In today’s hectic daily pace it is not always easy to eat right. Between soccer practice, music lessons, dance lessons and a myriad of other things to do everyday it is all to often easier to catch a drive through at the closest corner fast food restaurant. Yes it is convenient but there is a healthier way to get you through to the next healthy meal.
With the increased demand for better options for health conscious consumers there has been a steady increase of healthy snacks available. A popular choice these days is the protein bar or whole food bar.With its increased popularity these delicious and healthy snacks no longer taste like dried up lawn clippings even kids love them. The leading brands such as the Cliff Bar, Think Thin, The Organic bar, and the Raw Revolution come in a wide variety of flavors to choose from so there is a healthy choice for everyone.
These healthy on the go snacks are not only good for you they are convenient and an affordable alternative to fast food. After all what price would you put on your health or your kids.
Part I of the protein puzzle-
As we discussed in our Blog metric conversion confusion the use of the metric system can make things a little challenging for those of us on the standard system of measurement and this is especially true when it comes to figuring out how much daily protein you need in your diet for optimal health.
The ongoing discussion among health professionals on how much protein you actually need each day is still a hot debate with no definitive answer in sight. The most widely excepted model for the minimum daily intake is 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of lean body mass ether by whole food or a protein supplement. Here we go with the metric system again. Not to mention getting an accurate reading on lean mass. And do not rely on a personal trainer using the body fat caliber method to be even close to accurate, but that’s for another day.
Lets first get this metric thing sorted out. A 180 lb person converts to 81.647 Kilograms and lets say our average person has a 25% body fat, that leaves 61.235 kilograms of lean mass. Using the current theories this person needs a minimum 61 to 62 grams of protein per day to sustain there health. Derived either through whole foods our protein supplements. This of course is not taking into consideration any other factors such as lifestyle, health and genetics.
Next up how do I meet the required amount I need.
With all the choices in the vitamin isle these days it is not hard to understand why most people get overwhelmed and intimidated trying to figure out what is right for them. Add to that tying to decipher the ingredients and those cool Latin words becomes nearly impossible unless your are an herbalist or nutritionist.
So where do you start? It is not as complicated as you may think. Most people that have a fairly healthy lifestyle such as eating right, regular exercise and adequate rest can usually start with a high quality whole food vitamin supplement to give them that added nutritional boost. After that depending on additional lifestyle factors such as stress and health situations you may want to start a customized plan. For example you my consider adding additional vitamin B-12 for stress situations or vitamin C to boost your immune system . For a truly customized plan it is best to consult a health professional trained in nutritional evaluation for your specific needs. Once you have done that shopping for vitamins gets easy, just look for the recommended high quality product at the best price.
The seven glorious green foods include wheat-grass, barley grass, alfalfa, chlorella, spirulina, blue-green algae (AFA), and green tea. These powerful food sources are rich in antioxidants — phenolic acids, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene — compounds that have all demonstrated powerful free-radical antioxidant protection in test-tube and experimental models. In a study on spirulina conducted by Brazilian researcher, M.S. Miranda in 1998 has proven that consuming green foods have remarkable health benefits .
Each one of these super foods consumed alone has been clinically proven to help lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and lower cholesterol along with other amazing health benefits. However when combined and consumed together there synergistic effect become known as the Super Green Food. Readily available in a concentrated tablet or powder form anyone can get the remarkable health benefits from this nutritionally dense food.
Why choose Whole Food Vitamins?
There is continuing debate among the scientific community regarding the use of synthetic vitamins over whole food vitamins with no apparent agreement in sight. As the PhDs of the world continue to sift through the data here is our opinion based on erring on the side of good old fashioned common sense or as we call it uncommon sense.
Until the world of science can agree that Laboratory Synthesized Vitamins are better or as good as real food than we will stick to REAL FOOD. While the scientists continue there debate about Whole Food Vitamins, we asked this question. If a waiter at a restaurant asked you if would you like plastic fruit tonight for desert or fresh picked fruit out of our garden which would you choose? Hm mm let me think about that one. Or do you really need to? It should be a no brain-er.
Obviously laboratory mimicked vitamins are not plastic but we think you get the point. So until the “experts” come to a definitive conclusion I will stick to the real deal, Whole Food Nutrient Rich Supplements.