Nutritional planning involves balancing macronutrients, understanding calorie formulas, and identifying the functional properties of whole foods to manage weight and chronic conditions effectively.
Keeping your fat intake in check helps you stay healthy, but avoiding fat altogether can do serious harm to your body. Eating no fat can disrupt your hormone levels, weaken your bones and impair your digestion, kidney function and immune function. In severe cases of fat deficiency, organ failure and death result.
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While not quite life threatening, a serum potassium level of 5.7 milliequivalents per liter is both abnormally high and dangerous. It's also an indication that for some reason, your potassium is trending upward. If you don't seek treatment to find out why, your potassium level could surpass 6.
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Noni seed oil is extracted from the seed of a small evergreen tree that grows in the tropical areas of Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and the Polynesian islands. The plant has a long history of use as a dye in these regions.
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Turmeric is a plant used to make the popular Indian spice curry. According to Medline Plus, the turmeric root is commonly used for medicinal purposes.
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Beets, also known as beetroots or garden beets, are a type of root vegetable easily identified by their bright red-purple color. Beets can be cultivated in a wide variety of climates, although they don't always stay ripe for a long time, which makes pickling beets an attractive option.
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Both glutamine and creatine are amino acids, meaning they both are building blocks of protein. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in protein.
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Lecithin, a substance that occurs naturally in plants and animals, is a mixture of phosphates and fatty acids. This type of blend, which makes lecithin soluble in both water and fat, is known as a phospholipid. Food manufacturers add lecithin to salad dressings to break down the oils, creating a uniform solution.
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If you suspect you have low iron, ask your doctor for a blood test. Don't take iron supplements without the approval of your healthcare provider, since excess iron can be toxic. Also, don't discount the possibility of the sleepiness being connected to something else.
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Your body needs fuel in the form of food every day, but the wrong kind of fuel can lead to health problems. A balanced diet consists of fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy, whole grains, protein and fats, but it limits cholesterol, saturated fats, trans fats and sodium.
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Salt, or sodium chloride, is the primary dietary source of sodium, an essential electrolyte mineral needed to maintain fluid balance within the body. Salt is 40 percent sodium by weight. As too much sodium in your diet can have negative health consequences, doctors advise against consuming more than about 1 tsp.
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Folic acid, also called folate or vitamin B-9, is part of the B-complex of vitamins and plays many different roles in your body. Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin that helps synthesize DNA and aids in normal growth of cells, especially in infants and children.
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Cider vinegar, which is also known as apple cider vinegar, is made through fermenting apple juice. Throughout the distillation process microoraganisms convert sugar, or carbohydrates, into acetic acid.
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Synthroid is a brand name for levothyroxine -- a thyroid replacement hormone prescribed by your doctor for low thyroid function. Hypothyroidism can slow your metabolism, leading to weight gain, and affect body temperature, making you more sensitive to cold.
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Vitamin K2 is the most biologically active member of the vitamin K family. Although the structurally similar K1 and K3 are not very usable inside the body, there is an exception. Your liver uses the vitamin K1 you take in with your food to make its very own K2.
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Not only is tea one of the nation's favorite beverages, but research suggests regular consumption helps fight diabetes. In 2012, 29 million Americans had diabetes, according to the National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2014.
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The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that wraps around the trachea at the front of the throat. Although small in size, its role in the human body is enormous. The thyroid secretes hormones that control the rate of metabolism or energy utilization in every cell in the body.
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The macronutrients -- carbohydrates, protein and fat -- are sources of calories for your body. But carbohydrates should make up the biggest percentage of the calories you get, since they’re broken down into glucose, your body’s main source of energy.
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Most full-term infants obtain enough vitamin D from breast or bottle-feeding or through exposure to the sun.
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Viruses -- microscopic infective agents consisting of protein-encased genetic materials -- are responsible for a vast repertory of diseases, from Ebola and AIDS to influenza and the common cold.
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Racing thoughts are associated with several psychological conditions, particularly generalized anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder. Although these conditions often are treated with prescription medications, vitamin deficiencies can either cause or exacerbate anxiety and bipolar disorders.
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