Health Articles, Tools, and Affiliated Health Sites

Here are some health articles with great information on nutrition. Below is a list other health related sites that we are assosiated with as well as a list of health and nutriton terms.

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Increase Energy Through Goji Berries The goji berry is the fruit of the lycium barbarum plant. Goji berries have been used by Chinese natural healers for centuries -goji was thought to boost energy, improve the immune system, and boost life-energy. In recent years, goji has been brought to the western world by several companies, in the form of various products.

The first major commercial goji product was Himalayan Goji Juice, created by Dr Earl Mindell and marketed by FreeLife International. Since the introduction of Himalayan Goji Juice, other companies have started marketing goji uice, but FreeLife still has the lion's share of the market.

Dried goji berries have also become popular, due in part to their affordable price compared to goji juice. There are many companies that sell dried goji berries. Due to growing and other factors, fresh goji berries are nearly non-existent in the western world.

Promoters of goji make many claims about the benefits of taking goji products on a daily basis. Most of these claims are based on user experiences, which are not exactly the most scientific proof to say the least. There is, however, research that has been done on the benefits of goji.

The most notable research was just published this year - it is a double-blind placebo-controlled study performed on FreeLife's goji juice product, GoChi. The study demonstrated 19 health benefits from the product - the study was accepted for study in a scientific journal. This research is the type that we need on goji and many other health products. We look forward to seeing more no-nonsense research like this being done!

Bounties-of-Nature will help you learn Balance and Good Health; finding the basic nutrients we need from food & natural food supplements.

Lose inches and pounds ...and keep it off forever. Personal trainer's free advise on exercise, nutrition and motivation to help people get to their ideal weight.

Treadmill Exercise Resource centre site will provide you with specific, informative and straight to the point information and solutions to almost any exercises related to treadmill.

Your Personal Fitness Trainer will help you achieve your fitness goals and improve your health. We are going to attain the weight loss through exercise and diet by achieving Fitness Success first and building upon it.

Low Carb Dieting Secrets provided reviews of the many different low carb diets for the beginner. Allows a better understanding what is behind these diets.

All 4 Natural Health guide on natural health information, detailing simple, effective and natural methods of attaining good health. Also includes information on natural remedies, supplements and herbs.

Better Life Fitness Solutions is a personal trainer website that offers my services both with one on one personal training and online personal training. With training photos, information on postural correction, core training, and other fitness goal specific information.

Home Medical Supplies is a resource for medical supplies and equipment used to improve a person's quality of life and to enhance comfort, mobility, security, and independence. Description of various products for incontinence, orthopedic, diabetes, mobility, daily living assists, bathroom safety, and wound care issues.

Beauty advice for stretchmarks is our guide to understanding stretch marks. Skin care expert will give you up-to-date advice on the subject.

Supreme Fitness aims to provide valuable and helpful information on Health, Nutrition and Exercise. We also present our Personal Training options for those ready to take the next step

Essential Terms

Absorption - the process by which nutrients pass from the digestive tract (intestinal tract) into the bloodstream for use throughout the body.

Amino acids – building blocks of protein. There are 22 amino acids, of which 9 are classified as essential.

Essential Amino Acids – these can not be produced by the body and must be provided from the diet. The 9 essential amino acids are: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine (and cystine), phenylalanine (and tyrosine), threonine, tryptophan, valine, and histidine.

Amino Acid Score – a scoring method to test protein quality. A perfect amino acid score is 100. (See Protein Efficiency Ratio)

Antioxidants – substances capable of protecting from oxidation. Cells and other body parts can be damaged by by-products of oxygen (free radicals). Vitamins, such as C and E, and other phyto-chemicals that have been identified as antioxidants which can deactivate free radicals, thus contribute to reducing the risk of long term health challenges

Ascorbic Acid – vitamin C

Beta Carotene – a precursor of vitamin A or pro-vitamin A. It can be converted into vitamin A (retinol) if the body is in need of retinol. If not, then it remains as beta carotene and acts as an antioxidant.

Bioavailability – the amount of a substance that is available for absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.

Calorie – a measurement of the energy contained in food. One calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree centigrade.

Carbohydrate – of the three macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat) carbohydrates provide the initial fuel source to the body. Carbohydrates are found in fruit, vegetables, and grains. For further information, see glycemic index and glycemic load.

Carcinogens – cancer causing substances.

Catabolism – metabolic process that causes the breakdown of substances and the breakdown of nutrients.

Catalyst – substances that stimulate a reaction without itself being permanently changes (enzymes are and example of catalysts)

Chelation – process in which a mineral is complexed with another substance.

Cholesterol – produced by the body in the liver, cholesterol is important precursor for bile acids, vitamin D, and some hormones. Found is animal based foods, excess dietary cholesterol may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in susceptible people.

Coenzyme – a substance that assists an enzyme in controlling a chemical reaction. Most of the B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc function as coenzymes.

Collagen – biological “cement” made of fibrous protein and holds together the connective tissue of the body. (Vitamin C is essential for collagen formation.)

Cruciferous Vegetables – a group of vegetables comprised of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and brussel sprouts.

Daily Value (DV) – the amount of nutrient suggested on a daily basis. (See Recommended Daily Allowances and Dietary Reference Intakes.)

Dextrose – a simple naturally occurring sugar, otherwise known as glucose or blood sugar. All carbohydrates are eventually broken down into this simple sugar. Simple sugar is the primary source of fuel for the brain, muscles, and other components of the body.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) – the most recent set of dietary recommendations established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, 1997 – 2001. These replace the RDAs and may be the basis for eventually updating the RDIs.

Digestion – the process by which foods are broken down into smaller units so that they can be absorbed.

Digestive Tract – the internal tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus.

Dissolution – the process by where a solid is places in the appropriate solution and in separated into its components and disperses.

Electrolyte – a compound when in solution conducts electrical impulses. The major human electrolytes are the minerals, chloride, potassium, and sodium.

Emulsifier – an agent that breaks up fatty materials into particles and holds them in suspension.

Enriched – adding back in nutrients that are lost during the processing of foods.

Enzyme – a protein that acts as a catalyst in accelerating specific chemical reactions. In the body, digestive enzymes assist in breaking down foods readying them for absorption.

Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) – fatty acid that are essential, meaning they must be provided to the body through the diet. The three EFA’s are arachidonic, linoleic, and linolenic acids.

Excipients – substances required to produce products but provide no nutritional value.

Fats – otherwise nutritional known as lipids. One of the three macro-nutrients (the other two being, carbohydrates and protein) providing concentrated sources of energy, act as a carrier of fat-soluble nutrients and supply essential fatty acids.

Unsaturated fat – do not contain the maximum number of hydrogen atoms. These types of fats are generally liquid (cooking oil) and come from plants. They become “hydrogenated vegetable oils” when hydrogen atoms are added to them to make them firmer.

Saturated fat – contain a maximum number of hydrogen atoms. Solid at room temperature and found in animal foods and products.

Fiber – dietary fiber is found in plant foods and exhibit various degrees of resistance in the human digestive tract. There are five main types of dietary fibers; lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and gums.

Soluble fiber – Pectin and gum are the two main types of soluble fiber. These types slow the rate of food leaving the stomach, reduce the rate of transfer of sugar form the intestines to the bloodstream, and may impact blood cholesterol levels.

Insoluble fiber – the three main types of insoluble fiber are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. These types increase the transit time that food passes through the digestive tract and may assist in a preventative type way with certain types of cancer.

Fortified – adding nutrients to increase what is naturally in food.

Free radicals – highly reactive electrons that have been shown to contribute to many of the age-related health challenges (such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, etc). The most supported defense against free radical damage are antioxidants.

Fructose – a simple sugar found in fruit and honey.

Gluten – the protein found in wheat, oats, barley, and rye.

Glycemic Index (GI) - a numerical system of measuring how much of a rise in circulating blood sugar a carbohydrate triggers—the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response. A low GI food will cause a small rise, while a high GI food will trigger a spike. A GI score of 70+ is high, a GI score of 56 to 69 is medium, and a GI score of 55 or less is low.

Glycemic Load (GL) - a relatively new way to assess the impact of carbohydrate consumption that takes the glycemic index into account. A GI value tells how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar. It does not tell much carbohydrate is in a serving of food. Both points are necessary to understand a food's effect on blood sugar. The GI provides the whole information. The carbohydrate in watermelon, for example, has a high GI. But there isn't a lot of it, so watermelon's glycemic load is relatively low. A GL score of 20+ is high, a GL score of 11 to 19 is medium, and a GL score of 10 or less is low. Hormone – chemical substance produced in the endocrine glands. Hormones influence metabolic activities (examples – insulin and estrogen).

Hydrogenation – adding hydrogen to an unsaturated fatty acid to make is stable at room temperature.

Immune system – Cells, organs and other specialize body compounds that protect the body against foreign invaders. These include the white blood cells, T cells, lymphatic system, thymus gland, antibodies, and the spleen.

International Unit (I.U.) – the actual measurement of the chemical activity and is used to measure the nutrient quality of fat soluble vitamins.

Lactalbumin – high quality milk protein.

Lactose – milk sugar made from glucose and galactose.

Lactose intolerance – a condition where one lacks the enzyme lactase which is needed to digest lactose. Symptoms: bloating, diarrhea, abdominal cramping.

Lecithin – acts as a fat emulsifier and is a compound made up of lipids, choline, and phosphorus.

Legumes – a group of vegetables comprised of beans, lentils, and peas.

Marconutrients – protein, carbohydrate, and fat – sources of essential fuel and material needed to sustain life. (Water is sometimes also called a macronutrient.)

Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X) – a collection of risk factors that predispose a person to potentially life-threatening disorders, such as heart disease and diabetes. Common risk factors include obesity, hypertension, and high insulin levels.

Metabolism – chemical and physical processes within the body.

Micronutrients – vitamin and minerals which are essential for the body to function in a state of well-being.

Mineral – inorganic material found from the earth. The body contains 56 identified minerals, with a small portion identified as essential.

Trace minerals – elements essential to nutrition in trace amounts. These include copper, iodine, iron, zinc, selenium, molybdenum, chromium, and potentially others.

Macrominerals – essential elements needed in large amounts. These include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride.

Nutrients – food substances that promote well-being in the body.

Essential nutrients – nutrients that must be eaten in as the body does not make them within the body and they are vital to sustain a state of well-being.

ORAC – oxygen radical absorption capacity – studies show that the average person consumes fewer than 2,000 ORAC units. (One serving of Fruit and Vegetable Essentials provides 5,000 ORAC units a day.)

Osteopenia – thinning of the bones, decreasing of bond density. If not aggressively attended to, this condition can predicate osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis – a condition characterized by a gradual thinning of bone density eventually to the point of porous and brittle bones.

Oxidation – a chemical reaction involving oxygen. Rust and rancid fat are examples of oxidation.

Potency – measurement of strength per tablet or unit of portion.

Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) – a way to measure the quality of protein. A score of 2.5 PER is one way to determine high quality protein. (See Amino Acid Score)

pH – a measurement for relative alkalinity or acidity of a solution. The range is form 1 to 14. A high pH indicates alkalinity and a low pH indicated acidity. Neutral is 7.0 Normal blood pH is 7.4.

Phyto-chemicals - naturally occurring chemicals found in plants. Many have been identified as providing vital beneficial components to the body.

Precursor – a substance that can convert into another substance – examples are enzymes,hormones, vitamins, nutrients. (Beta carotene is a well known nutrient that is a precursor to retinol.)

Protein – one of the three marconutrients (the others being carbohydrate and fat) and consists of amino acids which are building blocks for the body. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) – the value established by the Food and Drug Administration for use in nutrition labeling. IT is based initially on the highest 1968 RDA for each nutrient, to assure the needs were met for all age groups. (See Daily Value and Dietary Reference Intakes.)

Sarcopenia - the initial stages of muscle shrinkage.

Solubility - the abilitly to be emulsified or dissolved in liquid.

Sucrose – a molecule that is made up from fructose and glucose. Referred to as table sugar.

Tocopherol – The chemical name for vitamin E. There are four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta), but only alpha-tocopherol has significant activity in the body.

Tocotrienol – Four compounds (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) chemically related to tocopherols. The tocotrienols and tocopherols are collectively known as vitamin E.

Vegan – a person who eats absolutely no food of animal origins.

Vitamins – chemical organic compounds that act as coenzymes in metabolic reactions.

Water soluble vitamins – vitamins that are absorbed and transported through the body by fluids. These are not stored I the body in large amounts therefore must be taken in on a regular basis. Vitamin C and the B vitamins are water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins – vitamins that are transported by fat and stored in fatty tissues. Vitamin A, D, E, and K are fat soluble vitamins.

Water – this non-caloric liquid is essential for life. It transports nutrients and toxins throughout the body. It acts as a medium for all bodily fluids and dissipates excess heat through perspiration. Nutritional and health experts recommend a minimum of 2 liters of water a day (minimum of 10 – 8 ounce glasses a day).

Whey – the serum (watery part) of milk, separated from the curd.

Yeast – is a single-celled plant (nutritional yeast) rich in B vitamins and protein.

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