Nutritional planning involves balancing macronutrients, understanding calorie formulas, and identifying the functional properties of whole foods to manage weight and chronic conditions effectively.
Like vitamins, minerals help your body grow and stay healthy. Your body needs minerals to perform different functions, from building healthy bones to transmitting electrical impulses along nerves. In fact, some minerals help maintain a normal heart beat and make hormones.
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Glucose is a sugar made of a single sugar unit that is ubiquitous in the food supply and a key player in human and plant metabolism. In human metabolism, glucose is responsible for providing energy.
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Bloating is usually caused by the breakdown of food through the digestion process or by swallowed air. When trapped gas is unable to pass through flatulence or belching, it can accumulate in the intestines and stomach, leading to bloating. Abdominal pain is often coupled with bloating and can be dull, mild or sharp.
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Better known as essential fatty acids, or EFAs, Vitamin F is composed of two types of fatty acids: linoleic and alpha-linolenic. The body cannot produce EFAs by itself, so you have to get them from food sources where they are known as unsaturated fatty acids or polyunsaturated fatty acids.
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Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, and the mineral zinc are nutrients known for their potent antioxidant, or disease-fighting, benefits. Though dietary supplements can provide both nutrients, a healthy diet is the prime means for maintaining nutritional health, according to the American Dietetic Association.
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Getting enough protein and iron can help you maintain lean muscle mass, prevent anemia and symptoms of fatigue and support a healthy immune system. Healthy adults should get at least 0.8 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or about 60 grams per day for a 132-pound adult.
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Although soy and meat are both rich in dietary protein, they differ greatly in nutritional content. Both soy and meat proteins are high-quality, complete proteins because they contain all of the essential amino acids your body requires daily. However, soy offers nutrients meat lacks, and vice versa.
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Iron and vitamin B12 are vital to healthy blood functioning. According to the University of California, iron and B12 are essential to the production of hemoglobin, the portion of blood that carries oxygen to cells and tissue.
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Hyperkalemia is the medical term for high levels of potassium in the blood. This condition can occur as the result of chronic kidney failure, hormone deficiencies, alcoholism or the destruction of red blood cells.
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Although vitamin C is an essential nutrient you need for healthy cells and proper immune function, too much of it can cause unpleasant side effects. Taking too many vitamin C tablets may result in upset stomach, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
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A diet rich in vegetables has many health benefits such as reducing a person's risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and some chronic diseases. Experts recommend people consume five to nine servings of a variety of brightly colored vegetables a day.
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Potassium is a crucial electrolyte responsible for the resting phase of muscles. On the other hand, bilirubin is the by-product of red blood cell breakdown found in bile. Under normal circumstances, these two substances would not be compared, except in terms of the heart.
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Other than being a recognizable brand name, Knox gelatin is no different than any other flavorless gelatin made from the collagen in animals. As a source of collagen, Knox gelatin has been touted to help in the treatment of arthritis, but there's no evidence to support such claims.
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Ayurveda, a traditional Hindu healing system, identifies three doshas that give insight into people's health and which foods best suit them. The doshas are vata, pitta and kapha. Everyone's body has all three doshas, but you also have a dominant dosha type.
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Cashews are a popular ingredient in many types of ethnic cuisine and a healthy snack for both children and adults. The cashew tree is native to northeastern Brazil, according to the George Mateljan Foundation World's Healthiest Foods website. The cashew nut is actually a seed produced by the cashew tree.
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Sodium bicarbonate and bicarbonate of soda are one in the same -- you may know it better as baking soda. This chemical compound has uses that go beyond acting as a leavening agent in your baked goods. It's a safe ingredient in food, but if you're using it as medicine, talk to your doctor.
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The American Heart Association previously recommended keeping your sodium intake to under 1,500 milligrams a day. Snacking is a good way to avoid feeling hungry in between meals, but some snacks like crackers and chips are high in sodium.
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Semi-vegetarians have taken a step toward wellness by limiting intake of a high-fat food. Semi-vegetarians, or flexitarians, limit their intake of meat or certain kinds of meat. They might eat meat only a couple of times a week, or prohibit red meat, according to KidsHealth.org.
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Men and women with six-pack abs adorn fitness magazine covers and star in ads for supplements and gyms. But now, the impressive six-pack isn't enough. Defined muscular middles on the likes of Taye Diggs and Bradley Cooper reveal an elusive eight-pack. This "step up"
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Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients in your diet -- the others are protein and fat. Carbohydrates are converted to glucose as the primary source of energy for your body.
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