News and Articles on Health. Medical research topics.

In the United States, health concerns such as food insecurity and obesity continue to rise among American households (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003). Poor dietary intake can result in poor health outcomes as well as negatively impact student academic performance (Sigman-Grant, 2003). Despite the growing health concerns among the youth, limited studies have examined the dietary patterns of the Mexican-American adolescent population. This study aims to fill that void by describing the dietary intake of predominantly Mexican-American adolescents 13-18 years of age (n=532). The study design was cross-sectional and randomly selected high school participants based on their enrollment in physical education classes. Results of a one day 24-hour dietary recall showed both males and females in this study were below the national recommendations for total calories per day and reported poor eating behaviors. Further research is needed to investigate food insufficiency in this population who has high prevalence of overweight.
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In most recent national estimates, over 38 million people, including 13.9 million children have experienced food insecurity in 2004 (Holben, 2006). Food insecurity has been linked to poor dietary intake and nutritional status, poor health, increased risk for chronic diseases, poor psychological and cognitive function as well as poor student academic performance (Holben, 2006). Healthy People 2010 has declared a national goal to increase food security by 94% and to reduce hunger. The US Department of Agriculture’s Community Food Security Initiative goal is to cut food insecurity in half by 2015 (Holben, 2006). Food insecurity is defined by national experts as the “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods and limited or uncertain ability to acquire foods in a socially acceptable way” (Holben, 2006; Stang, Bayerl, & Flatt, 2006). Food Insufficiency is defined as “an inadequate amount of food intake due to lack of money or resources” (Holben, 2006; Mazur, Marquis, & Jensen, 2003).

Mexican-American households experience greater levels of food insecurity compared with the national average in the United States (Holben, 2006; Kaiser, Melgar-Quinonez, Lamp, Johns, Sutherlin & Harwood, 2002). In fact the prevalence of food insecurity is higher in black (23.7%) and in Hispanic households (21.7%) than in households of other racial groups (Stang et al., 2006). Children living in Hispanic and African-American households headed by a single mother or father are at even greater risk for food insecurity than the national average. In recent reports 32% to 52% of children and adolescents living in poverty reported insufficient access to food on one or more days per month (Holben, 2006; Sigman-Grant, 2003).

Mediterranean diet foods are healthy because they are all natural. You can lose weight by eating them in moderation. They are healthy for your body, your heart, lowering your cholesterol and reducing the signs of aging.

When you are following the traditional Mediterranean diet your body will absorb all the natural and healthy nutrition that it needs daily, helping you to lose or maintain your weight and health. You will eat vegetables and fruit that have fiber, needed in your daily diet.

Most Mediterranean lifestyles are very simple, and lived at a slow pace of life. This helps with the idea of taking the time to cut and chop your meals instead of using a can opener for most of your meals. Sticking with fresh and natural foods. Cutting out canned and processed foods will help you become healthier faster. The additives in canned and processed foods are hard on your body. Even though they are quick and easy they will not give you the good nutrition that fresh fruit and vegetables will give you.

Olive oil is the main part of the Mediterranean diet, it is healthy in many ways. Other oils when used all the time can clog your arteries. Olive oil helps reduce cholesterol and will not clog your arteries. Changing your oil intake over to olive oil will help prevent a heart attack, stroke, many diseases, and cancer.

Eating healthy foods that are rich in minerals, essential acids, proteins, nutrition, and vitamins is how we should have always been eating. Having healthy foods in our daily diet is necessary for our bodies to stay healthy and fit.

White meats are more common in Mediterranean eating and they are healthier. Red meats does have healthy values in it. However a lot of red meat consumed each week can end up hurting you. Sticking to freshly prepared fish and chicken is a better eating choice for your health.

However, we still want to eat in moderation.

Many people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That is true. One should never skip breakfast. Breakfast should be a prepared and healthy meal. Start it off with dairy and whole grains; then a very lean piece of meat such as ham. End your meal with a small piece of cheese or fruit. Be sure to to drink a large glass of water during your meal. There is not a better breakfast to start your day and fill you up with out filling you with fat and calories.

Mediterranean diet foods are mostly fruit and vegetables, beans, potatoes, fish and cereals that are high in fiber; and olive oil – the “Mediterranean gold”. You want to make sure that you are taking in the correct amount of vitamins and minerals in your diet. You can also add nuts that are rich in fatty acids, and berries high in antioxidants. When you include all of this into your daily diet you will feel better, healthier and more fit.

The core building blocks of food are sugars, starch and oil. These three things provide our basic carbon and energy requirements. Different plants have unique levels and available proportions of these essential building blocks.

Seeds containing starch can have a descent amount of oil compared to oil seeds, which have no starch. Starch in the diet is usually provided by grains and vegetables, like potatoes.

Sugars freely available in sweet food are fructose, glucose, and sucrose. There is much to be read and learnt about these sugars beyond the scope of this article.

Oils in the diet are naturally obtained from foods with high oil content. Avocados are known for their high oil content. Nuts are another source of oils in the diet. We don’t need to consume oil (cooking or otherwise) to receive adequate oils.

Vegetarians will passionately tell you we don’t need meat in our diets to receive adequate Nutrition levels. The human body can happily and fundamentally gain its nutritional requirements from non-meat sources. Vegetarians know this and do it successfully. Many animal species eat nothing more than plant based nutrition.

There is ongoing debate about the nutritional levels of Organically grown food compared to food grown using modern traditional methods. One segment missing from these debates is the amount of pesticide residues on non-organic produce. The emphasis is focused only on the nutritional value.

Although scientific research and logical opinion differ, my logical view is that a plant will absorb the nutrients it requires regardless of their source. The important point ism, was the source real and natural or synthetic?

Organic, Natural food is grown with the idea that a plant obtains its nutrition from nature. Plants have been growing successfully for centuries, long before man and science discovered a way to synthetically manufacture a fake version of nature.

The best way to determine if a plant or its fruit is nutritionally adequate is to observe the plant or fruit itself. If it looks healthy and delicious it most likely is. Plants show signs of inadequate nutrition by changes in their growth habit changes in leaf colour, poor fruit production or smaller than expected plant growth.

For maximum health benefits, look for food grown without the use of synthetic Pesticides. The look, feel and taste of the food will provide logical fact regarding the Nutritional value of it.

Healthy food will be naturally high in essential sugars, starch and oils needed for a healthy human diet.

Organically grown food often looks distorted or may have odd shapes. This does not have anything to do with the health of the plant or the food, it simply means the fruit was not grown for uniformity but rather quality and taste.

If you have a kidney problem, or you want to make sure you avoid having one in the future, you have to be careful about what’s in your diet.

The goal of this article is to offer information on a sensible diet for people with kidney problems – whether you already have a kidney problem, or are worried you might have one in the future. The information in this article is also intended to help anyone who is a caretaker for someone who has kidney problems, or has to plan meals everyday for such an individual.

When you’re dealing with kidney disease, kidney failure or similar challenges, diet is an extremely important component in controlling your condition. Diet can also be important in avoiding recurring issues like kidney stones.

Decisions about what to eat depend on several factors.

The current state of your kidney health

Your overall health and physical well-being, especially in regard to any other conditions or or disorders you may have.

Your BMI, or body mass index or BMI (the kidneys of obese people have to work harder).

When planning a diet for people with kidney problems, there are five main food groups that must be taken into consideration.

Salt or Sodium

Normal kidneys remove excess sodium from your body by filtering it out of your bloodstream. But unhealthy kidneys fail to do this. They allow salt to accumulate. As a result, there’s a fluid build up in the body which causes bloating and usually appears first in the joints and the face.

Sodium or salt is important for metabolism. It helps control blood pressure, keeps a fluid balance in the body, and even influences muscle movement.

But many people eat way more salt than they should. Some don’t realize that many of the prepackaged and processed foods that are regular parts of their diets are loaded with sodium – it’s not just the salt that comes out of the shaker on the dinner table.

Anyone who has reason to think they might have a kidney problem should avoid making the following foods a big part of their diet:

dinner mixes that are pre-packaged or processed

potato chips and salty snacks

salted nuts

processed foods like cold cuts

cheese

canned, dehydrated, or instant soup or bouillon cubes

canned vegetables

bacon

You can also do yourself a favor by reducing the amount of salt from the salt shaker at the dinner table.

Protein

Protein is similar to sodium: it’s a good thing as long as you don’t eat too much of it.

Eating a diet that includes a large amount of protein is bad for your kidneys. It causes excess waste and increases the risk of kidney disease. Talk to your doctor to find a balance.

A lot of protein can be found in meat and poultry products (which includes eggs). Vegetables and grains typically don’t contain much protein.

Potassium

Almost all foods contain some level of potassium So if you’re concerned about your kidneys, you have to become aware of how much potassium is contained in your food choices.

Some foods contain a lot of potassium, and you should be careful to watch how much of them you eat.

Foods that contain a lot of potassium include collard, mushrooms, mustard, oranges, potatoes, prunes, raisins, salt substitute, tomatoes, apricots, bananas, beets and broccoli.

Potassium plays an important role in maintaining the health of muscles and nerves. When there’s too much potassium in your diet however, you can start having heart rhythm problems.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is similar to potassium in that it promotes healthy muscles and nerves. When combined with calcium, it also gives you strong bones and teeth.

When you have kidney problems, your phosphorus balances can be affected. This reduces your calcium levels, and your body begins to “rob” calcium from your bones to make up for the deficiency.

But excessive levels of phosphorus is bad too. It can cause skin irritation and itchiness, joint pain and brittle bones.

Here are some foods that contain a lot of phosphorus: peanut butter and many kinds of nuts, liver (both chicken and beef) cheese and caramel. Keep in mind you can get phosphorus from what you drink too. Beer and cola products have relatively high phosphorus levels.

Fluids

One of the most important functions your kidneys perform is filtering fluids. Someone with a kidney problem has challenges in this area. So, it’s important to watch your fluid intake carefully as part of a healthy kidney diet.

Consuming a lot of fluids can result in swelling, high blood pressure and shortness of breath.

It’s important to remember that some fluids start out as solids and then melt into liquids in your stomach. Ice cream is a good example of this type of food.

Summary

If you’re worried that you might have a kidney problem – now or in the future – it’s important to eat the right kinds of foods.
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As kidney function declines, kidney dialysis or even a kidney transplant become more and more likely. Eating a diet for people with kidney problems today will reduce your chances of ever being faced with such choices in the future.

Correct knowledge on the right diet to take during a particular ailment is a very good step to recovery. You need not be a medical practitioner or dietitian to know this. For our own good and immediate help, giving the right food in the right situation speeds up recovery. What are these recommended diets and to which diseases should we take them?

Chronic diseases of the large bowel with constipations
Give diets which would stimulate the evacuative function of the large bowel. Diet must include normal quantity of main food ingredients, be full of energy value and rich with mechanical stimulators of the bowels (plant fiber) and fluids. All foods should be boiled or steamed, warm; food taken 4-5 times daily with small portions. Fresh fruits, raw green leafy vegetables and brown rice are recommended daily. Also one should eat beans, Brussels sprouts, garlic, sweet potatoes and whole grains. It is important to drink at least eight 200g (8 ounce) glasses of water every day when adding fiber that stimulate secretions by the mucous membranes, such as dairy products, fats, spicy and fried foods, are to be avoided.

Acute and chronic colitis, enterocolitis, gastro-enterocolitis in acute period
Recommended diets are ones which spare the maximal mechanical, thermal and chemical actions of the gastro-intestinal tract. Hypochronic diet; milk and foods rich with fiber must be excluded. Stimulators of bile secretion are recommended. Diet with low carbohydrate content is administered. Such diets are foods boiled, steamed, broiled or baked, prepared in puree form and warm are acceptable. Food taken 5 to 6 times a day. Non acidic fresh or cooked vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, garlic, spinach, turnips) are recommended as well as plenty of liquids. It is necessary to eliminate all dairy foods (including cheese), fish, hard sausage, alcohol, chocolate, fried, greasy and spicy foods. Limit intake of meat, fats and foods containing gluten (barley, oats, rye).

Acute and chronic hepatits,cirrhosis of the liver, chronic cholecystitis, pyelonephritis
You must exclude diets which would give chemical protection of the liver and kidneys. Diets must also exclude heavy fats (like pork), spices, friend foods, ‘fast foods’, avoid stimulators of gastro intestinal secretions, the diet must be rich in methionine, lecithin, and choline to stimulate synthesis of proteins and enzymes in the liver. Foods should be boiled, steamed, baked and taken 5 times daily.

Chronic pancreatitis in acute period
Give diets which restrict pancreas secretion function, and also stimulate protein synthesis. Diets with normal value of proteins and vitamins, with restriction of fats and carbohydrates are administered, also restrict salt. Dairy foods are forbidden. Foods must be warm, boiled, steamed, prepared at the puree form and eat small meals 5 to 6 times daily.

Acute and chronic glomerulonephritis in acute stage
Give diets which give maximum protection of the kidneys, decreasing edema, high pressure, stabilization of protein metabolism. Such diets should restrict proteins, have low quantity of fat and carbohydrates, water, salt and allergenic foods. So therefore, what comes to mind is basically fruits and steamed foods which should be taken 5 to 6 times daily.

In the stage of improvement
Foods which would improve letting out substances of protein metabolism, to increase daily urine output and to pass out unwanted products of protein metabolism. Moderate limitation of proteins, restrictions of salts, fats and carbohydrates as usual. Hence a very large percentage of the food intake should be fruits.
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It’s no accident that a walnut looks like a mini-brain. Nuts are brain food. It just so happens that the brain is 60 percent fat and nuts have the perfect kind of fat to keep the brain clear and sharp. Nuts have omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated essential fatty acids.

There are lots of people who seem to be essential fatty acid deficient, particularly omega-3s. We eat too many unhealthy fats in our diets that cause problems with all kinds of health issues. Raw nuts, eaten in small quantities every day, do not lead to weight gain and provide lots of benefits.

The essential fatty acids in nuts make them a good addition to the diet to lower the risk of heart and circulatory problems. Small portions of raw nuts can reduce unhealthy cholesterol markers in the blood. The fats and lecithin found in nuts feed the nerves, brain and glands, providing the building blocks for hormones and other chemical signalers in the body. Nuts also improve immune function, reduces cravings and aids in intestinal elimination.

Nuts have about twice as much protein as cereal grains and if you combine nuts with legumes, seeds and grains you are providing the body with a complete balance of amino acids. Nut milks are another good source of amino acids and proteins. In you combine whole grain cereal with nut milk, you provide your body with a complete protein to start your day.

The amino acid lysine is low in all kinds of nuts, while the amino acid L-arginine is high. Nuts also contain chromium, which is a mineral that regulates sugar cravings and insulin response. Nuts are also a good source of magnesium, which regulates nerve and muscle enzyme action. Magnesium also helps the body metabolize essential fatty acids which are also contained in the nuts. Nuts contain zinc. copper, manganese, selenium, choline, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, Thiamine and Vitamin E. They are a powerhouse of dense nutrition that also supplies linoleic acid along with vitamins and minerals.

There are many ways to add nuts to your diet – you can eat them raw as a snack, chop them and put them into s salad, grind them and use them as a flour in cookies and breads, chop them finely and use then as a breading on zucchini sticks, add them to dips, make butters out of them and the list goes on.

It is not a good idea to roast nuts as it destroys most of the nutrients in them and makes them very difficult to digest. Adding salt to your roasted nuts is a total recipe for disaster. By eating nuts raw and in small quantities every day, you will receive many health benefits like improve prostate health, beautiful hair and skin, improved heart health, better circulation and clear, sharp thinking. Enjoy one of nature’s super foods and reap the health benefits.

Too much focus is often put on high cholesterol levels as the major risk factor for heart disease when in fact more than 50% of people with heart disease do not have high cholesterol levels. Something else must also be at work. More and more evidence is pointing towards chronic inflammation as the culprit. So what is chronic inflammation, and what can you do about it?

Normal inflammation occurs when you have an infection or cut your finger. It is your body’s natural healing response. Overt symptoms of inflammation are redness, swelling, and soreness. The problem happens when your body remains in an inflammatory state when it is no longer needed. This is called chronic inflammation, and it is a problem because the immune system starts attacking healthy tissue as is the case with such autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type I diabetes. In addition, there is increasing evidence that chronic inflammation may be the main underlying cause of heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

So what causes your body’s natural healing system to get out of balance? Inflammation is greatly influenced by the kinds of foods you eat and the lifestyle you live. Below are 4 tips on what you can do to control inflammation:

Reduce Waist Size: Visceral fat contributes to inflammation and heart disease. Visceral fat accumulates around the belly and internal organs to create the apple shaped figure. One excellent way to help reduce visceral fat is to exercise regularly.

Increase Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Most people are eating too few Omega-3 fatty acids and too many Omega-6 fatty acids due to high meat and polyunsaturated vegetable oil consumption (corn, safflower, cottonseed, soybean, and peanut oil). To help improve your ratio, eat more foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids like fatty fish, walnuts, and flax seeds and reduce your consumption of meat and store-bought packaged foods which often use polyunsaturated vegetable oils. If you choose to eat meat, choose meat from grass-fed instead of grain-fed animals to increase the Omega-3 content of the meat.

Greatly Reduce Sugar Consumption: Most of your diet should consist of foods that are low on the glycemic scale because these foods will trigger an inflammatory response in the body. Examples of high glycemic foods include white potatoes, tropical fruits like pineapple, sugar, juice, high fructose corn syrup, refined or pulverized flours found in bread, many cold cereals and baked goods.

Eat More Turmeric and Ginger: These two spices are anti-inflammatory spices that should be incorporated more frequently into the diet.

There is a ton of nutritional information on the web, but where to start or even what to look up can seem overwhelming. Your best bet is to start off with what you know, which, for most people, will probably mean the food pyramid they learned in elementary school.

A proper nutrition is your best bet at losing that stomach fat and keeping it off. The western lifestyle caters to the quick and easy, but it wreaks havoc with our body, chiefly in the way our body stores fat. So, one tip would be to look at what you have in your fridge and pantry. Chances are, if you have a gut, a lot of the food you have will be responsible for it. This is a good start because now you know what to avoid on your next grocery trip. Perhaps the next tip would be to look at what the contents are of what you eat.

What you want to aim for are foods that are very low or don’t contain any trans-fat. This is the culprit for the guts and stomach fat of the world. Your body does need and use fat, but they are natural fats and should be taken to help your body run. One last tip would be, when buying groceries, stick to the outside of the store. The majority of the healthier foods, the ones we all need like milk, eggs, meat, vegetables, etc. are found along the outer edge of the store. All the fattier foods full of sugars, trans-fat, salts, etc. find themselves in the middle of the store. Stick to the outside and have most of your food from there. You’ll see that as time goes on and you stick to this way of eating, you’ll be losing some weight and feeling much healthier over all.

According to common belief, only non-veg items and animal foods contain the essential proteins. But interestingly, plant foods also do contain the same eight important amino acids for the body – just as non-veg sources. The difference only is in the amounts. As long as you keep your calorie intake in the right proportion, plant foods will also provide you the necessary amino acids just by themselves or in combinations. Some of the vegetarian sources of proteins that you can easily include in your diet are:

• Nuts
• Beans and legumes, especially when eaten raw
• Soy foods, such as miso, tofu, tempeh, and soy milk
• Sprouted seeds. Each type of sprout generally includes differing proportions of nutrients. Therefore, it’s wise to eat a variety of these stuffs.
• Grains, especially amaranth and quinoa, are high-quality proteins. So, try having them regularly.
• Spirulina and chorella do have over 60 percent protein

Histidine, Arginine, Valine, Tryptophan, Threnoine, Phenylalanine, Methionine, Lysine, Leucine and Isoleucine are the major amino acids those propel the growth of the body. These aminos acids are available primarily in fruits and vegetables. Try eating all varieties of fruits and vegetables as much as you can in their raw forms. If you want to be absolutely certain that you are having enough protein from your vegetarian protein source, it’s good to eat food combinations thus forming a complete protein, like:

• Legumes + grains
• Legumes + seeds
• Legumes + nuts

Those who are not in a mood to consume those healthy protein items in their raw forms, they can try the following vegetarian protein source preparations without compromising on their taste buds.

• Beans on toast
• Veggie burgers on bread
• Pasta with beans
• Corn and beans
• Hummus and pita bread
• Rice and beans, peas, or lentils
• Split pea soup with whole grain or seeded crackers or bread
• Tortillas with refried beans
• Nut butter on whole grain bread

Nutrition sports supplement made from vegetarian sources can be another effective way of getting all necessary protein nutrients for your health.

Vitamins are organic compounds that are required by the body to perform specific biological functions, for normal maintenance and optimum growth and health of the body. They are 13 in number namely vitamins A, C, D, E, K, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, B-12 and folate .

Most of them are obtained from the diet, basically fruits and vegetables. The microorganisms in the intestine synthesize vitamin K and vitamin B12. Vitamin D is synthesized by the skin with the help of ultraviolet wavelength of natural sunlight.

They are classified as fat-soluble (A, D, E and K) and water-soluble (C and B-group). The water-soluble vitamins are readily excreted in urine. Vitamins have diverse functions. They function as hormones (Vitamin D regulates the levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood.), as antioxidants (vitamin E), regulate the cell development and growth and act as mediators of cell signaling. Some act as enzyme cofactor bio-molecules (coenzymes). Some assist the enzymatic action and some take part in it.

To avoid deficiencies they must be continuously supplied in the diet. Vitamin deficiencies can be classified as primary deficiency and secondary deficiency.

• Primary deficiency is due to the decreased intake of the vitamins.

• Secondary deficiency is due to an underlying cause or disorder that either does not allow proper absorption or usage of the vitamins.

If the required amount of vitamins cannot be obtained by varied diet, dietary supplements are given to prevent deficiencies and in cases of secondary deficiency, the underlying cause needs to be identified and treated appropriately.

However, care needs to be taken to avoid over dosage of vitamins to avoid serious complications.