Thursday, 22 September 2011

Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus is a consequence of inadequate insulin production or abnormal insulin receptors. Without insulin or receptors that 'recognise' it, glucose becomes unavailable to most body cells.(Glucose is the bodies main nutrient fuel for the body, sugars and starches from carbohydrates).  For this reason, blood glucose levels remain high, and large amounts of glucose are excreted in urine. Metabolic acidosis, protein wasting and weight loss occur as large amounts of fats and tissue proteins are used for energy.
Diabetes can be conquered, and the homeostatic balance of the amazing body can be returned, by clever use of food and a good lot of exercise, it can actually return the body to a healthy state.
Human Anatomy & Physiology, Marieb & Hoen, 8th Ed

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Way to Address All Aspects Of Life and Their Requirements

PRAISES - a model of lifestyle balance (Glaser 1997)

P physical - are your physical needs being met? health?
R recreational - spending enough time relaxing, having fun?
A artistic - creative pursuits and passions in your life.
I intellectual - are you fullfilled intellectually?
S spiritual - connection to something greater than yourself?
E employment - achieving your financial goals?
S social - friends, social settings?

The idea is that you cover every aspect and you should have a balanced life. Try it!

Essential Nutrients

So we know thr are 6 essential nutrients - carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water.  What you may not know about carbohydrates is that they essentially break down to be sugars - Glucose. Sugars or Glucose are what the body uses for energy. All the carbohydrates we ingest are derived from plant sources. So there are complex carbohydrates which derive starches as we know as bread, cereal, flour, pasta, nuts, rice and potato. And there are simple carbohydrates which are simple sugars in carbonated drinks, candy, fruit, young immature vegetables. And we cant forget fibre - polysaccarides provide in the form of Cellulose, found in most vegetables, we cant digest it but it is necessary to facilitate defecation - thats right - the poop shoot. Then there is soluble fibre, found in pectin in apples, in citrus fruits, and this reduces blood cholesterol.
So if you get your apple or 2 a day, you are reducing your blood cholesterol.
There is a misconception that athletes need to eat large amounts of protein to improve performance and maintain muscle mass.
But actually a diet rich in complex carbohydrates is much more effective in sustaining intense muscle activity, because excess sugars or Glycogen from the carbs is stored in muscles.
Alot of athletes practice glycogen loading or 'carbo loading'. which tricks the muscles into storing more glycogen. they eat a diet of 75% carbs for 3 - 4 days before an event while decreasing activity. It has been shown that it improves performance and endurance.
Human Anatomy & physiology, Marieb & Hoen, 8th Ed

Friday, 16 September 2011

Long Term Regulation of Food Intake

Hormone Leptin, is one of the hormones responsible, it is secreted by adipose cells in response to an increase in body fat mass, it acts as a ;Fat-o-Stat' it sends messages to the brain.
When Leptin levels rise in the blood, its sending message to the brain to do a few things, one of which: suppress the release of NPY which is the mose potent appetite stimulant known - Neuropeptide Y.
By blocking its release, leptin pevents the release of the appetite-enhancing hormones. This decreases appetite and subsequently food intake, eventually promoting weight loss.
When 'fat stores' shrink, leptin blood levels drop, activating receptors in the brain, releasing hormones, consequently, appetite and food intake increase and eventually weight gain occurs.
Rising Leptin levels do  promote weight loss, but only to a certain point.
Individuals who are obese have higher than normal Leptin blood levels, but are resistant to its actions, for some unknown reason.
Leptin has received the most attention as a long term appetite and metabolism regulator, but Insulin acts on NPY release in same way
Reference: Human Anatomy & Physiology, Marieb, Hoen, 8th Ed







Wednesday, 14 September 2011

Wellness

Wellness - its a state of mind, get with it and it will show

Parasympathetic nervous system

by Veronica Fitzgerald on Tuesday, 02 August 2011 at 09:21
Sounds like a mouthful. It is what we should all be looking after in our lives. Most of our day is run by the sympathetic nervous system, which is the fight or flight, which is a result of the stressful existence in which  is modern day.
We need to practice exercise/meditations like yoga, have massages, burn incense, use essential oils.
Eat plenty of vegies and salads, use olive oil dressings or linseed for eg.
try to eat 2 pieces of fruit a day , doesn't sound like much, but it is actually difficult.
Drink up to 3 litres of water per day.
Try eating seafood up to 5 times per week. Meat much less, like 2 times per week. Other times vegetarian rules.
Cut down on alcohol and cigarettes and other drugs.
Find something to worship and honour in your life, like yourself and your body, it is the GOD.
Eat a handful of almonds every day with maybe some dried fruit, I like apricots, dried paw paw, banana chips.
Get outdoors, breath in life, and love and appreciate it, its the only one you get.

Energy Balance

When any fuel is burned, it consumes oxygen and liberates heat. The 'burning' of food fuels by our cells is no exception. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed - only converted from one form to another. If we apply this principle - the first law of thermodynamics - to cell metabolism, it means that bond energy released as foods are catabolized must be precisely balanced by the total energy output of the body. For this reason, a dynamic balance exists between the body's energy intake and its energy output.