothenic acid

and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium,

phosphorus, potassium, sodium, copper, manganese)(courtesy of Wikipedia).

And because of water loss, that was experienced while it was dried. Dried fruits has a stronger taste or flavor. But these process also destroys most of the Vitamin C in the food, The levels of Vitamin C has been greatly reduced compared when it was fresh.

But i just want to share my favorite dried fruit... mangoes. i love 7D dried mangoes, This is just the best dried mangoes on the planet.

>>>READ MORE

Health food, Noodles from seaweeds and vegetables.

Last time, i wrote about how popular Camel's milk now in UAE,. In the Philippines The government is now introducing veggie noodles. Through the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of Department of Science and Technology.

They developed different types of noodles that were made out of different vegetables, like squash,jute leaves and other green leafy vegetables, not to mention seaweeds too.
Vegetables are known to be very rich in vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin A, iodine, iron, protein and a lot more.

Noodles that are made of squash are pasta, instant noodles, and fresh miki or eggless noodles. Seaweeds and jute leaves were made as instant spaghetti, flat noodles and iodine-rich fresh miki.These noodles was first made for a feeding program to the less fortunate. Especially those who have Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), Iodine Deficiency Disorder(IDD) and Protein Energy Malnutrition. This is just on time right now, While the price of flour(one main ingredient of noodles) is constantly increasing in the world market.

Based on FNRI 50-gram serving of squash noodles, can give 16 % of energy, 20% of protein and 24% of Vitamin A. Which is just enough for recommended Energy and Nutrient intake for children ages 4 to 6 years old. While noodles made of jute leaves can give us 15 % of energy, 18 % protein and 36% of Vitamin A. And seaweed(guso) noodles/ pasta can give us 12 % protein and 22 % of iodine. These may not be much, but it's better to eat veggie noodles than just the plain ones.

The color of squash noodles are bright yellow. While noodles from vegetables are all green. These noodles are firm and don't have unpleasant smell. and has a fine texture compare to those commercial noodles.




image courtesy of www. allposters.com

>>>READ MORE