Vitality Central - Health

Nutrition For A Healthy Lifestyle

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:59:36 -0600

by: John Gibb

Nutrition for a healthy lifestyle can be a large step in maintaining your body’s physical performance and your mind’s well-being. Proper nutrition is often neglected in this day and age, with most people opting for fast food’s convenience and low price. However, there are plenty of foods you can eat that are simple to prepare and low in cost that can help give your body the materials it needs to be in its best working condition.

Advice on Choosing Health Food And Healthy Foods And Reading Nutrition Labels

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:14:31 -0600

by: Chris Robertson

Health food doesn't need a definition, does it? We all know what health food is it's yogurt and granola, whole-grain cereal and organically grown vegetables and fruit. It's 100% natural, no preservatives or dyes, unadulterated, pure. When you put all that together, you should have healthy food, yet all too often, what's marketed as health food these days barely classifies as food, let alone health food.

Giving: Perscription for Better Health

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:49:53 -0600

by Eli Davidson

“You have got to be out of your mind” was a sentence Isabella was getting used to hearing. Friend after friend rolled her eyes as she told them of her plans. Isabella was 80 years old, for God’s sake! No amount of eye rolling was going to dissuade her. Even if her friends were moving into assisted living facilities, she was going to build a new home in Montecito and give it to her favorite charity. No strings attached. Except that her gift remain anonymous.

The Tomato - Nature's Lovely Gift Wrapped Offering

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 16:33:08 -0600

by VC Staffers

Tomato - the rich red classy fruit has been a mainstay of kitchens and evokes images of juice trickling down our chins as we take a deep bite of a fresh firm fruit.

Widely found and easily cultivatable in kitchen gardens, the tomato has found its way from farms and fields to the small manicured gardens that are now a part of urban life. The fruit can be grown easily in flowerpots and in small patches of soil wherever sunlight is available.

The Health Benefits of Nuts

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 13:10:58 -0600

by VC Staffers

Our traditional image of the couch potato tossing nuts into his mouth and falling ill is wrong. It now seems that the nut tossing individual was right all along. He surely knew something we did not. Modern research has now proved that people who consume nuts regularly have much better health in comparison to those who do not.

Detailed Studies

One study is particularly interesting. 31000 whites (Californian Seventh Day Adventists) were studied to determine their health and nut consumption patters. The study found that sex, age, exercise patterns, eating habits and similar characteristics were irrelevant. In this group, those who ate nuts regularly had a 60% lesser incidence of heart trouble as compared to those who ate them once a month or less. The study was repeated with African Americans with similar results. The health benefits of nuts were so startling that more studies were done which proved that regular nut consumption reduced heart disease, Type II diabetes, dementia and gallstones.

Antioxidants and Their Role in Good Health

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 13:08:45 -0600

by VC Staffers

Antioxidants are a new field of study in the human body. The body is so complex that nothing man has produced yet comes anywhere near it in capability. Even today, there are literally thousands of mysteries about our bodies waiting to be solved. Although modern science is now beginning to offer some insights into its functioning it will be many years before we understand them.

Juicing: A Secret Behind a Healthy Body

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 13:04:21 -0600

by VC Staffers

With the change of time, diet of people has undergone a complete change. It is now more leaning towards the health consciousness and not towards the trendy. Earlier it used to be only a specialty store that would sell fresh vegetable or fruit juice. All the other glittering stores and drinking houses would not bother to sell the earth smelling and rustic juice.

Today things have undergone a sea change so much that even in the trendy Southern California or in the business district of Manhattan, you will find people in their office attire sitting together and having a glass of carrot juice or a glass of orange juice. In order to make up for the deficiency in nutrition, this intake of fresh fruit or vegetable juice has picked up in recent times. Fresh juice goes a long way in meeting the demands of the body.

Soy Proteins and Health

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 13:01:56 -0600

by VC Staffers

As our awareness of health issues increase, the relationship between Soy protein and health is becoming increasingly important. What was initially thought to be a cheap crop of limited utility has turned out to have innumerable uses and has turned out to be one of the largest sources of non animal protein. After extensive studies, the Food and Drug Administration has permitted manufacturers of soy products to claim that use of soy products will help lower the risk of heart disease. This permission has natural resulted in a deluge of soy based products in the market.

Green Vegetables - Nature's Essential Foods

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 12:59:06 -0600

by VC Staffers

Green vegetables lead the race as the healthiest of the food groups. They are full of vitamins and minerals and are known for their disease fighting capabilities. As nutrients they are unsurpassed by any other type of food.

According to researchers, eating green leafy vegetables, especially those containing Vitamin C, reduce risk of heart disease. Even eating a small portion of green vegetables every day provides substantial benefits, so it does not really matter if you can eat only small quantities, every little bit will help.

Protein and Your Health

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 12:56:45 -0600

by VC Staffers

"I propose to you the name 'protein' for the organic oxide of fibrin and albumin because it appears to be the primitive or principle substance of animal nutrition." Thus wrote Jons Jakob Berzelius to Gerhardus Johannes Mulder on 10 July 1838.

In this missive, the world for the first time came across the mention of the Greek word protein – literally meaning ‘First rank’ – in the context that it is used today.

Dietary Fiber - Helping Tackle Problem at the Root

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 12:53:40 -0600

by VC Staffers

The benefits of increased fiber in your diet have been accepted the world over by all regulatory bodies including the FDA. Increasing fiber content in your food seems to be the simplest way to reduce chances of colon cancer, turn back type II diabetes, reduce cholesterol and control blood pressure.

What is Dietary Fiber?

Fiber is that part of our diet that cannot be digested by the enzymes in our body. We get fiber from fruits, beans and from the bran of the cereals that we eat. Primarily, fiber appears to be an inert substance silently making its way through our intestine. There are two broad types of fiber in our food:

That which does not dissolve in water – primarily found in the outer layers of cereals.
Fiber, which dissolves in water to form a kind of a gel is found in fruits and vegetables.

Juicing for Radiant Skin

Sun, 27 Nov 2005 08:42:02 -0600

by VC Staffers

Fresh juice really has to do a lot with radiant beauty. Healthy appetite, proper enzymatic reaction and a sound digestive system keeps your body fit and healthy for a long period. You feel fresh and your skin reflects your inward freshness making you look more beautiful and special. However, it is an old belief that a glowing skin is a sign of a healthy body and healthy mind. Juicing involves both, an inward as well as an outward treatment. Intake of fresh juice is obviously beneficial for health but juicing for health is also a part of essential skin care tips.

Cutting Back on Salt

Sat, 26 Nov 2005 13:13:37 -0600

by Vitality Staffers

Cutting back on salt has become important as our dependence on canned and processed foods grows. As a user you need to be aware of the dangers of consuming excessive salt and what you can do to reduce the dangers you face. But first, the reason why salt is dangerous for us.

The Dangers of Sodium

The damaging ingredient in salt is sodium. This is an element that is required in small quantities for the normal activities of our body. However, excessive sodium makes the body retain fluids. This primarily increases the volume of the blood stream and puts a strain on all organs that handle our blood. The first organ to be affected is the heart. Since the heart is now pumping extra, there is an additional load on it. As we grow older, it does seem a little unfair exposing the heart to this additional load. Besides the heart, the kidneys also come under stress as they work extra to filter out the salt and handle the increased volume of blood.