Victor Kuri

Archive for February, 2010

To answer, first it could be said that good nutrition must have all the elements of a well balanced diet: Having all the adequate nutritional requirements for healthy growth and activity. The nutritional requirements being, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fibre, water, vitamins and minerals.

-Fine, but there are certain things the school textbook doesn’t tell you:

No distinction is made between the qualities of nutrition.

How do you know when something is good for you? What are the main factors that determine whether or not food is healthy or unhealthy? Here is a list that will help distinguish.

General List to Distinguish Good and Bad Nutrition

Good nutrition has:

*Natural and wholesome foods: E.g. Beans, nuts, fruit and vegetables…

*Organic farm produce.

*Food with little or no heat treatment, where the molecular shape of the vitamins and enzymes are not altered and are therefore able to take part effectively in the body’s metabolic processes for normal functioning.

*Less starchy and grainy foods.

*Clean water, preferably from a mountain stream containing minerals.

*Fresh fruit juices. Not too much, so that insulin levels are not too high.

*Inclusions of vitamin and mineral supplements. These are excellent if there are any dietary deficiencies.

Bad nutrition has:

*Factory processed with artificial flavouring, chemicals, preservatives, and high trans-fats. All these things are capable of doing much damage to the body over time.

*Intensive farm produce having, herbicides, pesticides and fungicides and other contaminants.

* Factory food manufacture can involve high or low temperatures in processing. This causes the nutrition value to be greatly reduced. Sometimes the nutrition value can be next to nothing like, for example, refined sugar.

*Too much starchy, grainy food. Health risks include: Obesity, diabetes and mood swings…

*Tap water has such chemicals such as fluoride and chloride.

*Drinks such as soda pops, cola, alcoholic pops…commercial drinks laden with too much sugar and containing potentially harmful ingredients like phosphates and aspartame

*Nutritional deficiencies may cause many illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and leaky gut syndrome…

Like I say this is not an exhaustive account but a general list. The main thing for now is to understand the underlying principles. I cannot emphasise this enough.

How does good nutrition work?

Nutrition is required for the body’s metabolic processes. If it is good, then the body will run efficiently. Consider the running of a car. In this analogy, if the petrol used is a good grade then the car will run well. If the petrol is a poor grade, then it will run sluggishly. On the long-term it may cease to function. The same applies to the body when it comes to bad nutrition. If the body is fed on junk food and poor hydration (lack of water), then it may well become sluggish. If this continues on the long-term then disease could manifest and result in death.

The most important thing in life is happiness. Happiness comes from both physical and mental wellness. Therefore, it is said that health is the real wealth. When it comes to women health, maintaining a good health is very important, as they have to perform so many tasks in their daily life. There are a lot of women who have been suffering from various kinds of health diseases due to lack of proper vitamins and minerals in their body.

Vitamins are very much essential for the body, as they help in proper functioning of the body organs and thus, keep you in good health. Quality vitamins for women actually help in slowing the aging process, make strong the immune system, improve energy levels and support the female hormones. However, before going to take any vitamins, consulting with a medical professional that has better knowledge about it, would be great. As doctors or medical professionals have extensive knowledge about human body and the functioning of all the organs, therefore they can guide towards the right direction when it comes to women health care. A lot of clinical studies have proved that a woman’s body needs a lot of anti-aging natural substances for specific health benefits.

In order to remain in good health condition, a lot of women prefer to take high quality anti- aging daily supplements. It helps them to fulfill their dietary gaps that almost all women are having. Moreover, having fresh fruits and vegetables also helps in getting the much needed vitamins to the body. Apart from it, women need nutrients, for example amino acids, antioxidants etc. Nutrients are essential for supporting the mental health, while enzymes and other substances like resveratrol are essential for heart health, and lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health.

Though nutrients are equally important for both men and women, but certain nutrients are there that are required especially required for women health as they are important for balancing the female hormones. It is said that women in their 30s and above 30 years of age required extra care for maintaining a good health. Osteoporosis is a very significant condition in women that usually begins in the age of 30. Therefore, regular dietary calcium and magnesium supplements along with other necessary nutrients are recommended to the women of above 40 years of age.

With aging, women need to take care of themselves a lot, as a lot of disease or disorder may occur to them with age. Though many women don’t give that much importance to their health conditions until it make them suffer, but it may cause a lot of complications in the near future regarding their health. Therefore, regular checkup is recommended by the medical professionals for the women to keep themselves away from any kind of health complications.

The human body is an amazing example of millions of years of evolution, although delicate the human body endures a lot of stress and strain in everyday life some more than others and whether or not it can withstand these pressures of day to day life is entirely up to the fuel it receives and runs on, also of course genetics play a major role also upon us as human beings and our general overall well being, proper nutrition plays a very important roll here in all of the above.

The lack of just one vital mineral or vitamin can have adverse effects on the whole “vehicle” and how it runs, as I see the human body as a “vehicle” simply a mode of transport, what is important is what is under the bonnet!

There is one element that is always overlooked when talking nutrition and that is water (macro nutrient) the human body is made up of 60-75% of it, water carries life energy pretty much it is our lifeline as you know without a good pollution free supply of it we are pretty much good as dead!

Good nutrition to maintain and understand good healthy nutrition is not that hard, in a nutshell basically broken down into “Macro nutrients” and “Micro nutrients” Macro nutrients are the nutrients that are required in large quantities such as your vitamins and minerals, fats and carbohydrates, Micro nutrients (small) are the minerals such as manganese, zinc, chromium, iron, iodine etc these are only needed in small quantities usually less than 100micrograms/day or so.

Iodine…… every time I hear that mineral mentioned I think of a very interesting documentary I watched on the effects of iodine deficiency that usually occurs in third world countries (but not in all cases) I seen some years back and is a classic example of how important it is to maintain ones “Micro nutrients” as the effects of iodine deficiency is quite dramatic the result being mental retardation and brain damage, the interesting bit about this is it is related to topography so the higher up you are the more iodine depleted soil there is the more chance you have of missing out on this very important mineral, I find this fascinating, iodine is found in decent levels in most seafood’s and usually slots itself into ones diet eating this group of foods as it is only needed in small amounts.

Carbohydrates: These are broken into different groups, your Mono saccharides and Poly saccharides to explain these would be very involved plus I would be “plagiarizing” as I really do not know the full biochemical process slots itself into the human diet, what I do know is they are important in converting sugar into the energy, proper brain function and muscle energy (fuel) is dependent on this energy source I learnt this back when I was younger and into body building and treated my body as a temple, then we get older right? Remember sugar is 100% carbohydrate, it’s like anything to much is no good! The simple carbs and complex carbs, sugar is evil but it plays a fairly major role in our bodies nutrition.

Group Health Insurance is necessary to attract and keep good employees. While employers may not like the cost of group health, they should be aware of the benefits to the company and overall morale. There may be things you as an employer can do to alleviate some of this costly pain. Also, all Group Health companies and insurance agents that offer them are not created equal.

The cost of this health insurance versus the need for solid employees should be weighed. There a perception that many in this country that employees will take a cut in pay if they were to be guaranteed a group health plan. There is a simple explanation for this reasoning. People know they will have to go the doctor. Women need to have mammograms and pap smears, the children need their shots and physicals, and men need their prostrate examined, people realize these services cost money. Employees often would prefer that you take money out their check for group health then for them to write a check each month for it.

Get up to Five Free Group Health Insurance Quotes

It is the job of to keep your group health cost to a minimum. If you already have a group health plan, you can raise the deductible to discourage overuse of coverage by your employees. However a dramatic raising of group health deductible or co-payment may cause some rumbling among your employees. Yet it is t is a good idea to start with a lower deductible, so you can absorb rate increases. (Your group health rates will go up) Also know beforehand what networks are in your area, and what health networks most of your employees’ doctors belong to.

It is very important to review and understand your group health quotes that you will receive. Any insurance agent or broker that provides you with initial group health quotes over the phone, without having your employees fill out any applications, is doing you a disservice. Unless the agent is the Great Houdini, no one in our field can give you a firm, group health quote without a thorough underwriting. Group Health Insurance is too complicated to be taken this casual. Remember, look for an agent that gets to know your particular situation, understand your needs, and has the group health benefits that meet your expectations.

Is going with the biggest named group health insurance companies, the best choice? Choosing the “big name” companies over less known, group health insurance companies with reputable ratings, may not be in your employees and yours’ best interest. All group health plan are not designed the same. If XYZ, group health companies pays 80% for a mammogram and ABC, group health company pays all, could it make sense to you to check the other benefits of the health plan?

Employers realize that they must offer group health to attract and keep quality employees. There are a few hints that can keep group health costs down. It is important to realize that an initial group health quote, with no underwriting is worthless and probably should never be used. The listings of the benefits of the group health plan would be meaningful. While big companies have good “branding,” do not overlook smaller group health companies with good ratings.

Other Group Health Tips

1. Realize that you will be required as an employer to contribute as least 25% of the premiums for the group health insurance. (I never seen an group health carrier ask for less.)

2. Also realize that many group health carriers want at least 60- 70% participation of eligible employees to take the group health insurance or they will not underwrite the group.

3. Before you bind coverage with an agent or broker, find out who will process any claim paperwork and who your employees call about a claim.

4. Decide whether you will want current employees to keep their group health insurance when they retire.

5. Review and ask questions about such terms as group health deductibles, coinsurance, and maximum limits if you are not familiar with them.

It is as important to care for your children’s mental health as it is to care about their physical health. Back in past centuries, any discussion related to a person’s mental health was automatically assumed to mean that the individual had a problem with his sanity. Today we know that such assumptions are incorrect.

What was termed insanity may well have been a state of depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder. These are all problems that can be corrected

There are several types of behavioral disorders, and they are also often referred to as disruptive behavioral disorders. They are quite common in children of all ages, and are usually the reason that some children are referred to specialized health care practitioners for evaluations and/or treatment.

Contrary to what many parents might believe, all children’s mental health problems are not the same. Among the different types of behavioral disorders are those that you probably hear of quite often: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); conduct disorder; and oppositional defiant disorder.

ADHD is one of, if not the most, researched subject within the field of children’s mental health. It can be seen in children at a very young age, and the symptoms most often times occur all together. Many parents recognize that their children are inattentive, impulsive, and are highly active.

For most, the signs of ADHD are not blatantly clear until the child reaches elementary age and begins attending school. Regardless of what age a parent realizes that their child may be suffering from this disorder, they surely want to know what caused it to happen and what can be done about it.

What is known is that ADHD is a biological disorder of the brain; although it has yet to be confirmed, studies suggest that the disorder is genetic. Additionally, it has been found that children having ADHD have a lower brain metabolism in the areas that control attention, social judgment, and movement.

Conduct disorder is characterized by antisocial behavior; children suffering from this disorder invariably exhibit actions that violate others’ rights. They often act outside of age-appropriate social standards and rules. Some of the behaviors seen in these children or adolescents often include irresponsibility, delinquency, and physical aggression toward others.

Those affected by conduct disorder resort to truancy or run away frequently, and they even commit crimes of theft, assault, or in extreme cases, rape. With the effects of conduct disorders being so extreme, it’s natural to wonder if you, the parent, is at fault and what you can do to help your child.

Many medical experts have concluded that conduct disorders are multi-factorial, and often are caused by a combination of biological, physiological, and external factors. Over time and with help, this problem can be corrected

Oppositional defiant disorder is another of the common types of behavioral disorders, and it’s characterized by uncooperative and annoying behaviors towards others, especially authority figures. Children and adolescents with ODD cause a lot of stress and trouble for the people around them.

Though there is no definitive cause of ODD, there are a few theoretical explanations for the development of the disorder. One such developmental theory suggests that the problem starts when children are toddlers; they have difficulty learning apart from their primary attachment figure, and thus, their autonomous skills don’t properly or fully develop. Learning theory suggests that the characteristics of ODD are simply learned attitudes that reflect the effects of negative reinforcements that are commonly used by parents and authority figures.

Although the exact causes of these different types of children’s mental health disorders is not always known, it has been identified by various research that disruptive behavior disorders are caused by both biological and environmental factors.

In any such case where a child is suffering from or thought to be developing a behavioral disorder, it is always important and necessary to seek the assistance of a qualified medical professional for advice in dealing with the situation.

A big obstacle to recovery is that often survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) do not know that the problems they have are related to past experiences of CSA. In fact, in my research 60% of the participants did not link their mental health problems to their history of sexual abuse. They were completely unaware of the significant impact sexual abuse had in their emotional, physical, and mental life.

Instead they thought something is wrong with them and with their way of thinking. They became angry and frustrated with themselves for being depressed without obvious reasons, having anxiety attacks that don’t make any sense, and for being ‘utterly defective’. What some professionals easily overlook is that the ‘average’ person does not link her/his emotional state today to experiences they had 30 years ago and which they might have partly forgotten.

When health professionals do not take a thorough personal history and ask if the person has experienced any forms of abuse, survivors will not know the right questions to ask that give them access to the help they need. More often than not they don’t really know what they might need. Their lack of understanding the origins of their problems was compounded when they approached public mental health services’ for help. Research has shown that public mental health services don’t always inquire about a person’s history of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse.

This invisibility of sexual abuse is a tragedy. Without understanding the link between sexual abuse and psychiatric disturbances, survivors end up blaming themselves for being weak, stupid, crazy, unlovable, defective, and many other negative characteristics. Often enough it leads to self-hate and self-harming behaviours that in turn re-enforce negative self perception. Survivors’ mental health spirals downwards and recovery is seriously hindered. They might spend years and years in mental health care without little or no improvement.

The invisibility of CSA in society and in mental health settings combined with survivors’ childhood conditioning of being silenced, their coping strategies of avoidance and dissociation, family’s and friends’ limits of knowing how to deal with survivors’ pain and disorganised life, and the inability to link the problems survivors have to their experiences of abuse prevent people not only from being effective in seeking professional help but also from themselves from future emotional, physical, or sexual harm.

Sexual abuse harms a person in many different ways. How deeply a person is affected by sexual abuse depends on a number of variants. In general we can say that the impacts of abuse depends on the age of the child, the relationship between child and perpetrator, the frequency, the duration, the severity, the presence of threats, and the availability of support and care. Most survivors who seek help struggle with cognitive contamination, impaired social functioning, impaired memory processing, negative self-relations and identity, learned helplessness, physical health problems i.e. irritable bowl syndrome, sleep disturbances, disordered eating, mood disturbances, abuse of drugs and alcohol, to name just the most obvious.

Although the above mentioned symptoms are not always due to sexual abuse, it may be useful to ask yourself, whether any forms of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect have occurred. When you have been abused and you can make the link to your problems, you can start dealing with the abuse and begin your journey of recovery.