Assess Your Weight with Quick Estimate Method
To quickly estimate your healthy weight, you can use the following method. First, figure the median weight for your height by using the appropriate formula: [more…]
Helping Your Body Absorb Iron from Your Diet
Just because you include a certain amount of iron in your diet doesn’t mean that that entire amount of iron is available for your body to use. There’s actually a little game of tug-of-war over iron going [more…]
How Your Brain Announces You've Had Enough to Eat
Scientists have discovered that your hypothalamus, a small gland on top of the brain stem (the part of the brain that connects to the top of the spinal cord), seems to house your appetite controls. [more…]
Caring for an Alzheimer's Patient and Your Family
Balancing your attention to an Alzheimer's patient with care for the rest of your family is nothing short of a tightrope act. According to a study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 41 percent [more…]
Getting Enough Protein in Your Diet for Good Health
Really, you don’t have to worry about your getting enough protein in your diet — unless you live on Twinkies and Dr. Pepper. Then maybe you could end up protein deficient. But you’d be lacking in many [more…]
Medically Supervised Weight Loss Plans Moderate Health Risks
Some diet plans require medical supervision because they involve rapid weight loss that can stress your body. For example, a complication of some of the very low calorie diet [more…]
Covering the Chemotherapy Basics
Chemotherapy, administered under the direction of a medical oncologist with assistance from angels otherwise known as chemo nurses, covers a wide range of drug regimens that all produce side effects. Most [more…]
Starting Out Slowly: Clear Liquids after Weight Loss Surgery
Immediately after your weight loss surgery, on the day of the surgery itself, you may not be allowed to have anything to drink, and you definitely won't be allowed to have anything to eat. Your surgeon [more…]
Meditation Prerequisite: Knowing How to Relax
Buddhists like to compare the mind to a monkey that swings uncontrollably from branch to branch — from plan to memory, thought to emotion, sight to sound — without ever settling down in one place. Some [more…]
Dieting with Liquid Meals and Diet Bars for Weight Loss
Over-the-counter liquid and bar meal replacement products contain nutrients that your body needs, but these manufactured meals aren’t a good choice for [more…]
Staying in Shape while Traveling
If you travel frequently, one of the easier ways to stay in shape on the road is to make the preparations while you're home. You are a perfect candidate for membership with one of the major national health [more…]
Dietary Sources of Vitamins Your Body Needs
Food delivers higher quality vitamins and nutrients than supplements do. The following table gives you the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for adult men and women [more…]
Japanese Food — A Good Diet Choice
Japanese food is a nutritious, low-calorie choice for dieters. Japanese can be one of the most nutritional and healthy cuisines, with only a few fattening dishes, such as tempura, teriyaki, katso, and [more…]
Recommendations for Carbohydrates, Fats, Dietary Fiber, and Alcohol
Carbohydrates, fiber, fat, and alcohol are not included among Recommended Dietary Allowances. The reason is simple: If your diet provides enough protein, vitamins, and minerals, it’s almost certain to [more…]
Potassium: Nutrition for Blood Pressure Regulation
Potassium is an essential nutrient contained mainly within cells. You need at least 2 grams (or 2,000 mg) of potassium a day, which is fairly easy to obtain from your diet. Potassium helps to balance and [more…]
Premenstrual Food Cravings Related to Ovulation
If you just can’t say no to premenstrual cravings, even when you are dieting, you have a good reason: Your body doesn’t want you to. Your body wants extra calories and increased nutrition when you have [more…]
What Carbohydrates Mean to Your Daily Diet and Good Health
The most important dietary sources of carbohydrate nutrients are plant foods — fruits, vegetables, and grains. Milk and milk products contain the carbohydrate lactose [more…]
Why Your Body Needs Water
You must have water in your diet. It is brimming with minerals and electrolytes, and you can’t live without it. Water is a solvent. It dissolves other substances and carries nutrients and other material [more…]
Choosing the Right Mnemonic at the Right Time
Memory mnemonics are simple techniques to help you remember what you want to remember. A mnemonic is as easy as, "One two, buckle my shoe; three four, shut the door; five six, pick up sticks. [more…]
Phosphorus: Essential Nutrition for All Body Cells
Phosphorus is an essential macromineral, meaning to be healthy you must include this nutrient in your diet. Dietary sources include almost all foods. Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral nutrient [more…]
Keep a Food Journal to Track Eating Habits
To assess your diet — whether to determine if it includes essential nutrients in the correct amounts or to try to understand how you can lose weight — consider keeping a food journal. Most people don’t [more…]
Common Multiple Sclerosis-Related Cognitive Problems
Multiple sclerosis (MS) can not only cause a wide variety of physical symptoms, but also affect the way people think and feel emotionally. It's important to understand what these changes are, and how they [more…]
What Is “Good” Cholesterol and “Bad” Cholesterol?
Your liver creates cholesterol from nutrients in your diet and your body cannot function without that cholesterol. Because cholesterol is known to increase risk of certain diseases, many people are confused [more…]
How Your Body Uses Vitamin A
Vitamin A is essential in a healthy diet. This crucial fat-soluble vitamin was the first vitamin to be officially named, so it became vitamin A. Your body needs a steady supply of A to maintain healthy [more…]
How to Determine Whether Your Child Is Overweight
Body Mass Index (BMI) is the standard used to measure a child’s weight-related health risk. However, you must use charts specifically designed for children. [more…]
