Nutrition Facts

These days there is a wealth of nutritional information at your finger tips from diet books to news paper articles to the media. Everyone seems to have an opinion about what facts constitute a healthy diet. It’s no secret, that good nutrition plays an essential role in maintaining and developing a strong body and mind. However, sorting out what all this information means, may not be an easy task.

What is Nutrition

Nutrition is the good we obtain from all the food we eat. Good nutrition helps fuel growth and development. Food is made up of different types of nutrients. These nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. It is a fact, that if your body fails to get the nutrients it needs, you will be more apt to develop diseases such as various cancers, heart disease, stroke and many more.

Healthy Eating

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend practicing the following:

> Eat just enough calories to maintain a healthy weight and reduce your cholesterol level.

Know Your Fats

Best choices are monounsaturated fats which include: Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil and avocados

A good choice is polyunsaturated fats which include: Safflower oil, sesame seed oil, soybean oil, corn oil and sunflower seeds and oil.

Avoid saturated fat which is harmful to your heart and includes: Fatty cuts of port, beef and lamb, and poultry with skin. Animal and dairy products such as whole and 2 percent milk, cheese, butter and lard. Palm Kernel Oil (often found in packaged foods) and coconut oil (often found in packaged foods)

Avoid trans fats, which include: Fried foods, processed baked goods, snacks and crackers. When reading labels, watch out for “partially hydrogenated oil,” which is a type of trans fat

Watch Cholesterol

The Cholesterol obtained from food will also raise the level of cholesterol in your blood. Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods from animals. Egg yolks and organ meats are especially high in cholesterol, so you should limit how much you eat of these sources.

Shake Out Salt

Another fact we should be aware of is cutting back on saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet, it’s important to track how much sodium (salt) you consume. Salt is made up of two components: sodium and chloride. Sodium causes the body to retain water, leading to fluid buildup, which makes the heart work harder. Reducing the sodium in your diet can help: lower blood pressure and manage heart failure.

Choose Healthy Foods and add in bodybuilding supplements

Remember to eat a variety of healthy foods from all food groups. We know that choosing the proper nutrition can be difficult; so, here is a guide to the foods you should consume based on recommendations by the American Heart Association:

Six servings a day of breads, cereals, rice, pasta and starch vegetables (corn, potatoes)
Five or more servings a day of fruits and vegetables
Three servings a day of dairy products (low-or nonfat milk or yogurt), and low-fat cheese) for adults ages 19 to 50,and four servings for adults ages 51 and older
Choose whole-grain products whenever possible. Legumes (beans and peas), fruits, vegetables and whole grains all contain soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol. These foods are also low in fat.
No more than six cooked ounces of meat, poultry or fish (fat trimmed and skin removed) per day
No more than three to four egg yolks per week. (be sure to count any egg yolks used in cooking and in prepared foods)
Light and fat free dressings and mayonnaise
Limit intake of high-calorie and low-nutrient foods (candy, and sodas)
For women, do not drink more than one alcoholic beverage per day
For men do not drink more than two alcoholic beverages per day

Hopefully these nutrition facts can be used as a tool to aid you in achieving sound health of body and mind.

What is Nutrition

Healthy Eating

Know Your Fats

Watch Cholesterol

Shake Out Salt

Choose Healthy Foods and add in bodybuilding supplements