Tag: Vitamins Minerals

Sports Nutrition: Have The Body And Endurance Of An Athlete

Sports Nutrition: Have The Body And Endurance Of An Athlete

We envy athletes for their trimmed physique and endurance to long hours of physical activities. They achieve the body and endurance that we envy because of regular exercise, body training, proper diet and sports nutrition supplements.

Sports nutrition supplements may be in a form of capsule, powdered shakes, liquid food and candy-like bars. What are sports nutrition supplements and what they can do to your body are the things that you should know first before you head to your local health stores for gallons of protein shakes, carbohydrates bar, and amino acid capsules.

Sports Nutrition Supplements: Vitamins and Minerals

Some people think that sports nutrition supplements such as vitamins or minerals help enhance their performance in the field. According to many experts, however, extra intakes of vitamins and minerals don’t add up to improvement in performance, unless of course the athlete is suffering from vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

A well-balanced diet can meet most of the daily vitamin and mineral needs of an athlete.

Avoid sports nutrition supplements that claim to be ‘herbal’ in nature. Don’t self-prescribe vitamin oil supplements or ‘herbal’ muscle grower without asking your physician first. Usually, these ‘herbal’ supplements go in the guise of herbal supplement, when in fact they are capsules of steroids.

If you want to help your immune system, you can take megadoses of vitamin C. Vitamin C is water soluble and excess of which is easily discharged through sweat and urine.

To avoid sports anemia, especially to females who lose blood every month due to menstruation, the mineral iron should be part of an athlete’s list of sports nutrition supplements. Iron, in blood, is responsible for carrying clean oxygen to healthy body cells and removing carbon dioxide from them.

Taking iron supplements should be done with caution. There is such a thing as iron overdose. Consult your physician first before you take iron as part of your sports nutrition supplement.

Sports Nutrition Supplements: Proteins and Carbohydrates

Protein and carbohydrate are two of the most important sports nutrition supplements. Protein help the muscle grow and gain strength while carbohydrates fuel the body for long hours of exercise ahead.

Although an athlete can get protein and carbohydrates through his daily diet, he can get the large amount he needs by drinking protein shakes or eating a protein bar. There are also carbohydrates supplements in powder and bar form.

These sports nutrition supplements may be added to an athlete’s daily meal. Powdered proteins and carbohydrates are delicious ingredients to a glassful of smoothies or fruit punch.

These sports nutrition supplements are also good for people who are on the go. They are good meal replacements for those who want to lose weight or meal addition for those who want to gain weight.

Nonetheless, anyone who has decided to add these sports nutrition supplements in their daily diet, they should also make it a point to exercise regularly to synthesize and burn out those protein and carbohydrates in the body.

Energy Levels and High-vitamin Diets

Good nutrition is very important regardless of which sport you do. A variety of nutrients are needed in your daily diet to keep fit and healthy. A balanced diet should provide the right proportions of carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals, water and dietary fiber.

Energy is the most important nutritional factor for any form of physical activity. Carbohydrate and fat are the main fuels used by exercising muscles. Vitamins and minerals are also crucial in energy metabolism. A diet deficient in vitamin and minerals can compromise sporting performance.

The importance of a high-vitamin diet

In order to obtain vitamins and minerals, athletes need to eat a wide assortment of nutrient-dense foods in amounts that will maintain energy balance. This means that a person must consume 1,200 to1,500 kilo-calories a day.

Meeting vitamin and mineral requirements when energy intake is 3,000 kcal/day or higher (as is among male and female ice hockey and cross country skiers) is actually easy. Even athletes whose energy intakes may be about 2,000 kcal/day can meet their vitamin and mineral needs from food alone.

As long as a wide variety of foods are eaten, vitamin and mineral intake is adequate. Supplementation therefore is not necessary.

Is more better?

Athletes usually meet two-thirds or more of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for vitamins and minerals. Athletes who have high calorie intakes of about 5,000 to 6,000 kcal/day may achieve 200% or more of the RDA for some vitamins and minerals just from foods they eat.

Despite this fact, most of the athletes who are concerned with sports nutrition take supplements to boost performance. While vitamin and mineral deficiencies impair physical performance, research indicates that supplementation of a nutritionally adequate sports diet does not improve physical work capacity, endurance, oxygen consumption, cardiovascular function, muscle strength, or resistance to fatigue.

When are vitamin supplements needed?

Vitamin supplements are commonly used if an athletes diet is not enough for his energy requirements. Vitamin supplements provide “health insurance,” as sort of back-up to ensure optimal sports nutrition.

Multivitamin supplements with no more than 100% of the Daily Value (DV.) provide a safe and adequate balance of vitamins. However, it should not be forgotten that the goal is still to eat a wide variety of foods. Food contains fiber and a multitude of phytochemicals that provide many health benefits.

Supplements should never be replacements for food. While many sports supplements contain the antioxidant beta carotene, at least 450 carotenoids are only found in food. Antioxidant value exists in other carotenoids as well.

Minerals for injury prevention

Minerals like calcium, iron, and zinc are especially important for athletes.

Recommendations of calcium intake are based on levels than can promote calcium retention, maximize bone mineral density, and inhibit bone loss. Food that provide good calcium stores are the following: dairy products, fish with bones, broccoli, and fortified cereals and juices.

Iron depletion, the first stage of iron deficiency is the most common type of iron deficiency among athletes. Lean red meats, dark poultry, fortified cereals, whole grains, and legumes are good iron sources.

Zinc, which is found in meat, poultry, seafood, and whole grains, is essential for protein synthesis, healing, and immune function.

Although minerals are needed to work hand-in-hand with vitamins to ensure good sports nutrition, we must remember that consuming any mineral excessively can interfere with digestion and the absorption of other minerals. This may lead to mineral imbalances. Also, all minerals can be toxic in large doses.

Getting to Know the Kinds of Sugar Sweeteners

The terms sugar and sweetener are not so much different in terms of meaning. Although people feel that sugar is a form of sweetener, this actually not the case. Sugar is a term used to refer to any substance that is used to sweeten food. However, because of the fact that sucrose or the ordinary table sugar is also loosely called as sugar or in some cases white sugar, sweetener is then used.

Sugar is a form of carbohydrates that can be good for the body when eaten in right amounts. The problem arises when people eat too much of it. Unlike other food items, sugar do not have anything more to offer than empty calories. Sugar, you see, can actually pack the calories and add to your weight. This increases the risk of developing other health problems such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, not to mention the threat of obesity.

Sugar comes in many forms. Do you know where each comes from?

White sugar is perhaps the most common form. This is the ordinary table sugar that people use for their drinks. White sugar comes from sugar cane. Another similar form is the brown sugar, which many believe is much healthier than the white. Brown sugar is made by adding the sugar cane molasses, making it more moisturized. There is also the raw sugar which retains much of the molasses of the sugar cane. Turbinado, Muscovado and Demerara are terms that are used to refer to raw sugar.

Honey is another sweetener that many consider to be very healthy. Naturally produced by honeybees, it requires no processing and can be used directly.

Stevia is a form of sugar or sweetener that is derived from a Paraguay plant with the same name. Stevia is actually considered an herb and is considered to be very healthy because it contains no calories and unlike the ordinary table sugar, which are empty carbohydrates, stevia actually has some levels of vitamins and minerals.

It is said to be capable of helping lower blood pressure, improve digestion and discourage the growth of bacteria. One disadvantage though is that stevia has a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees. Although maple syrup is also considered quite healthy, consumers are asked to be cautious in using uncertified ones because thete is danger of it having chemical residues from pesticides.

Malt syrup, on the other hand, comes from barley. It contains maltose, which is less sweet as sucrose.

Healthy Eating Facts And Figures To Keep In Mind

Were unabridged plugged in that staying healthy and fit requires that we attain a balanced diet, get lots of exercise, and also stay away from unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking, excessive alcohol intake, drugs and others. Those who practice good nutrition, hygiene and regular exercise, often develop healthy habits which they will continue practicing for life, and will keep them healthy for long periods. Here are some healthy eating facts and figures for children, teenagers and adults.

What Is Meal?

According to health experts, the word nutrition refers to the value that we get out of the food we eat. A food item will be deemed nutritious if it provides the required amount of nutrients to support the health of our body, enhance growth, replace lost energy, and allow us to perform at our peak. Nutritious and wholesome foods offer balanced combinations of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, antioxidants, fiber and healthy fats. Foods that are not nutritious cleverly fill our stomachs with serpentine fats and carbohydrates, which only reduce hunger and bloat our bellies.

3 Basic Rules For Promoting a Childs Healthy Diet

In promoting healthy eating habits in progeny, the food pyramid for kids generally promotes three accessible rules for a healthy diet. The rules include variety, balance and moderation. Change means that a childs diet must include different food items from each level of the food pyramid, from a wide array of meats, to vegetables and fruits, whole – grain breads, dairy proteins and fibers. Because no contrastive food item is able to supply the amount of nutrients of a growing child, a childs food choices have to be expanded to include foods of all colors. Balance component eating the right amounts of food from all levels of the food pyramid stale, and moderation refers to being careful not to eat too much of any type of food antecedent.

There Is A Link Between Unhealthy Eating Habits And A Negative Self Image

Nutrition experts and psychologists agree that theres a administer link between unhealthy eating habits and peoples perceptions about their image and body. The use of extreme measures just to control jurisdiction is on the rise instantly, and some adults even appreciate jarring dieting methods with fasting, the use of laxatives, induced vomiting and taking appetite suppressants. These depressing behavioral patterns are often indicators of incoming eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia nervosa. A quantity of studies have also indicated that most girls, particularly teenage girls, tend to worry more about weight and diet in their adolescent years. A 1992 study has also indicated that even six to seven year – old girls are known to worry about their figures too, but nevertheless eat too much.

Healthy eating is a meat-and-potatoes piece in the quest for promoting overall well – being, regardless of whether eating has a oversee relationship with self – esteem. Whats clear is that people who feel good about themselves often make healthy food choices, and depressed self – esteem is usually linked with unhealthy eating habits like binging, purging or dieting.

Recipes From Around The World
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Big Book of Cookies
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101 Recipes fro the Deep Fryer
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Healthy Eating Guide For Kids

Eating can actually be healthy and fun. But with the proliferation of fast foods and other tasty cholesterol – rich snack items, making your child see the beauty of eating healthy and natural food may become a challenge. Since access to unhealthy food choices are easy, and the choices are plenty, whats the paramount way for introducing healthy eating habits to your kids? Here are some effective healthy eating guidelines to consider.

Healthy Foods Actually Tastes Good

The typical fast food fare can be very tempting for most kids today. The problem is that the usual fast food fare consists of high – salt, high – peck and high – calorie food items, which kids find so appealing, and are also easier to eat. For parents who are concerned about their childrens eating habits, learn to keep your cool. The actuality is that healthy food can actually taste great. However, making your children love eating healthy food may require new effort and extra planning. Tempo carrot sticks or cauliflower stalks may not be as fun as a plate of French Fries, youll require a little time and creativity to make these natural food items angelic to your kids.

Slowly Introduce Your Kids To A Wide Array of Fruits and Veggies

Making your children adopt healthy eating habits need not end up in a fanfare match, or a concentration camp forced – eating regimen. Slowly introducing your children to a wide array of fruits and vegetables leave help in jump – primitive their appreciation of healthy eating. As most fruits are naturally sweet, it should not pose much of a interruption for kids to like. You can rolled create stories about the fruits and vegetables they consume, to make things more beautiful. The most worthy thing is that, once your kids consume the spin-off, youre assured that theyre getting their fill of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Cook At Home, And Involve Your Kids

According to most healthy eating advocates, every child should be taught how to cook, both in school and at home, and not simply be fed with slogans about good nutrition. The truth is that good and healthy food can actually appear as cooked in just 15 minutes. Also make it a practice to involve your kids in cooking food at the kitchen. Guide your kids through the recipe. While the older kids can chop the veggies, the younger ones can help toss the salad dressing or veggies. It will besides be great if you could bring the kids along to the market when buying your ingredients. The principal thing with this activity is that children will easily understand the significance of food preparation, and have a better appreciation of healthy eating.

If youre kids are initially not receptive to your healthy eating suggestions, dont worry. Never give up in your quest to make your children find the fun in healthy eating. As most children will outgrow their often limited eating habits, their tastes and food choices shall develop and expand, over time. Although it may take you more than 10 or 15 tries before your kids start appreciating the perks of eating legumes, beans, cabbages, squash, lettuce and other greens. Once they find the fun in eating fruits and vegetables, youll soon find yourself veil happy, contented and healthy eaters.

Recipes From Around The World
http://archivetools.sell1on1.com/aroundworld/

Big Book of Cookies
http://archivetools.sell1on1.com/cookies/

101 Recipes fro the Deep Fryer
http://archivetools.sell1on1.com/fryer/