Brain Food

 

 

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Anti Oxidant

Good Health begins with Good Infomations.


What are antioxidants, 
How can they help your body, and 
Where does your body get them from?

Antioxidants help fight oxidation, a normal chemical process that takes place in the body every day. Pollution, environmental factors, natural body functions, and a sundry other things create free radicals.


The body is designed to handle a certain amount of oxidation and free radical activity. 

Free radicals are produced through the normal process of metabolism.


Free radicals are molecules in the body that are missing an electron from their chemical structure, which they are constantly trying to replace. In order to stabilize themselves, the free radicals steal electrons from your body. This causes “oxidative stress,” which is damage to the body’s cells and tissues. Some scientists believe that the “oxidative stress” can cause disease and early signs of aging.

“Oxidative stress” occurs when the body does not have enough antioxidants to stabilize the free radicals. Therefore, it is important for your body to obtain enough antioxidants to fight the free radicals. The best natural sources are fruits and vegetables.

Despite numerous studies, no substantial health benefits have been demonstrated for supplemental antioxidants. Antioxidants in food, however, are considered safe.

The best source of antioxidants is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. 

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Nutrition - Iron

Spinach is one of the foods that is rich in iron, a vitamin that is an essential part of your diet.



Iron - Why Is It Good For You?

Iron helps produce hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to your body's tissues.

There are two kinds of iron:
---heme iron is found in red meats, fish and poultry, and is better-absorbed than
---non-heme iron, which is found in enriched cereals, leafy veggies and raisins.

Iron is also necessary for proper muscle and organ function, and it fills our bodies with energy.
If you're feeling tired and weak, have decreased school performance or have difficulty maintaining body temperature, chances are that you may be suffering from an iron deficiency.
Girls are at greater risk for iron deficiency than guys, who usually have enough iron in their bodies to last several years.
However, girls can lose large amounts of iron because of menstruation.



Iron - What Foods Can It Be Found In?

Unlike calcium, which is already found in your body, iron can only be obtained from food.
It's found in everything from raisins to red meat, such as liver.
Other good sources of iron are fish, eggs, beans and leafy green vegetables, like spinach and lettuce.
Eating breakfast is a great way to fill up on iron - try an iron-enriched cereal, such as bran flakes, and add raisins for sweetness and flavor.
And top your meal off with a glass of prune juice - it may not taste great, but it'll definitely fuel your body with energy.
Generally, only about five to 10 percent of the iron in food is absorbed, unless there are low levels of iron in the body, such as after menstrual bleeding.


Iron - Did U Know?

The recommended daily intake of iron for kids and teens aged nine to 18 years old is eight to 15 mg.
Adding vitamin C to your diet helps your body absorb iron more effectively.
As many as 20 percent of all girls, and up to 80 percent of girls who exercise, may be iron deficient.


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Nutrition - Protein

protein to grow up to be strong and healthy



Protein - Why Is it Good for You?

Did you know that your body's tissues, muscles, organs and immune system are mostly made up of protein?
And so are the outer layers of your hair, nails and skin!
Protein builds, maintains and repairs your body's tissues, and makes antibodies (the part of the immune system that fights off infection) and hemoglobin (the part of the red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of your body).
Protein also helps your muscles grow, increases strength and improves athletic performance - that's why you see so many athletes munchin' on protein bars.
But be careful - eating too much protein can make your body lose calcium, which is necessary in building strong bones.



Protein - What Foods Can it Be Found in?

Protein is made up of amino acids.
There are a total of 20, but your body can only produce 14 of the 20 amino acids, so you'll have to get the rest from food!
Protein is found in milk, eggs, peanut butter, chicken breast and hamburgers (as long as they're made of lean ground beef!).
Seafood like fish, shrimp, crab and lobster are other excellent sources of protein.
You can also get your protein fix by adding protein powder to your cereal, yogurt, milkshake or fruit smoothie!
If you want to increase your protein intake, just add some cheese slices to your apple, eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, or make a breakfast drink by blending one cup each of milk, yogurt and your favorite fruit.



Protein - Did U Know?
The recommended daily intake of protein depends on how much you weigh. You need to eat about 0.5 grams of protein for every pound you weigh, so a kid who weighs 100 lbs. should have about 50 grams of protein every day.
Each gram of protein contains four calories.
Vegetarians can get complete protien from eating combinations of legumes and grains like soy and rice.
Protein deficiency can cause loss of hair and muscle mass.

Nutrition - Calcium

why milk is so good for you?
Well, there are lots of reasons, but it's mostly because it's a great source of calcium.




Calcium - Why Is it Good for You?

Did you know that calcium is a mineral that's already in your body?
It's what keeps your bones and teeth sturdy, but that's not the only thing that calcium does. It also helps your muscles work properly and ensures your nerves are able to properly transmit messages around your body.
Even your blood needs a healthy dose of calcium in order to properly clot (clotting happens whenever you cut yourself, as the blood hardens to stop the bleeding).
It's for those reasons that you need to have a lot of calcium running throughout your body, because if you start to run low, your body is forced to start taking the calcium out of your bones.
When that happens, your bones become weak, increasing your chances of developing osteoporosis (a disease that causes your bones to become extremely brittle).



Calcium - What Foods Can it Be Found In?

Obviously, milk and other dairy products are the best sources of calcium.
And low-fat dairy products are an excellent way to increase your intake of calcium without having to worry about the extra fat intake.
Not everybody likes dairy products though, and some people are even allergic to them. No problem - there are plenty of other sources of calcium!
Most green vegetables have a good amount of calcium in them, particularly spinach and broccoli.
There are even special kinds of orange juice and cereal that have been enhanced with calcium. If none of these options appeal to you, vitamin supplements are a quick and easy option.






Calcium - Did U Know?

Kids and teens need the most calcium cuz your bones grow the most during this time. The recommended daily intake of calcium for teens aged nine to 18 is 1,300 mg, or about three servings of dairy.

Calcium was discovered way back in 1808 by a scientist named Humphrey Davy, who named it after the Latin word calcis (it means lime).

Calcium is critical for lifelong bone health.

Having a calcium-rich diet when you’re young makes a big difference in health, now and later.  By getting the calcium they need now, tweens and teens will:

• Strengthen bones now.
  Some researchers suspect that the rise in forearm fractures in children is due to decreased bone mass, which may result because children are drinking less milk and more soda, and are getting lessphysical activity.
  
  Making sure young people get the calcium they need will help strengthen their bones against the bumps and thumps of being an active teen.
• Help prevent osteoporosis later in life.
  Osteoporosis is a condition that makes bones weak so they break more easily. Bones rely on calcium they store to stay strong throughout life. But, the "bone bank" for storing calcium is only open for a short time.
  
  Tweens and teens can help prevent osteoporosis by filling their bone banks with calcium when they are young, so that their bones can use it throughout life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Nutrition :: Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an essential part of your diet, but do you know why your body needs it?





Vitamin A - Why Is It Good For You?

Like most vitamins and minerals, vitamin A helps your bones grow and keeps your body healthy. But vitamin A also plays a special role in your eyesight.
Vitamin A helps you see at night, which is great for when you're trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Vitamin A also keeps your skin and hair healthy and shiny.
If your body doesn't get the vitamin A that it needs, then you'll suffer from vitamin A deficiency.
It's pretty rare in North America, but really common in third world countries.
In fact, up to 500,000 malnourished kids suffer from night blindness and then go completely blind each year cuz they lack vitamin A in their diets.

Vitamin A - What Foods Can It Be Found In?

Give your body the vitamin A it needs by filling up on milk, eggs, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, liver and orange-colored fruits such as apricots, peaches, nectarines, cantaloupe and mangos. Vitamin A can be lost from foods when you cook them, so bake or broil your meats instead of frying them, and steam your veggies - or just eat 'em raw.



Vitamin A - Did U Know?
Retinol is the most useful form of vitamin A.
In cosmetics, it's used to treat skin problems like acne and wrinkles.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. That means it gets stored in the fat tissues of your body and waits there until your body needs them.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin A is 600 micrograms (mcg) for kids aged nine to 13, 700 mcg for teen girls and 900 mcg for teen guys.

An excess of vitamin A is just as dangerous as a deficiency.
Too much vitamin A can lead to dry skin, brittle bones - and even death.






Health http://www.kidzworld.com/article/6332-nutrition-vitamin-a#

Nutrition - Vitamin E

Since its discovery about 80 years ago, it's been believed that vitamin E can slow down the aging process and prevent illnesses, particularly cancer and heart disease.



Vitamin E - Why Is It Good For You?

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that fights substances called free radicals, which are produced when your body uses oxygen (such as when you breathe or are exposed to harsh environmental factors like cigarette smoke).
Free radical damage can lead to the development of diseases, but some scientists say vitamin E can help fight cancer by boosting the immune system, and help delay heart disease by preventing blood clots.



Vitamin E - What Foods Can It Be Found In?

The prime sources of vitamin E are green leafy vegetables, wheat germ, whole grain breads and cereals, peanuts, walnuts, almonds and vegetable oils (safflower, corn, soybeans).
Since many of these foods are high in fat, you may want to take a daily supplement to ensure you get enough vitamin E without the added calories.
Vitamin E also comes in the form of a cream or lotion.
Because of its antioxidant qualities, people think it's an anti-aging miracle, which is why you see so many skincare products containing vitamin E. T
hough this claim is a little exaggerated, vitamin E can help repair rough, dry skin.



Vitamin E - Did U Know?


The recommended daily intake of vitamin E is 11 mg for kids aged nine to 13, and 15 mg for teens aged 14 and up.
Vitamin E is more effective when taken with vitamin C.
Vitamin E may keep your eyes healthy by preventing cataracts (a disease that causes vision impairment or even blindness).


http://www.kidzworld.com/article/5361-nutrition-vitamin-e

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