วันอังคารที่ 14 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2554
Top 3 Nutrition Tips for Women's Fitness Training
วันจันทร์ที่ 6 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Where to Find Information About Good Nutrition
Whether Nutritional Therapy first evolved from the old Jewish tradition of feeding chicken soup to the sick, or giving lemons to treat scurvy, or the magic of Japanese Miso soup or Miso dressing, it is still familiar to us all in one way or another. Early Nutritional Therapists were known as naturopaths, believing food should be as near to raw as possible. Nutritional Therapy, as we now know it, evolved from naturopathy and the allergy and environmental movements (clinical ecology) of the early twentieth century. Doctors and scientists became involved in the treatment of disease primarily by nutritional means.
Nutritional Therapy requires a specialist practitioner who is well trained in biochemistry, physiology and pathology as well as natural medicines. This enables the practitioner to use their extensive knowledge in diagnostic procedures that will determine an individual's nutritional needs; what deficiencies may have occurred, and why. They will develop customized diets and supplements which will often cure illnesses such as eczema, hyperactivity, chronic fatigue and migraine, to name but a few.
So how do you know which choice to make when it comes to choosing to complementary medicine therapy? Should you take your eczema to a herbalist, acupuncturist or a nutritional therapist? Many professional associations ask their therapists to offer a preliminary consultation free of charge. A Nutritional Therapist will use this time to identify the possible presence of food allergy, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, and/or toxic overload. When they have diagnosed what is present, an individual program will be developed. A Nutritional Therapist will want to work on many other factors too. Such as genetics, emotional or geographical stress and electromagnetic fields. If the body is found to have a disease that is incurable, the Nutritional Therapist will work on making the body more able to function at a maximum, and therefore fight the illness more efficiently.
วันเสาร์ที่ 21 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2553
The Latest News in Protein - What is Good and Bad in the World of Nutrition?
Science comes up with new information about health and nutrition every day, it seems. Long held beliefs are destroyed by new studies that prove that what was once a commonly held and accepted theory is no longer valid. Food X causes cancer one week and then a week later is being touted as a cancer preventative. Some foods are said to protect you from one condition but raise your risk of another making you choose which condition you fear least. If you believe everything that you read about the foods that you eat and the beverages you drink, you might be confused at best, scared to death at worst. After all, your very health depends on what you eat and drink and with science unable to agree on which of these are good or bad. What do you do?
Protein, one of the three major macronutrients is also one of the most controversial. For years protein has been alternately the darling and the devil of the American diet. During the Atkins diet craze, protein was extolled as a miracle, and people were told to eat tons of the nutrient as well as huge amounts of fat by default while ignoring carbohydrates, even the healthy, complex carbs that we actually need to have.
After those diets stopped working correctly and proved to be difficult to maintain in the long term, they were abandoned. Healthier diet alternatives took the place of the Atkins diet, including the Mediterranean diet, the South Beach Diet, and the Zone diet which while higher in protein than other diets, are more focused on balance and keep the important complex carbs in the foods as well. All of these diets also focus on lower fat protein sources, making them healthier than the old Atkins plans.
There are other advantages and disadvantages regarding protein that are being found by science. There are some studies that involve animals at this point but will undoubtedly move to human research in the coming years.
Protein for Menopause Symptoms
Menopause affects all women in different ways. Every year, an estimated four thousand women enter the phase of their lives known as menopause, a phase that they will spend up to a third of their life in. Some of the most common symptoms of menopause range from: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, increased risk of osteoporosis, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and physical discomfort including abdominal bloating.
An article posted on Inscience.org shows that an increased level of a particular protein may help with the problem of abdominal pain caused by bloating in menopausal women. The protein does not reduce the bloating itself only reduces the sensation of the pain and discomfort. In addition to showing promise in reducing the bloating discomfort, it may also be used to treat other gastrointestinal disorders.
In addition, soy based proteins may be beneficial in reducing other menopausal symptoms including a 45% decrease in hot flashes and a decrease in the risk factors for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
A particular form of soy protein, miso, is shown to reduce the risk and incidence of breast cancer in Japanese women as well as increasing bone density in post menopausal women. According to a study done by Japan's National Cancer Center, women who ate three or more bowls of miso soup had a 40% lower chance of developing breast cancer. Menopausal symptoms were relieved in as little as 4 to12 weeks after starting daily consumption of the miso soup as well.
Myths Dispelled
In addition to the research that is finding new information in regard to protein, there are studies that are meant to disprove or at least water down some of the concerns that involve protein and protein intake. One of these, in relation to osteoporosis shows that the previously held theory that protein intake increases the risk of this bone destroying disease has shown that it is only true in certain people who are likely to have developed osteoporosis regardless of diet. The earliest studies suggested that higher levels of protein caused increased excretion of calcium by increasing the acidity of the blood. To buffer this high acid blood, the body pulls minerals, including calcium from the bone stores, depleting those minerals.
What the American Dietetic Association Says About Supplements
In December 2009, the ADA released a paper that discussed their new and updated position on the use of nutritional supplements and why there were still lingering issues with doing so for the general public. The ADA reported its main concerns about any type of supplementation, including protein supplements, is the lack of knowledge by the consumers. However, the ADA did agree that with proper education, supplements could be a beneficial part of an otherwise healthy diet. The nutrients should come from healthy foods, but in cases of deficiency, using a supplement can be a perfectly beneficial way to boost health.
While the ADA did not specify any particular types or brands of supplements, there are many to choose from on the market.
More Research Related Protein News
A research discovery of a particular protein could lead to a potential cure for Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's causes a wide variety of symptoms and can affect each sufferer in a different way. Currently there are medications that are meant to ease some of these symptoms but none that specifically target the disease itself. This new discovery could put science closer to a cure by allowing them to map out exactly how it starts and progresses in the brain.
Another study has shown that a particular protein that is produced in the body could work to help maintain nerve health. An absence of these proteins was shown to lead to diseases of the central nervous system while malformed versions of the protein lead to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease as well. Currently, the effects of this protein have only been studied in animals, but human study should come next.
วันจันทร์ที่ 9 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Nutrition and Menopause
Every year, 4,000 or more women enter menopause, spending about a 1/3 of their life time in that state. For some women, menopause is not that great of a concern, causing no major changes in their lifestyle and having no real effect on their mood or physical well being. For others, the symptoms and emotional upheaval can be all that they can handle. Some of the most common symptoms of menopause include:
Hot flashes
Vaginal dryness
Bone loss
Increased risk of urinary tract infections
Painful intercourse
For most women, menopause may cause no symptoms at all while for as many as 20% it can be disabling. Some of the symptoms can be made worse by the emotional upheaval that the woman is also dealing with at the same time.
Soy proteins have phytoestrogens in them that can create a 45% reduction in hot flashes as well as reducing the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Soy-based protein may also have a number of other benefits related to menopause. These include a decreased risk of certain cancers, reduced risk of diabetes, increased control over existing cases of diabetes and a reduction in kidney stones and/or gallstones. It also has benefits related to blood pressure and the overall lipid profile.
Miso, a fermented soybean paste, is eaten frequently by women in Japan, who may have several bowls of miso soup each day, in fact. It has been shown to be beneficial for treatment not only of menopause but to reduce the risk of breast cancer as well as helping to increase bone density in postmenopausal women.
In addition to eating better, doctors also encourage women to continue or begin exercise programs because this is sadly a time when many women start picking up a little bit of additional weight as their metabolism slows down. Activity can also make the symptoms of menopause seem less severe. Daily exercise also plays a role in better heart health, helps control of diabetes and can also prevent other health conditions. It may also help to make the woman feel more energetic and young,which has also been shown to improve sensation of menopausal symptoms.
Starting a walking program is a good start, but women should also be doing some weight bearing exercises as well.
Supplements
Many women, especially those who are concerned with gaining weight, may stop eating the right foods or eating enough, slowing their metabolism and causing the weight gain they were trying to avoid in the first place. The body needs to have the right fuel to work correctly and will do whatever it takes to make sure that it gets it. Having enough protein in the diet is important not only from the standpoint that it is vital to every cell and function in the body but also because it plays an important role in metabolism and hunger control. Starting the day with a protein and carbohydrate rich breakfast can give you the energy needed to get moving and to keep going throughout the whole day. If you are not allowing yourself to go too long without eating, you will not have problems with cravings and the need to rely on will power to avoid the candy machine or the fast food places.
Supplements are a great way to make sure that you are getting enough protein in the diet, and can come from one of four sources: whey, soy, rice and egg. All protein supplements have their pros and cons that should be carefully considered before they are added to the diet. In addition, it is important to know how much protein is required for your individual need dietary needs.
Soy and rice protein are acceptable for those who are following a vegan or vegetarian diet, while whey and egg are only acceptable to certain types of vegetarians. Because food allergies can be a problem, it is advisable to start these supplements with great caution and only after talking to a doctor first.
Protein and Menopause: A Case Study
After a year of hit or miss menstrual cycles, Shirley is sure that she has finally managed to make it through "The Change" as menopause is often called. While her sister had no symptoms at all, Shirley finds herself wringing wet with sweat when everyone else around her is perfectly cool and comfortable. She has been back and forth to her doctor for a urinary tract infection that just comes and goes all of the time and has been irritable and weepy with her friends and family. She is most upset by the fact that she has gained 20 pounds in this year-long period.
After talking to her doctor who confirms that it is indeed menopause, Shirley will start a new diet plan and will be exercising as well. In place of her fatty fried foods, she will eat fresh vegetables and greens and she will opt for whole grain breads and pastas, in smaller serving sizes than she had previously used.
In addition, her between meal snacks will now be servings of a liquid protein beverage, which will give her the protein she needs as well as keeping her fuller for longer. This way she keeps her metabolism working the way it should without overeating or starving herself. It also will help her have the energy that she needs to exercise during the day.