Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Monday, June 1, 2009
Random Health and Food Topics
Spicy food like curry may help fight brain cancer. Also first ever vaccine may be in the works. Here's the story on extratv.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Down to quantities
References
healthy diet fit body
Per day
to fight hypertension and high blood pressure
fruits and vegetables in general are the best.
increase potassium - 4700 mg : bananas, potatoes (no, you can’t have french fries), canned white beans, yogurt, halibut, tuna, lima beans and winter squash
reduce sodium (most important for reducing hypertension, others are secondary) - 2300 mg (approx 1 tablespoon) : salty snack eaters eat 4X as much while average americans eat 2X as much
magnesium - 500 - 1000 mg: in a well-bal diet.
(increase) calcium - 800 - 1000 mg: average american gets half. Take supplement with 3-400mg.
** Vitamin D **
People have not figured out on D!! Just read this on WebMD and on MSN Health, and you will see that the experts have no freaking clue as to HOW MUCH D we need. Ask my doctor if I need to take D. I was going to order D supplements (since thru diet, getting 2000IU is almost impossible?) but I'm hesitant now. More info needed...
For me, I figure about 2000 IU (dark skinned, not enough sun exposure). Get this thru supplement since D is hard to get from food and since sun is not always available.
The U.S. Recommended Dietary Intake for vitamin D is currently 400 International Units (IU). However, research is suggesting that may not be enough. In fact, a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that doses of 3,800 to 5,000 IU may be needed to maintain optimal blood levels, as the body doesn't absorb all it takes in. The official safe upper-limit (UL) for vitamin D intake is 2,000 IU, although many researchers are now saying this is much too conservative and it should be reset to 10,000 IU. However, scientific organizations are slow to change their recommendations, so it may be a while before the official UL is reset to a higher level.
A minimum of 1,000 IU every day is recommended. Keep in mind if you're overweight or dark-skinned, you are at a high risk for deficiency.
One cup of fortified milk has only 100 IU of vitamin D (we actually get much more vitamin D from the sun than we could ever get from food).
If you expose your face, arms, back, or hands to the sun three times per week for 15 minutes between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., you'll get a dose of about 3,000 IU of vitamin D. So, before you slap on the sunscreen, give yourself this small amount of sun exposure. Then, you can put on the sunscreen to avoid over-exposure to the sun.
Heart disease prevention
maintain body weight
exercise
low saturated and trans fat
high omega3 fatty acid
keep LDL below 100, HDL over 40
be happy
Whey protein
.7 * body wt of about 150 = 105 gm of whey (too much??)
still sounds too much. taking 20g scoop 4 times already sounds enough.
space it out daily so liver/kidney is not overworked
isolate form is better but more expensive, mix of isolate and concentrate (higher % of isolate though) gives you biggest bang for buck
What to eat before during after excercise?
after exercise, only 10-20g of protein says this article!!
healthy diet fit body
Per day
to fight hypertension and high blood pressure
fruits and vegetables in general are the best.
increase potassium - 4700 mg : bananas, potatoes (no, you can’t have french fries), canned white beans, yogurt, halibut, tuna, lima beans and winter squash
reduce sodium (most important for reducing hypertension, others are secondary) - 2300 mg (approx 1 tablespoon) : salty snack eaters eat 4X as much while average americans eat 2X as much
magnesium - 500 - 1000 mg: in a well-bal diet.
(increase) calcium - 800 - 1000 mg: average american gets half. Take supplement with 3-400mg.
** Vitamin D **
People have not figured out on D!! Just read this on WebMD and on MSN Health, and you will see that the experts have no freaking clue as to HOW MUCH D we need. Ask my doctor if I need to take D. I was going to order D supplements (since thru diet, getting 2000IU is almost impossible?) but I'm hesitant now. More info needed...
For me, I figure about 2000 IU (dark skinned, not enough sun exposure). Get this thru supplement since D is hard to get from food and since sun is not always available.
The U.S. Recommended Dietary Intake for vitamin D is currently 400 International Units (IU). However, research is suggesting that may not be enough. In fact, a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that doses of 3,800 to 5,000 IU may be needed to maintain optimal blood levels, as the body doesn't absorb all it takes in. The official safe upper-limit (UL) for vitamin D intake is 2,000 IU, although many researchers are now saying this is much too conservative and it should be reset to 10,000 IU. However, scientific organizations are slow to change their recommendations, so it may be a while before the official UL is reset to a higher level.
A minimum of 1,000 IU every day is recommended. Keep in mind if you're overweight or dark-skinned, you are at a high risk for deficiency.
One cup of fortified milk has only 100 IU of vitamin D (we actually get much more vitamin D from the sun than we could ever get from food).
If you expose your face, arms, back, or hands to the sun three times per week for 15 minutes between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., you'll get a dose of about 3,000 IU of vitamin D. So, before you slap on the sunscreen, give yourself this small amount of sun exposure. Then, you can put on the sunscreen to avoid over-exposure to the sun.
Heart disease prevention
maintain body weight
exercise
low saturated and trans fat
high omega3 fatty acid
keep LDL below 100, HDL over 40
be happy
Whey protein
.7 * body wt of about 150 = 105 gm of whey (too much??)
still sounds too much. taking 20g scoop 4 times already sounds enough.
space it out daily so liver/kidney is not overworked
isolate form is better but more expensive, mix of isolate and concentrate (higher % of isolate though) gives you biggest bang for buck
What to eat before during after excercise?
after exercise, only 10-20g of protein says this article!!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Fish oil supplements
Some Info on Fish Oil Supplements
WebMD Good for High Blood Pressure
WebMD Omega 3 strategy
After-taste can be eliminated by storing capsules in the freezer and taking them frozen.
Flax seed oil is not as good as fish oil (fish oil has both EPA and DHA, flax seed oil doesn't).
Good ONE-A-DAY ones with IFOS 5 star ratings
Make sure you go to IFOS to ensure 5 star ratings. The stuff you buy has to be of a certain batch with certain expiry date (older batches from the same company may be of poorer quality).
The following products are by batch number/expiry date
EPA/DHA are in mg/1000mg
Critical Omega from Renew Life
Batch 082917/09.11
IFOS 5 star findings: EPA/DHA 439/230
60 capsules
http://www.renewlife.com/
vitacost $26
(website says avail in WholeFoods and Triple Harvest Co-op near 02141 zip)
Ordered from vitacost - 2 units, they charge $5 for S&H
Kirkland Signature Fish Oil
Not on IFOS but high Amazon ratings ($25 for 180 gels!!! sounds too good to be true?), also sold by Costco
GNC Triple Strength Fish Oil
EPA/DHA 647/253
60 gels, $15 for goldcard holders
Other good ones I ditched for various reasons
Barleans - not on IFOS, good review but suggested use is 2-6 per day!!!
See Yourself Well Omega 3 - IFOS, but 3 per day (also known as another site Nuratec), 300 capsules $100
Zone Labs OmegaRx - IFOS but 4 per day, from zone site, 120 capsules for 30 day is $40 with autoship or $50 without
PharmaOmega - again more than 1 per day
WebMD Good for High Blood Pressure
WebMD Omega 3 strategy
After-taste can be eliminated by storing capsules in the freezer and taking them frozen.
Flax seed oil is not as good as fish oil (fish oil has both EPA and DHA, flax seed oil doesn't).
Good ONE-A-DAY ones with IFOS 5 star ratings
Make sure you go to IFOS to ensure 5 star ratings. The stuff you buy has to be of a certain batch with certain expiry date (older batches from the same company may be of poorer quality).
The following products are by batch number/expiry date
EPA/DHA are in mg/1000mg
Critical Omega from Renew Life
Batch 082917/09.11
IFOS 5 star findings: EPA/DHA 439/230
60 capsules
http://www.renewlife.com/
vitacost $26
(website says avail in WholeFoods and Triple Harvest Co-op near 02141 zip)
Ordered from vitacost - 2 units, they charge $5 for S&H
Kirkland Signature Fish Oil
Not on IFOS but high Amazon ratings ($25 for 180 gels!!! sounds too good to be true?), also sold by Costco
GNC Triple Strength Fish Oil
EPA/DHA 647/253
60 gels, $15 for goldcard holders
Other good ones I ditched for various reasons
Barleans - not on IFOS, good review but suggested use is 2-6 per day!!!
See Yourself Well Omega 3 - IFOS, but 3 per day (also known as another site Nuratec), 300 capsules $100
Zone Labs OmegaRx - IFOS but 4 per day, from zone site, 120 capsules for 30 day is $40 with autoship or $50 without
PharmaOmega - again more than 1 per day
Sunday, May 10, 2009
MSG
Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, earned its reputation in Asian takeout kitchens across America, but almost all fast-food restaurants use the flavor enhancer to some extent. Interestingly, MSG has no distinct taste itself. Instead, it amplifies other flavors, especially in foods with chicken or beef flavoring, through processes that scientists don't fully understand.
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/processing-facts-channel.htm
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/processing-facts-channel.htm
HFCS
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/high-fructose-corn-syrup2.htm
Unlike glucose, which is metabolized a number of ways by your body, fructose is only metabolized by your liver. When the liver receives more fructose than it can handle, the excess sugars are turned into fats in the form of triglycerides, which are harmful to your arteries and your heart.
The biggest problem is that HFCS is being added to food items that don't normally have sugar and that you wouldn't even describe as sweet -- crackers, for instance. So, not only are we chugging down lots of sugars with our sodas, but your PBJ sandwich could have HFCS in each of its three ingredients. Meal after meal, day after day, all of this extra sugar adds up, and that, and not necessarily the qualities of HFCS itself, is likely one reason why rates for obesity and diabetes have climbed since the introduction of HFCS. (Other factors are in play as well, such as decreased activity and exercise levels and increased fat consumption.)
So what can we do? Well, for starters, do everything you're already supposed to do. Get regular exercise, watch your fat intake and get regular medical checkups. Next, it wouldn't hurt to mimic the practices of those strange (and rare) individuals in grocery-store aisles who read the labels of the food they are purchasing. Once you get in this habit, you will likely be shocked to learn just how much of your regular grocery purchases contain high-fructose corn syrup. If nearly all of your food contains concentrated sugars, it stands to reason that you'll be eating too many sugars. And if you want to go crazy, eat some fruits and veggies. You'll get all the glucose you need (not much), and these healthier alternatives will take the place of the less healthy foods now flooding our markets and grocery stores.
Unlike glucose, which is metabolized a number of ways by your body, fructose is only metabolized by your liver. When the liver receives more fructose than it can handle, the excess sugars are turned into fats in the form of triglycerides, which are harmful to your arteries and your heart.
The biggest problem is that HFCS is being added to food items that don't normally have sugar and that you wouldn't even describe as sweet -- crackers, for instance. So, not only are we chugging down lots of sugars with our sodas, but your PBJ sandwich could have HFCS in each of its three ingredients. Meal after meal, day after day, all of this extra sugar adds up, and that, and not necessarily the qualities of HFCS itself, is likely one reason why rates for obesity and diabetes have climbed since the introduction of HFCS. (Other factors are in play as well, such as decreased activity and exercise levels and increased fat consumption.)
So what can we do? Well, for starters, do everything you're already supposed to do. Get regular exercise, watch your fat intake and get regular medical checkups. Next, it wouldn't hurt to mimic the practices of those strange (and rare) individuals in grocery-store aisles who read the labels of the food they are purchasing. Once you get in this habit, you will likely be shocked to learn just how much of your regular grocery purchases contain high-fructose corn syrup. If nearly all of your food contains concentrated sugars, it stands to reason that you'll be eating too many sugars. And if you want to go crazy, eat some fruits and veggies. You'll get all the glucose you need (not much), and these healthier alternatives will take the place of the less healthy foods now flooding our markets and grocery stores.
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