Chromium

Chromium

Chromium is one of minerals, needs it only less amount for the body.
Action
It helps to:
-convert blood glucose into energy
-increase the efficiency of insulin
-Improves the tolerance to glucose in diabetic patients
Side effects
Over doze of chromium poses no danger.
Recommended Dietary Allowances
Infant-1-40mcg
Children-50-100mcg
Adult-50-200mcg
Sources
Meat includes beef, chicken, liver, fish, oyster, cheese, egg, fresh fruit, potato and whole grain products.

Calcium

Calcium

calcium and Phosphorous are the most abundant minerals in body, work together to keep our bones and teeth healthy. It is available as natural and synthetic supplements, found in mainly dairy products.
Action
-enhances bone and teeth strength
-facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses
-promotes blood coagulation
-enables muscle to relax and contract e.g. heart
-essential for growth and development of children
-saves off the brittle bone diseases osteoporosis, when used in combination with estrogen
-prevents muscle spasm, muscle cramps and tetanus
Recommended Dietary Allowances
Infants-400 mg
Children- 800 mg
Adults -1200 mg
Pregnancy- 1600 mg
Lactating women- 1600 mg
Post menopausal women- 1500 mg
Side effects
Doses above 200 mgs per day can lead to serious problems such as loss of appetite, constipation, fatigue, depression, nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, slow or irregular heart beat and kidney stones. Remember that smoking, alcohol, tea or coffee decreases the absorption of calcium.
Sources
Calcium found in dairy products, salmon, sardines, greens, almonds, soy beans, yogurt, milk and cheese.

Branded Chain Amino acids

Branded Chain Amino acids

Three essential amino acids- Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine called branched chain. These are building blocks of protein. As these are not manufactured in the body, it must be obtained through diet, called as essential amino acids. The research studies showed that theses amino acids may help to restore muscle mass following surgery, an injury or trauma. Deficiency of essential amino acids leads to loss of stamina, weak immunity, slow healing of wounds, weakness and depression.
Recommended Dietary Allowances
The estimated adult daily requirement for Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine is 9mgs, 6mgs and 7mgs respectively. Infants and children require essential amino acids twice the adult requirement. Your total daily requirement for protein in general is number of grams equal to half of your body weight in pounds. For instance, if a person weighs 180 pounds, he needs 90gms of protein daily.
Sources
These amino acids are available in meat and dairy products.

Guidelines for daily diet

                                                                 

Guidelines for daily diet

When you prepare menu daily, guidelines should be kept in mind are:

Say no to fat and cholesterol 

It is showed that fat is conclusively linked to heart disease and perhaps to cancer as well. High fat is also associated with stroke and high blood pressure. Excess fat intake raises the blood cholesterol level and it leads to block in arteries found in victims of heart diseases, heart attack and stroke. One has to be careful to not to use fat as a flavoring agent. Try to eat less meat, buy leaner cuts of meat, trim the fat, eat chicken without skin and don't fry it.Use skim milk instead of whole milk, use low fat mayonnaise for salad dressing  and snacking on fresh fruits and vegetables instead of fat filled chips and sweets.

Cut the calorie (especially if you are over weighed)

The calorie requirement depends on your gender, age and activity. Man needs more than women, younger people need more than adults and active people need more than inactive. The average recommended calorie requirement is 2000kcal. Hold the sugar in your daily diet. Sugary foods are quick energy boosters, but the initial burst is followed by a sump.The complex carbohydrates work very slowly and the best choice for long lasting energy. 

Reduce the salt intake

The FDA recommends that we get 2400 mg of sodium from a tsp of salt. Select the packaged items labelled 'less' sodium or sodium 'free' . Instead of seasoning food with salt, try cooking with herbs, spices and lemon juice. The reason for all concern over the sodium is high blood pressure. Along with that, too much sodium causes the loss of calcium, results in osteoporosis and the brittle bone disease of old age. 

Boost your complex carbohydrates

Getting more complex carbohydrates means eating more wheat/oats based bread, pasta, pizza etc as well as extra fruits and vegetables. Eating more fiber rich foods helps to lower the chance of getting cancer and heart diseases. A person should get 25 gms of fiber per day. Diets high in fruits, vegetables and fiber have been shown to reduce your chances of developing precancerous polyps. Similarly, protein availability is another added benefit from fruits and vegetables.

USDA food guide pyramid supports:

Bread/Cereals- 6 to 11 servings

Vegetables- 3 to 5 servings

Fruits- 2 to 4 servings

Dairy, fish and egg- 2 to 3 servings

Fat, oil and sweats- Use sparingly

Drink plenty of water

Water is everywhere in the human body, accounting for about 60% of its total weight. It plays a role in digestion, absorption, circulation and elimination. It helps the body to regulate the temperature. We lose water constantly through perspiration, urination, sneezing and through tears. Drinking 3-4 litres of water daily able to meet the needs of the body. Avoid alcohol and beverages that contain caffeine increases urination and reduces the amount of water int he body.

Milk and Calcium

Milk Packets

Milk and Calcium

Milk is an ideal food for all the age groups.The milk is a very good source of calcium, protein, vitamin A,vitamin B12,vitamin D, Niacin, Riboflavin, Potassium and phosphorous. Nowadays, milk is available in different colored packets with different brand names. Here, my aim is to explore the types of available milk varieties and nutritive values.

When you buy milk, check the value of fat and S.N.F(Solids-Not-Fat). S.N.F means, the amount of proteins, vitamins and minerals other than the fat. Mainly four varieties of milk packets are available such as double toned milk, toned milk, standardized milk and full cream milk. The double toned milk means the removal of creamy layer twice and toned milk is the process of removing fat layer once. These two varieties may have less amount of vitamin A and vitamin D, as it is dissolved in fat layer. It is mainly preferred to adults, who have in the risk of high blood cholesterol level.

The standardized milk contains fat and S.N.F content according to legal standards. In full cream milk, no fat layer removed. As full cream milk is rich in fat and vitamins, it is considered as the best milk  for children.

In all varieties of milk has more or less the same amount of calcium. I have responded to the question corner in The Hindu, regarding the amount of calcium in different types of milk (http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/question-corner/article6658861.ece).