Proper Nutrition Aids Health

Trying to improve health, you may need to reduce weight without compromising nutrition. Following a healthy diet, you can reduce risk of heart disease and cancer by reducing cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, and losing weight. You can do this by monitoring your intake of food and beverages for calories and eating a wide variety of food.

The body relies not just on calories to function but the right combination of nutrients. The primary source of energy comes from carbohydrates. Using these to build glucose, the body can use them immediately or store them as fat for later. If you take in to many carbohydrates, you will obviously gain weight from this storage process. Complex carbohydrates are better because they are harder to break down (i.e. starchy and fibrous foods). Sugars are simple carbohydrates.

Helping to build and repair muscles, protein is also essential for hormone production. However, like carbohydrates, if too much is ingested, it will be stored as fat. Protein can be found in both animals and vegetables. High in saturated fat, animal protein contributes to high cholesterol.

As odd as it may seem, fat is also an essential nutrient for your body. Available as saturated or unsaturated, fat can be a positive or negative ingredient in your diet. Saturated fats lead to high cholesterol, while unsaturated fats provide you with a healthy form as long as it is not over refined.

Vitamins that perform different actions in the body also need to be included in the diet. Some provide energy while others prevent disease. Vitamins called antioxidants (vitamins A, C, and E) prevent build up in artery walls that leads to coronary disease. Other vitamins can keep digestion functioning properly, detoxify the body, assist in making red blood cells or clotting blood, and helping to absorb needed minerals.

Minerals are elements that your body needs in small amounts, such as phosphorus. You also need to consume no more than 2400mg of salt each day.

To create a balanced diet, you should include 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit each day. Try a variety instead of relying on the same ones each time, choosing one from each subgroup four times a week. Three ounces of whole grain and 48 oz of milk or dairy products should be included. Keep your fat intake mainly to unsaturated fats as no more than 10% to 30% of your calories. Using lean, low fat, or fat-free meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk, keep saturated fats to less than 10% of your total calorie intake.

Since the basis of a healthy diet is excellent nutrition, lean towards fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while moderating alcohol, fats, and sugars.

Common Herbs And Some Specific Uses

Vaginitis

Carefully peel a clove of Garlic so that no nicks are made in the meat. Wrap in clean gauze with a clean, unbleached string creating a small tampon like packet. Insert into the vagina each night for up to six nights. If this treatment does not cure the infection see your physician.

Yeast Infections

Mix two to three drops of Tea Tree Oil in a tablespoon of yogurt. Soak a tampon in the mixture. Insert the tampon at night for up to six nights. Care must be taken when using any plant extracts. They are extremely concentrated and even in small doses can cause harm.

HARMFUL EFFECTS AND THINGS TO AVOID

Herbs are good medicine. There is no doubt about that fact. However, there are over 300,000 higher plant species. A good herbalist may know of one or two thousand of them. This means that even an experienced herbalist can make mistakes. Let’s take a look at some of the most common problems.

Pregnant women should avoid barberry root bark, cascara sagrada, feverfew, juniper berries, mugwort, pennyroyal, pokeroot, rue, senna, southernwood, tansy, thuja and wormwood. All of those herbs can increase a risk for miscarriage. Safe herbs during pregnancy would be Manna, Butternut Bark or Root, Flax Seed, Slippery Elm and Lemon Verbena.

No matter what herb(s) you are taking, be mindful of anything unexpected. Stop taking whatever it is and consult an expert you can trust.

Make certain you have the correct diagnosis. Diagnosis is not easy and sometimes doctors make mistakes. Generally, however, a doctor is much better equipped to diagnose. Discuss any planned herbal discipline you plan to undertake with your physician.

Watch for any allergic reactions. Even though you may have never had any allergies in the past, if you are embarking on an herbal journey, watch carefully for any adverse reactions. If you experience difficulty in breathing within 30 minutes of trying a new herb, food or drug, call 911 immediately! You may be having an anaphylactic reaction which is the most severe form of allergic reaction. This condition can quickly become fatal unless treated promptly. This reaction is rare, but you need to be careful and be aware.

Proper Nutrition Aids Health

People living with HIV/AIDS in Burundi often face the additional challenge of fighting the disease without proper nutrition because of a widespread food shortage in the country, IRIN/PlusNews reports. Jean Rirangira, interim executive secretary of ...

Burundi's Food Shortages Create Challenges For People Living With HIV ... - Medical News Today

The Compassionate Friends, a bereavement support group for parents, siblings and grandparents who have lost a child, meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Community Hospital, 5637 Marine Parkway, New Port Richey. Call (813) 273-8721. Easy Eating for Diabetics ...

Health listings - St. Petersburg Times

Okay. Think what you want. Most of you will think that I am nuts and my title has maybe peaked your interest. Okay. Think what you want. Most of you will think that I am nuts and my title has maybe peaked your interest. Will for the few of you who ...