Nutritional planning involves balancing macronutrients, understanding calorie formulas, and identifying the functional properties of whole foods to manage weight and chronic conditions effectively.
Oatmeal is full of fiber, giving you 2 grams per 1/2-cup cooked serving. Plus it’s full of B vitamins, which support healthy metabolism; calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, to keep your bones strong; and even a little iron, a mineral that improves oxygen transportation.
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Niacin, along with all the other B vitamins, helps your body get energy from the foods in your diet. In addition to helping with digestion, niacin keeps your skin cells healthy, regulates numerous enzymes and allows nerves to function properly. Even though you need it, if you take too much, you can run into problems.
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Usually cakes, cookies and brownies are things you’ll have to avoid on a gluten-free diet. You wouldn’t think gelatin desserts are something you’ll have to skip too. Although sugar-free Jello-O doesn’t have any obvious gluten-rich ingredients, like wheat, it’s still not considered gluten-free.
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While gearing up for surgery, your surgeon will probably give you a list of medications -- both prescription and over-the-counter -- that you’ll need to stop beforehand. Some medications you can skip just a day ahead of time, but others, like fish oil, you usually need to avoid long before you go under the knife.
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Having a coffee allergy isn’t a common occurrence. Everyone is different, however, and your immune system might just treat coffee like a harmful invader for some unknown reason. When this happens, every time you drink a cup of joe or even touch coffee grounds, you could experience an allergic reaction.
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For the most part, sushi’s staple ingredients -- fresh fish, seaweed, rice and herbs -- are gluten-free. Some additions do contain gluten, however. Plus a few ingredients that are supposed to be gluten-free, like fresh fish, can become contaminated with gluten.
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Oranges normally have a highly respectable reputation. They’re full of immune-boosting vitamin C, offer numerous bone-building minerals and deliver a large dose of fiber. If you’re eating several throughout the day, though, these normally healthful fruits quickly go from good to bad.
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Your kidneys filter out a lot of toxins in your body. Some of those toxins are simply byproducts of digestion, while others are chemical components of the foods and drinks you take in.
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Sugar isn’t all bad -- fresh fruits, low-fat milk and even whole grains have small amounts of naturally occurring sugar. This isn’t the sugar you have to worry about. Added sugars from highly processed foods are the big concern, and you should monitor and limit their inclusion in your diet.
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You can’t really have a fiber deficiency, per se, since your body doesn’t absorb it and there isn’t a way to measure how much you have in your body. But it is possible to have too little fiber in your diet.
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Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is broken down and stored by fat in your body. There isn't a particular time of day that is ideal for taking a vitamin E supplement, but it does need to be taken with food containing some fat so it can be absorbed by the body.
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Wheat wraps and wheat bread are both high in fiber, B vitamins and a multitude of minerals, especially if you choose a whole-grain variety. But depending on your diet and your specific needs, wheat bread is generally a bit healthier.
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Brown rice contains all components of the grain kernel: the outer bran, the starchy endosperm and the nutrient-dense germ. Parboiled rice is processed under extreme heat and steam, forcing all the nutrients from the bran to soak right into the endosperm and germ.
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Every single cell in your body is made up of water, for the most part. When you’re weight training, you’re probably sweating and losing some of the water in your system, which can inhibit cellular functions and make you tired. You need to drink enough to replace any fluids you lose, so you don’t become dehydrated.
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Vitamins and minerals are digested, broken down and absorbed similarly in your body. There are a variety of vitamins and minerals you need in your diet to support each and every function. Vitamins are organic compounds made by plants, animals and humans.
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Food is fuel -- plain and simple. Through digestion, your body uses nutrients in food to give you energy, make repairs, create new cells and run all kinds of metabolic processes. Without proper nourishment, though, your body starts running on empty. Extreme fatigue is one of the key signs that you’re not eating enough.
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For very few calories, celery adds vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet. But the perks of celery go down if it dominates your diet. You may experience a decrease in other nutrients, experience bowel problems and expose yourself to high doses of pesticides. Don’t give up on these green stalks.
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Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin that is excreted through urine when you consume too much. You may experience change in urine color while your body works to excrete excess B12, which may be normal and can reverse itself.
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Vitamins and minerals are essential for good health, so you might assume that the more you get, the better. This is not the case, though. Some nutrients stay in your body for extended periods, and if you start doubling up and taking two doses of your multivitamin, these nutrients can build to toxic levels in your body.
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Fish oil supplements are full of fats -- the good kind. In particular, fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which is a highly beneficial polyunsaturated fat.
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