Nutritional planning involves balancing macronutrients, understanding calorie formulas, and identifying the functional properties of whole foods to manage weight and chronic conditions effectively.
Even though psyllium is a very effective laxative, it's actually a soluble fiber, which is unusual because soluble fibers are not known for laxative abilities -- a job that falls to insoluble fiber. In addition to it's laxative abilities, psyllium provides all the same benefits as soluble fibers.
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Whether tortilla chips fall into the healthy category depends on a few factors. The amount you eat matters because the calories only fit in your daily diet if you limit the portion. To keep your snack low in sodium, you’ll need to avoid the flavored-varieties.
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When you’re on a low-carb diet, your body kicks into action, breaking down fats into ketone bodies to use for energy. This increase in ketones -- called ketosis -- is a normal adaptation to cutting carbs. In fact, the switch to ketosis is why low-carb diets work.
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The health benefits you'll get from cow's milk come from its wide array of nutrients, such as protein, calcium and vitamin B-12. You don't have to worry about fat if you opt for skim milk.
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Oatmeal can be part of a healthy plan to gain weight, and it also works just as well as part of a weight loss diet. It sounds contradictory, but it’s true. As long as you don’t add sugary sweeteners, a bowl of oatmeal provides fiber and whole-grain carbs for energy without breaking the calorie budget.
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Whether a milk shake is good or bad depends on its ingredients, your individual situation and fitness goals. Because shakes are based on protein-rich milk, they’re a good way to get extra calories for sports training or when you need to gain weight.
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Vitamin K-2 shares many of the same vital roles as vitamin K-1. They both stop bleeding by making your blood clot, and both contribute to bone and cardiovascular health.
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Some people just don’t like the skin, while others send apple peels down the drain due to potential pesticide residue or wax. But you’ll lose some significant nutrients if you don’t eat the peel. About one-third of the apple’s total fiber is lost if you toss the peel in the trash.
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The three macronutrients -- carbohydrates, fats and proteins -- contain calories, which deliver the energy you need to keep active and stay healthy. Even though your body can use all three for energy, protein is at the bottom of the list.
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Making the best choice between carrot juice and whole carrots depends on how much you plan to consume. It takes about three to six carrots to make 1 cup of carrot juice, so the juice ends up with a boost of concentrated nutrients and a little fiber.
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Vitamin B-12 serves as a generic term to represent several different forms of the vitamin, one of which is Methyl B-12, an active form that supports metabolism. If you’re healthy and get your recommended daily intake of vitamin B-12, your methyl B-12 needs should be met.
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Activia yogurt comes in many different flavors and varieties, including regular, Greek, light and fiber-fortified yogurt. All contain a mixture of probiotic bacteria, which are live cultures that contribute to the health of your gastrointestinal tract and immune system.
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Sodium tends to grab more attention than other electrolytes because you lose a significant amount through excessive sweating. But sodium isn’t the only electrolyte you may need to replace. It’s just one of a group of minerals that have the ability to carry electrical charges through fluids in your body.
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Ground flaxseeds supply essential omega-3 fatty acids and substances that act like estrogen called lignans. They also have the potential to cause diarrhea, but if you’re careful about the amount you consume, you can gain the benefits and minimize the risks.
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Any food -- including apples -- can make you gain weight if you eat more than you burn each day. In fact, apples contribute healthy calories if your goal is weight gain. But if you watch total caloric intake, apples are more likely to help you lose weight than they are to be responsible for extra pounds.
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Slow carbs are absorbed at a gradual pace, which keeps your blood sugar at a steady level. The more rapidly digested fast carbs cause an unhealthy spike in blood sugar. But cream of wheat does not fit into one neat category.
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The nutrients you’ll gain from peanuts are more likely to help you lose weight than to cause weight gain. In fact, people who regularly consume peanuts tend to weigh less than those who don’t eat nuts, according to a review in the September 2008 issue of the “Journal of Nutrition.
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Vitamin K fills such an important role in blood clotting and maintaining strong bones that you shouldn't limit the amount you eat unless it's under the advice of your physician.
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The chance of suffering any type of side effect from eating cherries is slim, as long as you're not allergic. But overconsumption raises some red flags. On the positive side, cherries provide iron, potassium, vitamin C and antioxidant phytochemicals.
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The natural fiber and phytochemicals in celery make important contributions to the health of your digestive system. One stalk of celery supplies 4 percent of the daily value for fiber, based on eating 2,000 calories daily.
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