Post about "Nutrition"

Pregnancy Nutrition Facts – Calcium and Folate Are Essential for Proper Pregnancy Nutrition

May 17, 2023· Category :Uncategorized· Comments Off

Experts agree that perfect pregnancy nutrition is best achieved when the mother consumes whole foods containing nutrients such as calcium and folic acid from fruits and vegetables. It is not that easy for expectant mothers to get enough folic acid or calcium from whole food sources every day, so a health food vitamin or calcium supplement may be needed. When choosing the proper supplement it is important to understand the difference between natural health food vitamins for pregnancy nutrition and isolated multi-vitamins.

When searching for the best pregnancy nutrition, be aware that it is better to consume vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are attached to whole foods, not isolated. Whole food nutrients are much easier for the body to absorb, whereas isolated vitamins and minerals are often flushed out before the body can break them down to use for fuel. There are some excellent all natural, low carb, high fiber foods that provide perfect pregnancy nutrition, but you will need to search the Internet. Many of the best concentrated formulas are not sold in typical grocery stores or even health food stores.

First, it is important to know some of the most valuable elements of perfect pregnancy nutrition.

Here are the essential minerals that a pregnant woman needs on a daily basis:

* calcium

* protein

* phosphorus

* potassium

* folic acid (folate) Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements

* Vitamins A, D, C, E and the entire B complex.

It is a nutrition fact that calcium is an important mineral for everyone, especially children, adolescents, nursing mothers and expectant mothers who need perfect pregnancy nutrition. It is not easy for all pregnant mothers to consume enough calcium every day without a health food vitamin or calcium supplement of some kind. It is especially challenging to get enough calcium from whole foods, like fruits and vegetables.

Some of the more familiar sources of calcium in whole foods are:

* Broccoli

* Yogurt

* Cheese

* Milk

* Beans

Dandelion is a natural source of calcium from whole food and alfalfa has a high level of calcium with natural enzymes and chlorophyll, but these are a little harder to include in a daily diet for proper pregnancy nutrition. However, you can find a concentrated whole food calcium supplement that includes dandelion and alfalfa along with other whole food calcium sources.

If you are inclined to take a calcium supplement, not only is it important for proper pregnancy nutrition that the calcium originates from whole food sources, it is equally important that Vitamin D2 is present. Vitamin D2 is crucial to aid the body in absorbing calcium. Vitamin D2 is a necessary component to work with the calcium for improved bone strength and density. In one particular natural whole food calcium supplement, 3 types of calcium are included with different absorption characteristics, and Vitamin D2 is present to enhance the absorption of calcium.

Folate, also called Folic Acid and Vitamin B9 is another essential nutrient for perfect pregnancy nutrition. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body create healthy new cells. That is why folate is very important for pregnancy nutrition as hopeful mothers create new life. Moms who include sufficient folic acid in their diets are taking positive steps toward preventing birth defects, especially of the baby’s brain or spine.

Everyone has heard the stories about pregnant women who can’t control their mood swings. Plenty of medical research points to a deficiency of folic acid for fostering depression and other psychiatric disorders. In the book, “Food, Your Miracle Medicine” (Copyright 1993), Jean Carper states, “That folic acid can act as an antidepressant is no secret among scientists”. The book goes on to point out McGill University’s Dr. Young found, “accumulating evidence that folic acid deficiency can contribute to depressed mood”, and that eliminating the deficiency often cures the depression.

For proper pregnancy nutrition, a woman needs about 800 mcg of folic acid daily. Nursing mothers can back that down to about 500 mcg. This level may not be easy for some to reach, as it requires up to six servings of foods such as spinach, beans or asparagus, every day. If a pregnant woman is not getting enough folate from whole foods, then a natural health food vitamin should be investigated.

Foods with folic acid in them include:

* Leafy, green vegetables

* Fruits

* Beans

* Peas

* Nuts

Some enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid. Again, it is important to be sure that the folate is attached to a natural whole food complex of B vitamins. You can find very effective whole foods, health drink concentrates and other pregnancy nutrition on the Internet that you will not find in retail stores. Just be sure to search for a natural health food vitamin for pregnancy nutrition. When you search, you will find folic acid along with other essential vitamins and minerals for perfect pregnancy nutrition.

Differences in Adult and Youth Sports Nutrition

April 10, 2023· Category :Health· Comments Off

Participating in athletics is one of the best ways for both kids and adults to stay in shape. But when it comes to replenishing energy via food and drink, youth athlete nutrition varies greatly from that of sports nutrition for adults. It needs to be carefully monitored to ensure that kids are getting everything they need to not only recover from exercise, but also continue supplying their bodies with nutrients essential for growth.Left to their own devices, many kids’ idea of sports nutrition is to attempt to replenish their energy stores via short-term fixes such as food high in sugar, soft drinks or energy drinks. Not only can this cause them to “crash and burn” later on when the short-term energy runs out, it can also poorly affect their overall health and ability to develop properly.While the body of an adult seeks to replenish the protein, carbohydrates and fluids lost during a workout session, the key to youth athlete nutrition is that a child a must build those reserves back up and then some, to give chemical processes the fuel they need. Eating balanced, nutrient-rich diets is the backbone of sports nutrition and is essential to the health and performance levels of youth athletes.The most important nutrition sources for a child are protein, carbohydrates, fat and fluids. Not getting enough of any of those four can stunt a youth athlete’s competitive performance and overall health. Proteins are essential to muscle recovery, carbs provide much of the actual energy to perform athletic activities and fat is needed to help kids grow.One of the big differences between youth sports nutrition and sports nutrition for adults is how they get the two groups get their energy to exercise. Some studies show that kids derive more energy from fats then from carbohydrates, meaning they should have good reserves of fats when preparing to engage in long physical activities, while adults are known to use far more carbs for energy.Another thing to consider is that children’s bodies are constantly growing, and need nutrients that support these endeavors.Calcium is a vital nutrient for children as it helps build and strengthen bones, making dairy products and leafy, green vegetables a big part of youth athlete nutrition, while they can be billed as more of a “good idea” for adults.Another key difference between sports nutrition for youth athletes as opposed to adults is in hydration and awareness of it. Many youth athletes will dehydrate without realizing it, particularly if they live in hot or humid climates and are exercising for longer periods of time without really thinking about it.This is called voluntary dehydration, and can be dangerous for youth athletes trying to recover from forms of exercise where they lose track of time. While sports drinks like Gatorade can restore electrolytes, there’s simply no replacement for good, old-fashioned water to give the body what it is craving.Coaches and parents should both be very aware that youth athletes are properly hydrated not only after the competition ends, but before it as well, and throughout the week as they train or practice. In essence, the rules on hydration are much like the rules of youth athlete nutrition for coaches and parents, be prepared, be smart and be able to read the signs that your child Is getting enough nutrients to keep their bodies running in tip-top shape.