Nutrition Study on Men and Women

Posted on January 22, 2009 by david

Men and women differ in body size, body composition, and overall metabolic rates. They therefore have differing needs for most nutrients throughout the life cycle and face unique difficulties in keeping on track with their dietary goals. Some of these differences have already been discussed. However, there are some diet/nutrition factors that need further consideration.

Different Cycles, Different Needs

From menarche to menopause, women undergo cyclical physiological changes that can have dramatic effects on metabolism, nutritional needs, and efforts to stick to a nutritional plan. For example, during the menstrual cycle, many women report significant food cravings that may cause them to overconsume. Later in women’s lives, with the advent of menopause, nutritional needs again change rather dramatically. With depletion of the hormone estrogen, the body’s need for calcium to ward off bone deterioration becomes pronounced. Women must pay closer attention to their exercise patterns and to getting enough calcium through diet or dietary supplements or run the risk of severe osteoporosis.

Changing the Meat and Potatoes Man

Although men do not have the same cyclical patterns and dietary needs as women, they do suffer from a heritage of dietary excesses that are difficult to change. The “meat and potatoes” kind of guy has been part of the American way since our earliest agrarian years. Consider the following:

  • Men who eat red meat as a main dish five or more times a week have four times the risk of colon cancer of men who eat red meat less than once a month.

  • Heavy red meat eaters are more than twice as likely to get prostate cancer and nearly 5 times more likely to get colon cancer.

  • For every 3 servings of fruits or vegetables per day men can expect a 22 percent lower risk of stroke.

  • High fruit and vegetable diets may lower the risk of lung cancer in smokers from 20 times the risk of non-smokers to “only” ten times the risk. They may also protect against oral, throat, pancreas, and bladder cancers, all of which are more common in smokers.

  • The fastest-rising malignancy in the U.S. is cancer of the lower esophagus, particularly in white men. While obesity seems to be a factor, fruits and vegetables are the protectors. (The average American male eats less than 3 servings/day, although 5-9 servings is recommended. Women average 3-7 servings/day.)

Is there something in the meat that makes it inherently bad! By eating so much protein a person fills up sooner and never gets around to the fruits and vegetables. Thus, any potential protective factors may be lost.

Folate A type of vitamin B that is believed to decrease levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked to vascular diseases.

Recommended Dietary Allowances(RDAs) The average daily intakes of energy and nutrients considered adequate to meet the needs of most healthy people in the United States under usual conditions.

Adequate Intakes(AIs) Best estimates of nutritional needs.

What Do You Think?

Think about the women that you know who seem to have weight problems. What are their ages? What factors may have influenced them to have more problems keeping weight off than you may have? What advantages, if any, do men have in controlling their eating behaviors and managing their weight?

Determining Natural Needs

Determining the right amount of a nutrient that people of different ages, sex, activity level, or physical condition must obtain daily is no easy task. Since the early 1940s various special national committees have been working on policies to provide sound advice for Americans.

  • Recommended Dietary Allowances-Adequate Intake For more than 50 years, a document called the “Recommended Dietary Allowances(RDAs)” has been the gold standard for nutrient intake in the United States. Established by the Committee on Dietary Allowances, the RDAs are the average daily intakes of energy and nutrients considered adequate to meet the needs of most healthy people in the United States under usual conditions. Revised every 5 years, the RDAs reflect the fact that a person’s actual level of need for a nutrient can be influenced by age, sex, body size, growth, and reproductive status. Thus, pregnant and lactating women have their own set of RDAs. Today, RDAs are based on the quantity necessary to provide health benefits. When evidence doesn’t support an RDA, Adequate Intakes(AIs) are used as the best estimates of nutritional needs.

  • Daily Values, RDls, and DRVs From the RDAs came the more familiar U.S.. RDA(U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances) established by the Food and Drug Administration(FDA.) The U.S. RDAs were set as maximum values to account for potential nutrient loss during absorption, cooking, and storage of food. People followed the US. RDAs for years until the entire system was overhauled and made even more specific for consumers. In 1993, the FDA supplemented most US RDAs with”% Daily Values,” a set of standard values purported to represent the nutrient needs of the typical consumer. Daily Values are made up of two sets of reference values. The first, the Reference Daily Intake(RDI), reflects the average daily allowances for proteins, vitamins, and minerals based on the RDA. The second, the Daily Reference Values(DRV), is for nutrients and food components, such as fat and fiber, that do not have an established RDA but are highly correlated with health. At the same time the new Daily Values were issued,the FDA also issued a new food label that is now familiar to most consumers. Some of the RDIs and DRVs are included with the Daily Value information now found on food labels.

What Do You Think?

Of all of the nutrients discussed in this site, which one do you worry about not getting enough in your diet the most? What is the basis for your worry? Are you planning to take any action to make sure your daily intake is adequate? What steps will you take?

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Men’s Health: Guide to Fitness

Posted on November 22, 2008 by david

Health is Wealth! Just like women are obsessed with their beauty and looks, men too should be obsessed with their health. A good looking man always accompanies a good health. Mens health needs some attention too to keep it intact. A lot of questions are being asked about men’s health and how to keep one fit and ever glowing. The guide to fitness on ‘Mens Health’ would refer you to five important things that you should always take care of to keep yourself in good health.

Weight: Your weight is one of the parameters to judge your health. If you are overweight by 15-20 pounds you are in potential risk of bad health. This problem often goes unnoticed till something worse happens.

Vices: You should not smoke. Smoke is absolutely no for those who really want to keep themselves fit. Drink but in moderation.

Sleeping: Your sleeping has direct impact on your health. Less sleep and too much sleep are not good signs of health.

Testicles: Always check your testicles at frequent interval of two or three months. You can go for normal check-up for them as a routine to prevent anything bad.

Keep Your Family History track: Always know your family history of health and if you think you are prone to some ailments take precautionary steps consulting a doctor to keep those diseases at bay forever. All these are important factors which decide mens health.

Use supplements for mass growth of body muscle.

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Pulmonary Hypertension and its Causes

Posted on November 20, 2008 by david

What is this condition?

Pulmonary hypertension occurs when pulmonary artery pressure rises above normal, but is not caused by aging or altitude. Primary (idiopathic) pulmonary hypertension is rare, occurring most often in women between ages 20 and 40; pregnant women have the highest mortality. Secondary pulmonary hypertension is caused by existing cardiac or pulmonary disease. The prognosis depends on the severity of the underlying disorder.

What causes it?

Pulmonary hypertension Casues include altered immune mechanisms. Secondary pulmonary hypertension is caused by oxygen deprivation from an underlying disease.

What are its symptoms?

Most people complain of increasing shortness of breath on exertion, weakness, dizziness, and fatigue. Many also show signs of right-sided heart failure, including peripheral edema, ascites, neck vein distention, and liver enlargement. Other clinical effects vary according to the underlying disorder.

How is it diagnosed?

Diagnostic tests for pulmonary hypertension include the following:

  • listening to the lungs through a stethoscope
  • arterial blood gas analysis
  • electrocardiography
  • cardiac catheterization
  • pulmonary angiography
  • pulmonary function tests.

How is it treated?

Treatment usually includes oxygen therapy. For people with right ventricular failure, treatment also includes fluid restriction, digitalis glycosides to increase cardiac output, and diuretics to decrease intravascular volume and extravascular fluid accumulation. Of course, an important goal of treatment is correction of the underlying cause.

What can a person with pulmonary hypertension do?

  • Avoid overexertion, and always rest between activities.
  • Be sure to follow the prescribed diet and medication schedule.

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Stress Relaxation Techniques

Posted on November 8, 2008 by david

The ultimate goal in stress coping and management is to reduce the negative effects of stress. Different relaxation techniques have proved successful and can be used based on individual preference. Brief descriptions of various techniques follow. If you are interested in pursuing the use of these techniques further, more information is available in books or on tapes. These books and tapes can be purchased at bookstores or may be accessible at your library.

Deep Breating as a Relaxation Technique

Deep breathing is the most basic relaxation technique and is often the foundation for other methods. The primary benefit is that deep breathing can be done anywhere and anytime. It is beneficial to practice deep breathing several times a day. The methodology consists of completely filling the lungs when breathing so that the abdomen expands out ward. You begin by taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly through the mouth. A hand can be placed on the stomach to ensure that it is fully expanded. If the stomach does not rise, the breath is not deep enough or the abdomen is being held too tightly. Repeat this cycle several times and then rest quietly for 3 to 5 minutes.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation creates awareness of the difference between muscular tension and a relaxed state. This is a three-step process that begins by tensing a muscle group and noticing how the tension feels. Next, a conscious effort is made to relax the tension and notice that feeling. The third phase consists of concentrating on the differences between the two sensations. Beginning at either the head and working down or at the feet and working up, all major muscle groups should be tensed and relaxed.

Autogenics

Autogenics uses self-suggestion to produce a relaxation response. Autogenics begins with a deep breath and a conscious effort to relax. This technique may follow a progression from head to feet or feet to head and also uses a phrase, such as “my arm feels heavy and warm,” repeated several times before moving on to the next muscle group. Other phrases that carry a message of calming, such as “I am completely calm and relaxed,” can be used and repeated. The session can be ended by silently stating, I” am refreshed and alert.” Autogenics takes practice, time, and commitment to achieve the relaxation response and should be practiced twice a day for about 10 minutes. Commercial tapes are available that are very beneficial.

Meditation

Meditation can be approached from a variety of perspectives. As a stress-reduction technique its purpose is to temporarily tune out the world and invoke relaxation. During a meditation session the person meditating concentrates or focuses her attention on a mantra, or particular word or sound, while attempting to eliminate all outside distractions.

Begin by taking a comfortable position on a couch or in a chair. Take several deep breaths, slowly inhaling and exhaling. Shut your eyes or softly focus them on an object so that the details are blurred. All thoughts should be concentrated on a word or phrase that you have selected to use, such as “peace” or “relax,” while continuing to breathe slowly and deeply. The relaxation response can also be initiated by using the same format and counting breaths backward from 100 or by imagining a white light that slowly travels throughout the body, letting in light and energy while expelling tension and fear. Many commercial tapes are available.

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Obesity and Obesity Statistics

Posted on October 11, 2008 by david
  • Americans’ obsession with their body weight is evidenced by the 50% of women and 25% of men who are trying to lose weight at any given time
  • One third of US adults and one fourth of US children are obese. Almost three fourths of all Americans are overweight.
  • Americans are more sedentary and at the same time consume more calories than their peers of 10 years ago.
  • Obesity is defined as being 20% over the recommended weight in height/weight tables. Better methods of determining obesity are those that involve actual fat measurements. With these methods, body fat percentages of 25% and 32% for men and women respectively are classified as moderately obese.
  • Obesity is a risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, some forms of cancer, some types of diabetes mellitus, respiratory disorders, and orthopedic problems. Obesity has been declared a disease by the National Institutes of Health.
  • Dietary intake of too much fat and too many calories is the major cause of obesity.
  • Dietary fat has less of a thermogenic effect than do carbohydrate and protein and therefore is more efficiently and easily stored as fat tissue.
  • The general decline in physical activity is highly correlated with the rise in obesity.
  • Engaging in a physically active lifestyle is the best way to prevent weight gain.
  • Approximately 70% of the energy liberated from food is expended to support BMR.
  • Physical activity improves body composition, in ­ creases BMR, improves insulin sensitivity, and increases oxygen capacity and glycogen storage in muscles.
  • Obesity occurs when fat cells increase excessively either in size (hypertrophy) and/or in number (hyperplasia). Most obesity is adult-onset and caused by hypertrophy.
  • Heredity and set point are the major biological factors associated with obesity.
  • The development and distribution of body fat is under substantial genetic control.
  • An endomorphic body type is more prone to fat cell storage than ectomorphic and mesomorphic types.
  • Physical activity is the best way to alter the body’s set point for fatness.
  • Overeating and lack of physical activities are the major behavioral explanations of obesity.
  • Weight loss requires a caloric deficit in which food intake and exercise are manipulated so that caloric expenditure exceeds caloric intake.
  • Complex forces influence the success of weight loss efforts and help to explain why people respond so differently to similar dieting strategies.
  • Low-fat diets often result in over compensatory eating behaviors in which the dieter ends up consuming more total calories.
  • Behavioral techniques may be a good supplement to exercise and dietary modification for weight management.
  • Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are three potentially destructive eating disorders with complex causes.

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Acai Weight Loss – Everything You Want To Know

Posted on October 1, 2008 by

Acai has been best known for its qualities to assure a good health. Apart from raising the immunity level of body, another significant quality of this natural product is to help in reducing body fat. The pure Acai targets the excessive fat possessed by the body by enhancing the metabolic process of a body.

The anti-oxidants provided by this product help in eliminating toxins and unwanted content of fats from human body. Thus, it is an impressive procedure to lose weight and gain a good body shape. It gas been proven that Acai acts faster than any other product in burning body fat and thus, is recommended by experts in the industry.

The result is that many weight loss pills manufacturers have started using this ingredient in their products. The provision of Acai in diet pills has further boosted the effectiveness of diet pills in lowering down the body weight. However, it is important that you avail these pills from a respectable resource.

Best Pills 4 Weight Loss happens to be one of these trustable resources to avail information about acai weight loss pills. Apart from acai pills, there is information for several other types of pills available on this website. You can visit the website to learn about various pills and the ingredients present in it.

Apart from being an information resource, the website also helps to bring comparison between various products, so that the visitors are benefited to purchase most admirable weight loss products.

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Differentiate Between Genuine and Fake Diet Pills

Posted on October 1, 2008 by

With the fascinating success and popularity achieved by diet pills like hoodia, there are many ill-minded people, who try to make illegitimate money through fake diet pills. These diet pills appear like original ones, but a careful inspection may help you to distinguish between genuine and fake diet pills.

These fake diet pills providers fix low prices for duplicate copies of these pills to target a specific section of customers. These customers are fascinated by the idea of purchasing diet pills at low prices and thus, get trapped in the wrong intentions of fake diet pills dealers.

In order to get best diet pills, which are original products from the manufacturer, always consider the prices tagged on them. If the diet pills are sold at much lower prices, you have the right to strongly doubt the originality of these products. You can check the original prices of these pills by logging on to Internet. Remember that fake diet pills can cause wastage of time, money and efforts and can also induce side-effects in the body.

Diet Pills Hut is the website, which reviews only original products in the category of diet pills. The website provides you with correct information associated with different diet pills. For instance, the prices fixed by pills manufacturer are listed along with detailed description of these products.

Thus, you can take the advantage of this information to purchase competent weight loss pills. You can become an informed customer with the help of this website and shop for deserving products for bringing down your body fat.

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Tonsils and Adenoids

Posted on September 27, 2008 by david

The removal of tonsils and adenoids is probably the most frequent operation performed on children. Today it is generally accepted that healthy tonsils and adenoids serve as protective agents in the human body, as a defense against the invasion of bacteria into the bronchial tubes and the lungs. They serve as fortresses holding the infection in the nose and throat.

The decision as to removal of tonsils and adenoids then rests on whether these bodies have become a menace rather than a means of protection. If an operation is felt necessary, most pediatricians prefer to hold off the tonsillectomy until a child is approximately three years of age, for if they are removed too early there is often a regrowth of the tissue. Adenoid­ectomy may be performed at any age.

Since there may be separate indica­tions for the removal of tonsils and the removal of adenoids, it is wise to consider each category separately .

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Depression and its Categories

Posted on September 24, 2008 by

Depression is a type of mental disorder which is completely different from other mental feelings such as unhappiness and and sadness. Depression is a long lasting disease like heart disorders. The people suffering from depression can have a feeling of built, loneliness, worry, worthless and helpless. The depression is a gift of the very fast life style in which no one has time to pay attention to the body. The number of patients suffering from depression is increasing day by day. The reports suggests the eighty percent of the depression patients also suffers from anxiety disorder.

Categories of depression disorder : There are three main categories of Depression disorder

Adjustable Disorder with depressed mood: This type of depression occurs because of stressful movements in our lives. For example the breakup in relations, failure in any entrance exam. Sometimes the positive changes such as getting a new job, successful marriage can also trigger this type of depression.

Clinical depression: It is a major of depression which occurs because of some clinical imbalances in the brain. The symptoms of this type of depression resides in the patient for more than two weeks. The patient suffering from this type of depression can commit suicide or can cause harm to himself.

Dysthmic Disorder: This form of depression generally occurs in early stages of life. It is less dangerous than the clinical depression but can remain for a long life if left untreated.

If we can make some changes in our daily life then we can get depression relief. But there are some cases in which the patient is unable to change his life style. In such cases the other’s such as family members, friends, doctors help can be taken Some of the treatments available to diagnose the depression symptoms are

  • Medication
  • counseling
  • Behavioral changes
  • Changes in life style

You can also treat depression at your home by searching Internet for Depression help.

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Weight Loss: A New Attitude Emerges

Posted on September 18, 2008 by david

The term weight loss is too generic and implies that indiscriminate weight loss of body fluids, protein, and fat is desirable. A more appropriate goal is to measure success by the amount of fat lost rather than by weight loss. The term weight loss should be replaced by the more specific term fat weight loss.

Until recently, advice to over fat persons was imprecise. For example, the suggestion simply to “cut back on calories” is an oversimplification of the truth and reinforces the misconception that diet alone is the problem. Successful weight management is rarely the result of following a diet or counting calories for a specific time period. Rather there must be a life long lifestyle change because the loss or gain of body weight, the development of fat cells, and the causes of obesity are complex issues related to the interaction of three factors-heredity, diet, and exercise.

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