Whole Food Nutritional Supplements

Stop and think for a minute about the food that you put into your body everyday. If it is junk food from a fast food restaurant, then you can bet that it is not good for you. But what about the meals that you cook at home?
Do you fool yourself into thinking that you are providing a nutritious meal for your family because you are cooking at home instead of ordering takeout? Take a look at the label of some of the foods that you're using in your home cooked meals.
Does the label list ingredients that sound like a science experiment? If so, do you really think you should be putting that stuff into your body?
Whole foods are the way to go if you want total nutrition. But what exactly are whole foods?
Basically, whole foods can be defined as natural foods that are in their most complete and balanced state. They do not contain chemical or additives. They are not processed in any way and they have been grown organically without the use of pesticides.
Whole foods are easily digested and used by our bodies. These foods will provide all the important vitamins and minerals that your body craves. To sum up whole foods in a nutshell, they are the most nutritionally balanced foods that you can get your hands on.
So what do you do if you want better health and you can't find whole foods? There is an alternative. You can get complete nutrition from a whole food nutritional supplement.
A good whole food nutritional supplement should even add extra components to enhance a healthy lifestyle. Components like Aloe Vera and Pau D'Arco extract to help fight off inflammation and infections.
This whole food nutritional supplement should only the finest juices that are known for their phytonutrient properties. These juices can help support your immune system and help you develop a healthy cholesterol level.
Next add a blend of sea vegetables are harvested from the coldest and purest waters in the world. These sea vegetables will provide the major nutrients that your body needs. These are the nutrients that you can no longer get from your everyday food.
So if you are tired of feeling sick. If you are tired of not having any energy. If you are concerned about your risk for cancer and other life threatening diseases, give your body a fighting chance by trying a good whole food supplement.

A Simple and Healthy Food Nutrition Guide

Due to the fast food culture that has taken over our food choices, it's become quite of a challenge to be able to make smart food choices. Children and adults alike would rather prefer junk food over traditionally cooked food because of its simplicity in preparation, enhanced taste and instant gratification. It's unfortunate that most people don't take into consideration that nutritional value should be the most important thing that motivates the food choices and not just taste. If you're one of those who constantly struggle with choosing nutritious food over mere junk, then here is a simple and healthy food nutrition guide that can help you get started on making that transition to healthier eating.
Make it a habit to read the nutrition box
The nutrition box which is displayed on all types of packaged food is there so that you know the nutritional value of the foods you eat and the calories that are present, depending on the number of servings you consume. Just by making it a constant habit to read what's written on it will help you get an idea on what types of food that you should consume more and what types of food you should avoid.
Follow a personalized nutritionist's food guide
If you are obese or gravely undernourished, then it would be best to ask the advice of a professional nutritionist immediately. Nutritionists are experts on knowing which foods have what types of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in them and can help you by providing you a detailed plan on the types of food you should be eating depending on your weight and body's health.
Have at least 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables
As a general rule, fruits and vegetables should always be regularly consumed in big quantities each day for their high vitamin and minerals content. Following a food nutrition guide that is brimming with Fruits and vegetables is also a great way for a person to maintain their weight without having to take the drastic measures of extreme dieting or over exercising. Since they are also rich is water, they can easily satisfy any hunger pangs or remedy blood sugar levels when they drop.
Cut back on foods that contains saturated and processed fats
Saturated and processed fats are basically the cornerstone of the fast food diet and have contributed greatly to the rising obesity rate that the world is experiencing today. Saturated and processed fats should be cut back to the recommended minimum amount as, although they make food very tasty, they can have a serious effect on your health when consumed in excess.
Repeat the phrase "you are what you eat" to yourself over and over again
Always remember that you are what you eat. So if you eat healthy foods, then you will have a healthy body in return. On the other hand, if you eat junk, then your body will reap the consequences. Never compromise your health by being indifferent to foods with real nutritional value. Keep this simple and healthy food nutrition guide in mind and in no time you will be eating your way to a healthier and stronger body than ever.

Food Nutrition Facts

The FDA has made it a requirement for the food nutrition facts to be clearly labeled on all packaging. The majority of the people pay little attention to this unless they have a food allergy. Who has time to go grocery shopping and read every label in their shopping cart? Understanding the food labels is essential to a healthy diet and critical to those who are experiencing weight problems.
The labels describe the food nutrition facts and other important information about the foods that your children eat. From calories, fiber, and fat grams, to the total of all other food ingredients. Knowing how to read the food labels will help you to provide the healthy nutrients that your family should eat such as: calcium and fiber, and at the same time know about the unhealthy ingredients, like fat, saturated fat, sodium,and cholesterol.
Serving Size: The serving size and number of servings per container or package is critical. Many times people overlook this data. Quite often containers or packages contain more than one serving. If you were to eat a small container yourself when it is labeled as 2 servings you are consuming twice the portions. This is a common way that people overeat. A solution would be to purchase single sized portions or portions just big enough to feed your family. A rule of thumb: 40 calories per serving is considered low in calories, 100 calories per serving is considered moderate in calories, 400 calories and up per serving is considered high in calories.
Total Fat Grams: Learning about the amount of total fat in the foods that you eat will help to maintain a low fat diet. Understand that unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats and trans fats. It is recommended to keep your fat intake at 30% or less of which saturated fats should consist of 1/3 or less. For example: A serving that contains 100 calories should have 30% or less total fat and 10% or less saturated fats. In addition solid fats contain a lot of saturated and/or trans fats. Examples would be: butter, beef fat, pork fat, vegetable oils, hydrogenated vegetable oils, and shortening. Some animal by products also contain a lot of saturated and trans fats. Vegetable oils, however, consist of more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Palm kernel oil and coconut oil being the exception.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are sugars and starches that our bodies process into glucose, which our cells and muscles need for energy. For children half of their caloric intake should come from carbohydrates. It is important to know that there are good carbs and bad carbs. Rather than eat foods that are high in simple sugars you would be better off choosing more starchy foods such as: whole grain breads, rice, potatoes, pasta, and cereals. Whole wheat pasta, whole wheat breads, brown rice, and whole grain cereals are good choices for whole wheat foods. When reading the ingredients on the food nutrition facts label try to avoid added sugars and if they are listed as the first few ingredients look for better alternatives. Some common added sugars are high-fructose corn syrup, juice concentrate, sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, and maltrose.
Dietary Fiber: Eating a high fiber diet is an important part of a healthy diet. High fiber diet helps prevent cancer, heart disease, obesity, and other ailments. For children the amount of daily fiber should be their age plus 5 in grams. Example: 16 year old would need 21 grams of fiber. 16+5=21g. According to the food nutrition facts fruits, vegetables, breads, and whole grain cereal are excellent sources of fiber.
Vitamins And Minerals: The food nutrition facts also contain data on certain vitamins and minerals that children need including calcium and iron. Keep in mind that less than 5% of daily value is considered low in vitamins and minerals and over 20% of daily value is considered high in vitamins and minerals. A happy medium would be between 10% and 20% of the daily value per serving. Generally calcium rich foods consist of 20% to 30% of a child's daily value per serving. If your child doesn't get enough milk or other dairy products, which are high in calcium, check the food nutrition facts for foods that contain high calcium to compensate. Teenagers, on the other hand, need more than 100% of the daily value of calcium. 130% is about right as listed on the food container.
Cholesterol And Sodium: It is important to limit the amount of sodium and cholesterol in your childrens diet. Knowing that less than 5% of the daily value is low and over 20% of the daily value is high should help you choose foods that are in the normal range. When reading the food nutrition facts look for foods with under 140mg of sodium per serving. If the packaging lists the sodium as low or very low in sodium it is a good choice. Foods that are low in cholesterol should be under 20mg per serving.
Proteins: Proteins are needed to maintain lean muscle mass and are a critical element to overall health. Generally protein should be between 10% and 12% of your child's daily calories. Be aware that many children get more protein than they need particularly if they consume eggs, meat, and dairy products. Beans, nuts, and soy also contain proteins.
Percent Daily Values: Since less than 5% of the daily value is low and over 20% of the daily value is high for food ingredients; fat, cholesterol, sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats should be low in daily value percentage. A rule of thumb is to eat less than 100% of the daily value for these components. On the other hand, you should eat at least 100% of the daily values for calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, and dietary fiber.
Healthy Results
Those are the main food nutrition facts. Eating healthy and getting exercise is a matter of survival. Too much of one or not enough of the other is asking for trouble. Amazing things happen when you get good nutrition.

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4 Ways Fad Diets Ignore Food Nutritional Facts

Food Replacement Diets
One of the most obvious ways fad diets ignore food nutritional facts is their replacement of food intake with pills, powders or supplements. The body cannot survive on what these diets provide in nutritional value. The body fat that they may burn temporarily doesn't contain the necessary recommended levels of vitamins and minerals for good health. Sure fat does contain some vitamins stored in them but these are not the only nutrients the body needs. Many vitamins are water soluble and so they need to be ingested each day or they get washed away.
Reduced Calorie Diets
Now reducing the amount of calories that are eaten will result in weight loss, unfortunately many fad diets ignore food nutritional facts and reduce calories far below the recommended levels. A diet that has an adult consuming less then 1500 calories per day is a fad diet. The diet will not only reduce performance it may lead to health complications. Losing weight by jeopardizing your health is not an even trade nor should be considered. The body needs a minimum level of nutrition each day and sensible weight loss takes this into consideration, a fad diet does not.
Unsustainable Diets
One of the telltale signs a fad diet ignores food nutritional facts is its lack of sustainability. If you cannot survive in the long term on the diet then it is a fad diet. A diet like the liquid protein diet is a classic example. Not only can it not provide long term nutrition it can't even supply short term nutritional needs. Engaging in an unsustainable diet will really work against the dieter in the long run. Many that have participated in these kinds of fad diets report short term weight loss but as soon as the diet is discontinued the weight loss stops.
Narrowly Focused Diets
Many fad diets ignore food nutritional facts by having a very narrow food focus that will require the dieter to eat only from a small selection of foods. These diets are really dangerous as they deplete the nutrient reserves of the body. Unfortunately the dieter doesn't know their reserve nutrients have been depleted to dangerously low levels until its too late. The grapefruit diet is a classic example of a narrowly focused diet. There is no way that a grapefruit can provide the body with adequate amounts of nutrients each day. Even if you ate 10 of them they just don't have the nutritional value needed.
Proceed with Caution
Dieting is truly serious business and even more so when food nutritional facts are ignored. Diets can have serious health consequences if it is not approached sensibly. Listening to the hype of the fad diet gurus is the first mistake one can make when considering the best way to drop a few extra pounds. There are plenty of ways to lose weight that are healthy while providing the necessary components of nutrition the body requires. Proceed with caution when deciding to undertake any new diet and check it out fully before committing to it.

Change Your Eating Pattern With a Food Nutrition Counter

Tasty food never becomes out of fashion. People love to cook elaborate meals on festival days, love to eat out now and then, and treat others to good food. Restaurants also vie with each other in producing tasty dishes. Simply put, too many people are addicted to good food. While good food cheers up a lot, it adds unwanted calories to the diet as well, eventually creating a lot of overweight people. The situation has to be overcome somehow or other. Making use of a food nutrition counter may not be a total solution for overeating, but it is definitely a partial solution.
It is true that you have to control your eating to lose weight. But that does not mean that you have to eat unappetizing food. You can eat low calorie dishes that are tasty as well. A food nutrition counter will calculate for you the calories in each dish and its nutritive details so that you can easily choose dishes that provide a high level of nutrition but do not have too much fat content. Even if you eat a chocolate cake once in a while, the food nutrition counter will tell you how you can balance the diet to extract a positive effect from it.
A dietitian may also do the same job as that of a food nutrition counter because he will also be able to provide the total calorie count of any dish. But a dietitian will not be as easily available as a food nutrition counter which is available online, plus a dietitian will turn out to be expensive as well. Whether you are eating out, or trying out a new recipe, the nutrition counter will help you to check the vitamins, calcium, iron, and every other important ingredients of the recipe. This will help you to choose wisely, and improve your eating pattern. A better eating pattern will help you to lose weight, and will make you healthier and energetic.
To get a good food nutrition counter all you have to do is search for it online. Take its help and choose your recipes with care, and combine a few good exercises also to it. Results will start appearing very soon, and in no time you will be shapely and trim. Once you have developed the habit of relying on a food nutrition counter before eating or cooking anything, after a period of time your choices will fall only on such food items that are nutritious and tasty at the same time. The habit of splurging on cheesy, creamy things will disappear and you will find that you are a new person energy-wise, health-wise, physically and mentally.

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You Should Know Fast Food Nutrition Facts

Most of us are conscious about the negative aspects of gorging on fast food. Still, the fact remains that there is hardly anyone who does not step into a fast food eatery once in a while or order a rich pizza or French fries now and then because the fast food culture has become an inseparable part of our lives. Since we cannot separate ourselves completely from these foods, we should at least learn to deal with it the right way. That is why knowing fast food nutrition facts is very important to us.
Some people just do not have enough time for a sit down meal at home or to cook food at home. For others, fast foods are too enticing to resist. Whatever the reasons for getting drawn into a fast food eatery, once you get in there, you should at least know how to order something that will not harm your diet.
Most fast food joints will provide their nutrition facts to customers. Some places keep the chart containing nutrition details of their dishes on the customer's tray itself while others will provide it on request. And if some places do not have it at all, it will be available on the chain's web site.
To decide what you should order, you should know what each food item contains. That is why the nutrition facts are so important. If your diet requires you to find the food calories with the help of a nutrition counter, then you should know nutrition facts in order to feed the calculator the details.
Fast food nutrition facts should provide a food's complete breakup into sugars, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and everything. Some people may need to avoid sugars, while others may need lesser or more of some minerals. All these can be managed only if nutrition facts are available.
You may need to know these facts for various reasons. Some people may be on a diet and might want to know the details for balancing their diet. Others may have some medical conditions because of which they may need to avoid foods containing certain ingredients. All these people have to know the nutrition facts for choosing something from the menu.
Normally you will be able to get everything from the fact sheet the food chain provides. If it is not there, you should ideally contact the authorized personnel who will be able to make arrangements for it. Most often it could be a simple oversight that can be rectified in no time.

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How Can Whole Food Concentrates Compliment Whole Food Nutrition?

Whole Food concentrates are foods that are dried and then ground into a powder form. The powder can either be put into capsules or reconstituted with a liquid. This is the best way to get a highly dense form of whole food nutrition that is as close to nature as possible, aside from actually eating the individual ingredients.
Why take supplements instead of just eating the whole food? It would be very difficult and probably unappealing to eat a few heads of broccoli, a plate of alfalfa sprouts, a couple bulbs of fennel, and aloe vera gel, for breakfast. Yet, you can enjoy the full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, antioxidants and phytonutrients these foods have to offer by getting all these in the form of a whole food concentrate. Depending on where you live, variety and quality of produce may be hard to come by. Most people, even the most health conscious, don't have easy access to super foods or marine plant life from around the globe. The better thing would be to enjoy a variety of local fruits and vegetables, and add a whole food concentrate formula to your diet. Whole food nutrition is a far better option than taking a multivitamin to round out your nutrition. Look for a whole food concentrate that provides a full spectrum of nutrition from a variety of sources. Look for ingredients made up of fruits and vegetables that may not be readily available to you from your local grocery store. That way you are complimenting what you eat instead of just duplicating it. Most importantly, make sure it is not heat processed but cold pressed or processed to keep the valuable micronutrients in tact.
Whole food concentrates are as close to nature as possible and highly absorbable at a cellular level. Most importantly, unlike many of the juice products available, they're not pasteurized or chemically altered, killing the majority of beneficial nutrition. Whole food nutrition through concentrates deliver live nutrients. You may think you are getting live nutrition from the array of organic juice available everywhere. However, if you are buying these and they are pasteurized, you are missing most of the vital nutrition that those products have to offer, which are destroyed in the pasteurization process. Note, juice from concentrate, like the kind in the aisles of your grocery store, is not the same thing as a whole food concentrate formula. These products have been pasteurized prior to being made into concentrate, then reconstituted, and packaged.
Taking individual vitamins or minerals does not have the same effect (or bioavailability) as consuming these nutrients in their natural state. Also, many of these "pills" have been chemically processed making absorption by our cells even more ineffectual. Research is just beginning to understand the synergistic effect that the thousands of phytonutrients within fruits and vegetables play in delivering the maximum absorption and benefit of various individual vitamins and minerals. The best thing you can do for your body is to eat a variety of whole foods and compliment your diet with whole food nutrition from a full spectrum concentrate.