fitness

The field of nutrition is awash with charts, tables, diagrams, models, acronyms, and abbreviations; more than the average person can memorize. As such, one often comes across someone who has simply burnt out trying to keep track of how much to eat, when to eat it, how to find the calories from fat, the RDI, the DV, and so on. There is an overkill of useful information within the nutrition field, and it can ironically provoke one to grow weary and exhausted, tune out, and go grab a fast food burger.

The kidneys are organs that are about four inches long, and are found in the back wall of the abdomen on either side of the spinal column. Their main function is to filter waste and excess fluid from the blood as it flows through these organs. They are not huge in size, but the role that they play is significant. Though they are small (both of them together weigh less than a pound), they process over 18 gallons of blood each hour and filter over half of all of the fluid that is taken in by the body. In the end, the kidneys will excrete up to two quarts of urine during a day’s time. (Source: Every Woman’s Health, 1993). The kidneys are prone to a number of diseases and conditions, some of them very serious and even potentially life threatening. As with many other problems in the body, treating or preventing a number of conditions can begin and end with a better diet by either adding or eliminating certain foods.

Like all other nutrients, there are a number of myths that surround protein in all its forms. Protein comes from a number of sources, including animal based and plant based. In addition to getting protein from food sources, it is possible to get protein in a number of alternative forms, including protein powders, liquid protein, protein capsules and protein bars. Some of the myths surrounding protein can be dangerous, while some are simply laughable. It is important to know the difference between reality and the myths about protein so that you can make the right decision about the foods that you need.

Most people understand that it is wise to limit the grams of fat in their daily diet. The dietary reference intake amount for an adult ranges from 20% to 35% [i] of daily calories; or about 44 to 55 grams per day [1]. Since a single slice of pecan pie carries with it 27 grams of fat, and a mere tablespoon of thousand island salad dressing contains 8 grams of fat [ii], it is not surprising to see more and more people checking food labels and “passing over” an order of onion rings [2] as they try to lose, or maintain, inches and pounds.

Some people assume that the only cholesterol they ever get is through their diets. So, if you do not eat any food with cholesterol, you would have zero in your body, right? This is actually incorrect because the body makes its own cholesterol, an amount equivalent to ten eggs every day. Just as the body digests and breaks down amino acids to form hormones for a number of functions, cholesterol in the body is used to make hormones.