How To Get Vitamins From Eating

If you struggle with things like fatigue, obesity, stress, or anxiety one of the main reasons is because your body is not getting the essential daily intake of vitamins that it needs. There are two ways to get vitamins in your body: food and/or supplements.

Food is obviously the best way for your body to get the vitamins it needs, but if you don't have the self discipline or the time to stick to the list below then you might want to consider supplements.

Vitamin supplements can get you what your body needs, but you need to make sure they are of the highest quality. Most vitamins that you can buy are poorly made and do not get broken down by your body. They simply pass right through you. Even high quality supplements should be taken along with food or a meal, this helps ensure their absorption by the body.

Whether you take supplements or not you should try to implement as many of the foods below into your diet as possible. Here are the food sources of your most important vitamins:

* Vitamin A - Fish oils, butter, egg yolks, liver, whole milk, goat's cheese, and dark green leafy vegetables, such as kale.

* Vitamin B1 - Brown rice, wild fish(not farmed), nuts, organic poultry, wheat germ, molasses, legumes(peas, beans etc.), sunflower seeds, soybeans, asparagus, oatmeal, plums, raisins, brussel sprouts, and broccoli.

* Vitamin B2 - Whole grains, nuts, molasses, almonds, spinach, brussel sprouts and brewer's yeast.

* Vitamin B3 - Organic poultry, wild fish, peanuts, eggs, molasses, and legumes.

* Vitamin B5 - Legumes, whole grain cereal, wild fish, organic poultry, goat's cheese, eggs, avacados, nuts, dates, orange juice, cooked mushrooms, and orange juice.

* Vitamin B6 -Wild fish, eggs, peas, organic poultry, spinach, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and walnuts.

* Vitamin B12 - Wild seafood, liver, eggs, dairy products, sea vegetables (kelp etc.) and goat's cheese.

*Vitamin C - Oranges, lemons, green peppers, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, cabbage, potatoes, bananas, cantaloupe, grapefruit, papaya, tomatoes, and strawberries.

* Vitamin D - Egg yolk, fish oils, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, spinach, and the sun, from exposure of naked skin. To ensure the proper amount of vitamin D everyday stand in the sun for 10-15 minutes. Do not where sunglasses (most of the Vitamin D you get from the sun is taken in through your eyes), but don't stare at the sun either.

* Vitamin E - Dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, oatmeal, peanuts, tomatoes, raw fuits, watercress, and whole grain cereals.

Well, there you have it, those are the foods that carry the important vitamins your body needs everyday to be healthy and function properly. Hopefully you can make an effort to eat all of these different foods on a regular basis.

If you can you should feel better, have more energy, feel less stress, lose weight and notice a difference in your overall health and wellness.

To Your Health,

Diet Health & Fitness
'Blog Squad'
DietHealthandFitness.com

Who Else Wants to Know the Story On Caffeine?

What's the Story on Caffeine? An astonishing four out of five Americans consume caffeine every day, causing the Center for Science in the Public Interest to label caffeine as America's "most popular stimulant," and the "drug" most frequently and casually consumed.

And our national caffeine consumption may be higher than reported. Sales of "energy pills" are on the rise, yet a look at the ingredient list of many popular products often reveals guarana, mate, bissy nut, or cola nut, which are all simply herbal sources of caffeine. Ma huang and Chinese ephedra are herbal sources of ephedrine, another central nervous system stimulant.

The effects of caffeine in the body are linked to our "hardwired" biological stress-response mechanisms. Because life has always presented hazards, the human body is designed to react quickly and decisively to dangerous situations.

When triggered by "watch out!" signals such as loud noises, rapid movement, strong odors, and more, the body automatically produces both physical and chemical responses.

Surges of adrenaline heighten your mental awareness and sensitivity and prime your muscles for demanding movement such as jumping or running. Your pupils dilate, your breathing quickens, and eventually your natural cooling system kicks in and you start to sweat.

A single 250-milligram serving of caffeine (the equivalent of about 2.5 six-ounce cups of coffee) has been shown to increase levels of adrenaline by more than 200 percent. Caffeine also stimulates the production of norepinephrine, another stress chemical that acts directly on the brain and nervous system.

With daily use, caffeine can elevate levels of another stress chemical known as cortisol. Together, these bio-chemicals can increase heart rate and blood pressure and produce that "emergency" feeling. In a real-life emergency, all these survival mechanisms would help you get out of the way of a charging elephant or the 5:05 commuter train.

But what happens to the body when you are triggering a full-blown "fight or flight" response at regular intervals throughout the day, every day? The fact is that caffeine doesn't produce energy.

It stimulates your nervous system and adrenals, which is actually a form of stress on the body. Caffeine intake has been linked to increased blood pressure.

Research shows that people who consume more than 250 milligrams of caffeine per day (remember, that's what you'd get in 15 ounces of coffee) tend to have poor sleep quality. One study showed that 250 milligrams of caffeine decreased whole-brain cerebral blood flow by 30%. Other studies have found that caffeine reduces the oxygen level of brain tissue.

Research also shows that caffeine may be more damaging to women, producing adverse effects at lower intake levels. Women eliminate caffeine from their bodies more slowly than men, and this rate also changes significantly with the menstrual cycle. Other compounds,found in unfiltered coffee, have been linked to elevated cholesterol levels.

If you boil your coffee or drink espresso, which isn't filtered, you may want to limit how much you drink. Caffeine intake may also trigger a negative cycle of unhealthy behavior. Research shows that heavy coffee-drinkers also tend to smoke more, drink more alcohol, and eat more fatty foods than non coffee drinkers.

I like the taste of coffee just as much as anyone else, so it was hard to do, but when I finally cut down on my caffeine intake, I did see a very positive increase in my health, I lost weight, and found that, overall, I had increased and more constant energy levels.

To Your Health,

Diet Health & Fitness
'Blog Squad'
DietHealthandFitness.com

Secrets Natural Health Companies Don't Want You To Know About

Many natural health companies claim to have scientific, clinical studies that back the effectiveness of their products. You need to be aware that these studies and tests, once examined more closely, prove little to nothing at all.

First of all, the only clinical studies that prove anything are printed in referred or peer reviewed professional scientific and medical journals. To get published in one of these is extremely difficult.

The scientific community, at large, has to review and agree with the validity and accuracy of your findings. Although many natural health companies claim to do many scientific studies, haven't even had one of their studies professionally published.

Why? Because most of their studies don't prove anything and the scientific community as a whole does not accept them as accurate or valid. Also most of their studies are done and performed by people who work for that company. Somebody needs to explain to me how that study is going to be independent and not biased?

You need to look out for the following red flags when reading a "scientific study." Be wary of studies or tests done only in test tubes, on animals, or in culture dishes etc. Trials, studies, and tests for natural health supplements need to be done on real people. The supplements are for people, not animals and test tubes.

You also should look for independent clinical studies done by researchers from leading universities. As I said before, if a natural supplement company has something to prove then other people, without any interest in the company, should be testing the products and releasing the results.

Studies and tests performed must also be done on the particular finished product you are considering buying. Sometimes companies like to try to trick you by quoting other studies, done on products other than the one you are considering.

Always beware of comments like "our scientists have shown," again this means that the company's own staff have found something, but basically no one in the scientific community agrees with them. It's Garbage.

Also watch out for statements such as, "this product contains nutrient xyz, which has been shown to." This statement again proves nothing, because it is only saying that a particular nutrient within a product has been shown to do something, not the product itself.

For all we know there is something else within the product that counteracts the effectiveness of that nutrient they are boasting about. You could pick an orange out of the local landfill and say that if you eat it you will get the benefits of vitamin C, which has been shown to strengthen your immune system, but that orange would be disgusting, and not healthy to eat.

Also watch out for advertising journals, anybody can pay money to have someone else publish a study about their product. Also watch out for any articles you read about natural supplements in newspapers, magazines, and books.

You need to ask yourself, who is writing it? Why are they writing it? What do they know about natural health supplements? Are they even healthy? Who is paying for the article to be written? Who is benefiting from it? Does it help sell the paper, magazine, book etc.?

Last, but not least watch out for companies that base their credibility on only one product. This means that the other products they have probably aren't as effective. Always remember, any natural supplement company is going to tell you anything positive they can about their product or company.

You should pay more attention to what they DON'T say because that is the information they are hiding from you. A great natural health company should be able to give you full disclosure and provide you with all of the info you need to make your own decision on whether or not their product is for you.

They should have absolutely nothing to hide and, at the very least, should offer you a money back guarantee.

To Your Health,

Diet Health & Fitness
'Blog Squad'
DietHealthandFitness.com

Soy - For Bone, Heart, Breast and Prostate Health

Soy is an excellent source of plant-based protein that can benefit those concerned about their heart and bone health, as well as their breast and prostate health.

Heart health benefits of soy: A meta-analysis of 38 studies indicates that consuming protein from soy foods is linked to retaining normal cholesterol levels. Another study suggests that soy protein may have antioxidant properties that helps protect bad(LDL) cholesterol from oxidizing.

Beyond the potential of soy protein to positively impact the cholesterol that travels through arteries, soy isoflavones may also support the healthy function of the arteries themselves. One study showed that menopausal women taking soy protein supplements (rich in isoflavones) experienced a significant improvement in elasticity of their arteries.

This elasticity has been shown to decline with age, a change that is viewed as a risk factor for cardiovascular health. Some scientists are predicting that these isoflavone effects may prove to be as valuable in supporting heart-healthy aging as their potential to retain normal cholesterol levels.

The American Cancer Society has created guidelines for a healthy diet: Choose most of the foods you eat from plant sources. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Eat other foods from plant sources, such as breads, cereals, grain products, rice, pasta, or beans several times each day.

Limit your intake of high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources. Choose foods low in fat. Limit consumption of meats, especially those high in fat. Be physically active: achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Be at least moderately active for 30 minutes or more each day. Stay within your healthy weight range. Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages, if you drink at all. For people who already drink alcoholic beverages, limit intake to two drinks a day for men and one drink per day for women. Soy foods fit guidelines 1 and 2 for a health-promoting diet.

Soy and bone health: Americans typically think of dairy products as the best source of calcium, but there are many other good sources of calcium. In fact, soy protein is an excellent source of dietary calcium, providing 50% of the daily value of this important nutrient per serving.

Soy protein may also offer bone-health advantages by replacing sources of animal protein in the diet. For long-term bone health, calcium intake is only part of the story. Urinary calcium loss is another factor that contributes to a negative calcium balance. High consumption of animal proteins, which are high in sulfur amino acids, appear to be responsible for this effect.

Soy protein, which has less sulfur amino acids relative to meat and other animal protein sources, may result in less calcium being lost in the urine and help keep calcium in the skeleton. In one study, calcium excretion was found to be 30% lower when dietary protein from soy sources was compared to equal amounts of protein from beef, fish, and chicken in healthy adults consuming a constant amount of calcium.

The isoflavones in soy foods may also help support healthy bones. A recent study showed that dietary intake of soy products containing isoflavones had a significant positive impact on bone turnover in healthy postmenopausal women.

Soy and breast and prostate health: It has long been known that many soy-consuming Asian populations have better rates of breast and prostate health than do Western populations. There are many factors involved in prostate health, but a recent, large-scale population-health study suggests soy intake as one of those factors.

In this study, men who reported frequently consuming soy milk (which contains isoflavones) were 70% more likely to maintain prostate health during a follow-up period, compared to the men who had little or no soy in their diet. A recent population-health study conducted in China investigated the relationship between soy intake during adolescence and breast health later in life.

After adjustments for known risk factors, higher soy food intakes reported during the teen years were associated with significantly better breast health when these women reached their pre-and post-menopausal adult years. Researchers believe that soy intake starting at a young age and continued throughout life is linked to maintaining breast health.

Another way that soy may promote heart, breast, and prostate health is by providing protection against oxidation damage. The soy isoflavone, genistein, has been shown to have antioxidant properties.

NOTE: While the totality of evidence suggests health benefits for soy protein , scientific opinion is not uniform on the appropriate use of soy by women with a history of breast cancer. I recommend that women with this history discuss the option of soy intake with their physician.

Soy protein and menopause: Cross-cultural studies of menopausal women have found that women in Japan experience a smoother transitional period than women in the West. Eleven soy foods are commonly consumed in Asian countries, providing an estimated 45 mg of isoflavones per day for the average person.

For the menopausal woman, soy protein has particular interest, as it is studied for both its apparent beneficial effect during menopause as well as for bone-building and helping to retain normal cholesterol levels.

To Your Health,

Diet Health & Fitness
'Blog Squad'
DietHealthandFitness.com