Your way to correct weight

What is it? Caffeine is a natural compound found in many plant
foods and is consumed either naturally from foods or beverages, or
as an additive to food products.

What does it do? Caffeine is a stimulant to the central nervous
system, which is why it makes us feel more alert after we consume
it. It is also a mild diuretic, which means that it speeds up the
production of urine.

Why is it important? Because of its stimulating effects, caffeine
may help to ward off fatigue, both mental and physical.

Where is it found? Caffeine is naturally present in a number of
beans and plants – most of us get our caffeine naturally in coffee
and tea and there is some caffeine in cocoa. Foods that contain
chocolate or coffee, such as ice creams, may have caffeine in
them. Caffeine is also added to many soft drinks and energy drinks.

Getting older isn’t what it used to be.

How can you look and feel as young as you can? By making your health and well-being a top priority. Here are (in blog) steps to healthy aging.

Remember what your parents looked like when they were your age? Looking back, they seemed so much older. And in many ways, they were. Average life expectancy is currently on the rise, which means that men and women approaching age 50 don’t look and feel like the stereotyped middle-age person of the 1950s.
So how can you look and feel as young as you can? By making your health and well-being a top priority. Use the following rules to help you improve your overall health and well-being while making you feel younger as you get older.

What is it? Fiber is the structural portion of a plant, and is found in
whole fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains like oats and brown rice
– there is no fiber in meats, fish, or poultry. Fiber is usually
classified as one of two types: soluble fiber or insoluble fiber.

What does it do? Water-soluble fibers trap water and swell, and
increase the amount of time it takes for foods to go through your
digestive tract. Insoluble fibers pass escape digestion for the most
part, so they are particularly good because they add bulk.

Why is it important? Since water soluble fiber increases the time
it takes for foods to pass through the digestive system, it produces
a feeling of fullness. Soluble fiber from oats has been shown to be
heart-healthy.
Insoluble fibers are particularly helpful for promoting regularity.

Where is it found? Soluble fiber is found in highest amounts in
oats, beans, barley and certain fruits, like apples. Insoluble fiber is
abundant in vegetables, wheat bran, brown rice and other whole
grains.

Women using hormone replacement should be aware of a recent study that found several risks.

Recent studies on female hormone replacement therapy have revealed that the risks outweigh the benefits. Find out about safe, natural alternatives to estrogen and progesterone replacement.

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association published the principal results from the Women’s Health Initiative¹. The study involved 16,608 women who took estrogen plus progesterone or a placebo to determine whether postmenopausal-estrogen replacement would help prevent heart disease and hip fractures. This study was also designed to determine whether there were risks associated with hormone-replacement therapy. The study was stopped after five years because the risks of therapy far outweighed the hope for benefits.
The conclusions of this landmark study are that women should not be using hormone replacement to prevent cardiovascular disease. The good news is that there are natural alternatives that successfully relieve these symptoms without the risks associated with prescription estrogen replacement.

1. Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Risks and Benefits of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy Postmenopausal Women: Principal Results From the Woman’s Health Initiative Randomized, Controlled Trial JAMA 2002;288:321-333.

What is it? Calcium is a mineral, and a very important component
of a healthy diet. Nearly all the calcium in the body is stored in the
bones and teeth.

What does it do? Calcium supports the structure of the bones and
teeth, but it also has other functions. Calcium also helps with
muscle contraction, helps blood vessels to expand and contract,
and helps to send signals through the nervous system.

Why is it important? Without adequate calcium from the diet,
calcium can be pulled out of storage from the bones. This could
cause them to weaken, which is why it is so important to consume
enough calcium from foods, and supplement as necessary to meet
needs.

Where is it found? The richest sources of calcium are dairy
products such as milk, yogurt and cottage cheese. Some leafy
green vegetables, such as spinach, seaweed and kale also provide
calcium. Tofu and beans can also contribute some calcium to the
diet. Many foods are now calcium-fortified such as soy milks, some
fruit juices, breakfast cereals, and even some breads.

What is it? Isolated soy protein is high quality protein that is
derived from soybeans. All the fat and carbohydrate has been
removed, leaving a protein powder that can be incorporated into a
variety of foods.

What does it do? Protein is vital to life – our bodies require
protein to manufacture muscle tissue, hormones, enzymes and
other essential materials to keep the body functioning properly.
Since isolated soy protein is derived from soybeans, it contains
naturally occurring phytochemicals (beneficial compounds that
come from edible plants) that promote health.

Why is it important? All proteins are made up of small building
blocks called amino acids – and some of these amino acids are
essential in the diet because the body cannot make them. A protein
that contains all the essential amino acids is called a ‘complete’
protein. Soy is the only vegetarian source of complete protein, and
the quality of soy protein is as good as animal sources of protein
such as meat, eggs and milk. Since many animal sources of protein
also contain fat and cholesterol, soy protein isolate is a great
alternative in providing high quality protein without fat, saturated fat,
or cholesterol. Proteins also are important in keeping hunger at
bay.

Where is it found? Soy protein isolate can be purchased as a
plain or flavored powder that can be mixed with milk and fruit to
create a protein-rich meal, or can be stirred into a variety of foods
such as soups, sauces or hot cereals to boost protein content. The
powder may also be blended with protein powders from other
sources (such as whey protein, derived from milk).

What is it? Carbohydrate is one of the major nutrients that the
body requires in adequate amounts every day. The basic building
blocks of carbohydrates are sugar molecules that can be linked
together in many ways to form a vast array of carbohydrates in
foods in the forms of sugars and starches. We eat sugars naturally
in foods every day – fruits are rich in a single-molecule sugar called
fructose and milk contains lactose made from two different sugar
molecules hooked together. Longer arrangements of sugar
molecules make up starches, fiber and complex carbohydrates
found in foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

What does it do? Carbohydrates are generally the most abundant
nutrient in the diet, and for good reason. Carbohydrates are the
major source of fuel for the body – the body can use fat or protein
for fuel, but these nutrients are put to better use for building cells
and tissues. In foods, carbohydrates provide flavor (such as
sweetness) and structure (such as fiber in a carrot or a stalk of
celery). Fiber provides bulk to the diet and assists with regularity.

Why is it important? As the primary source of fuel to the body,
carbohydrates are critical to keep us going. If we didn’t consume
enough carbohydrate in the diet, it would be difficult to get through
daily activities or to exercise adequately. Fiber is important in the
diet to help keep the digestive tract running smoothly. And, having
enough carbohydrate in the diet means that we don’t have to use
dietary protein for fuel - that way, protein can be spent to build and
repair tissue.

Where is it found? Starchy foods such as potatoes, peas, corn
and grain products (rice, cereal, bread, pasta, crackers, etc.) are
‘carbs’, but fruits and vegetables are also excellent sources of
carbohydrate. Sugars – like table sugar, brown sugar, honey,
maple syrup – are also sources of ‘simple’ carbohydrates. The
healthiest carbohydrate sources are whole fruits, vegetables and
whole grains like whole wheat, barley or oats, because these foods
provide not only carbohydrate, but also fiber and phytonutrients for
good health. These sources of carbohydrate should be emphasized
in the diet, with less emphasis on sugars, sugary foods and refined
carbohydrate products such as white rice, white bread, pretzels,
regular pasta, and products made with white flour such as cakes,
cookies and pastries.

What are they? Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats.
There are different classes of fatty acids, depending on their
chemical structure, and omega-3 fatty acids are one class.

What do they do? The omega-3 fatty acids have numerous
beneficial effects on the body, primarily related to cardiovascular
health.

Why are they important? Our typical diet contains too many
omega-6 fatty acids - another class of fatty acids which are
converted into inflammatory agents that are bad for our health.
Omega-3 fatty acids help to balance out our intake of the omega-6
fats.

Where are they found? The richest source of omega-3 fatty acids
is fish oil. When you eat fish, much of the fat is healthy omega-3
fat. Fattier fish like wild salmon, herring, mackerel, and sardines
are particularly good sources. Farmed fish often have less omega-3
fatty acid content (and more omega-6 fatty acids) because they are
fed a diet much different from what wild fish consume.

There are also small amounts of omega-3 fats in certain plant
products, like flaxseed and some leafy green vegetables like
spinach. Also, many products – from cereals to yogurt – have
omega-3 fatty acids added to them. The omega-3 fatty acids in
vegetables and flaxseed are not exactly the same as those found in
fish, and the body cannot use these plant-derived acids as
effectively as fish-derived fatty acids. Because most people don’t
eat very much fish, they can address this nutritional need by
responsible supplementation of their diet.

What is it? Arginine is an amino acid – one of many ‘building
blocks’ of proteins. These building blocks can be arranged in
hundreds of unique combinations to manufacture body proteins.
These specific arrangements of amino acids determine what that
protein will ultimately become – whether it’s skin or hair or muscle,
or an enzyme or hormone that helps to regulate certain body
processes.

What does it do?
Arginine has several functions in the body; Arginine is used in the
manufacture of a variety of important compounds, including nitric
oxide which has beneficial effects on the heart. It also assists in
secretion of hormones and maintenance of blood sugar, and it also
supports the immune system.

Why is it important?
One of the most important roles of arginine is in cardiovascular
health. Nitric oxide, made in the body from arginine, helps keep
blood vessels elastic which improves blood flow and helps support
healthy blood pressure. Arginine is also involved in the production
of creatine, a substance that ultimately helps provide energy to
working muscles. Another role for arginine is in helping the body
remove waste products that are naturally produced during the
breakdown of dietary protein.

Where is it found? Our bodies can manufacture arginine, but if
we have inadequate intakes from the diet, particularly during
periods of growth, the body may not make enough to make up for
the short supply and supplementation can help to meet needs.
Arginine can be found in a wide variety of foods, including protein-
rich dairy products, meat, fish and poultry; vegetarians get their
arginine from whole grains like wheat and oats, nuts, seeds and
beans. Certain fruits, such as watermelon, contain citrulline,
another amino acid which the body converts to arginine.

What is it? Green tea is brewed from leaves of the Camellia
sinensis plant. When the leaves are picked they are steamed,
which helps the leaves to retain their green color (leaves that are
not steamed turn dark, and become black tea). Next to water, tea is
the most widely consumed beverage in the world, and people have
been brewing it for nearly 5,000 years.

What does it do? Green tea contains many beneficial
compounds, and much of the research interest has focused on a
particular group of compounds called polyphenols. These
substances are strong antioxidants - they help to fight damage that
can occur from free radicals.

Why is it important? Free radicals are highly reactive molecules
that can harm cells and tissues in the body if the body lacks
adequate antioxidants as a defense. The antioxidant polyphenols in
green tea help protect the body against free radical damage.

Where is it found? Green tea leaves are available packed loose
or in tea bags for brewing. Some supplements provide the
beneficial green tea compounds in amounts equivalent to what
would be found in several cups of green tea.