Thursday, September 29, 2011

Moderate thinness

Moderate thinness and limits of moderation

Everything in life has its limits and even "moderate" doesn’t always mean "good". For example, moderate thinness may be unhealthful. Why? How to find it out? If your BMI is low, you may be moderately thin. To detect moderate thinness you must know your normal weight range determined with BMI calculator. Suspect moderate thinness if your weight is 10% below the ideal one. Inadequate nutrition and excessive physical activity may cause this unpleasant condition. If you are in stress, overwork, sleep bad, skip meals, fast, have dyspepsia, diarrhea, constipation, hepatic dysfunction, and sexual problems your way to moderate thinness is paved. Low energy levels make people with moderate thinness indifferent, easily tired, and susceptible to infections due to weak immunity. If you want to forget about this condition, keep to diets containing more calories than are spent.

Vegetable oil

The notion vegetable oil includes important substances such as olive, peanut, coconut, cottonseed, sunflower seed, soybean, safflower, rape, sesame, mustard, red palm, and corn oils. Vegetable oil contains unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and is liquid at room temperature. Valuable essential linoleic acid may be found in corn, sunflower, cottonseed, and safflower oils. Any vegetable oil produces more calories than other foods. Practically any natural vegetable oil contains carotene and vitamin E, which is valuable antioxidant important also for healthy sexual activity. Oils are consumed in the form of various foods. Industrially, vegetable oil is produced from seeds and fruit by means of pressure extraction. Then, oils undergo processing to get neutral or yellow color and to remove odor. Oils are used in breads, rolls, and other baked foods. Unsaturated oils may be hydrogenated and used for shortening and cooking.

What are fats?

Fats are natural organic triglycerides composed of three molecules of fatty acids and one molecule of glycerol. Triglycerides are the main food lipids. Fats are stored in the body as adipose tissue. Fats are lighter than water and are water insoluble. However, fats are soluble in organic solvents. In the pure state, fats do not possess any taste, color, or odor. Examples of pure fats are palmitin, stearin, and olein. Fats in adipose tissue are mixtures of several pure fats and free fatty acids in different proportions, which determine their properties. Fats may be saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fats are usually more stable and are solid at room temperature. People consume fats getting them from food. Some natural fats, such as butter and lard, may be used in food almost without preparation. Fats are extracted from animal tissue by boiling in water with subsequent cooling and skimming.

What are carbohydrates?

People, wanting to know what are carbohydrates, must bear in mind that carbohydrates are the main source of energy. Carbohydrates are represented by starches found in grains, legumes, and tubers as well as by sugars in plants and fruits. The living cells use carbohydrates in the form of glucose. After absorption from the intestine, glucose gets into the liver and is stored there as glycogen. Another portion of glucose passes into the bloodstream and is carried to the muscles and organs. Carbohydrates are burned during metabolic processes producing energy, carbon dioxide and water. Foods with high carbohydrate content are often the cheapest and richest in energy.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Women and Weight

Facts about BMI calculator for women

Nobody can deny that women are better or may be the best half of humanity. Unfortunately, some of them may experience significant problems with their weight and health. How to correct this sad state of the art? Science! Researchers developed unique bmi calculator for women based on the 1985 NIH recommendations. BMI calculator for women is a reliable indicator of weight condition and shows the shortest way to reach the ideal weight. Knowing normal weight range any woman can easily determine required weight loss or needed weight gain. Women are curious and desire to know their future. BMI calculator for women predicts health risks associated with various weight problems and shows how to avoid them.

What are lipids?

For some people the word "lipids" may seem strange and difficult-to-understand. However, all consume them every day and so bear these substances inside their bodies. Animal fats, vegetable oils, and well-known cholesterol are lipids. Fats do not always mean obesity and cholesterol should not necessary be linked to atherosclerosis. Lipids perform many useful roles in the body. For example, they realize the transport of fat-soluble vitamins and take part in their absorption from gastrointestinal tract. Lipids make food more attractive, improve food taste, and fill the eater with the senses of satisfaction after meals. Fatty tissue concentrates energy for future needs, protects the body from cold, remaining at the same time effective shock absorber for the body. Cholesterol is good for cell membranes and takes part in their building. Cholesterol is also needed for the production of sex and adrenal hormones.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Normal Weight

To know normal weight it is important to determine body mass index.
If weight does not fall under the category of normal weight, the risk for hypertension, heart problems, stroke, arthritis, and diabetes is increased. The best approach to achieving normal weight is active application of BMI calculator.


BMI and normal weight
BMI allows detecting the normal weight range for the given height. BMI calculator links a determined number with the weight showing individual BMI. For adults BMI is analyzed by means of approved weight categories. For Asians the normal weight range is lower. Athletes may have an increased body mass index remaining fatless. Among children and teenagers BMI is interpreted taking into account age and gender particularities.

BMI less than 18.5 points to underweight category. In this case it is good to talk to doctor and determine potential correlation between the weight and some possible medical problem.

BMI between 19 and 25 reflects normal weight.

BMI from 25 to 29.9 shows overweight category.

BMI equal to 30 or higher is characteristic for obesity. In this case it is necessary to lose weight changing eating habits and activity levels.

BMI particularities
There is direct connection between BMI and body fat. However, this connection depends on sex, race, and age. Women usually accumulate more fat in comparison with men. Older people have more fat than younger ones. Professional athletes have higher BMI due to increased muscular mass. It is also good to bear in mind that BMI is not the only indicator of the risk for disease.

How to achieve normal weight
It is important to know that BMI determined with BMI calculator is a trustworthy indicator of weight categories including normal weight. A person who is a little overweight may, however, remain healthy keeping to healthy diets and practicing regular exercise. Thin people may be not healthy because good eating and sufficient activity are important for health and normal weight. For some under- or over-weight people it may become necessary to change their attitude to eating and activity. Maintaining normal weight is significant for defense against obesity and associated diseases. If the weight exceeds the normal weight, losing weight is favorable for health.

What I must know about food energy



Nutrition is a biological process when food constituents are turned into body tissues and energy for various kinds of activity is provided.








How food energy is supplied

The body gets energy from digested foods. This energy is used for muscular work and metabolic activity to keep the body construction and functions in order. These processes are inseparable from heat production. Heat exchange is controlled by particular mechanisms to maintain body temperature within normal range. The organism is constantly destroying and manufacturing its own constituents. Foods provide nutritive substances required for building new materials and covering energetic needed for chemical reactions.

Units of energy

Carbohydrate, fat, and protein serve as sources of satisfying energetic necessities. Food energy is measured in Calories. Another unit of energy measure is the joule. The joule measures the energy from the standpoint of mechanical activity. 1 Calorie is equal to 4.184 kilojoules.

How the energy is measured

Food energy can be detected by means of measuring heat produced by burning various foods. Energy values for 1 gram are: carbohydrate-4 Calories (17 kilojoules); protein - 4 Calories (17 kilojoules); and fat - 9 Calories (38 kilojoules). Vitamins, minerals, and water do not produce energy. However, they may take part in energy releasing. Food energy can be calculated knowing the amounts of nutritional constituents. Foods are usually mixed sources of energy. However, sugar and vegetable oil are pure carbohydrate and fat sources.

Relationships between energy sources in diets

Usually about 12 - 15 % of energy is taken from protein, 30 - 40 % from fat, and 50 - 60 % from carbohydrate. The body can adapt to different diets and nutrient combinations. However, different dietary approaches may be associated with various health consequences.

Health consequences of wrong nutrition

Nutritional diseases may develop from under- or over-nutrition.

Obesity results from excessive caloric consumption. Obesity may lead to serious medical conditions such as chronic oxygen deficiency, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and vascular degeneration. Excessive consumption of fat soluble vitamins can end in their amassing to toxic levels in cells and tissues.

Protein and caloric malnutrition develop if the quantity and quality of food are insufficient. Protein malnutrition results in significant weight loss leading to infections with gastrointestinal bacteria and parasites.

Vitamin deficiencies develop against the background of inadequate diets. Vitamin deficiencies also arise as a result of disturbed vitamin absorption or increased vitamin loss. Vitamin deficiencies are possible during rapid growth of children, teenagers and in pregnancy when the requirements in nutrients are increased.