Nutritional planning involves balancing macronutrients, understanding calorie formulas, and identifying the functional properties of whole foods to manage weight and chronic conditions effectively.
You may feel almost helpless at times, trying to resist the ubiquitous temptation to indulge in greasy food. Whether your favorite guilty pleasure is French fries, cheeseburgers, pizza, fried chicken, bacon, potato chips or nachos, you probably know these are not healthy food choices.
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Your body needs sodium to maintain blood pressure and for normal nerve and muscle function. Getting too much sodium might cause blood pressure problems that can lead to health problems. It's easy to get enough sodium from the foods you eat and, in fact, it's more likely that you're getting more sodium than you need.
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The health triangle is a teaching tool that examines mental, physical and social health. It teaches that the three triangle elements are interconnected. Thus all three sides of the triangle need to be balanced to achieve true health.
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A healthy diet includes the basics of protein, fats and carbohydrates, which are called macronutrients. The U.S. Department of Agriculture makes specific recommendations about the amounts of each macronutrient you should eat, depending upon your age.
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Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, used by the body to grow and repair tissue, break down food and carry out many other bodily functions. Of the 21 amino acids, nine are essential, meaning they must be obtained from the diet.
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The United States leads other countries in growing genetically modified foods. In 2006, 53 percent of the crops grown in the United States were genetically modified, according to the Human Genome Project. Soybeans, corn and canola are the most common genetically modified crops.
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The American Heart Association recommends eating two 3.5 oz. servings of fatty fish, such as salmon, per week to ensure adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids play a vital role in brain functions and may help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease.
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Thirteen vitamins are considered essential to the health and function of your body. This means that you must consume them each day or you will develop symptoms. Folic acid is a form of the B vitamin folate. These terms are used interchangeably and both forms are are healthful for your body.
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Antioxidants in your body are important to prevent damage from normal biological processes and environmental dangers. Alpha-lipoic acid is a natural chemical that functions as an antioxidant throughout your body and helps regenerate other natural antioxidants.
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While some people use castor oil as a means of rapid weight loss, it's essential to understand the potential health consequences. Learn why using laxatives like castor oil is unhealthy for long-term weight loss and discover safer alternatives to achieve your fitness goals.
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Whether you like them scrambled, poached or over easy, eggs are welcome in many health-conscious diets. They're relatively low in calories and full of high-quality protein and other nutrients, which means they can boost your health, as well as help you shed pounds.
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Thin skin can result from genetics, aging, medication, poor diet, lifestyle choices and the external or internal environment. To treat thin skin, start addressing the factors that can cause it and modify behavior and lifestyle to build strong bodies and healthy skin.
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Ginkgo biloba is one of the most common herbal supplements in the United States. Available in capsules, powders, tinctures, extracts, or even teas, there are a number of ways to consume the herb.
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Rose hips, also called haws, are the bright red, vase-shaped fruit of roses often used for medicinal purposes by alternative health practitioners. Rose hips are rarely allowed to develop on modern roses, although they’re abundant on wild rose species.
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Dairy, or dairy alternatives, are a key part of a healthy diet, and USDA ChooseMyPlate guidelines recommend that both men and women get 3 cups of dairy each day. Milk, as well as plant-based alternative milk sources such as soy milk or almond milk, all count toward your daily intake.
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Chinese food is a popular ethnic cuisine in the United States, and its emphasis on vegetables and a limited use of high-fat meats may make it one of the healthiest choices. However, some Chinese dishes, such as mu shu chicken, can be high in calories, sodium and fat.
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You probably associate protein with building strong muscles, but in fact, this macronutrient is present in every cell in your body. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Protein is made of 20 different amino acids, but your body is capable of synthesizing half of these on its own.
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Cells throughout your body work around the clock, even when you’re sleeping. Clearly, they need a steady supply of energy to keep going. To function, they rely on glucose, a simple type of carbohydrate.
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Folic acid is the supplemental, inactive form of the naturally occurring B vitamin folate. Once absorbed into your body, folic acid is converted into metabolically active folate.
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When you shop for vegetable oil, you will encounter one type of canola oil but several forms of sunflower oil. Sunflower seeds go through different processes to produce oils with varying amounts of monounsaturated fats.
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