nutrition

The average lifespan has continued to increase as improvements in health care and medications have continued to be implemented. In 1997, the average life expectancy was 73 for males and 80 for females. (Source: Sigelman 1999) Currently, 13% of the population is 65 and older, and the 85 and older population is the fastest growing segment of all. It is estimated that 20% of the population will belong to this group by the year 2030, with the estimated number being around 73 million. (Source: Science Daily: March 8, 2010)

Ask the average dieter to rate how they feel throughout the course of the day and you are likely to hear a lot of negative adjectives like tired, achy, cranky, and more. Ask them about their meals and snacks and you might be shocked by how little you hear from them. Most dieters have some pretty crazy ideas about what to eat and when to eat it. There is even a diet that suggests that you will gain weight if you eat anything after four pm. In theory, then, if you eat a final meal at four and then nothing else for the rest of the night, you can effortlessly lose weight no matter what you are eating in the period before four. So a person who is not making the best food choices anyway may take that to mean they can scarf down a dozen donuts for breakfast, an entire pizza for lunch and a two pound T-bone at 3 pm with a gallon of ice cream to round it all off just before the “magic hour.” It doesn’t work that way!

There are three stages of weight loss surgery- the preparation, the surgical recovery phase and the postoperative phase. Each one is very important and should include the mental and physical preparations so that it goes as smoothly as possible and so that you can get the best possible results for your efforts. The more information that you have, the better you can prepare for your weight loss surgery.

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.