Sunday, February 27, 2011

Goal For Good Health

Health is a dynamic quality, changing from day to day. Even if you are in good health most of the time, you will have days when a cold, allergic, or other problems will make you feel not quite so well. But in general, good health would mean most of the following things for most people.

1. A Health Promoting Lifestyle

An extensive study has shown that people whose lifestyles include the following behaviors have a lower chance, statistically speaking, of developing diseases and higher chance of living longer.

- Not smoking cigarettes
- Drinking alcohol only in moderation (no more than two drinks a day), if at all
- Eating breakfast everyday
- Not eating between meals
- Maintaining normal weight
- Sleeping seven to eight hours each night
- Exercising at least moderately

Single lifestyle is the most important contributing in eight of ten leading causes of death.

2. Attention to the body's needs.

To stay in good health, you have to be able to deal with small problems before they become big ones. You have be able to read the messages your body sends you about its needs, need for more rests, for example, or different foods, or exercise, or a change in your environment, and respond accordingly. You should have basic home health care skills to cope with small medical problems at home. You should be able to deal with health care professional and institutions such as hospital in the event of larger medical problem, and you should take responsibility for obtaining regular checkups and tests, such as breast examinations and Pap smears for women.

3. Social Health

Having good social health means being able to perform your roles in life as a friend, neighbor, citizen, perhaps lover or spouse, perhaps parent comfortably and with enjoyment, without doing harm to other people.

4. Emotional Health

Essentially emotional health include:

Being able to work, study or pursue personal activities productively and with enjoyment.
Understanding your emotions and knowing how to cope with everyday problems.
Managing yourself in stressful situations, and not feeling compelled to turn to chemical substances such as alcohol or psychoactive drugs to deal with or escape them.

5. Spiritual Health

Some people believe that good health also includes a feeling that one's basic values. This feeling may also include a sense that life has meaning and is worthwhile, a sense of awe at the beauty and majesty of nature, or just a deep tranquility when you sit by yourself and ponder.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Good Balanced Diet

Since foods vary so much in their combination of both nutrients and calories, how can you achieve a "balanced" diet each day? There are complicated ways to perform all the necessary calculations, but few people have the time or interest to do this. The simplest way to plan adequate nutrition on a daily basis is to use the "Basic Four" food group.

The Basic Four Diet:
The basic four provide most of the recommended Dietary Allowance (RDAs) established by the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council. The RDAs which are reviewed for possible revision every five years, are estimates of the optimal quantity of each nutrient required - the most a person would be likely to need. Thus, if the blood you eat supplies all the recommended allowances, you can supplies all the recommended allowances, you can be assured of meeting all your daily nutritional needs.

It should be noted that refined sugar, fats, and oils are not included in the Basic Four, since they provide mainly calories (but not nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) and are rarely lacking in the American diet.

Recommended Daily Dietary Allowances for Healthy Adults

NutrientMales AgeFemales Age
23 - 50 51- .. 23 - 50 51 - ..
Energy (kcal)2,7002,4002,0001,800
Protein (gm)56565454
Vitamin A (RE) 10001000800800
Vitamin D (μg) 5555
Vitamin E (mgαTE) 101088
Vitamin C (mg) 60606060
Folacin (μg) 400400400400
Niacin (mg NE) 18161313
Riboflavin (mg) 1.61.41.21.2
Thiamin (mg) 1.41.21.01.0
Vitamin Bo (mg) 2.22.22.02.0
Calcium (mg) 800800800800
Phosporus (mg) 800800800800
Iodine (μg) 150150150150
Iron (mg) 10101810
Magnesium (mg) 350350300300
Zinc (mg) 15151515
Vitamin K (μg) 70-14070-14070-14070-140
Biotin (μg) 100-200100-200100-200100-200
Pantothenic acid (mg) 4-74-74-74-7
Copper (mg) 2.0-3.02.0-3.02.0-3.02.0-3.0
Manganese (mg) 2.5-5.02.5-5.02.5-5.02.5-5.0
Florine (mg) 1.5-4.01.5-4.01.5-4.01.5-4.0
Chromium (mg) 0.05-0.20.05-0.20.05-0.20.05-0.2
Selenium (mg) 0.05-0.20.05-0.20.05-0.20.05-0.2
Molybdenum (mg) 0.15-0.50.15-0.50.15-0.50.15-0.5
Sodium (mg) 1,100-3,3001,100-3,3001,100-3,3001,100-3,300
Potasium (mg) 1,875-5,6251,875-5,6251,875-5,6251,875-5,625
Chlorine (mg) 1,700-5,1001,700-5,1001,700-5,1001,700-5,100

Look to Other Diet: Diet Sugar Strategy