Vitamin Information Center

It’s often said that good health is the foundation of beauty. I’m willing to take that statement a step farther and claim that a balanced diet is the foundation of good health - and, therefore, beauty. For proof, just read the numerous medical studies that link healthy eating with disease prevention and disease reversal. These same studies connect high fat intake, high sodium consumption, and diets with too much protein to numerous illnesses, including obesity, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diverticular diseases, hypertension, and kidney disease. And of course, there are all the looks-stealing side effects of a poor diet, such as thinning hair, scaly skin, breakouts, pale complexion, nail disorders, and excess weight. A nutrient-weak diet can also exacerbate existing skin conditions such as psoriasis and rosacea.

There are all kinds of health reasons to curb your salt intake to the recommended limit of 500 mg per day. For those prone to breakouts, iodine - a mineral found in iodized salt and seafood is believed by many professionals to contribute to acne flare-ups.

But what exactly is a balanced diet? Generally speaking, it is a diet comprising carbohydrates, dietary fiber, fat, protein, water, 13 vitamins, and 20 minerals. More specifically, it is a diet built around a wide variety of fruits, legumes, whole grains, and vegetables. Animal protein, high-fat foods, high-sodium foods, highly sugared foods, sodas, and processed foods are consumed sparingly, if at all. Of course, there are several ways to get your daily allotment of nutrients. Here are several of the most common diets.

All about omnivores

How healthy is an omnivorous diet? It depends. Omnivores may eat cheese, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, or seafood every day, choose refined snacks, and get only one daily serving of fruits and vegetables. This is not the healthiest option for those on an omnivorous diet.

On the other hand, those omnivores who limit animal-based foods to two or three times a week, choose water over soft drinks, and get the recommended five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables have a much healthier diet. The usual complaints about traditional omnivorous diets revolve around the diet’s high levels of cholesterol and saturated fat (found in animal-based foods), which can increase the risk of cancer diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. However, an omnivorous diet can actually be a healthy one, provided that thoughtful choices are made. To keep cholesterol and saturated fat to a minimum and nutrients to a maximum, omnivores should aim to eat five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables, choose whole grains over refined grains, enjoy daily legume or soy food protein sources, and limit their consumption of animal-based foods.

With the growing awareness of the importance of healthy food, many people are also becoming vegetarian because it matches the kind of low fat, high fiber diet recommended by dieticians and doctors. Concern about the environment is another factor as people become more aware of the effect raising animals for their meat is having on the environment. Or you may be concerned about wasting world food resources by using land to raise animals for meat instead of growing crops that can feed more people directly.

Animals need far more water than grain crops. According to the USDA, growing the crops necessary to feed farmed animals requires nearly half of the United States’ water supply and 80% of its agricultural land. Additionally, animals raised for food in the U.S. consume 90% of the soya crop, 80% of the corn crop, and a total of 70% of its grain.

One acre of pasture produces an average of 165 pounds of beef; the same acre can produce 20,000 pounds of potatoes.

Vegetarian diets have been found to satisfy the nutritional needs for all stages of life, and large-scale studies have shown vegetarianism to increase longevity, improve health, and significantly lower the risks of many diseases.

Studies show that vegetarian diets help to keep body weight under control and reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoperosis and many cancers - particularly lung cancer and colon cancer. Vegetarians tend to have lower levels of cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and less incidence of dementias such as Alzheimer’s. Vegetarian diets that are low in saturated fats have been successfully used to reverse severe coronary artery disease.

It was once widely believed that vegetarians had to carefully combine plant protein sources in each meal in order to obtain all the essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids needed to stay healthy. However, scientific studies have shown that the human body can store essential amino acids and combine them as necessary. So, while combining beans and rice, or peanut butter and bread produces a complete protein, it’s not necessary to consciously do this at every meal. If you eat a varied diet and adequate calories, combining proteins is not an issue.

Vegetarian diets are lower in saturated fats, cholesterol, and animal protein. They’re also high in folate, anti-oxidant vitamins like C and E, carotenoids, and phytochemicals.

Some famous vegetarians are Leonardo Da Vinci, Charles Darwin, Socrates, Plato, Sir Isaac Newton and Thomas Edison. Famous modern day vegetarians include Bryan Adams, Alicia Silverstone, Liv Tyler, Jerry Seinfeld, Kim Basinger, and Paul McCartney.

If you are new to vegetarianism, The Higher Taste by Srila Prabhupada is a great beginners booklet. Not only does it explain vegetarianism clearly but it also gives some delicious easy to follow recipes.

There are many vegetarian websites today that provide many delicious recipes. There are a large variety of vegetarian recipes available from Italian and Greek cuisine to Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cuisine.

I love greens for so many reasons, but mainly because they TASTE GREAT!!! In salad, sautéed in olive oil with a bit of garlic or stir fry in a festive mix, greens are my favorite food. However I know that many of you will only be coaxed into trying greens with a list of all of the great nutritional properties of these most wonderful vegetables, so here goes. Continue Reading…

Water as Replenishment Equals Pain Reduction Water has several roles and responsibilities in the body. The concept of maintaining hydration is important because of these functions: Movement of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, glucose, hormones, and enzymes through the body. Continue Reading…

Appropriate knowledge of body chemistry and the nutrients effects on the body is required before choosing a nutrient or a supplement to add in the diet. People just don’t even bother to check the contents and the warnings related to that supplement. Their ignorance leads to many health problems later on. Continue Reading…

If you take a close look at the average lifestyle that people have these days, you will find out that we are constantly subjecting our bodies to unnatural chemicals and substances that may not always be beneficial to our health.

For instance, a lot of the foods that we eat these days have been processed in some form or contain artificial ingredients such as preservatives. The average diet also contains more saturated fats and refined sugars than are needed by the body.
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There is a lot of hype surrounding superfoods. Should you use them in your diet? Of course! But what are they and how can they help your body detox program? Read on to find out more.

Superfoods are foods you may or may not eat everyday that are packed full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are said will make you healthy, happy and strong. While many people think of vegetables when they hear the term superfoods, some fruits and even dark chocolate fall in this category. Adding them to your daily diet is definitely a recipe for success. Learn more about some of the best you can use during your full body detox.
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A Guide to Mixing Juices

Understanding how to combine different types of juice may improve your success in making fresh juice that is easier to digest. This is a method for selecting the right juices to mix, according to their compatibility. As a result, easy digestion is promoted. When you consume juice or food it undergoes many changes and is broken down into its constituent nutrients and then absorbed. A noteworthy feature of digestive secretions is that your body adjusts its fluid and enzymes to the character of the food eaten and juices consumed. There are, however, limitations in this process. It is possible for your body to adjust its digestive secretions to a particular juice, however, complex it may be, but this adjustment process can be incomplete when a variety of juices are consumed at the same time. This combining of incompatible juices may cause digestive disorder. Fruit juice is categorized according to the type of fruit it is from. The four fruit categories: Sweet fruits, acidic fruits, sub acidic fruits, and watery fruits.
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