A Nutritional Refresh
 Summer is in full swing…lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, sunny skies, and outdoor activities. It’s the perfect time of year to experience something new and to reflect on the first half of 2006.
You have worked so hard so far this year to maintain a balanced lifestyle. Both exercise and a sensible diet will ensure a healthy you. Let’s take a few moments to review the importance a sensible, nutritional approach to your diet.
What is food? Food goes well beyond just calories – it’s the basis of so many important elements of a sensible diet. As with most things, you will generally want to avoid the extremes – balance is key. The following is a refresher of key elements of food.
Do you want to see better, have more energy, move better on the tennis court, and get back to your daily workout faster after an injury? Then you need.
Vitamins
You only need a small amount of these substances which help you process other nutrients. Your body needs these materials to function properly. Some examples of important vitamins that you want to make sure you put in your body are;
- Vitamin A helps your sight. ( eggs, milk, apricots, nectarines, cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach)
- Vitamin B which helps your body make protein and energy (whole grains, such as wheat and oats, fish and seafood, poultry and meats, eggs, dairy products, like milk and yogurt, leafy green vegetables, beans and peas, citrus fruits, such as oranges)
- Vitamin C helps your body heal from injuries. (citrus fruits, like oranges, cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage)
- Vitamin D which helps your bones. ( milk and other dairy products fortified with vitamin D, fish, egg yolks
- Potassium - Potassium is an element that's essential for the body's growth and maintenance.Itplays an important role when it comes to muscle movement. Ex. bananas, cantaloupe, grapefruit, oranges, tomato or prune juice, honeydew melons, prunes, molasses and potatoes.
Do you want to keep the viruses away, think more clearly, stay cool in hot situations, and keep your work level high? Then you need.
Minerals
Eating a balanced and assorted diet is the best way to ensure enough supply of minerals. Minerals are important to several vital body processes, such as bone formation, regulation of the heart muscle, and digestive functions.
- Iron - Iron has been considered an essential mineral for our bodies. It functions primarily as a carrier of oxygen in the body. It also helps in immune function, temperature regulation, energy metabolism, work performance, and more.
Examples: spinach, beans, eggs, nuts, fortified breads, cereals, flours, liver, seafood, fish, lean meat, and poultry.
- Calcium - Women are encouraged to eat fat-free and low-fat dairy products to get calcium. This helps reduce their risk of developing the bone disease osteoporosis. In this disease, the bone loses calcium and becomes less dense and breaks more easily.
Examples: Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products are good sources of calcium from plants.
If you want to have a healthy circulation system and stay hydrated during the workout, don't forget to drink.
Water
Water dissolves and transports other nutrients throughout the body, helping the processes of digestion, absorption, circulation, excretion, and also helps regulate body temperature. The body needs to replace 2-1/2 to 3 quarts of water every day to perform these functions. Without replenishment of fresh water, we would die in a few days.
If building your body through workouts or helping an injury repair quicker you must have the following in your diet.
Protein
Proteins are very important in the diet. They build, maintain, and repair the body. Without dietary protein, growth and all bodily functions would cease. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body.
Examples: Fish, shell fish, chicken, lean meats, skim milk (or 1%), eggs, fat-free cottage cheese, nuts.
Feeing a little tired; then don't forget the.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates or sometimes called sugars, supply immediate calories which provide the major source of food energy in the world.
Examples: Whole grain cereals, yogurt, oatmeal, whole oats, whole wheat breads, brown rice, sweet potato, yams, kasha potatoes, beans, tortillas, pretzels, popcorn, and crackers.
- Fiber - Carbohydrate requirements are also connected with fiber. It is important for the health of the digestive system and for lowering cholesterol. Foods containing fiber are good sources of other essential nutrients. Fiber refers to the portion of our food which remains undigested and contributes little or no calories to our diet.
Examples: Fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, beans and legumes are good sources of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.
Do you want your skin to have that healthy glow and your hair to be shiny? Have you ever wondered why food looks as good as it tastes, it's because of.
Fats
Fats provide most of the great taste, appearance and texture for the foods which we love. They provide energy by supplying calories to the body, and by carrying vitamins. Fats are used as a source of energy, to maintain healthy skin and hair, to regulate levels of cholesterol in the blood, etc. But be aware, you should be moderate in eating all types of fat because fats contain more than twice the calories of either protein or carbohydrate.
Examples: desserts, cheese, etc.
All of these elements are very important for the well being of our body. A person can’t function properly on just one or a few of these. They all work together to provide you the fuel that keeps you going and make you look your best. Having a good diet is the best way to reach the healthiest and highest performance of our body.
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