Posts Tagged b vitamins

Aspects of Healthy Eating Menu for the Elderly

Posted on September 25, 2011 | Healthy Nutrition.

A healthy eating menu is very important if you have senior citizens under your care. This is because their bodies require special attention that only a healthy menu can provide. Ageing is inevitable but the process need not be deterred with problems and diseases that can be prevented having a healthy eating menu. The reason behind this is because a healthy menu will provide most of the necessary nutrients and vitamins to counteract the detrimental effects of ageing. Food is not only meant to make us “feel full” but also to nourish and revitalize our systems as the building blocks of the body are found in the foods we eat.

Ageing is characterized by muscle wasting, system deterioration and weakening bones. Therefore a healthy eating menu for the elderly should involve all the main essential nutrients that are important for building and strengthening the body in significant amounts. There are always pill supplements but nature has awarded us the privilege of enjoying all the essential nutrients through wholesome food without having to take these pills. The healthy eating menu will definitely combine all these foods in a balanced and wholesome way.

One of the most important aspects of a healthy menu for the elderly should involve the major body builders; quality sources of proteins, carbohydrates, calcium and the essential vitamins. Calcium for instance is essential for the bones to prevent loss of teeth and osteoporosis among other bone diseases. Proteins are supposed to rebuild muscle and maintain body mass. Carbohydrates provide energy to the body and prevent the body from attacking protein reserves that causes muscle wasting. The healthy eating menu should involve all these, among other essential nutrients to the body in order to maintain a healthy living for the elderly.

Healthy menu for the elderly should also involve significant amount of vitamins such as the B vitamins, which are very essential to the nervous systems. Other essential vitamins such as the A, D, E, and K are very important to facilitate most of the metabolic functions of the body and other higher processes. Therefore the healthy eating menu will have significant amounts of vegetables and fruits. These also provide most of the fiber required in a healthy menu as the digestive system also becomes weakened with age. The fiber amounts should however be regulated to prevent stress on the digestive tract. The healthy eating menu should be formulated on foods from all the major food groups.

Vitamins That Help You Lose Weight

Posted on June 5, 2011 | Healthy Nutrition.

According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans “nutrients should be met primarily through consuming foods. Foods provide an array of nutrients and other compounds that may have beneficial effects on health. Dietary supplements, while recommended in some cases, cannot replace a healthful diet.” In laymen’s terms this means that by increasing your intake of healthy food rich with nutrients, you are guaranteed to lose weight and increase your metabolism.

B Vitamins

Of all of the 13 essential vitamins, B vitamins are most commonly linked to weight loss. To better understand this relationship lets discuss the B family itself. It contains a total of eight vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), niacin, B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, B12 (cobalamine), biotin and pantothenic. B vitamins serve in a number of different capacities and perform a host of functions including creating new blood cells, boosting energy, and regulating metabolism.

With respect to metabolism, B vitamins are especially important so much that many weight loss clinics will offer weight loss patients shots of B12 to help them progress through their weight loss period. For the best results, B vitamins should be consumed collectively. Developing a diet that contains B vitamins rich foods like dairy products, egg yolks, meat, fish, leafy vegetables, and legumes will certainly improve your chances of boosting your metabolism.

Vitamin C

Paired with vitamin E, vitamin C helps in the antioxidant process and can help avoid harmful oxidation of cells. Vitamin C is also serves as a facilitator of absorption of supplementary vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, and folcacin. Vitamin C has also been connected as a correlate to healthy hormones, bones, blood vessels, collagen and teeth. Aside from the nutritional benefits, Vitamin C is also essential to improving your immune system which is absolutely necessary for weight loss. For best results, consider incorporating the following vitamin C enriched foods into your diet dark green vegetables and broccoli, red and green peppers, citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits, and tomatoes.

Vitamin D

Through recent research, Vitamin D has been cited as a contributing factor to greater weight loss success. Be clear that Vitamin D is not the answer to all of your weight loss problems but it can change and improve some things. In particular, for persons with inadequate levels of Vitamin D who are on a weight loss program, supplementing with the vitamin can help to create balance and augment one’s weight loss success. This of course would take place in accordance with other routine weight loss techniques like exercising and eating healthy foods.

Just as Vitamin C, Vitamin D also helps with the absorption of calcium which is critical in preventing osteoporosis and maintaining solid bone density. In the most natural of sources, Vitamin D can be created through 10 to 20 minutes of direct sunlight a few (three times) a week. If it is the winter season or if you’re not a big fan of the sun, you can also get a decent amount from foods like cereal, bread, milk, yogurt, fish liver oils, catfish, tuna, herring, and salmon.

Vitamin E

Similar to B vitamins and Vitamin C, Vitamin E has also been identified as a strong antioxidant and contributing factor in establishing an efficient metabolism rate. In addition, Vitamin E also boosts your immune system and has been connected to preventing heart disease and in some cases cancer. Healthy skin is another benefit of Vitamin E. Vitamin E will help encourage skin elasticity which for someone looking to trim inches is a good thing. Your best option for the greatest results is to identify Vitamin E found in unsaturated fats including leafy/green vegetable like lettuce or broccoli, vegetable oil, whole grains, avocado, wheat germ oil, seeds, and nuts.