What's On Your Plate? part 8--FATS

The major kinds of fats in the food we eat are saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans fatty acids. Saturated fats and trans fats raise blood cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol also raise blood cholesterol. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack, and also increases the risk of stroke.
Recommendations
* Limit foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and/or cholesterol such as whole milk dairy products, fatty meats, tropical oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and egg yolk. Instead choose foods low in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. Here are some helpful tips:
--Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables
--Eat a variety of grain products, including whole grains
--Eat fish at least twice a week, particularly fatty fish
--Include fat free and low fat milk products, legumes (beans), skinless poultry and lean meats
--Choose fats and oils such a liquid and tub margarines, canola, corn, safflower, soy bean and olive oil.
* Saturated fat intake should not exceed 7 percent of total calories each day. Trans fat intake should not exceed 1 percent of total calories each day.
* Total fat intake (satuated, trans, monounsatuated, polyunsatuated) should be adjusted to fit total caloric needs. Overweight people should consume no more than 30 percent of total calories from fat.

What's on your plate, part 7--Cholesterol

What is Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fat that circulates in the blood. The body needs cholesterol, since it is a building material for body cells. Cholesterol is a fatty, soft, waxy substance resembling hardened grease - and it occur in the bloodstream.

Now, cholesterol is not bad in itself. For one thing it is the raw material to make sex hormones. It also helps form hormones involved in the stress reaction. However high cholesterol can slowly clog arteries resulting in heart disease and stroke. This clogging of arteries takes years to become life threatening, but also can be reversed using nutritional supplements, exercise a low fat diet.

There are two types of cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL). LDL cholesterol, is called the bad cholesterol, because it causes the build up of plaque inside blood levels. Remember this is the cholesterol to lower. HDL is the good cholesterol, because it actually removes the cholesterol from the blood vessels' walls. This is the one to increase by as much as you can.

Where does cholesterol come from?

While there are various causes of high cholesterol, cholesterol as such comes from two sources: your body and the food you eat. In your body, cholesterol is made in the liver. Your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs. That's why you don't really need the cholesterol coming from the second source--foods that you eat. What ever food you eat the live will take from it the necessary ingredients to produce cholesterol. As a rule of thumb all animal and dairy products contain high cholesterol. However vegetables contain none of it. As such one way of lowering cholesterol is to avoid foods that contain high cholesterol - or at least minimize their consumption, that is animal and dairy products.

http://www.all-about-lowering-cholesterol.com/cholesterol-information.html

What's On Your Plate? part 6 Fiber

Dietary fiber comes from plant source and is an important part of a healthy diet. There are two types of fiber soluble and insoluble. Many plant foods contain some of both; for example, soluble fibers dissolves in water and insoluble fibers do not. Good source of soluble fiber include oats, bean, dried peas, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Wheat bran, whole grain products and vegetables are good source of insoluble fiber.
Fiber helps to keep the colon clean and cause food to go through the intestine on a timely basis. Fiber acts like a broom that sweeps the colon. Although fiber no real nutritional value its contribution to health especially the health of the colon is invaluable.
How much fiber do I need
The American Dietetic Association recommends a healthy diet include 20-35 grams of fiber a day from plant foods, including both soluble and insoluble fiber. However most of us consume only half that amount. You should do you best to get the fiber you need from the foods you eat each day.

www.benefiber.com

What's On Your Plate? part 5 Digestion

One of the important facets of eating and nourishing the body is digestion. Digestion begins in our mind. When we think of food, smell or see food we begin to salviate in preparation for food. When food enters our mouth we break it up with our teeth, one of the aims of digestion is get food to the smallest particle possible. The saliva mixed with the food and soften it. The saliva also contain the enzyme amelase, the enzyme that break down carbohydrates.
The food goes into the stomach where digestion continues. The digestive juices and enzymes continue to work on the food and break it down further. The food moves to the small intestines, then to the large intestines (the colon), where the liquid food with the nutrient is absorbed the walls of the intestines into the blood stream. The residue becomes fecal matter that is expelled through the anus.
There are a few things that will cause improper digestions.
1. Eating between meals cause improper digestion. When we eat the digestive system begins the digestive process. Digestion takes about four hours, so we should eat at five hour intervals, four hours for digestion and one hour for the stomach to rest. When the digestive process begins and we eat before digestion is complete the stomach stop working on the first batch of food and begin to work on the second batch. The first batch then stays in the stomach longer that it should and cause improper digestion.
2. Eating and drink at the same time.
The recommendation is if we drink it should be half an hour before eating and at least two hours after eating. When we eat and drink at the same time the system works on the liquid first so the food stays longer in the system than it should. Also the liquid dilute the digestives juices and cause improper digestion.
Digestion is important so we should do everything to assist the body in the process of digestion because proper digestion is important to good health.

What's On Your Plate? part 4: Food Combination

The body is constantly trying to maintain balance and blood pH is always very important in maintaining good health. Depending on how food is combined the body can become to acidic or too alkaline. "As food is digested, absorbed and metabolized, foods release either acid of alkaline compounds into the blood. What's tricky is that the pH a food produces in the body is not always what you expected. An orange, for example, produces alkaline waste. Alkaline-producing foods includes fruits, vegetables, roots and nuts. Acid producing foods includes fish, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk and grains." "Researchers from the university of California San Francisco have found that too much salt (sodium chloride) and not enough potassium are major factors that upset the acid/alkaline balance in the body. Sodium chloride (table salt) is acid-producing, while potassium has an alkaline effect. This provides good reason to follow the current diet recommendations to consume less salt and more potassium-rich foods like fruits and vegetables" (Environmental nutrition, 2007).
If the body is too acidic disease will thrive but being more on the alkaline side tends to promote good health. "The acidic environment may contribute to osteoporosis, high blood pressure and kidney troubles, among other conditions" (Environmental Nutrition, 2007). There is a need in man's quest for good health to pay close attention to the combining of food; and it is not difficult. "Improving the acid/alkaline balance of your diet can be as simple as the following three steps: 1) Choose whole, fresh food over packaged processed foods. 2) Eat more fresh fruits. vegetables and nuts every day. 3) Consume less salt" (Environmental Nutrition, 2007).

Reference: Ask EN, (2007). Acid vs alkaline: 3 steps to a better balance. Environmental Nutrition, 30 (8), 7-7. Retrieved June 21, 2010, from Health Source-/Consumer Edition database.

What's On Your Plate? part 3: Protein

Another macro nutrient is protein. "Protein is essential to human life. Your skin, bones, muscles and organ tissue all contain protein. Protein is found in your blood, hormones and enzymes, too. Protein sources include both plant and animal products" (Mayo Clinic staff, 2009).

Protein is found in two main sources plant and animal but which source is better. In the past it was believed that animal protein is superior to plant protein. It was said that one could no get complete protein from plants but research has found that eating a wide variety of plant based foods can supply all the protein the body needs. The Mayo Clinic staff in the article 'Healthy diet: End the guesswork with these nutrition guidelines' had this to say, "emphasize plant sources of protein, such as beans, lentils and soy, choose lean meats, and try to include seafood twice a week" (2009). You will notice that the advice from the Mayo Clinic emphasized plant base protein.

Animal protein has no fiber so it stays longer to go through the system. As it sits in the intestines it becomes putrefied (rot) and as was mentioned in my last post, a toxin is given, as microbes work on the food, which enters the blood stream and can cause auto-intoxication.

Too much protein can cause the loss of calcium. When protein is digested and metabolized the by product is uric acid, the body cannot handle uric acid so to get rid of it the body draws calcium from the bones to coat the uric acid and then dispose of it through the urine. That is why urine contain uric acid, which is used as a fertilizer for plants.

Protein is one of the body's energy source along with carbohydrates, and fats. The guideline from the Mayo Clinic staff is that 10 to 35 percent of total daily calories should come from protein. Based on a 2000-calorie-a-day diet, this amounts to about 50 to 175 grams a day.

What's On Your Plate? part 2

Carbohydrates, known as starches and sugars, are our body's main energy source. There are two basic types of carbohydrates simple and complex.

Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates are found in foods made with sugar, such as candy, soda, and other sweets. It is also found in highly processed foods such as white flour, white rice, and pasta made from white flour. Fruits are also classified as simple carbohydrates but they have and are very benefical to the body.
Such carbohydrates releases the energy very quickly giving the system a sudden shot of energy and raising the blood sugar very rapidly. This form of carbohydrate has very little or no fiber so it takes a longer time to go through the digestive system. It stays in the intestines and stick to the walls, especially of the large intestines or the colon, and causes constipation; also a harborage for bacteria, worms and other parasites. As these microbes feed on the accumulation of fecal matter they give off gas and toxins; as the toxin accumulate in the colon it is absorbed into the blood stream and autointoxication (self poisoning) occurs.

Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates include legumes, grains and starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, peas and corn. Unrefined products, such as brown rice, whole wheat flour and pasta are what we should eat. Complex carbohydrates releases energy slowly over time, thus give the body the energy it needs when it needs it instead of a sudden rush of energy like simple carbohydrate. Complex carbohydrate has fiber which cause the remains of the digestive process to go through the body at a faster rate and eliminate the clogging of the colon.
Carbohydrate is the cleanest source of energy for the body. That is when it burns it does not leave a lot of residue like protein.

It is recommended that "45 to 65 percent of our daily calories come from carbohydrates. Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, this amounts to about 225 to 325 gram a day. Emphasize complex carbohydrates, especially from whole grains, beans and nutrient-rich fruits. Limit added sugars from candy and other sweets" (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009).