Facts about Fats

In the recent years we have been hearing about OMEGA-3 fatty acids. The reason being a growing body of scientific research indicates that these healthy fats help prevent a wide range of health problems including cardiovascular diseases.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) :
All fats are not bad fats. The different types of dietary fat fall into three main groups: saturated; mono-unsaturated; and polyunsaturated. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are further divided into two sub-groups called omega-6 and omega-3 . Both of these groups are essential for good health and normal growth. Human body can not manufacture Omega-6 & Omega-3, we must get these from our diet. For this reason, they are often referred to as 'essential fatty acids' (EFAs). They cannot be inter-converted and both must be present in the diet in a proper balance for good health. Today’s diet provides an over-abundance of the Omega-6s - mainly from sunflower oil, margarines and other vegetable cooking oils. At the same time intake of the omega-3s has dropped by more than half.

Balancing Omega-3 & Omega-6
Both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are essential but the body requires them in a ratio that is not normally achieved by the typical food habits of today. Experts think that man evolved on a diet which would have had roughly 1-2 times more omega-6 than omega-3, though there is a school of thought which argues for a 1:1 ratio.
There is no doubt that the omega-3 fatty acids are essential to health. The omega-3s have potentially life-saving benefits. Benefits are summarized below :

Heart Disease :
Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA particularly, have for some time been associated with heart health maintenance and protection against a fatal heart attack. The findings suggest that the omega-3s work in several ways to reduce heart attack risk:

Anti-thrombotic. It prevent blood clotting in a coronary arteries); and help keep blood vessels dilated (vasodilation).
Triglyceride reduction. High triglyceride ( blood fat) levels are a heart attack risk factor.
Arrhythmia prevention. Help protect against heartbeat abnormalities (like ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation) that appear to be the lethal part of a heart attack.
Anti-plaque property : Plaque is the term for the deposits on the inside of artery walls, which can rupture and trigger off a blood clot. The anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3s have been shown to stabilise arterial plaques so they are less likely to rupture and lead to a heart attack.
Arterial elasticity. Arteries of patients on omega-3 supplements were appreciably more elastic than the arteries of patients on dummy medication. This indicates that their risk of a heart attack was reduced.
Blood pressure is lowered slightly by omega-3, which reduces risk of a heart attack.
Blood viscosity is lowered when omega-3 is in the diet- this means that the heart does not have to work so hard to pump blood around the body, and the risk of an attack is lowered.

Stoke Around 85% of strokes are thrombotic, that is they are caused by a blood clot forming and blocking the flow of blood through in a blood vessel supplying the brain. The anti-thrombotic properties of the omega-3s can help reduce the risk of this type of stroke.


Disclaimer : Information on researches on fish oil worldwide, compiled and summarized on this page is provided for information and awareness purposes only and is not meant to substitute the advise by your physician or other medical practitioner. You must not use the information for diagnosing or treating a disease.

For in depth study visit : www.omega-3info.com

Simple measures - Big differences

Simple measures can make a big difference. Basic advice is :
* Cut down on fried foods and use olive oil (a monounsaturated fat) for cooking and in salad dressings.
* Use spreads (Butter, Margarines) sparingly. Although it is a saturated fat, a little butter on bread is arguably better for you than soft margarines (made from sunflower, safflower or soya).
* Reduce consumption of processed foods as these are normally high in saturated or Omega-6 fats.
* Increase consumption (two meals a week) of oil-rich fish like Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel, Trout, Herring, Pilchards, fresh Tuna (not canned) OR take a Fish Oil Supplement daily. These supplements are available in a variety of 'strengths'. Aim for a regime that supplies a minimum 1000mg Omega-3 a day.

Vegetarians and vegans will need to obtain their omega-3s from sources such as flaxseed (linseed) oil, walnuts and walnut oil or vegetarian omega-3 supplements. Because the Omega-3s and omega-6s compete on the same metabolic pathway and the Omega-6s may block conversion of Omega-3 ALA to the more useful Omega-3 * EPA and DHA, non-fish eaters must be extra vigilant in cutting down on Omega-6 intake.

How to increase Omega-3 intake :
In simple terms, the best and richest sources of the Omega-3 fatty acids are oil-rich fish and fish or cod liver oil Supplements. This is because they supply the preferred omega-3's eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA) that the body can use most readily.

Fish v Supplements : Fish has the advantage of supplying a meal as well as omega-3 fats. However, environmentalists have raised concerns over levels of mercury, PCBs and dioxins in some fish; the content varies according to location season and type of fish.
In reputable fish oil or cod liver oil supplements, the refining process filters out pollutants (the Ocean Gold process). Fish-source supplements are also acceptable to those people, apart from vegetarians and vegans, who don't eat fish. A new cod liver oil capsule has been launched by Seven Seas in the UK for the few (estimated at 20%) who suffer from 'fishy repeating'. It is refined using an emulsification process and natural odour neutralizer.

Disclaimer : Information on on fish oil compiled and summarized on this page is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to substitute the advise by your physician or other medical practitioner. You must not use the information for diagnosing or treating a disease. If you have a medical problem, consult your physician.

Compiled, edited & summarized by the owner for the benefits of the visitors. For in depth study visit : www.omega-3info.com

Calculate your BMI

Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) using the following formula :-

BMI=Weight (Kg) / Height (m)x Height (m)

Ideal BMI of a person should be 20 to 25. A person with a BMI of 20-25 is Not Obese. However a person having BMI of 25 –30 is considered Overweight and above 30 is considered OBESE.

Example :
Let me try my BMI. My weight is 70 Kg and height is 01.70 Meter.

Calculation :
BMI = 70Kg / 1.70m x 1.70m = 24

OBESITY : A GLOBAL PROBLEM

According to WHO, although soaring rates of obesity in the US have attracted most attention, the situation in Europe is equally dire. Today the problem of obesity is not limited to US & Europe only, it is a global problem today. WHO predicts, if current trends continue a tenth of Europe’s children will be obese by 2010, twice the proportion a decade ago. And if no action is taken almost 150 million Europeans across all ages will be obese by 2010, compared with 125 million in 2002.

The immediate target is to stop the increase of obesity in children. Once obese, it is difficult to reverse and almost invariably progresses to diabetes. Government may be encouraged to tackle obesity on four fronts :

(a) Improving exercise & diet.
(b) Especially in schools, making healthy foods more available
(c) Regulating the advertisement of junk foods for kids in the electronic media.
(d) and counseling people against over eating.

Meanwhile British researcher said good health not only benefits the individual but also a nation’s economy. The researcher studied the link between health & wealth in economically well-off countries, finding healthier people were more productive, earned more, and spent more time in the work force.
(Extract from Times of India dated 15th Nov 06.)

Addition by the blog owner : Why should we wait for Government to tackle your or your child's health ? Start by yourself from today. You know "Charity begins at home". Try to correct the wrong food habits and life style of your child to control his obesity and help him take a turn to a right direction :

§ STOP giving Soft drinksyour to your as these soft drinks are nothing but poison.

§ DON'T make them overeating. To my experience, most of the parents of today having only one child, they love their child by feeding too much unnecessary.

§ STOP giving junk foods like pizza, burger, maggi, noodles etc to name few.

§ GIVE them fresh fruits instead of junk foods. Avoid too much of sweets.

§ Most of the children today don’t eat vegetable, which is again not good for health because vegetables supply many essential nutrients for our body. Try to change the habit and give them Vegetables..

§ Don’t go for foods just for tastes, go for nutritional values.

§ Avoid eating out as far as possible.

§ Now come to life style. Nowadays most of the children are in the habit of doing finger exercise with the remote control of the TV or key board of the PC. Change this to free hand exercise ( with expert's guidance) or Yoga or atleast some sports activity on the play ground or club.

§ Do not allow children to sit on TV or Computer hours together. This habit harms children maximum because they are sitting at home idle when they should be at play ground.

This is how the middle class or village children are generally not Obese because their parents can't afford to give junk foods to their children and forced to eat vegetables, and other foods which is better than the junk foods.

DIABETES IN CHILDREN

DIABETES IN CHILDREN DUE TO LIFE STYLE & FOOD HABITS

Like every year, this year also "Insulin Discovery Day" and "World Diabetes Day" passed silently. Except few Doctors, nobody knew this. Whereas, Diabetes is like an epidemic today. It is spreading among the children and it is due to the same ‘Life Style’.

India is No. 1 in having Diabetic patient in the world. At this moment in India, no. of Diabetic patients is around 3.5 crores. By year 2025 this figure will cross 6.0 crores as predicted by Doctors. In Heart disease also India is topping. WHO has predicted that by 2010, world’s 60% patients will be Indian. Diabetes is the reason for many diseases in our body including Heart disease. Doctors say that in West Bengal diabetics are alarmingly increasing including among the children.

Insulin was discovered in 1921, 30th July and it was first applied to a 14 year old boy Leonardo Thomson of Canada. In the last these many years, the attack of Diabetes on children, boys and girls has not come down. The Diabetes which can not be treated other than taking Insulin is called TYPE-I Diabetes and which is treated with Medicine in place of Insuline, is called TYPE –II Diabetes. Nowadays Type-II diabetes is increasing among the children throughout the world. Main reason of this is Changed life style of the children . Today children don’t play on the play ground, don’t take part in any physical activities. They play with remote control either with TV or Computer. As a result there is no exercise of their body. More over consumption of Fast Food has increased among the children. Side by side stress due to parents’ constant pressure for study (scoring highest marks in the class) is also responsible. Due to this type of Life style, children are becoming victim of this disease.

As per doctors if diabetes is not detected at primary stage it will cause different problems at later stage. If a boy of 7 years is attacked by diabetes, at the age of 20 or before, different complications will be surfacing in his body. That’s why, prevention of the disease is most important and essential.

SUPPLEMENT IS THE SOLUTION

Due to occupational hazards, fast life or whatever may be the reason, most of us often skip breakfast or meals, often take junk foods. We don’t prefer to take fresh fruits and vegetables instead of junk foods, The junk foods, what we take, do not provide variety of nutrients. Most of us select foods to satisfy our cravings and never go for nutritional values. The problem is, our body still need a daily intake of over 45 essential nutrients to maintain optimal health. As a result foods what we take fail to supply the different essential nutrients to our body.

Filling the nutritional gap :

Since many diets fall well short of providing essential nutrients the body needs, it is important to identify a good source of essential nutrients. The natural solution is nutritional SUPPLEMENTS. Supplements offer a quick, easy way to get the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants necessary for optimal health. In fact, a balanced nutritional program that includes supplements offers important protections ranging from your immune system to the density of your bones and gradually you will lead to a disease-free long life.

Deficiency of essential nutrients

Under supply of essential nutrients to our body cause deficiency or malnutrition to our body and the this nutritional deficiencies in our body can cause a disease. Diseases may not surface immediately but at later stage when it reaches to about 70%, we come to know about it, when it is late for preventive actions. These nutritional deficiencies in our body are occurring on account of various reasons, some of these are listed below :

(a) Not eating Nutritional foods. Almost impractical to eat balance food as per dietitian‘s chart in today’s life style.
(b) Eating too much of processed foods, vegetable oils and spreads. Due to fast life, consumption of very little of fruits and vegetables in our daily diets.
(c) Taking intense processed and refined foods.
(d) Normally we don’t get fresh fruits and vegetables. It looses its most of the natural properties along with freshness when reaches to us from market. More over these fruits and vegetables contain harmful chemicals due to indiscriminate use of fertilizer and pesticides.
(e) Faulty cooking method and use of wrong cooking mediums.
(f) Skipping meals due to fast and busy corporate life and making habit of taking junk foods like Pizza, Burger, noodles etc.
(g) We generally like to take tasty foods just to satisfy our cravings rather than going for nutritional values.

In addition to the above we also indulge in some bad habits such as smoking, drinking of alcohol and too much of soft drinks. Consumption of ‘bad’ fats in excess quantity and ‘good’ fats in negligible quantity due to selection of wrong cooking mediums and wrong food habits again. All these factors unbalance body’s nutritional pattern.

The above wrong / bad habits are the main root causes of deficiencies of nutrients in our body.

Balance Diet

It has been found that a diet which contains liberal quantities of (a) seeds, nuts, and grains , (b) Green and leafy vegetables and (c) fresh fruits, would provide essential nutrients. These foods are known as basic food groups and the diet contains these food groups as optimum diet for good health. In brief, these are described below :

(a) Grains etc :

Brown rice, beans and peas, millet, wheat, oats, barley, are all highly valuable in building health. Wheat, mung beans, alfalfa seeds and soya beans make excellent sprouts. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts and soya beans contain complete proteins of high biological value. These contain all the important nutrients needed for human growth.

Seeds, nuts and grains are also excellent natural sources of essential unsaturated fatty acids necessary for health. They are also good sources of lecithin and most of the B vitamins . They are the best natural sources of vitamin C, which is perhaps the most important vitamin for the Optimum Nutrition. Besides, they are rich sources of minerals that play an important role in the rejuvenation of cells and prevention of premature ageing.

(b) Green & Leafy Vegetables :

Vegetable are extremely rich source of minerals, enzymes and vitamins. Vegetables may be edible roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds. Fleshy roots have energy value and good sources of vitamin B . Seeds are relatively high in carbohydrates and proteins and yellow ones are rich in vitamin A. Leaves, stems and fruits are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins, water and roughage.

To prevent loss of nutrients in vegetables, it would be advisable to steam or boil vegetables on a sim heat and the water should not be drained off. Vegetable should NOT be peeled because largest amount of mineral is lost if vegetables are peeled. To preserve the nutritive values, soaking of vegetables should also be avoided.

Faulty cooking and prolonged careless storage, however, destroy these valuable nutrients. Most of the vegetables are, therefore, best consumed in their natural raw state in the form of salads.

(c) Fruits :

Like vegetables, fruits are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and enzymes. They are easily digested. They contain high alkaline properties, a high percentage of water and a low percentage of proteins and fats. Fruits are at their best when eaten in the raw and ripe states.
They are most beneficial when taken as a separate meal, preferably for breakfast in the morning. Fruits, however, make better. It is most desirable to take one kind of fruit at a time.

Other than three basic nutritional sources mentioned above, should be supplemented with milk, vegetable oils and honey.

Milk is an excellent food. Milk helps maintain a healthy intestinal and prevents constipation. High quality unrefined oils should be added to the diet. They are rich in unsaturated fatty acids (good fat) & vitamin C. Honey is a natural’s finest energy-giving food. It is beneficial in kidney and liver disorders, colds.

A diet of the three basic food groups, supplemented with the milk, vegetable oil & honey mentioned above, will ensure a complete and adequate supply of all the vital nutrients needed for good health, and prevention of diseases.

The above basic diet may not include animal protein. Animal protein (egg, fish or meat) A high animal protein (egg, fish & meat) is harmful to health and may cause many of our common diseases.

Life style & Food habits

Introduction :
The subject which I am trying to present before you is not a new or unknown one. To some extend it is known to everybody but we don't follow or can't follow due to the changed lifestyle. It is my pleasure to say few things about wellness, nutrition and good habits for living a healthy life.

Changed Lifestyle & Food habits:
The human diet today is vastly different from that of our ancestors. For early mankind, hunting, fishing and food gathering were a survival imperative and as a consequence human beings evolved on 'natural' foods supplying a diet that was high in nutritional value.

The diet changes have taken place in the last few decades and as a result, today we are very much dependent on the processed foods and most significantly, vegetable oils and spreads. We seldom take fresh fruits and vegetables.

ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS :

‘Your food shall be your medicine’ –said by Hippocrates, a famous of all Greek physicians. Hippocratic philosophy, they might be that nature has an innate power of healing, and that diseases are closely linked to the physical environment.

Sir Robert McCarrison one of the best known nutritionists said : The right kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of health and The wrong kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of disease.

From the above it is understood that right kind of food is the key factor for a good healthy life. At least 45 Nutrients are needed by human cells. These essential nutrients must be present in our daily foods/diets to maintain optimal health. The 45 Nutrients are Oxygen & Water (2) and Other 43 essential nutrients are classified into five main groups such as Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates. All 45 of these nutrients are important and they work together. Therefore, the absence of any of them will result in disease and eventually in death.

Due to adoption of wrong food habits weekens the defence system or lowered resistance in the body causing diseases. The food or group of food contains all these 45 nutrients is the balance food for maintenance of good health. A well-balanced and correct diet is thus of utmost importance for the maintenance of good health and the healing of diseases. The 45 nutrients which are essential for human cells are known as essential nutrients. These essential nutrients must be present in our daily foods.

It has been seen that diseases produced by the nutritional deficiencies can be corrected when all the nutrients are supplied. A well-balanced and correct diet is thus of utmost importance for living healthy and the early healing of diseases.