But, unlike cholesterol, the body doesn’t manufacture its own. It has to be gained from the diet.

What Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

There are actually three main types, ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The first is consumed in food, which is then broken down into the latter two. It’s the EPA and DHA that is so beneficial for so many functions.

Why Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids Important?

Numerous reliable studies show that omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), arthritis and certain cancers. Developing fetuses who lack the needed amounts have been shown to be at increased risk for vision and nerve system problems. Omega-3 fatty acids are passed from mother to fetus during gestation.

Many studies strongly suggest they play a vital role in proper cognitive function (memory and thinking). Evidence of their lack shows up in poor memory, mood swings, excess fatigue and other problems.

On the positive side, those who do get appropriate amounts have improved blood sugar levels, better cholesterol levels and more. People who adopt a diet rich in omega-3 tend to have higher HDL levels (the good cholesterol). They tend also to have lower triglyceride levels, the most common form of fat in the body.

How To Get Them From Diet?

They’re actually very easy to get in the proper amounts. The American Heart Association and other official organizations recommend 2 servings of fish per week. Many different species can fulfill the need: mackerel, salmon, herring, tuna, halibut and others. Other marine life also contain this essential substance, including krill (a crustacean similar to shrimp).

The benefits of omega-3 are one major reason for the popularity of such diets as the Mediterranean Diet. It typically includes lower quantities of high-fat red meat and more omega-3-rich fish. It also supplies omega-3 in the form of whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, garlic and other foods native to that region. Kiwifruit, for example, contains omega-3 fatty acids, as do lingonberries, walnuts and pecans, and flax (linseed).

Risks and Warnings

Like most things, it’s possible to get too much of a good thing. Some types of stroke have been associated with consuming more than 3 grams of omega-3 per day in supplement form. Also, like any dietary recommendation, how much is good will vary with individual circumstances. Like any aspect of diet, when beginning something new it’s always wise to consult your physician for guidance first.

About 60% of the human body is water, muscle tissue almost 70%. An enormous range of biochemical reactions inside cells and out require water. Add these facts together and it’s clear that water is a must. No surprise, there. But what might be is how easy it is to have a deficit.

Effects of Dehydration

Lack of proper hydration can have far worse effects than merely feeling thirsty. Headache, fatigue and dizziness are common signs. Heat stroke is serious, potentially fatal – and dehydration is one of the major factors that lead to it.

Nor is it quite good enough to merely wait until you are thirsty to address your fluid need. Elevated internal body temperature, high heart rate and poor motor performance set in when your body has experienced only a 3% weight loss from water deprivation.

In a cool environment, even when you are at rest, your body will lose about 2-3 liters in a day. If you’re active, the number rises to between 3-6 liters. On a warm day, during vigorous activity, the number can be as high as 10 liters. That’s about 3 gallons of water in one day.

How Much Should You Consume and When?

It’s preferable to hydrate in advance. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, that amounts to about 17 ounces (500 ml) every 2 hours for 24 hours prior to any vigorous workout. Another 7-10 ounces (about 200-300 ml) every 20 minutes during exercise is also recommended.

What About Sports Drinks?

Some sports drinks are the perfect form of fluid intake. Just drinking water can lead to harmful dilution of the concentrations of sodium, potassium and other minerals in the body. Among other things, those help regulate the heart and nerve signals. A properly balanced sports drink helps maintain the proper concentration.

But many so-called sports drinks are chock full of sugar. A little bit of simple sugar isn’t bad. It can even be beneficial. But a bottle of sports drink that is really just soda without the bubbles isn’t helpful. Keep that type to a minimum.

Fruit juices can be an effective way of getting needed fluid. But keep in mind that drinks with carbs slow the body’s rate of absorption of water. Here too, the amount of sugar needs to be monitored.

Caffeine and Alcohol

Caffeine drinks aren’t necessarily unhealthy. In fact, in moderation, caffeine has been shown to have definite health benefits. But it’s also a diuretic, a substance that increases urine output. Drinking lots of coffee can actually encourage dehydration. Studies in which participants drank about 6 cups per day (642 mg/day) experienced  a 3% loss of body water.

Similarly, alcohol in moderate amounts is beneficial. Red wine has antioxidants. Even beer is healthy, since some of the health effects are due to alcohol alone and hops are good for you. But they do tend also to dehydrate. They’re not a substitute for the total water needed daily.

Summary

The body needs several types of nutrients every day, throughout the day: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals – and water. Don’t forget the liquid nutrient.

The resolution to this dilemma lies in examining more closely just what fiber is and what it does for you.

What Is Fiber?

Fiber is, it’s true, a type of carbohydrate. That is, fiber compounds are composed of molecules whose chief elements are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in combination. But there is a key difference between fiber and other types of carbohydrate: it doesn’t break down during digestion.

Both simple sugars (simple carbs) and starches (complex carbs) are broken down by digestive enzymes, releasing energy the body uses for an infinite variety of vital processes. Fiber is not, at least not much. That simple difference leads to a number of beneficial effects.

Why Is Fiber Good?

Insoluble fiber, by definition, does not dissolve in water. As such, it moves through the digestive system where it helps increase the bulk of stools. That helps prevent constipation. It also moves through the intestines relatively fast, which generates signals to the brain that you’re full. In that way, it discourages overeating and the accompanying excess consumption of calories.

Insoluble fiber is contained in whole-wheat flour and wheat bran, many types of nut and several vegetables that contribute ‘roughage’ to the diet.

Soluble fiber, by contrast, does dissolve in water and so forms a type of gel that makes its way through the digestive system. As a result it helps regulate blood glucose levels. On route it helps cleanse the tract of bacteria.

Soluble fiber is part of a wide variety of foods, including oats and barley, carrots and peas, apples and citrus fruit, and beans.

A high fiber diet helps decrease the odds of heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol (the undesirable type).

It slows the absorption of sugar contained in food consumed, which helps smooth out any spikes. That helps improve a number called the Glycemic Index, one key to a healthy diet according to some diet programs such as the South Beach Diet.

Controlling blood glucose levels has another beneficial effect, according to many studies. Insulin levels are related to blood glucose levels. Excess glucose over long periods increases the odds of acquiring Type 2 diabetes. A high fiber diet can help decrease those odds.

Since fiber is not broken down, it adds bulk without calories. That contributes to a feeling of fullness and satiation without the accompanying potential for storing excess calories as fat. Thus, it contributes mightily to any weight loss program.

How Much Daily Fiber Is Good?

There is no official RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for fiber as there is for many other nutritional components. But official sources put the desirable amount at roughly 25 grams per day. The average consumption is often much lower, around 15 grams per day.

One study of over 500 subjects conducted at the University of Massachusetts Medical School over one year showed that those who consumed 22 grams or more were 63% less likely to have high CRP levels. High CRP (C-reactive protein) is linked with higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Summary

Like any aspect of diet and nutrition, the value of fiber can be (and sometimes is) overstated. But numerous studies agree that a high fiber diet has definite benefits. As with any proposed change in diet, consulting your physician first is wise.

In simplest terms, a calorie is a measure of energy. In science, the unit that measures it is the calorie, cal. But because the amount in food is typically so large, the food calorie is actually a thousand of those or kcal (kilocalories). Food calories are sometimes denoted with a capital C to make the difference clear.

But whatever name they’re given, the basic point is that a calorie represents a certain amount of energy, not a quantity of mass or weight. So, how does that make you gain or, hopefully, lose weight? The explanation revolves around what the body does with that energy.

When food is consumed it’s digested. That much is common knowledge. What happens next is not so well known sometimes.

Part of that digestion process involves breaking down foodstuffs containing, say carbohydrates, into smaller parts. The process yields energy that the body can use to power muscle movement, cell repair and a million other vital aspects of human biological function.

Note that little phrase ‘can use’, though. What happens when there is more energy available than the body needs immediately for all those functions? It doesn’t shed (all of) the rest. It stores (some of) it. Like a battery that is ready to provide energy when a tiny motor needs it, excess energy is stored in chemical bonds. When the energy is needed later those chemical bonds are broken and the energy is released.

But chemical bonds are bonds between two or more things. In this case they are primarily the bonds between molecules in fat cells, also known as adipose tissue.

Typically, glucose in the blood stream provides all the energy the body needs. When there is a deficit the liver is stimulated to provide more. But if that process continues, the body will go after that energy stored in fat cells in a process known as ketosis.

That is, in simple terms, how body fat is reduced. Create a large enough ‘energy deficit’ for long enough and the body will make available the energy stored in fat by breaking down those fat molecules. The net result is less fat stored and a lower body fat percentage overall.

That’s the goal of most dieters whether they realize it or not. The idea isn’t simply to lose weight, per se. After all, the number on the scale isn’t that important in most cases. Building up muscle, for example, actually increases weight because it is relatively more dense. What is important is the distribution of that weight – whether too much of it is in the form of stored fat, and where that body fat is stored.

If you wonder why it can be so hard to shift that balance, one simple number tells much of the story. A single pound of body fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. That means you have to burn 3,500 calories to convert one pound of fat. That explains why a diet needs to be a long-term commitment. Burning that many more calories than you consume simply takes time.

So, reduce the number of calories taken in and the body will store less in the form of fat. Reduce them enough and it will burn the fat that is there to provide energy for life. The consequences to the dieter are a more attractive figure, ample energy for all of life’s goals and better overall health.

The Original Food Pyramid

In an attempt to make dietary guidelines easy to follow, the U.S. government developed a graphic called the Food Pyramid. Both visually and with supplemental text it outlines how much of what type of food should be consumed daily.

For example, it recommended 6-11 servings of whole grains per day. On the whole, that’s good advice. Whole grains contain valuable fiber, essential fatty acids, valuable carbohydrates and more. Such things as oatmeal, whole grain bread and brown rice are definitely nutritious.

It also recommended 3-5 servings of vegetables daily. Leafy green vegetables contain needed vitamin A and C, bushy vegetables are rich in calcium and iron. All tend to be low in fat and calories, a definite boon to a weight conscious public seeking healthy weight loss guidelines. Again, good advice.

But it also had some drawbacks.

Nutritional science continues to grow by leaps and bounds. The number of well-done research projects, written up in professional journals, continues to increase. Many thought by the turn of the millennium that the Food Pyramid was simply getting outdated.

Worse still, the original recommendations contained some questionable suggestions even by the standards of the early 1990s. Three cups of whole milk or an 8 oz hamburger contain considerable fat along with their proteins. Yet fats were supposed to be consumed ’sparingly’. Fat is essential, but keeping the amount low is helpful to those seeking healthy weight loss. It also comes in different types. The pyramid didn’t give clear guidelines here.

The amounts recommended, too, were sometimes confusing particularly to those seeking healthy weight loss. The pyramid contained a recommendation of 2-3 servings daily of meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, eggs or nuts in order to get proteins. But this was meant to be a maximum. By contrast, it contained a recommendation for 2-4 servings of fruit, though the guideline was intended as a minimum.

Perhaps worst of all, the question arises: what is a serving?

The answer turns out to be highly confusing. It varies with the food being discussed.

In the grains section, a slice of bread is one serving. An ounce of cereal is one serving. In the vegetable area a 1/2 cup of broccoli is a single serving. But for raw, leafy vegetables a cup equals a serving. A cup of fruit equals one serving, unless it’s dried in which case 1/2 cup is a serving.

No one could possibly keep these things straight.

The New Food Pyramid

The new food pyramid introduced in early 2005 was an attempt to overcome some of these difficulties. Regrettably, in some ways, it’s even worse. Using the interactive tool on the USDA website (http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html) yields such information as: ‘Eat a variety of fruit’ and ‘Eat at least 3 ounces of whole grain bread’ and ‘Eat more dark green veggies’.

However, there is an interactive applet that does a better job of providing more detailed information at MyPyramidPlan (http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx). It may take more time, but the guidelines are more carefully tailored for specific age, weight and activity level.

Summary

The lesson to be learned is that diet and nutrition, especially for those seeking healthy weight loss, is a highly individual affair. It requires some attention to the details of what is consumed and what that contains. As with any intended approach to diet, seeking the advice of your physician is always wise.

But dieting is not without risks, especially in an age when so many fad diets clamor for attention. The desire to lose weight rapidly can lead to health problems that outweigh the benefits of dieting. Rapid weight-loss dieting in particular can lead to a ‘rebound’, defeating the purpose in the first place.

First, what do we mean by ‘diet’ in this context?

No matter what specific weight loss plan one chooses, the basic equation of weight loss can not be eliminated: more calories consumed than burned equals weight gain as the body stores the excess in fat. Conversely, more calories used than taken in leads to weight loss, over the long run.

In a resting state, we burn about 70 calories per hour. In a vigorous hour-long hike we burn about 440 calories. A brisk walk for an hour will use up about 240 calories, jogging nearly 600. But balance that against the average 2,000 calorie per day diet. That shows it can be very difficult to lose weight solely by exercise.

On the other hand, reducing caloric intake means reducing the amount of certain foods and drinks. It may mean an apple rather than a candy bar. It might mean fruit juice instead of that high-calorie cappuccino. The cravings that typically accompany dieting can be hard to quell.

Second, dieting has to be done right to be beneficial. It requires the right weight loss plan.

Too-rapid weight loss from drastic diets leads to a ‘rebound’ effect. All too many dieters know the frustration of seeing hard-to-shed pounds return a few months or a year later. It tends to encourage subsequent overeating as the dieter is motivated to just give up.

Dieting by foregoing needed nutrients presents even more of a health risk. We need a certain amount of unsaturated fats daily to have proper nerve function and hormone balance. Carbohydrates are the body’s basic energy source, which is used to power everything we do from simple movements to life-preserving cellular reactions. Sodium and potassium are vital to proper heart and nerve function.

But there are definite health advantages for an individual who commits to a healthy diet and weight loss plan.

Obesity is a factor in the development of diabetes. It increases the odds of coronary heart disease. It increases stress on bones. It often plays a role in depression. All these are serious health issues and dieting is one of the best ways to combat obesity.

It isn’t mere vanity to want an attractive body, either. An attractive body is one that is fit. That leads to ample energy to carry out whatever goals one wants to pursue. Lack of energy makes it much harder to motivate oneself to complete challenging tasks.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting an attractive form for psychological or social purposes either. Humans are social. It’s appropriate to take pride in having achieved a certain body type, within the limits of what is possible to each of us. It presents an image of self-regard and that psychological self-assessment is a significant factor in basic health.

Done well, taken up as a long-term lifestyle strategy and not as a quick fix, dieting is healthy.

What are labeled minerals are often elements from the Periodic Table, things like iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn) and potassium (K). They’re called minerals, though, because they readily combine with oxygen (O) and other elements or molecules in the body to produce what are technically minerals. Elements are simple atoms, minerals are always combinations of atoms.

They’re essential because they play an indispensable role in so many vital biochemical processes that contribute to health.

Iron

Iron, for example, is a key element in the hemoglobin molecule. This complex molecule is a necessary component of red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout the entire body. That oxygen is a major factor in a wide variety of biochemical reactions that take place within the cells making up living tissue.

Children should get about 10 mg per day, while adolescents need about 11 mg (for males) and 15 mg (for females). Adult males need about 8 mg, females around 18 mg though the number drops to 8 mg after age 51. Chicken liver is an excellent source of iron and can supply up to 70% of the daily requirement. Beef, turkey, oysters and clams are other good sources.

Calcium

Calcium is another common element that is vital to good nutrition. Its role in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth is well known. But it also plays a part in maintaining the heart and nerves. It performs a major function in muscle contraction, and participates in the secretion of hormones and enzymes.

While bone loss is slow, calcium is lost out of the body all the time through the hair and nails, in feces and sweat, and other means. Getting an adequate amount isn’t difficult, though. Milk is a well known source, but for the lactose intolerant orange juice is often fortified with calcium. Leafy green vegetables are another good source.

Younger children should get about 800 mg per day, while adolescents need approximately 1300 mg daily. Adults should be sure to get 1000 mg (1 gram) daily, with no more than 500 mg at one time. The number rises to 1200mg for those over 51. Avoid consuming more than 2,400 mg daily since this can lead to imbalance of other minerals and a type of toxicity.

Potassium

Key to good blood pressure is an element very similar to sodium: potassium. Both participate in the mechanism that keeps the heart pumping. But potassium has a much wider role in the human body. It’s found in almost every cell and the fluid surrounding them. It participates in good kidney function and digestion.

Getting potassium from the diet is easy. Adults need about 4700 mg daily, while the proper amount for children ranges from 3000-3800 mg, with adolescents at 4500 mg. Good sources include potatoes (610 mg), bananas (420 mg), milk (380 mg), orange juice (355 mg) and halibut (490 mg). Yogurt nearly tops the list at 580 mg for one cup of nonfat, plain.

Summary

There are a dozen or more minerals that play a vital role in any balanced diet, including magnesium, selenium, sodium and more. All these can be gained from a healthy diet, but that can be hard to achieve. For those who tend to eat on the run, supplements can play a valuable role.

Supplements can help fill the gap. Unfortunately, there is a large amount of junk science, and much more that simply isn’t known for sure one way or the other, with respect to any weight loss supplement or nutritional aid. It pays to be cautious. It’s your health.

For example, Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, an important feature of many proteins that go to make blood vessels, tendons and more. It also plays a role in making norepinephrine, a key neurotransmitter. A large amount of research exists to show that Vitamin C helps reduce free radicals that can damage cells. This antioxidant role is a factor in reducing the odds of cancer and other diseases.

Children should get from 15-25 mg per day, while adolescents need 75 mg (males) or 65 mg (females). Adult males need about 125 mg daily, females 75 mg. Orange juice is an excellent source, since it contains 75 mg in only 6 ounces. A cup of strawberries has 82 mg. Even a medium tomato will have about 23 mg. It’s hard to ‘overdose’ on Vitamin C since any excess is excreted out in the urine.

The role of Vitamin A in vision has been well publicized. Every child knows he is ’supposed to eat his carrots’. But it also plays a part in maintaining the lining of the lungs, as well as that of the urinary and digestive tracts.

Adults need about 2300 IU (females) and 3000 IU (men). Good sources include carrots, of course. But a medium egg will supply about 280 IU. An ounce of Cheddar cheese has about 300 IU. Breakfast cereals may contain anywhere from 500-1000 IU.

But, unlike Vitamin C, it is possible to consume too much Vitamin A. A safe upper limit ranges between 8000-10,000 IU daily. Too much over a long period can produce vomiting or even liver damage. Still, many large surveys point to the conclusion that about 25% of adult Americans don’t get enough in their diet.

There are a number of other essential daily vitamins, including members of the B-complex, D, E and others. But these two examples alone are enough to show that it requires some care to get the right amounts. Whether attempting to get all the needed vitamins from diet alone or by taking supplements, it’s important to keep track of the amounts.

Those taking supplements as part of a weight loss program should find this easy. They’re already tuned to monitoring their intake. But the same advice applies to anyone seeking to optimize their nutrition.

Phytochemicals are a class of compounds found in the highly colored skins of some fruits and vegetables. Since their nutritional properties are still under investigation no FDA guidelines are available about their health benefits. As a result, some avoid labeling them phytonutrients.

Still, numerous studies suggest that these compounds are very likely to have beneficial effects. Further, no one doubts that the foods that contain them are good nutrition. They are recommended by all experts. The chief area needing clarification is the degree to which they aid in combating certain diseases, such as colon cancer, or how effectively they aid the immune system.

What Foods Contain Phytonutrients, and How Do They Help?

Any strongly colored fruit or vegetable will contain some phytochemicals.

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene. While research is ongoing, many large scale studies have already shown a link between consumption and reduction of prostate cancer. In one, men who consumed more than 10 servings per week had a 35% lower risk, compared to those who only consumed 1.5 servings or fewer.

‘Eat your spinach’ is a familiar phrase from childhood. Phytochemicals called carotenoids may be the reason that it is good advice. Those who consumed it regularly had a 46% lower risk of macular degeneration, compared to study participants who only ate it once per month or less.

Another category called flavonoids are well-known to be beneficial, based on thousands of studies. That’s because they act as antioxidants. Roaming oxygen atoms called free radicals carry enough energy to damage cells. Antioxidants combine with them and render them harmless. Flavonoids are a rich source of antioxidants.

According to a European study published in Lancet, a leading British medical journal, Dutch men who consumed more than 30 mg of flavonoids daily had a 58% lower risk of heart disease than those who consumed only 19 mg or less per day.

Flavonoids are part of a larger class called polyphenols that have similar properties. They are in such foods as strawberries, blueberries, apples and more. Red wine, long known to be a boon to health in moderate quantities, contains polyphenols.

A study in the Journal of the AMA (American Medical Association) linked fruit and vegetable consumption to a decrease in the odds of stroke. For each additional consumption of three daily servings subjects had a 22% decrease in the chances for hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke.

How Much Do We Get?

The average American gets 3.3 servings of vegetables per day. But those containing phytochemicals are consumed in much smaller quantities, only about 0.2 servings. About 10% of the population eats less than one serving per day of vegetables.

Less than a third of the population (29%) eats the minimum number of daily fruit servings. Nearly half eat less than one serving of fruit per day. Even for those on a restricted carb diet that is very low.

Summary

Like many areas of nutritional science, research on phytochemicals continues at a rapid pace. But even at the present level of knowledge it’s clear that certain fruits and vegetables should be part of a healthy, balanced diet.

What Is Organic Food?

In one sense, the phrase ‘organic food’ is redundant. If it isn’t organic (in the sense that science uses that term: a compound based on carbon) it isn’t food. Clearly, something else is meant by ‘organic’, in this case.

The generally agreed-on definition is: food grown and marketed without man-made chemicals, such as certain types of pesticides, or ones that don’t contain artificial preservatives.

But given how pesticides and preservatives are made today – from a wide range of substances often found in raw nature – the line is a little fuzzy. Many pesticides, for example, are extracts of plants that contain chemicals that naturally fight insect invasion. Nevertheless, it’s reasonable to regard organic food as that grown substantially without a wide range of inorganic pesticides and preservatives used in mass-scale food production.

Is It Better?

Organic food is generally more expensive, anywhere from 50-100% more in most cases. For those who place a high value on the purity and healthfulness of what they consume, it may well be worth the difference. But is organic food actually purer or healthier?

Unfortunately, there is no single correct answer that applies to all organic (or non-organic) food available on the market today.

Some organic farms take great care to ensure that their food is grown to maximize nutrients, minimize harmful compounds and is delivered fresh. Others may use manure as fertilizer that can introduce E. Coli bacteria into the food that can only be destroyed by cooking.

Organic food producers often tout the lack of pesticides used as proof that their food is healthier than that produced by large industrial farms. And, indeed, that can be true. Thousands of reliable studies done over decades show that high levels of inorganic compounds found in some pesticides increase the risk of a variety of cancers.

But it’s also true that the USDA has set levels for allowable concentrations of pesticide residue in food sold to the public. There is no evidence that, at the concentrations allowed (and frequently measured for compliance), there are harmful health effects. All food sold, ‘inorganic’ and ‘organic’, must meet stringent criteria before it can be legally sold to the public.

Apart from potential toxin levels, are there differences in the nutrition levels of inorganic versus organic food? There, the jury is even more mixed.

A French study that analyzed 12 different foods showed that organic foods contained higher quantities of Vitamins A, B-complex, C, E and essential minerals such as zinc and calcium. Another recent study published in the Journal of Applied Nutrition had similar results. Mineral content of organic apples, pears and others had lower levels of heavy metals than those grown by non-organic methods.

Yet processed food is often fortified with vitamins that the ‘natural’ food may lack to some degree. Cereals are a case in point. Commercially produced orange juice is another.

If the level of nutrients in both types is high enough that any excess is discarded by the body, and the level of toxins low enough to cause no harm, does it matter? All foods that aren’t spoiled carry some benefit and some risk. It’s simply a matter of degree.

Trade-offs are inevitable when deciding whether the extra time and cost to buy organic are worthwhile. Those decisions can only be made by each individual, according to their own circumstances and views.