Misrelate

It is very simple to explain what the negative calorie diet means. According to this theory, for digesting certain foods, your body burns more calories than the foods themselves actually contain. For example an orange may contain about 50 calories. Let’s say for its digestion, your body needs 75 calories. As a result your body will spend 25 calories more from its own energy burning existing fat, allowing you to lose weight.

There are many fruits and vegetables on the list of negative calorie foods. The negative calorie diet claims you can create a deficit of calories in your body jut by eating asparagus, broccoli, onion, garlic, lettuce, spinach, cucumber, apples, oranges, watermelons and more.

I have a feeling that this theory sounds a bit controversional. Let’s say a person eats only negative calorie foods. So for every orange this person eats, he or she should burn off 25 calories. Day after day its body will burn an amount of energy from its previous accumulations. This person would soon cease to exist!

Critics of the negative calorie diet claim that there are no foods possessing ‘negative’ calories and nobody can eat this way to weight loss. On the other hand, I must concede that this theory promotes consumption of foods rich in vitamins and minerals. And this is a great benefit for our body.

Until pro or cons scientific evidences will be provided, let’s say that the foods listed above provide energy with relatively little tendency to cause one to become overweight.

Valerian D is a freelance writer interested in health issues such as epidemic obesity

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Understanding what happens when an individual develops Alzheimer’s is still something that is being investigated. What scientists do know about Alzheimer’s is that it is a slow-developing disease of the brain that is characterized by dying brain cells. While the direct cause is unknown, it is theorized that the death of the cells is attributed to a lack of chemicals necessary to keep brain cells healthy.

After the age of 20, human brain cells (neurons) start to die at a rate of about 9000 per day. This results in a natural decline of mental acuity. There are reports that some vitamins can help to restore brain cells, but these reports are highly controversial. Once brain cells die, there really is no way to restore them. What scientists focus on is how to prevent Alzheimer’s. In the last few years, scientists have been testing the effects of vitamins on the brain. Those that seem to provide the most benefit are vitamins C and E.

In the world of vitamin supplementation, vitamin C and E are building blocks of good health. These vitamins are antioxidants that has proven beneficial in numerous health conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and stress. The body normally produces enough vitamin C and E in the body to protect the brain from damage from free radicals. However, the amount of vitamin C may be depleted by factors, such as diet and genetics. Scientists believe that taking 500 milligrams of vitamin C and 500 milligrams of vitamin E daily protects brain cells from premature destruction, a key to Alzheimer’s prevention.

These recommended amounts of vitamin C and E supplementation to prevent Alzheimer’s is way beyond what is recommended for general health. Before you consider taking these vitamins, you should discuss your plans with a medical doctor. Excessive amounts of vitamin C are flushed out in the urine and don’t usually cause serious problems, but excessive amounts of vitamin E can result in some unpleasant side effects. As with any vitamins or medication, you should store them in a location that is out of reach from children. Vitamins C and E can cause serious problems in children.

Why not check out our nutrition guide at http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/nut-ebook.html

and also what supplement we personally use for our nutrition needs at http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/what-we-use.html

John Gibb is the owner of Nutrition guides, a website offering free nutrition advice and a quality nutrition book for newsletter subscribers.

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High blood pressure (hypertension) is a dangerous condition that can lead= to stroke, enlarged heart, congestive heart failure, kidney and eye damage, atherosclerosis hardening of the arteries, and premature death.

According to a recent report released in The New England Journal of Medicine of 16,000 adults surveyed over the age of 24, nearly 30 percent had blood pressure of at least 140/90 and more than one-third of them were unaware of their condition.

Blood pressure refers to the force of the bloodstream against the walls of the arteries as they deliver blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Normal, healthy blood pressure ranges from about 110/80 to as high as 140/90. The higher number refers to systolic pressure, which is the hearts contractions. The second number, the diastolic pressure, measures the rests between heartbeats. Here are the categories to consider when evaluating blood pressure:

• Normal - Less than 140/90
• Borderline - 141/91 to 159/94
• High - 160/95 or more

Although there are still questions about the roots of essential hypertension, many researchers name two culprits: The typical American diet and lifestyle factors. Following are 9 major factors that can contribute to this potentially deadly condition:

1. High-fat, high-sodium diet . . . Interestingly, vegetarians who normally eat a low-fat, low-sodium diet have a profoundly lower incidence of hypertension than non-vegetarians.

2. Fat imbalance . . . Too much saturated fat in the diet. We need more essential fatty acids to help clear the system of fat solids.

3. Nutritional deficiencies . . . People whose diets are low in potassium, magnesium, calcium and vitamin C are at greater risk of hypertension.

4. Obesity . . . High blood pressure is almost six times more common among overweight people ages 20 to 44, and twice as common in those 45 to 74

5. Smoking . . . Chronic smoking decreases blood flow to the brain, increasing the risk of stroke.

6. Alcohol . . . Heavy drinking is another indicator of high blood pressure.

7. Stress . . . In many instances, stress can be the major factor causing high blood pressure.

8. Atherosclerosis . . . A buildup of fatty deposits can narrow the blood vessels, leading to a rise in blood pressure. The increased resistance means the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the body, placing it under strain.

9. High sugar intake . . . People who had more sugar in their diet had markedly increased blood pressure.

Anti-Hypertensive Diet Guidelines

The following recommendations can help you keep your blood pressure at healthier levels:

• Follow a low-fat diet.
• Increase your intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium.
• Reduce your intake of salt.
• Restrict your consumption of refined sugars.
• Exercise more often. Since excess body fat is a primary risk factor in hypertension, it is critical to maintain a healthy weight. The importance of regular exercise cannot be over-emphasized.

Essential Nutrient Intake
What you eat has a powerful influence on your blood pressure as well as almost every other aspect of your health.

For most people, the sodium/potassium ratio is more significant than sodium alone. We should be consuming about five times more potassium than sodium (5:1), but the typical American diet includes half as much potassiumas sodium (1:2).

By eating more POTASSIUM-rich foods, you can reverse the ratio and promote healthy blood pressure. Foods such as bananas, oranges, tangerines, beans, dried peas, and potatoes provide a wealth of natural potassium.

MAGNESIUM is another vital nutrient for blood pressure. It is believed that magnesium activates the bodys cellular membrane pump, which pumps sodium out and potassium into the cells. Some clinical trials have shown that magnesium supplementation reduces blood pressure. Magnesium- rich foods include nuts (especially almonds, cashews, and pecans), rice, bananas, potatoes, wheat germ, kidney and lima beans, peas, soy products, molasses, oat, bran, and fish.

CALCIUM is important. People with high blood pressure are advised to increase Calcium intake and to eat more calcium-rich foods such as nuts, salmon, sardines, low-fat dairy foods, watercress, kale, broccoli, turnip greens, collard greens, and mustard greens.

Here is a list of other nutritional supplements that can help prevent high blood pressure:

• HAWTHORNE is an herb that has been shown to widen blood vessels, especially the coronary arteries.
• CAYENNE reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, which can lead to hypertension.
• VALERIAN has sedative activity, which has a beneficial effect on blood pressure.
• VITAMIN C supplementation has exerted a valuable blood-pressure-lowering effect in people by promoting the excretion of lead, which is linked to hypertension.
• COQ10 shows promise for hypertensives. Coenzyme Q10 is a nutrient that naturally occurs in our bodies and can be supplemented to assure adequate daily intake.
• GARLIC helps reduce cholesterol as well as blood pressure.

Summary . . . The consequences of untreated high blood pressure are too serious to go untreated. By making smart choices about the foods you eat, the intake of beneficial nutritional factors and your exercise regimen, you can help control your own blood pressure.

Roger Jirves an authorized dealer of the Vitamin Power line of Quality Nutritional Supplements and personal care products.

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All of my life I believed the best way to eat blueberries was with a muffin wrapped around them. No way could plain off-the-bush berries taste good. Well, lo and behold, I’ve been eating blueberries by the handful and they are fabulous! I can tolerate them with my gastric bypass system, I don’t overeat or get sick with them. Best of all blueberries are in season now available at supermarkets and farm stands.

With flavors that range from mildly sweet to tart and tangy, blueberries are healthy superstars bursting with nutrition and flavor while being very low in calories. Blueberries are at their best from May through October when they are in season. Researchers at Tufts University say blueberries rank number one of fruits and vegetables when it comes to destroying harmful free radicals.

When purchasing: select blueberries that are firm and have a lively, uniform hue colored with a whitish bloom. Shake the container, noticing whether berries have the tendency to move freely; if they do not, this may indicate that they are soft and damaged or moldy. Avoid berries that appear dull in color or are soft and watery in texture. They should be free from moisture since the presence of water will cause the berries to decay.

Storing: Ripe blueberries should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator where they will keep for about a week, although they will be freshest if consumed within a few days. Always check berries before storing and remove any damaged berries to prevent the spread of mold. But don’t wash berries until right before eating as washing will remove the bloom that protects the fruit’s skin from degradation. If kept out at room temperature for more than a day, the berries may spoil.

Ripe berries can also be frozen, although this will slightly change their texture and flavor. Before freezing, wash, drain and remove any damaged berries. To better ensure uniform texture upon thawing, spread the berries out on a cookie sheet or baking pan, place in the freezer until frozen, then put the berries in a plastic bag for storage in the freezer. Berries should last up to a year in the freezer.

Kaye Bailey © 2005 - All Rights Reserved

An award winning journalist and former newspaper editor Kaye Bailey brings expertise in writing and personal experience with gastric bypass surgery to EzineArticles.com. Having spent most of her life overweight Ms. Bailey is strongly empathetic toward the obese, particularly overweight children. This compassion compelled her to found the website http://www.livingafterwls.com, a fast-growing resource of information, understanding and support for the weight loss surgery community.

The LivingAfterWLS.com site is complimented with daily blog. The blog, http://livingafterwls.blogspot.com offers readers the chance to comment or leave feedback about fresh content added daily. This site contains success stories and recipes, general information and WLS inspired topics. Complementing the site is a monthly newsletter titled “You Have Arrived” available exclusively to people who subscribe through the website or the blog.

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In 1838, a Dutch chemist, G.J. Mulder, described a certain organic material as “unquestionably the most important of all known substances in the organic kingdom. Without it, no life appears possible on our planet. Through its means the chief phenomena of life are produced.” This complex nitrogen-bearing substance was called protein from the Greek word meaning “take the first place.” Protein in now a group name signifying the principal nitrogenous constituents of the protoplasm of all plant and animal tissues.

Proteins are extremely complex organic compounds of the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
nitrogen, and,with some exceptions, sulphur. Most proteins also contain phosphorous, and some
specialised proteins contain iron, iodine, copper and other inorganic elements. The presence of
nitrogen distinguishes proteins from carbohydrates and fats.

Proteins are thus vital substances, which form important constituent of muscles, tissues, and the
blood. Proteins supply the building material for the body and make good the wear and tear of
tissues. Several substances concerned with vital life processes such as enzymes, which help in
digestion of food, are chiefly protein in nature.

There are several varieties of protein. Each type contains a specific number of “building blocks”
known as amino-acids. Before they can be absorbed by the body, all proteins must first be
broken down into amino-acids. When food stuffs are ingested, the nutrients and amino-acids do
not immediately diffuse into all the different tissues. There are a series of biochemical reactions
in the digestive tract which collect these proteins, break them down and then utilise them as
needed. Any interference with the normal digestive process causes in-complete protein digestion
resulting in gas, bloating etc.

There are about 22 amino acids needed for the normal functioning of the body. The body can
manufacture many amino acids if it has no adequate nitrogen source, but it cannot produce
certain others in sufficient amounts to meet its needs. The amino acids that the body cannot
synthesis is in adequate amounts are called essential or indispensable because they must be
supplied by the diet in proper proportions and amounts to meet the requirements for
maintenance of growth of tNon-essential or dispensable amino acids are those thatissue. the
body can synthesize in sufficient amounts to meet its needs if the total amount of nitrogen
supplied by protein is adequate. The essential and non-essential amino acids are listed in table
A.
　
TABLE A

Classification of Amino Acids with respect to their essentiality

Essential	Nonessential
 Histidine*	Alanine
 Isoleucine	Arginine
 Leucine	        Asparagine
 Lysine	        Aspartic acid
 Methionine	Cysteine
 Phenylalanine	Cystine
 Theronine	Glutamic acid
 Trypophan	Glutamine
 Valine	        Glycine
 Hydroxyproline	　
 Proline	　
 Serine	　
 Tyrosine

　
*Histidine is required for infants but its essentiality for adults has not been clearly established.

It will be seen from this statement that nine amino acids are essential for maintenance of
nitrogen equilibrium in human bodies. The estimated requirements of essential amino acids for
infants, children and adults are given in Table B. Men in the older age group appear to differ in
their requirements. Studies seem to suggest an increase need for methionine and lysine for
them. Infants and children have proportionally greater demands for essential amino acids than
adults. In addition, infants require histidine as an essential amino acid.

Factors in addition to the age, sex and physiological condition of an individual influence the
requirements for specific amino acids. If total protein intake is low, small surpluses of certain
amino acids can increase the need for others. The non-essential amino acids in protein also
affect the quality of protein. For example, the amount of sulphur - containing essential amino
acid methionine required may be somewhat reduced if cystine, a sulphur-containing nonessential
amino acid,is supplied in the diet. Likewise, the presence in the diet of tyrosine, a
non-essential amino acid similar in structure to phenylalanine, may reduce the requirement for
phenylalanine.

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