The Real Anti-Aging Diet - Part 3

By the Vteam, Kamau Austin Publisher

In parts 1 and 2 of this article series we looked at the role inflammation plays in the process of disease and illness, and the role of trans fats in establishing unhealthy conditions in the body.

In part 3 we will look at the dietary changes we need to make in order to promote good health with an anti-inflammatory diet.

All healthy eating plans call for a well rounded approach to nutrition. Any system of eating that is unbalanced, relying too heavily upon one food group or another will not promote good health. In nature balance is the key.

Eating to reduce inflammation is no different. An anti-inflammatory diet will consist of an assortment of different foods. For optimum effect variety is important.

One of the most basic rules for healthy anti-inflammatory eating is to obtain the freshest food possible. Try to stay away from fast food and eat as many plant based foods as possible.

Shoot for control over portions. The American diet is replete with instances of 'super-sizing'. Thirty years ago a large soda was 12 ounces. Today a large soda is typically 32 oz. and in 1975 would have been considered family-sized with four eight ounce servings.

To reduce inflammation your typical food intake should consist roughly of 40-50% carbohydrates, 30% fats and 30% protein.

Carbohydrates: The majority of the carbs you consume should be from vegetables, fruits and grains that are low on the glycemic index; which measure the rate at which sugars and starches are converted into usable form by the body. They higher the glycemic index of a food the faster it turns to sugar in our bloodstreams and the worse it is for our overall health.

High glycemic index foods are white bread, white sugar, potatoes, bagels, and other high starch food items. Instead of these, choose whole-grain breads and pastas, squash and sweet potatoes. Avoid foods made with high-fructose corn syrup.

Fats: We covered omega-6, omega-3 and trans fats in the previous sections but just to recap, you want to avoid trans fats in the products you consume and in cooking. Additionally, you want to decrease your intake of saturated fats like butter, cream cheese, fatty meats and products made with coconut and palm kernel oils.

Opting for extra virgin olive oil is among the healthiest choices you can make. Another good choice is expeller-pressed organic canola oil. In order to get omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, include wild caught salmon, sardines, herring, black cod, omega-3 fortified eggs and flaxseeds.

Protein: Reduce your intake of animal protein if you have allergies, or autoimmune disease. Eat mostly fish and low-fat animal products. Soybeans are a great alternative source of protein. Tofu is a soy based product that is also a good meat alternative.

Vitamins and Minerals: The best way to get needed vitamins and minerals is through eating a variety of healthy food. But regardless of how well we eat it is virtually impossible to get all that we need from our food choices, alone.

Supplements are needed for optimum health. Supporting the immune system with supplements will make your healthy eating much more powerful and effective. A good immune system booster should contain vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

One good immune booster that we have heard about is Immunitril™. It's users seem to give it rave reviews, therefore it couldn't hurt to look into this promising product. To get more information about it do a search for it on better online stores like Amazon.com and the www.BODeStore.com. Immunitril™ boosts rich nutrients and ingredients and probably merits your serious consideration.

Inflammation is now seen as a large contributor to major illnesses that can plague us as we age. Taking a proactive approach to combating inflammation will help you to keep your body strong and disease-free. You diet is the place to start.

Implement some of the changes that we have outlined in this 3 part series and you will be moving towards changing your health for the better!

This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on a health or fitness program.

The Real Anti-Aging Diet - Part 2

By the Vteam, Kamau Austin Publisher

In Part 1 of this article series we discussed the body's inflammation response and what happens when that response goes outside of the body's normal range. We discussed the two primary types of fatty acids our body's need: omerga-6 and omega-3.

In Part 2 we will focus on trans fats, why they are so bad for us, and what we can do to eliminate them from our diet. Although this discussion may get a bit 'science-y' this information is important for us to understand in order to maintain good health.

The Problem with Trans Fats
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Trans fats are in the news daily. And the rate at which products that contain them are being pulled from supermarket shelves is an indication of just how serious a threat to good health they are. Trans fats are distinctly pro-inflammatory in the body.

They are fats that have been artificially hardened and include vegetable shortening, hydrogenated vegetable oils and margarine. The process by which normally liquid fats are turned into semi-solids transforms them chemically into substances that are pro-inflammatory in the body.

The real problem with trans fats is that they are not chemically stable so when they are heated or otherwise disturbed they become substances that create inflammatory states in the body. By contrast, butter and lard do not contain trans fats.

So how do we avoid consuming trans fats? Some changes will have to be made in the traditional American diet if we are to avoid trans fats. Some points to consider are:

* Don't consume products made with vegetable shortening

* Also avoid using shortening for cooking

* Don't eat products that list partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient.

* The FDA is now requiring manufacturers to list trans fats on the
label so it should be easier to spot food that contain them.

* Do not use margarine or butter substitutes.

* Do not order fried foods in restaurants.
Almost all restaurants fry their food in oil that has
oxidized and contains trans fats.

* Do not use oil that has gone rancid.

* Decrease your use of safflower, sunflower, corn and sesame oils

* Do not heat your cooking oil to the point of smoking and don't
breathe in the smoke of oil that has been heated to the smoking level.

* Use olive oil and butter as your primary cooking oils.

The legislature in New York is trying to pass a bill that will make it an offense for restaurant's to use trans fats in cooking. The restaurants would be able to phase trans fats out over the next 18 months.

Hopefully this measure will pass and more states will follow suit. The overall health of the entire American population would increase if we could do just this one thing in support of our health.

Using the proper supplements will promote a healthy anti-inflammatory condition in the body when coupled with good nutrition and avoidance of trans fats. The immune system is directly responsible for holding inflammation in check. So nutritional support and support through adding supplements, for the immune system is vital to our efforts of maintaining good health.

For example one supplement that reportedly supports immune system functioning is Immuitril™. We read good things about this promising supplement. It won't hurt to check it out at better online stores like Amazon.com and the BODeStore.com. To find out if this supplement can help you boost your immune system do a search at one of these reputable eTailers.

In part 3 we will look at the dietary changes we need to make in order to promote good health with an anti-inflammatory diet. We will look more in depth at the different food groups and explain how both good and bad products affect your overall health.

Look for our next article at better article syndication websites or visit us at the www.HealthandFitnessVitality.com Blog. Remember good health is true wealth and your greatest asset.

This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on a health or fitness program.

The Real Anti-Aging Diet - Part 1

By the Vteam, Kamau Austin Publisher

Doctors are beginning to recognize the power of good nutrition in promoting good health as we get older. Increasingly doctors are recognizing that inflammation may be at the root of many of the illnesses that affect us as we age.

Inflammation can be the body's response to what it experiences as infection, irritation, or injury. When inflammation is present there is redness, swelling and oftentimes pain. While we experience these as uncomfortable states they actually are a signal that the body is working to correct the problem that is at the root of the inflammation.

This is localized inflammation which stays in the area of infection, injury or irritation for a time and then has a specific end. The discomfort felt is a direct product of the healing process taking place.

The inflammation which is a precursor to major illnesses like cancer and heart disease is different than the localized inflammation discussed earlier. It is an abnormal type of inflammation which extends beyond the area of the body that many have initially experienced the injury. Once this process begins it can unleash some of the immune system's strongest weapons. Weapons that are normally reserved for localized inflammation.

These weapons can and do damage healthy tissue just as if it were an invading force from outside the body. And since they are some of the strongest enzymes and substances that the body has available to it, they can have a serious affect on healthy tissue.

This unchecked inflammation can spark an autoimmune response in susceptible people. Autoimmunity is characterized as the body's immune system attacks attacking its own healthy tissue. Some of the diseases that are autoimmune in nature are: Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and asthma.

The good news about abnormal inflammation which is at the root of autoimmunity is that much of it can be avoided with paying closer attention to our diets.

But exactly how does diet affect inflammation? Most of the information surrounding inflammation and diet deal with how our body uses fats. Our bodies need two substances that are parts of polyunsaturated fatty acids that we ingest. We are not able to create these substances on our own; it is 'essential' that we get them from our diets. Hence the term EFA or essential fatty acids.

We need types omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. We need to ingest them often and in the proper ratio for optimum use by the body. We can readily get omega-6 from seeds and their oils. They also accumulate in the fatty tissue of animals that are fed grains.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a lot less easy to get. They exist in low concentrations in leafy green vegetables, some seeds and nuts, some vegetable oils like soy and canola and in oily fish like wild salmon and bluefish. Grass grazed beef as opposed to beef that is grain fed will also contain omega-3s.

In earlier times the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s were roughly equal but due to the preponderance of blended refined cooking oils and the fattening of grazing animals, the typical American diet is now one in which there is an overabundance of omerga-6 fatty acids as compared with omega-3s.

This unbalanced condition sets us up for a pro-inflammation environment in the body with accompanying autoimmune response in susceptible people.

Additionally, trans fats, which we will discuss in part 2 of this article are fats that we should avoid at all costs in our diet.

While avoiding foods that are pro-inflammatory in the diet good supplementation can help us build up our immune systems in support of good health.

One supplement that we have heard positively affects the immune system is Immunitril™. Immunitril(tm) is available from better online stores like the Bodestore.com and www.Amazon.com. It contains minerals, vitamins as well as anti-oxidants to help our bodies to build strong immune systems.

In Part 2 of this series we discuss trans fats and what an anti-inflammatory diet looks like. Until then consider incorporating these timely nutrition tips into your diet to help enhance your life and overall health.

This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on a health or fitness program.

You Can Be More Immune to Bad Health

By the Vteam, Kamau Austin Publisher

Our medical care system is not always pro-active about disease prevention. American doctors are taught extensively, in medical school, about the treatment and curing of illness. Little of the formal education that our doctors receive focuses on prevention and avoidance of illness.

As a result by the time that most of us go to the doctor we are already experiencing symptoms of illness. This may be due, in part, to the fact that some health insurance does not cover wellness care or annual physicals., only treatment for ailments after symptoms are apparent.

It is up to the consumer to protect his own health and to do things that promote good health.

There are many things that we can do on our own to help keep ourselves healthy. One of the most important areas to consider to promote good health, and avoid disease, is our diet.

There is a lot of truth in the old saying 'You are what you eat'. Clearly, your muscles, blood, bones and tissue are all constructed out of the raw material that you give your body to work with. The better, or more suited, the food you eat is to the development of a strong, healthy body, the better body you will be able to build.

The USDA Food Pyramid is a good place to start when deciding what foods to eat and in what proportion during your day. While it is not complete it does give a good blueprint from which to begin.

The UDSA recommendation includes 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. While this may seem like a lot it is really not too difficult to consume this amount.
Soups and stews can contain a variety of vegetables and one serving can satisfy a portion of the requirements.

Instead of reaching for chips and cookies when we want a snack we can eat a piece of fruit which will further contribute to our meeting our daily requirement.

Protein is important for our bodies to have each day as it is the substance out of which muscle tissue is made. When we don't get enough protein it negatively effects out muscle mass. While on crash diets our body can to start to consume some of the muscle that we have, as fuel. This can be dangerous as the heart and other organs are made up of muscle tissue.

Good quality protein consists of meat, nuts and seeds. It is best to get organically fed beef and free-arrange poultry, whenever possible as these protein sources will contain far fewer hormones and other additives which are routinely a part of what we are consuming when we eat conventional meat.

For those who are trying to reduce their meat intake, nuts and seeds can be good protein sources. Just be careful of your portions as nuts have a high fat content. Again, organically grown nuts and seeds are a better choice than conventional versions.

Fats should make up about ¼ of our diet. There has been a lot of talk lately about the prevalence of trans fat in the typical American diet. The best fat to consume seems to be extra virgin olive oil. It does not contain any trans fat and is actually healthy for your heart.

Eating right undoubtedly will have a positive effect on your health, but it may not be enough. Additional support in the form of vitamins and supplements will further support the efforts begun by a good diet.

A strong immune system, which is aided by a healthy diet and good supplementation is the body's first line of defense against illness. You can help support your immune system with supplements such as Immunitril™. Immunitril™ is available from the Bodestore.com as well as Amazon. Its makers say that it will promote healthy functioning of the immune system and contains vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Do a search on Amazon.com to find out more about this promising supplement.

Whether through diet, supplements, or both, it is clear that the most important aspect of maintaining good heath starts with what we put inside our mouths.

This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on a health or fitness program.