Nutritional health is achieved through the therapeutic use of whole foods, safe culinary preparation, and understanding the metabolic impacts of specific dietary frameworks and ingredients.
The Office on Women’s Health recommends women of childbearing years get 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid daily whether or not you have visions of a baby in your future. Folic acid, or vitamin B-9, is the man-made version of folate, which is found naturally in foods.
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Snacking can be part of a healthy diet. Choose snacks that are 100 calories or less, contain protein and fiber, and have little fat or added sugar. Pistachios fit this profile if you limit your intake to 100 calories.
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If you go out for Chinese food, your meal will often contain Chinese water chestnuts. Water chestnuts belong to the nonstarchy, low-calorie vegetable group that can keep you full longer while supplying your meals with vitamins and minerals. Water chestnuts also contain no cholesterol and are low in sodium and fat.
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Dr. Steven Gundry initially created a diet to help his patients lower their cholesterol. He soon realized the diet might help others improve their health and wrote the book "Dr. Gundry's Diet Evolution," detailing dietary recommendations that he says help prevent chronic diseases such as high blood pressure.
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With 1 to 2 grams of carbohydrate per stick, sugar-free gum in your low-carb diet should not cause you many worries. If you're chewing piece after piece, however, you may need to start paying attention -- not just for your low-carb diet but to prevent a bellyache, too.
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Citric acid is common in foods. It's both naturally occurring and a common additive that serves as a flavoring agent and preservative. Your cells also make citric acid. The citric acid you consume is neither good nor bad for you, and the citric acid you make is essential to life.
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While protein shakes give you a boost of protein, they aren't for everyone. Some people who drink these beverages experience side effects, such as gas, bloating and diarrhea, because of ingredients commonly found in the shakes. These include protein, milk-based ingredients, sugar alcohols and fiber.
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Sodium benzoate is a common type of food preservative and is the sodium salt of benzoic acid. Food manufacturers make sodium benzoate by synthesizing the compounds, sodium hydroxide and benzoic acid, together. In addition to its use as a food preservative, sodium benzoate has other roles in food production as well.
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Getting toned muscles requires a carefully planned diet. Muscle tone is a mixture of muscle size and a low level of body fat, which gives a lean, defined look. Exercise certainly plays a role, too, in helping to maintain muscle mass while you lose fat, but the phrase "Abs are made in the kitchen"
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A healthy diet is one that provides adequate levels of vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrate and healthy fats from a variety of foods. An unhealthy diet, in contrast, is one that contains too much saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, added sugars and processed ingredients or contains too few nutrients.
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Lazy or sluggish bowels occur when the muscles in your colon slow down, resulting in constipation. Eating a fiber-focused diet can help wake up your colon and improve bowel function.
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Lemon juice is such a good source of both vitamin C and citric acid that you don’t need to consume a huge amount to get the antioxidant benefits. Citrus fruits are the only sources of flavanones, which add to the antioxidant impact of lemon juice.
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Like green and red grapes, the majority of the calories in black grapes come from carbohydrates. You can eat black grapes raw or use them to make jams or wine. Values listed are for 1.5 cups California black seedless grapes. Values, especially the fiber content, may vary if the skin is removed.
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Additives to commercial food mixes act as leavening, emulsifiers and stabilizers and in other chemical reactions that improve the quality or shelf life of foods. Phosphate additives, such as sodium acid pyrophosphate and other phosphoric acid compounds, may pose safety concerns in certain concentrations.
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Americans eat an average of 61 pounds of refined, white sugar each year, according to an article in the October 2009 edition of "Discover Magazine." In recent years, interest in organic sugar has increased as more people become concerned with the potential health hazards of eating refined and processed foods.
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Sugar and stevia are natural sweeteners that have been used around the world for centuries. Stevia as a sweetener is relatively new to the United States, but consumers rapidly are catching on to its health benefits, resulting in its addition to some commercially prepared foods.
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Trans fats are hydrogenated animal fats and plant oils that are used by the food industry because they help food stay fresh longer, as this alteration makes the oils more solid. They are usually present in snack foods, margarine, fried foods, shortening and salad dressings and are highly toxic for your body.
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Many vegetarians, vegans and the elderly have a difficult time consuming their recommended daily allowance of vitamin B-12.
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If you find your stomach making bizarre sounds and feel the need to sprint to the bathroom, it's possible that you ate something that didn't agree with you. Although fruits should be a staple of your diet because of their vast array of health benefits, some types of fruit can lead to diarrhea.
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Being borderline diabetic, known as “prediabetic,” means that you’ll want to carefully start monitoring your sugar intake. Too much sugar can lead to weight gain, making it harder for you to manage your blood sugar level, which further increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
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