Keys to a Healthy Body, Essay Example

Introduction

This manual seeks to serve as a guide for all the genders and ages above fifteen years with good conditions of health. The manual serves as a good reference applicable at home, in grocery stores as well as in the gym. This manual determines what nourishing foods to have on a person’s dinner table and what food to avoid. This manual also states the most appropriate types of exercises performed at the gym and the reason behind the choice of those exercises. Lastly, this manual suggests some weight loss surgeries for those whom suffer from overeating.

Only healthy people without any type of disorder can use this manual. Any person suffering from any form of illness or body disorder should seek health guidance from a medical practitioner. This manual acts only as a tool; losing wright takes discipline, exercise, and self-control.

Fly Page Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Diet and Nutrients

Food

Food refers to the substance that human beings consume to supply and support their bodies. Conventionally, human beings derive food from plants as well as animals to provide the required source of essential nutrients. Ingesting and digesting food give the access for nutrients to enter the cells of the organism and serves the purpose of energy supply, stimulating growth as well as maintaining the life of the organism.

The consumed food must meet the dietary needs of the human being. The human has to take sufficient amounts of calories, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals as well as vitamins.

• A person must take caloriesin proportions that facilitate meeting the daily requirements of their body.
• The body requires nine essential amino acids that function in the synthesis process of proteins and plays a role in breaking the larger proteins.
• Three essential fatty acidsare also required in the body.
• Minerals come in the form of inorganic ions, our bodies of require about 18 diverse inorganic ions with some needed in large quantities such as calcium and light quantities such as zinc.
• Vitamins exist as minute organic molecules whereby, the precursors are unable to synthesize. note that the body needs a dozen of the vitamins(vitamin A, B12, and D) through diet

Supplements

Normal diets serve a very significant role in the supply of the best minerals, proteins as well as vitamins in the body. A person must eat the healthiest foods to sustain good health. However, in some cases, supplements can occur as fundamental ingredients in maintaining the health of the body.

• I recommend that you take supplements with nutrient-dense food.
• See a health care professional for which supplements you need more of and therefore, you should take. In most cases, supplements can supply 100 % of the recommended allowances of the vitaminsas well as minerals.
• Consequently, according to the opinion of majority of the nutritionists, a supplement can fill the requirements unfulfilled by food-based.

Essential nutrients exist in six distinct classes, all of which play significant roles in the development of a healthy body. They include proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals as well as water. The body needs proteins for upright growth of the new tissues in the body as well as repairing the worn out and old tissues. Majority of the foodstuffs have significantly low protein content therefore it results in protein deficit. The deficiency of proteins establishes symptoms such anorexia, decreased efficiency in feeds, low weight at birth, and stunted growth. Proteins play a crucial role in promotion of growth as well as gaining weight. Therefore, proteins act as the number one supplements in the diet. The most common sources of proteins include the cottonseed meal, fishmeal, legumes as well as soya beans. Animal proteins are also reliable source of protein for the growth and development of the body.

A mineral implies to the inorganic elements available in relatively small doses in the diet. Minerals are conventionally classified into two: the macro as well as the micro minerals. Both play crucial roles in the health of an individual.

Vitamins implies to the organic nutrients required in relatively small supply for the purpose of performing distinctive functions in the body. Vitamins classifies into, the water-soluble as well as the fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamins enhance the utilization of energy produced from other sources in the body. They also facilitate in the regulation of important functions in the body. The maintenance of body health as well as promotion of resistance to potential diseases Vitamin deficiency in the body may cause a source of diseases as well as death.

Dietary Disease

Poor diets lead to dietary deficiencies, commonly manifested as disorders that develop with the absence of some of the essential nutrients from the food diet. The failure of the body in absorbing and processing the essential nutrients from the ingested food may leaded to health complications such as hypertension and osteoporosis. Majority of the dietary disease remain linked to the lack of sufficient proteins, mineral as well as vitamins.

In order to treat an individual with dietary disease, one should administer the nutrient with the recommended supplements.

The type of disease, the age of disease development, and the possibility of reversing the condition govern the recovery of an individual from the dietary disease. A person can prevent having dietary disease by consuming a balanced diet that contains a wide variety of foods. A person can also prevent having dietary disease by continuous medical care because some of these diseases can come from heredity and genetic problems. Other causes can also happen due to metabolic complications that hinder the efficient uptake of the nutrients as well as their utilization. Proper medical practices can manage and treat this problem.

Counting calories and reading nutrition Labels

An individual can manage their weight effectively by considering the amount of calories that they consume and compare it to the number of calories that the body can burn off. Although most people believe that avoidance of heavy carbohydrates foods and feeding more on fruits can make significant gains in losing weight, the major secret entails consuming fewer calories.

Important sources of energy for the body come from calories. Calories serve the purpose of fueling important functions of the body. While moving or resting, our bodies always demand energy to fuel every activity that takes place in the body. The most common sources of calories–source of energy­–for the body include fats, carbohydrates as well as proteins. The body converts calories into energy to utilize it in physical activities or store it for later use. The stored calories continue to remain in the body in the form of fat until the body needs it. Therefore, reducing calories allows the body an opportunity of using the reserved calories. Either through eating less or through performing high levels of activity and exercises that facilitates in the burning of the excess calories.

• A person must count caloriesto lose weight and keep their body fit and healty.
• A person should eat less food with regards to the amount of caloriesrequired for burning energy as well as cell repair functions. Eating more food than what the body requires leads to the storage in the form of fats– of excess food in the body muscles.
• Counting caloriesease the process of loss of weight and helps in maintaing a diet.

The knowledge of the actual calories contained in a particular type of food leads to the avoidance of foods that contain high calorie content and selecting foods with low calorie content instead. This allows for efficient loss of weight while satisfying the nutritional requirements of the body.

The number of calories required by the body depends on the level of activity performed by the individual coupled with their body’s size.Gender also plays a crucial role in determining the calories requirements. Large people will generally require more energy than small people while sedentary individuals require less energy as compared to active ones. Generally, women require less energy than men and children require less energy than adults.

Metabolic Rate, BMR refers to the energy required by the body while at rest. To calculate this, one should employ the use of Mifflin-St Jeor equations –expressed as weight, Kilograms, height, centimeters as well as age of the person in years. Multiplying the BMR by activity factor leads to determining the required calories of the body per day.

For the males, BMR is calculated as weight ×10 + height × 6.25- age× 5 + 5 while for female: BMR = weight ×10 + height× 6.25-age×  5– 161

This calculator can indicate the estimates of caloric requirements of an individual per day with no regards to the activity of an individual. This calculaor implies to only sedentary lifestyle meaning no exercise or physical activity at all. However calculations differ for lightly active, meaning engagement in light activities or exercise, moderately active, meaning moderately strenuous activities or exercise and very active meaning engagement in fairly strenuous activities as well as exercises and extra active meaning extremely engaged in strenuous activities as well as exercise in the course of the entire day.

The knowledge of reading nutritional labels stands equally important to counting calories. Losing fat or gaining muscles depends on the ability of an individual in reading nutritional labels. A person must have the knowledge of vital numbers, ­­the numbers of calories derived from a particular meal and the grams of protein that the meal gives off. Any person who wish to gain muscles must consider eating excessive amount of proteins.

Reading nutritional labels stands as a common practice among many people with different intentions. A person must have knowledge about the applicability of the information presented in nutritional labels. The process of reading nutritional labels marks the basis for making appropriate decisions for a healthy diet and taking the right choices of foods.

The information provided in the label varies depending on the type of product. Labels in the food items must meet distinctive as well as strict requirements. Most people eat food selectively and this information must act as a good guide in their choice of a particular food. The label must also present instructions for storage as well as additive listings

People who wish to lose weight must read the nutrientional label. Through efficient reading of the nutritional label, a person can select the food items that have the right combination of nutrients that can yield the maximum calorie requirements for the body. In the process of losing weight a person must avoid discretionally food with high calories like a chocolate bar or a pepperoni pizza, these foods can supply more kilojoules and fewer nutrients. People must make choices of the foods that they can enjoy consuming.

Metabolism

Metabolism means the ultimate process of chemical reactions inside the body’s cells, converting available fuel in the ingested food to energy used in powering the functions that the body undertakes. These may include movement, growth, thinking and daily work. The metabolism process deals with fairly complex chemical reactions. These chemical reactions help maintain the living state in the cells as well as the entire organism. Nutrition plays a crucial role in metabolism. All the important pathways engaged in metabolism require nutrients to produce the energy known as ATP or ­Adenosine triphosphate. The energy that arises from the process of metabolism serve the purposes in synthesizing proteins, the nucleic acids such as the RNA, DNA, and other important elements.

The nutrients in the context of metabolism encompasses

• The needs of the body for a variety of substances (proteins, carbohydrates, etc.)
• The required quantities of those substances
• The appropriate functions performed using those substances
• The suitable levels of energynecessary for the body to function properly.

Essential nutrients provide energy in the form of calories in the body. They also serve as sources of essential chemicals that the body of an individual hardly produces. The foods ingested provide the substances that the body needs for the purpose of building, repairing the old and the worn out tissues, and upkeep the body functioning.

The process of metabolism runs through two important pathways or interactive channels. The first of these interactive pathway entails a destructive type of metabolism­–commonly known as catabolism–which involves the breakdown of the larger food components including the proteins, the carbohydrates as well as fats, into relatively smaller food components to generate energy for the body to use.

The other interactive pathway of metabolism entails a constructive type of building and storing materials. The anabolic processes play a crucial role in supporting the development of new cells, sustaining the tissues in the body as well as energy storage for future use in the body. The nervous as well as the hormonal systems plays the role of harmonization of the two processes so that they take place at the same time without any conflict. They also complement the cellular activities in the entire human body. These reactions facilitate the release of energy for body activities such as movement, powering the muscles as well as warming the body.

Drugs and food to avoid

The abuse of sugar occurs when used excessively in food. Having a lot of sugar in your food creates energy spikes and causes weight problems. Excessive use of sugar causes depression, diabetes as well as higher levels of suicidal behaviors among young people.

A person must use common drugs and chemical substances properly to benefit their own body. For example, moderate consumption of alcohol can have cardiac benefits, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. However, when used in the wrong way, drugs, medication, tobacco as well as alcohol can cause a myriad of problems among people of all ages. Alcohol may lead to a condition called alcohol dependency that poses significant dangers to the health of people especially the older people. The older the person, the greater chances of having alcohol dependency as compared to the younger people. The most common problems of this condition include mental complications, liver diseases, injuries attributed to falling as well as kidney complications.

Majority of the older people takes different types of medication under the prescription of the doctor every day. The use of drugs conditions the body to yearn for more and more to achieve the maximum effect. Sometimes withdrawal symptoms may set in when the person stops using the drug. This causes the drug tolerance effect that implies that the body has transformed. Even significantly minute quantities of the drug may lead to the need for more of that drug. A beneficial prescribed drug may also cause harm to the body if the person takes more than the prescribed dosage.

Some drugs also affect the mental health of the user. Mental health may imply diverse issues among different people. Appropriate mental health plays a crucial role in promoting positive living. Mental ill health has the opposite consequences. Mental illness cause myriad of problems that hinders the path to happiness and good life. Mental illness cause unfortunate external influences such as the abuse of drugs. The drugs that are commonly documented to cause mental ill health include the psychoactive types of drugs such as alcohol, heroin marijuana and ecstasy. These drugs cause major mood swings. They have the potentials to arouse or dampened the user’s emotions.

Most of drugs tamper with important brain chemicals and these results to effects on the messages transmitted by such chemicals. A person must consider the short-term effects as well as the long-term implications when using drugs. While the short-term effects during the use of the drugs relate to enjoyment, the long-term effects remain bitter to swallow.

The short-term benefits induced side effects like having strange feelings. The symptoms may however disappear on cessation of drug consumption. The long lasting effects significantly interfere with the mental health of an individual. It is important for one to consider the strengths as well as the vulnerabilities. The unwanted effects may persist due to the already inherent and pre-existing condition that is associated with mental health. It is also possible to administer a wrong dose that may lead to a permanent disruption of the chemical balance in the brain

It is also important to avoid much of the processed food. It is better to get foods directly from their source rather that depending on the food stocked in shops. Although the processed foods are preferred due to their high levels of convenience, most of them are not suitable for the enhancement of good quality of health. The convenience may at times translate too much of the hidden bad elements such as high levels of sugar, fats as well as sodium that have negative implications on health. Bacon for example has too much sodium that triggers high blood pressure. The delicious quality that is associated with bacon can be attributed to the high levels of saturated fats. These saturated fats are good promoters of heart related ailments such as obesity as high blood pressure. The excessive preservatives that enhance the storage of bacon may cause a number of health concerns such as headache as well as cancer.

The health experts discourage a lot of fruit snacks as part of healthy diets. Fruit snacks causes adverse effects to the teeth with most of them containing high levels of cane sugar as well as fructose corn syrup. The health experts view these as potential motivators of drastic weight gain and consequent exposure to diabetes. The fruit ingredients in the snacks seems insignificant in the snacks and therefore, their demerits outweighs their merits. The excessive gelatinous ingredients as well as the available sugar in the snacks promote a suitable environment for proliferation of bacteria as well as creation of cavities.

Fly Page chapter 2

Chapter 2

Workout Exercises

Gym etiquette   

Spending a lot of time in the gym may lead to the development of pet peeves. A gym is a communal place that many people visit to perform or engage in various activities.

• Avoid staring at other people.
• Focus your attention on your individual workout.
• If an injuryoccurs, tap the trainer and notify them about the incident. Any person in danger may need your assistance or your help in contacting the trainer.
• If the gymis equipped with paper towels, spar bottles and disinfecting wipes, make proper use of them.
• Keep your grunt at a minimum level as it helps in enhancing your performance. Avoid loud exhalation because it can distract other people. Try to expel air forcefully without making much noise.
• Avoid dropping weights on the floor. Never drop the weights from the overhead or drop them from the level of the waist to the ground. You must maintain a steady control of the weights by lowering them safely to the ground.
• Avoid using several machines at the same time. I advise that you use the machines in an alternating fashion, which also helps break the workout monotony.
• Avoid extended breaks between each activityas anybody may take up the machine that you had planned to use.
• Make sure that you place your belongings like your wallet, sweatshirts, waterbottle, and keys in one secure place or a locker.

Exercising

Exercising can have many constructive advantages in the body.

• Exercising enhances the efficiency as well as the strength of the cardiovascular system. This in turn allows efficient transportation of oxygen as well as nutrients to musclesand tissues. The proper functioning of the cardiovascular system makes a lot of processes in the body easier and faster.
• Sufficient exercisesalso enhance the functioning of the brain. Exercising help release chemicals in the brain thus enhancing of memory, learning, and cognitive ability; therefore reducing the risk of developing cognitive degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
• Exercising promotes metabolic performancethat maintains a healthy body weight. A healthy body weight reduces the chances of developing health related problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Exercise is one of the most important approaches in improving the health of a person and development of a stronger body. Engagement in exercise also enhances relaxation and increases happiness.

To attain the best workout, a person must alternate between varieties of exercises. Engaging in any exercise requires giving attention to a number of important factors that make the practice enjoyable and easier.

• The right type of clothesworn when exercising plays a crucial role in the success of the practice. Avoid tight cloths that might limit any blood flow or restrict movement of the body parts such as the joint.
• The materials of the cloth must allow sufficient air to reach all parts of the body. In working out, sweating is a mandatory effect that requires aeration to all body parts.
• The right type of shoesalso determines the success of the exercise. The shoes of choice have to absorb any form of shock.

It is important for one to design the shoes in a manner that it fosters comfort in relation to the impending exercise.

• Drink a lot of waterbetween each exercise. Water is needed in abundance to facilitate the proper functioning of the muscles and increase sweating. Dehydration during an exercise can make you pass out.
• Avoid excessive stretching during exercise. Stretching has never cause significant gain in an exercise. Stretching may result to straining of the muscles, which can harm to the body. Before the actual exercise, engage in a warm up exercise. This enhances performance during the actual exercise. Warm up involves starting with a less intense exercise; if the exercise involves swimming, then to start with swimming slowly then movingto a higher speed.
• Consulting a doctorto consider what exercises suites you the best. Some conditions require the advice of a doctor before you begin engaging in them.
• Please confirm with you doctoron which exercises to avoid if you have any diseases or health complications such as asthma, heart disease, kidney problems, arthritis, problems of the lung and liver, a and diabetes.
• Even a healthy person shall require the advice of a doctorfor extra caution. If you feel pain and dizziness after a physical exercise, or start to have breathing problems, exertion and ankle swelling you are required to consult a doctor. Consulting a doctor also becomes imperative to confirm the most suitable exercise that will likely address the anticipated health conditions as well as the practical goals set.

In a nutshell, eat a lot of vegetables for the sense of feeling full. Take plenty of water. Avoiding tempting food. Keep yourself busy to avoid eating too much. Lastly, schedule a time for eating meals and avoid skipping them.

Fly Page chapter 3

Chapter 3

Weight loss surgeries

The surgery intended to achieve weight loss gains takes a lot of the commitment, mental as well as physical readiness of the person. You must prepare adequately once you have decided to take the surgery. You must consider that this type of surgery befits only the obese people whose body mass index exceeds 30. During the process of weight loss surgery the surgeon makes some crucial changes to the shape of the small intestines as well as the stomach. You must evaluate if this type of surgery augurs well with the patient based on his/her body condition.

Weight loss surgeries might act as a potential option in the situation for a person who has hard time engaging in exercises or following a diet due to health complications and obesity. A variety of weight loss surgeries approaches can achieve the same purpose. The ultimate objective of weight loss surgeries made to limit the quantity of food utilized in the body and some weight loss surgeries approaches impact on food digestion as well as absorption. Making the decision for the choice of the most suitable form of weight loss surgeries requires the advice of a doctor. Weight loss surgeries only work for individuals whose BMI exceed 40. This corresponds to 100 pounds for the overweight male and 80 pounds for the females. Some other people have significantly low BMI but suffer from obesity. They may also have serious health complications linked to obesity including type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high levels of cholesterol and heart diseases. Such people can opt for weight loss surgeries. Other people who have unsuccessful attempts in loss of weight through the approaches I mentioned earlier in this manual can also go for weight loss surgeries. The choice of weight loss surgeries requires that the individual understands the risks involved beforehand.

Researchers have discovered a new approach to weight loss surgeries that deals with folding of the stomach into pleats. This weight loss surgeries approach correlates with less echelon of risks. No incision is engaged in this new type of weight loss surgeries. The process implementation involves a tube that is conventionally passed through the through and allows the patient to go back home the same day after finishing the procedure.

Pro, cons, and consequences of weight loss surgeries

One of the most common type of weight loss surgery is the Gastric Bypass Surgery that entails splitting of the stomach in two sections. One of the stomachs is responsible for the collection of food and transferring it to lower section of small intestines. The other section serves the purpose of creation of digestive fluids that pass through small intestines for facilitating digestion. The creation of the smaller stomach makes the individual feel fuller earlier than normal because of conventional exclusion of some stages in the digestive systems. Fewer calories are therefore absorbed from the ingested food.

An important pro associated with the procedure involves dramatic as well as faster results. In a period of about six months, a person can lose half of their weight and the process can go on for a time length of two years. The rapid weight loss leads to rapid recovery from the afflictions that may occur to weight loss. Some of these long lasting afflictions may include sleep apnea, diabetes as well as high blood pressure.

However, the process has some disadvantages. The food passes in the digestive tract at a faster rate and the person may therefore fail to absorb sufficient nutrients. Although the result indicates fewer calories in the body, other important elements such as calcium, vital vitamins, iron among others may become deficit since the body never absorbed them. Therefore, I advise to take additional supplements for the sake of the missing crucial elements in the diet. In order to attain healthy growth, it is important that one observe the amount of calories consumed.

If the surgery is achieved by gastric banding, it is easier for the surgeon to remove the band at any time. This surgery is also safer and offers chances for quicker recovery. The band also gives one a leeway to customize the surgery. The surgeon can easily loosen and tighten the band. However, this type of surgery takes much more time in achieving its intended purpose. In this regard, the loss of weight-related afflictions may last long in the patient’s body. This surgery is also associated with unique risks. The band is prone to leak or slipping which triggers extreme whose sole remedy requires therapy.

Index

activity, 12, 13, 23

basal metabolic rate, BMR, 13

brain, 18, 24

calcium, 9, 31

calculator, 13

calories, iii, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 30, 31

carbohydrates, 10, 12, 16

cardiovascular system, 24

cholesterol, 29

clothes, 24

Dehydration, 25

diabetes, 17, 19, 24, 25, 29, 31

diets, 10, 11, 19

disorder, v

doctor, 17, 25, 26, 29

energy, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17

exercises, v, 12, 13, 24, 25, 29

fats, 10, 12, 16, 19

fatty acids, 9

fluids, 30

fruits, 12

Gastric Bypass Surgery, 30

grams, 14

gym, v, 23

happiness., 24

health experts, 19

heredity and genetic problems, 11

high blood pressure, 24

injury, 23

life, 9, 18

manual, v, 30

medication, 17

metabolic performance, 24

minerals, 9, 10, 11

moving, 12, 25

muscles, 12, 14, 17, 24, 25

nourishing foods, v

nutritional label, 15

obesity, 19, 29

organic nutrients, 11

pain, 26, 31

pounds, 29

protein, 10, 14

Researchers, 30

resting, 12

shoes, 25

sleep apnea, 29, 31

small intestines, 29, 30

stomach, 29, 30

sugar, 17, 19

surgery, 29, 30, 31

vitamins, 9, 10, 11, 31

warm up exercise, 25

water, 10, 11, 23, 25, 26

weight loss, iii, v, 29, 30