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Diabetes Facts
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body is unable to properly control the amount of sugar in the blood. The body cannot control the sugar in the blood due to the lack of the hormone insulin. Diabetes has long reaching and wide ranging health...
Don't Weight--You Can Be Active At Any Size!
Very large people face special challenges in trying to be active. You may not be able to move or bend in the same way that other people can. It may be hard finding clothes and equipment for exercising. You may feel self-conscious being physically...
How will Obesity Affect You and What Can You Do?
1. Carrying around excess body fat will decrease your energy level. Having just 10 lbs. of excess body fat is like carrying around a 10-lb. bag of lard.
2. Your heart has to work overtime to support the extra weight. Obesity has a harmful effect...
Magnesium 101
Magnesium is an important mineral that serves numerous essential functions in the body. There are more than 300 biochemical processes in the human body that require the use of the mineral magnesium. From the center of the human body, the...
Vision Correction Surgery
There are different forms of vision problems, such as myopia,
hyperopia and astigmatism. Vision correction methods continue to
grow. Refractive surgery for vision correction has made
important advances since its beginning .
The first form...
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NUTRITION FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Proper nutrition is an area of confusion for most people. With all of the conflicting information in the media and all of the fad diets out there, it is hard to know how to eat right. Eating right comes down to eating the proper balance of the three main compounds that make up our food: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Knowing the balance is the first step, knowing the right foods to eat within these groups is the next.
Carbohydrates: 40% of your calorie intake should come from carbs. A good portion of the carbs you take in should be low glycemic and dietary fiber rich. Low glycemic carbs take longer to digest and fill you up quicker. Good sources of these types of carbs are fruits such as mangos, grapefruits and pears. Whole grains breads, rice and pasta, veggies and popcorn (without butter) are all excellent sources of dietary fiber as well. Eating carbs rich in dietary fiber help prevent many cancers, decrease cholesterol in the bloodstream and decrease the chance of diabetes, which is increasing within the population.
Protein: 30% of your calorie intake should come from protein. You should take in no more than 2 grams per 2.2lbs of body weight to avoid kidney damage although this takes a long time to develop (15 years of high protein intake). Animal proteins are the most complete form of protein. Good animal sources are chicken, turkey and lean cuts of beef. Plant proteins are incomplete sources and a variety of them must be consumed to get a complete protein. Vegetarians run into this problem and depending on the type of vegetarian, a protein or amino acid supplement may be needed.
Fats: 30% of your calorie intake should come from fats and less than
10% should come from saturated and trans fats (the bad and evil fats). The rest should come from essential fats. I know, this sounds like a lot of fat in a diet but hear me out. The big thing is to decrease saturated and trans fats and eat the essential ones. But what are sources of essential fats? Good sources are cold-water fish, peanuts, walnuts, avocados and sunflower seeds. Also, using olive or canola oils for cooking will increase essential fats in the diet. The most important thing to do is to stay away from foods cooked in shortening, processed foods, deep-fried foods and fatty cuts of meat.
Now the next question, how many calories should I eat a day to have a healthy lifestyle? Well that depends, is your weight ideal right now? To maintain your current weight, there is a certain amount of calories you must take in. To figure out your maintenance level, multiply your weight in kg’s (lbs/2.2) by 24 + 200 for males and 23 + 200 for females. Dieting is very simple. To lose weight, take in fewer calories. About 500 less than your maintenance level is a safe start. To gain weight, eat more than your maintenance level. It’s as simple as that!
Article was written by Dr. Jeff Hand. To learn more about nutrition to to our website at www.gearforhealth.com.
About the author:
Dr. Jeff Hand was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario,Canada, where he attended
Lakehead University for his Bachelor of Science degree. He then attended
Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Minneapolis, MN for his doctor of
Chiropractic degree. Dr. Hand now practices in Baxter, MN at Family
Chiropractic Clinic.
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