Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of heart-healthy polyunsaturated fat, nicknamed "PUFA". These beneficial fats offer benefits to your health, most notably their effect on improving heart health. You can get omega-3 fatty acids in your diet by eating a variety of nuts, including peanuts.
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Potassium is an important mineral that aids in transporting electricity for skeletal and muscle movement. Ensure that you get the potassium you need by filling your diet with potassium-rich foods; your daily multivitamin may contain potassium, but only in minimal amounts.
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Digesting meat begins in your mouth when you chew, before it even reaches your stomach or intestines. For the most part, poor meat digestion can probably be adjusted with a few simple changes. In some cases, digestion issues may be a sign of a more serious condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease.
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Generally, fresh citrus fruits, like clementines, are a healthy food to eat regularly. They’re full of fiber, high in vitamin C and have small doses of several minerals. With all the nutrients that clementines have to offer, you might assume you can eat as many as you want. Be careful, though.
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Coffee can be beneficial for digestion, as it relieves constipation and minimizes sugar absorption. However, coffee can be equally detrimental to your digestive tract. It tends to worsen stomach aches, increase fluid loss and make food move through the digestive tract too fast.
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Glucose is one of the simplest types of sugar and the main source of energy your body uses. With the help of the hormone insulin, cells are able to pull in glucose from your bloodstream to use as fuel.
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Sipping on coconut milk might please your taste buds -- it’s naturally sweet and packed with all kinds of nutrients -- but your waistline probably won’t love it. This creamy beverage is full of calories and fat, so add it sparingly to mixed drinks, smoothies, bowls of oatmeal or recipes.
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Just like a street sweeper goes through your neighborhood picking up rubbish in the gutter, insoluble fiber sweeps through your gut, pushing waste along. It helps you have regular bowel movements, which reduces your chances of having hemorrhoids or diverticular disease that can cause painful inflammation.
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Occasionally retaining water isn’t generally a big concern. Your body should recover if the water retention stems from eating a salty meal, for example. But if you continuously have symptoms of water retention, medically called edema, you’ll want to see your physician for a thorough exam.
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It’s not common to be allergic to oats, although it can happen. Oats aren't always the issue, though. Sometimes other ingredients or contaminants can be the actual sources of allergic responses. If you experience negative side effects after eating oatmeal, call your doctor.
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Starch is a complex carbohydrate that is found in potatoes, whole grains and cereal grains, which consists of numerous glucose strands. Eventually, all complex carbohydrates -- with the exception of fiber -- are digested into glucose.
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Mercury, also known as methylmercury, is typically unavoidable when you eat most types of fish, including tuna. The substance forms in water as it reacts with specific types of bacteria. As the tuna fish swim along, their bodies absorb the mercury from the water.
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Snacking on a rice cake certainly won’t add a lot of calories to your diet, but it doesn’t have much else to offer. You won’t get a lot of vitamins, minerals or even fiber from the crunchy patty.
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It’s never too early to protect yourself from health problems. Certain vitamins can lower your risk of several conditions, ranging from low iron levels and premenstrual syndrome to osteoporosis and breast cancer. If you think you need to take a vitamin supplement, talk it over with your doctor.
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Palm oil is derived from the fleshy part of the palm fruit. It’s often confused with palm kernel oil, which comes from the seed of the palm. Their components are very different, however. Palm oil is full of harmful saturated fats that have a negative effect on your cholesterol, if you consume it regularly.
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When your digestive system is moving at the pace of a snail, you’ll know it. As your system starts getting backed up, you’ll probably have some belly cramping, your clothes might start feeling more snug and you may go for days without having a bowel movement.
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Having a food allergy isn’t something you should take lightly. Even when you have an allergic reaction to a seemingly harmless food, such as an avocado, your body doesn’t recognize the proteins in the food. Your immune system goes into attack mode as it struggles to deal with the foreign proteins.
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Vitamin B-12 has dozens of roles in your system, from supporting blood functions to boosting your brain power. It’s no wonder that you might consider taking a B-12 pill. Although B-12 is considered safe, even in large doses, you’ll need to let your doctor know if you decide to take it.
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When your blood sugar is on the rise, fruit is probably the last thing you think about eating due to its sugar content. But some fruits are particularly beneficial for lowering blood sugar or keeping it stable. Just remember to keep your serving to a moderate portion, however.
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At age 20, you’re right on the cusp of finishing up your growth spurt and settling into your fully developed adult body. You still need vitamins that support growth and strong bones, as well as ones that can support a healthy pregnancy in the future.
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