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 levels of some substances in your blood vary substantially, according to when and what you last ate. To control for variability introduced by eating, you must fast for a specific number of hours before certain blood tests.
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Potassium is one of the body’s most important minerals. It is present in every cell of the human body. In solution -- as it is in the body -- potassium carries a positive electrical charge and is one of the body’s four main electrolytes along with sodium, chloride and bicarbonate.
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Whether your favorite is Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Cortland, Gala or another variety, apples are a long-standing staple of the American diet. Apples consist of approximately 85 percent water and 12 percent carbohydrates, including fruit sugars and fiber.
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The thyroid gland produces the hormones thyroxine, or T4, and triiodothyronine, or T3. The thyroid hormones circulate in the bloodstream and act on nearly all body tissues, influencing the pace of activity, or metabolism. Too much T4 and T3 characterizes the condition known as hyperthyroidism.
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Your body requires fat-soluble vitamins to support a variety of tissue and organ functions. Fat-soluble vitamins differ from water-soluble vitamins in that your body stores fat-soluble vitamins, primarily in the liver.
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Caffeine is a mild stimulant that is naturally present in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans and kola nuts. More than 90 percent of Americans age 18 and older consume caffeine, reports a 2005 study published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association."
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A milk allergy or lactose intolerance may make it necessary for you to avoid milk in your diet. You have a variety of foods to choose from to plan a nutritious, flavorful, milk-free diet. Cooking with fresh, whole foods rather than processed foods helps ensure your diet is free of milk.
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Fiber is an important part of your diet, derived primarily from grains, fruits and vegetables. With certain temporary or chronic digestive conditions, however, your doctor may advise you to follow a low-fiber diet.
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Your body requires a steady supply of nutrients to function normally. Macronutrients are substances your body needs in large amounts, including carbohydrates, lipids and protein. Carbohydrates and lipids, or fats, serve as the primary fuels and energy storage chemicals of your body.
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Vegetables and fruit provide you with natural sugars, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and other important micronutrients. Although vegetables and fruit are essential foods in a healthful nutrition plan, certain types of produce have some potential disadvantages.
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Fiber is an important component of a healthful nutrition plan. The Institute of Medicine recommends daily fiber intake of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men through age 50. After age 50, recommended daily fiber intake is 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men.
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Yellow squash is a form of summer squash and includes several crookneck and straightneck varieties. These vegetables grow in many areas of the United States and, when in season, you can usually find yellow squash at local farmers markets, roadside fruit and vegetable stands and grocery stores.
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On average, Americans consume more than 50 gallons of carbonated soft drinks each year, according to the 2005 USDA report, "Contributions of Nonalcoholic Beverages to the U.S. Diet."
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Scientists once considered fungi plants before discovering that they are a distinctly different type of organism. Fungi feed on decaying matter, food and living organisms -- including humans. Fungi are abundant in the environment and some infect humans, causing disease.
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Fruit is an important part of a healthful nutrition plan. The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services recommend that adult women consume 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit daily; for men, the recommendation is 2 cups daily. Think of your daily fruit consumption in 1/2-cup serving sizes.
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The sports drink Gatorade is a non-carbonated solution formulated to replenish sugar, electrolytes and fluid lost during strenuous physical activity. Although the mechanism is different, fluid and electrolyte losses also commonly occur when you're sick and may contribute to feeling poorly.
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You're sick and everyone seems to tell you to drink plenty of water. You — being an inquisitive sort — lie in your bed with the covers pulled up to your neck and wonder, "Why do I have to drink water?" Believe it or not, it is not senseless hooey, but rather sound medical advice.
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Eggs contain certain amounts of constituent nutrients, which remain virtually the same regardless of how you cook them. Whether boiled, poached or scrambled without added ingredients, eggs have essentially the same nutritional value.
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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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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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