Nutrition

What are minerals?

Those elements found on earth and in foods that our bodies need to develop and function normally. Such as calcium, potassium, Iron, etc.

What are vitamins?

Vitamins are substances that our bodies need in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism

Vitamin A:

Important for normal vision, the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development.

Magnesium:

Magnesium is related to improvements in blood pressure, mood, and blood sugar management, as well as a lower risk of developing health conditions such as heart disease

Vitamin B1

Required for energy, metabolism and important for nerve function.

Vitamin B2

Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism; important for normal vision and skin health

Vitamin B3

Important for the nervous system, digestive system, and skin health.

Pantothenic acid(B5)

Helps turn the food you eat into fat (the energy you need)

Biotin

improves hair health — including shine, volume, and scalp coverage in women who experience thinning hair

Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)

Helps make red blood cells

Folic Acid(B9)

Important in red blood cell formation and for healthy cell growth and function.

Cobalamin (vitamin B12)

Helps keep your body's blood and nerve cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all of your cells.

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

Necessary for the growth, development and repair of all body tissues. An individual may become blind from vitamin C deficiency.

Vitamin D

Responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, and many other biological effects. Loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a vitamin that dissolves in fat. It is found in many foods including vegetable oils, cereals, meat, poultry, eggs, and fruits. Vitamin E is an important vitamin required for the proper function of many organs in the body. It is also an antioxidant. 

Vitamin K

Helping the blood clot, preventing excessive bleeding. Unlike many other vitamins, vitamin K is not typically used as a dietary supplement. Vitamin K is actually a group of compounds. The most important of these compounds appears to be vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 is obtained from leafy greens and some other vegetables. Vitamin K2 is a group of compounds largely obtained from meats, cheeses, and eggs, and synthesized by bacteria.

• Stomach: Breaks down food through enzymes and secreted acid. The organ contracts to enhance digestion.

• Liver: The largest detoxifier and drug metabolizer of the body. Secretes bile, which helps us digest fats. Also involved in making proteins which is important to prevent blood clots.

• Lungs: These help oxygen from the air into the body. They allow your body to get rid of carbon dioxide. (Which plants need and in return they provide us with oxygen.)

• Heart: Pumps blood into the entire body. It allows for cells to be supplied with important nutrients and oxygen.

• Brain: The brain receives and interprets information from the body and surroundings. It interprets inputs such as odors, light, sound, pain. It also helps with breathing and maintaining blood pressure.

Power foods are packed with nutrients, they are whole foods.

• Spinach- spinach is high on calcium and can prevent cancer.

Fats are the slowest source of energy but the most energy-efficient form of food. Each gram of fat supplies the body with about 9 calories, more than twice that supplied by proteins or carbohydrates. Because fats are such an efficient form of energy, the body stores any excess energy as fat. 

The goal should be a well-balanced diet that provides enough, but not too much, of each nutrient that we need 

To lower blood sugar, count carbs

High blood sugar may be a sign of diabetes or prediabetes, which can lead to a slew of health problems. If you have been told by a health care professional that your blood sugar levels are problematic—or that you have diabetes—changing your eating habits should be a major part of your prevention and management plan

For heart health, reduce fat

A single gram of fat provides nine calories, so lowering fat intake is an efficient way to cut down on total calories. As you know by now, reducing overall calories is key for weight loss, but reducing fat, specifically, has other added benefits. For starters, some fats may increase risk for heart disease. For those with diabetes, evidence suggests that a low-fat diet may help your cells more effectively absorb sugar (glucose) for energy.

For weight loss, focus on total calories

If you’re aiming to shed weight, Benavides says looking at your total caloric intake may have the biggest impact.

Fiber is what helps move food through the digestive system, but it's not digested. There's two types of fiber: 'soluble' and 'insoluble'.

What's the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber?

There are many ways to loose weight you can start any of the 3 diets displayed above, paired with a good training plan is more then enough. Body fat is calories in vs calories out.

What is fasting? 

Fasting means you stop eating completely, or almost completely, for a certain stretch of time.  A fast usually lasts from 12 to 24 hours, but some types continue for days at a time. it's not eating at all, or severely cutting back, for a certain amount of time. In some cases, you may be allowed water, tea, and coffee or even a small amount of food during the “fasting period.”

Fasting is common to just about every major religious tradition, like Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates believed it helped the body heal itself. During Ramadan, many Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, every day for a month. This has provided scientists with quite a bit of information about what happens to your body when you fast, and the news is mostly good. But after a few days, the hunger usually gets better. Fasting is different from dieting in that it's not about trimming calories or a certain type of food. Fasting isn't likely to hurt you if you're a healthy adult, whether your weight is normal or you're heavier. Still, your body needs good nutrition and fuel to thrive. So make sure to talk to your doctor first, especially if you have health problems or take any kind of medication , avoid at all costs if pregnant or breast feeding.

Types of Intermittent Fasting

This is an off-and-on type of fasting. There are three main types that doctors have studied and people have used for weight loss and improved health:

• Time-restricted feeding

• Alternate-day fasting

• Modified fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating plan that switches between fasting and eating on a regular schedule. Research shows that intermittent fasting is a way to manage your weight and prevent or even reverse some forms of disease. The neat thing about fasting is everyone already does a daily fast.

Every night, when you go to bed, you stop eating for between 6 and 8 hours (depending on how long you sleep). if you get up at 6 a.m. and eat by 7 a.m., you can eat a big breakfast and a moderately-large lunch, as long as you stop eating by 3 p.m. (eat everything you're going to eat for the day inside of 8 hours)Alternatively, you can skip breakfast and eat lunch at noon, and dinner sometime before 8 p.m.

 Benefits of intermitted fasting

• insulin sensivity

• weight loss

• better concentration 

• lower cholesterol

• better sleep

• reduce inflammation

• mindful eating habits

• better immunity

• delayed aging

• better skin

• blood pressure

When done correctly, you shouldn't feel deprived from extended periods of fasting. You may initially feel a little hungry, but most people report having more energy during the fast.