Tag Archives: nutrition

Can Diet Really Keep Your Senses Healthy? Research Says “Yes”

06/07/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

diet, healthy, senses, whole food, nutrition, health, — Unsplash – CC0 License

We tend to think of our senses as things that are independent of the health of the rest of our bodies. It is hard for us to imagine, for instance, that our sense of touch or taste would be much affected by our overall state of wellbeing. You don’t hear of people suddenly going numb all over because of a bad diet.

But, the reality is actually quite different. It turns out that what we eat really does affect the senses – and often in a big way.

Eyesight

Take eyesight, for instance. We all know that as people get older, they can begin to lose their sense of sight. Many of us, however, just assume that that’s the way things go as people get older and there’s not much that we can do about it. But it turns out that eyesight is something that you can protect with diet.

There are two main ways that what you eat protects your eyes. First, it turns out that some of the color pigments in foods that we eat can make their way into the eyes, getting there via the bloodstream. These act as a kind of defensive barrier that helps to soak up some of the damage of incoming light rays.

The second way food helps is by protecting the tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye in the retina. When blood sugar levels are high from a poor diet, it can damage these tiny structures. And that can cause degradation over time which makes it harder to see. But when you eat a healthy diet, you keep blood sugars low, helping to protect your blood vessels.

Hearing

Diet is also a great way to protect against hearing loss over time. Again, as adults age, they tend to develop hearing problems in both left and right ears. And, eventually, that can make it difficult to listen to people in conversations or hear the radio.

It turns out, however, that eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of hearing loss. According to some research, the risk reduction might be as low as 30 percent, which is highly significant.

Which diets work against hearing loss? Currently, practitioners recommend three different types, all of which are low in processed food.

The first is the AHEI 2010. It’s not a particularly memorable name for a diet, but its basic principles are easy to understand. It recommends basing your diet around fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while limiting salt and sugar.

The second diet is the more famous DASH diet – a popular medical diet designed for people wanting to prevent diabetes. It includes lean meats, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and limits salt, fat and sugar.

Lastly, you might want to consider the Mediterranean diet – probably the most delicious of the lot. This tries to recreate the old-fashioned diet of people living in places like Greece and Italy. It includes beans, herbs, vegetables, and a small amount of olive oil.
All these diets improve the overall health of your body, which improves the health of your ears at the same time.

Going Green, Going Healthy, Going Strong, Health, Life

How To Combat Vitamin Deficiency For Plant-Based Diets

04/16/2021 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Vitamins are an essential part of our daily diets. They help support a healthy body, mind, immune system, and so much more. Without certain vitamins, medical conditions can arise. The risk of being deficient in essential vitamins is increased for plant-based diets due to the elimination of foods that are high in vitamins, such as fish, dairy products, and meat. Due to that, plant-based eaters are seeking new and efficient ways of ensuring they do not become deficient in essential vitamins. Thus, we are here to help. Here is how to combat vitamin deficiency for plant-based eaters with the best vitamins and foods to add to your diet.

Note: Although most vitamins and minerals are typically harmless, it is advised that you see your primary care doctor before making a drastic change to your diet. Additionally, it is possible to consume an excess of supplements, any of which can cause a variety of medical issues.

plant-based, health, nutrition, vitamins, food, healthy eating — Image by THE 5TH from Pixabay

Hemp

Hemp seeds and powders are a great source of plant-based lean protein. Without meat, eggs, and fish, it can be difficult for vegans to consume enough protein on a daily basis. By substituting those foods with products like hemp, vegans can ensure they are getting enough protein in their diet.

Hemp can be consumed in various ways to maximize intake. For example, you can purchase edibles and vapes through companies such as baysmokes.com, as well as seeds and powders to add to foods from health food stores and online.

Vitamin B12

Without vitamin B12, people can become anemic. Anemia is a medical condition that affects red blood cells. Food that is rich in vitamin B12 includes fatty fish, which is prohibited on a plant-based diet. Thus, the lack of food means it is ideal to substitute the vitamin with a supplement. It is difficult to get enough B12 from plant-based foods alone, so it is safer to add a supplement to your daily diet.

Protein food sources

Plant-based diets often lack protein due to the elimination of high-protein sources such as eggs, meat, and fish. Without protein, the body’s muscle mass will deplete and cause a reduction of body movement and poor posture. In time, this can cause a whole array of bone and joint issues.

Good protein sources for plant-based diets include lentils, legumes, dark leafy greens (arugula, spinach, kale, broccoli), quinoa, and tofu. Other foods that include protein are whole grains and nuts. But, these contain a lower quantity so a person would need more of them. To ensure you are getting enough protein on a plant-based diet, add one or more of the foods above to each of your meals.

Iron

Plant-based eaters lack iron-rich foods, such as fish and poultry. Iron can be found in plant-based foods, such as cereals, but in limited quantities. A lack of iron can cause anemia, just like a lack of vitamin B12 can. To prevent this, iron supplements are a good option. When eaten alongside side iron-containing foods, the body can attain enough iron to prevent deficiency.

Plant-based foods that contain a good amount of iron include dark leafy greens, lentils, tofu, dark chocolate, and quinoa. When these foods are eaten alongside vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus foods, absorption is increased.

Omega-3’s

The foods richest in omega-3’s are fatty fish, which is an eliminated food on the plant-based diet. A lack of omega-3’s can cause a deterioration of the hair, skin, and nails. It can also increase fatigue, reduce concentration, and cause joint pain. To prevent this, omega-3 supplements should be taken to increase the daily amount attained.

Omega-3 supplements are a good option to increase your daily dose of the vitamin in a quick way. If you forgot to take supplements, you can also source omega-3 from some plant-based options. This includes flax seeds, chia seeds, leafy vegetables, and beans. Although the omega-3’s present within these foods is less than fatty fish, they still offer some source of the essential nutrient.

Healthy fats

Every diet should contain enough healthy fats. Fats are not something to be afraid of. They can increase skin healing, prevent skin disorders, and reduce the absorption of minerals and vitamins.

To get enough healthy fats from a plant-based diet, it is good to eat foods such as nuts, avocados, oils, and olives. All are easy to integrate within every meal of the day. For example, seeds can be added to breakfast bowls, drinks, and to top dishes. Oils can be used to cook no matter the meal.

Vitamin A

A lack of vitamin A means the body may find it difficult to fight off infections. Over time, this could cause an illness to become worse than it should. To increase your daily consumption of vitamin A, supplements can be taken. Or, there are plenty of vitamin A-rich foods that are ideal for the plant-based diet. This includes leafy greens, root vegetables, and red berries.

Food, Life, Parenting

Nutrition is Key: Are You Limiting Your Kids’ Potential?

12/13/2016 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Childhood nutrition, and nutrition in general, is an all too often overlooked aspect of raising kids. I’m no expert on the topic, but it shouldn’t take one to know how important the food you put in a child’s body affects not just their current health, but their health way into the future.

Take the type of water you give a plant as an example. Tap water from the city is typically treated with an abundance of chemicals and minerals. While plants can and do grow with just tap water, it’s not the optimal choice for them to thrive. Same goes for softened water which is hard water treated with sodium carbonate to make is soft. Excess sodium is unhealthy for plant growth and may even kill surrounding grass.

Rain and spring water, on the other hand, comes directly from nature, untouched by additives. Natural water sources like these provide the best “ingredients” to allow for optimal plant health and growth. Yes, I’m aware that the surrounding environment plays a big part here and smog from factories, along with a host of other factors, will affect natural water sources, but hopefully you see my point.

Packaged, processed food is similar to tap/treated water in that it is altered from its natural state to last longer, taste better, and travel well. Give this type of food to a kid (or anyone), and sure, they’ll grow, but most likely their growth will be limited in some or many ways. But natural, wholesome foods in their unaltered state is more bioavailable to the body and way more nutrient dense than that box of Cheerios.

Consider everything going on inside a child’s body; they are constantly growing, creating new brain cells, and developing their bones and muscles, as well as their entire endocrine system plus so much more. In order to grow and develop their entire body, it’s clear the quality of food (i.e. building materials) is VITAL! For infants, breastmilk is the best choice to feeding them the most nutrient dense food that can’t be replicated. I do, however, realize breastmilk is not always an option, but thankfully companies like The Honest Co. provide organic formula that’s modeled after breastmilk and created to support a healthy, growing baby.

When you feed a kid fast food, their hunger might be satisfied, but their entire body is being short-changed important nutrients it needs to build a strong, healthy body. It might seem like “just one meal”, but how many times do you say that? “Just one” usually turns out to be one hundred over the course of a year. That’s a lot of meals where whole food would’ve been able to provide more than just fulfilling a child’s hunger.

This topic gets under my skin more than anything else, and even more so now that we have Avery. I want to give her the best so that she has a bright and healthy future. I have zero tolerance for fast or over-processed food and refuse to allow it in our house or in our bodies. Yes, I buy packaged food, but not before scrutinizing the ingredients and where it comes from to ensure there’s nothing limiting to my wife, myself, or Avery.

When I hear people laugh it off saying things like “I know this is bad, but….” or “You wouldn’t want to see what I’m having.” a fire ignites inside of me. Same goes for those that consider it to be weird if you’re the healthy one. No wonder our population is obese when the weird one is the person who refuses to partake on those sugar-laden fried dough circles someone brings into the office, or when someone turns down going to any fast food restaurant where the food serve is borderline “real”.

C’mon! I choose to eat something that didn’t turn out of a factory’s manufacturing line and instead have fresh veggies with organic pasture-raised eggs and that’s weird? Dumb.

Please, to all parents and EVERYONE, think more about the food you feed your little ones and yourself. Our kids need optimum fuel for optimum growth. When it comes what we feed our children as well as ourselves, keep it real.

I’d go on forever about this topic as I am obviously highly passionate about it’s importance. But, I’ll leave you with these paragraphs from the Children’s Heart Center website about the importance of nutrition for children.

Nutrition is very important for everyone, but it is especially important for children because it is directly linked to all aspects of their growth and development; factors which will have direct ties to their level of health as adults. For example, a child with the right balance of omega fatty acids in their daily diet has a much better chance at creating a more solid foundation for their brain activity and capabilities later on. Likewise, a child who practices a low fat and cholesterol diet on a daily basis significantly improves their chances of preventing a heart attack; even if heart disease tends to be hereditary within your family.

You will also help promote a better quality of life if you instill proper nutrition trends in your children. It will allow them to partake in more activities and with greater enjoyment. People with high levels of health also consistently report that they enjoy elevated feelings of wellness and wellbeing. As part of this, children are also able to fight off colds with improved efficiency with the support of proper nutrition. And this brings up a vital point in communication with your children: You should always be on the lookout for different ways to make solid connections for your children. You can picture it in your mind like a web diagram, connecting major points with a line for your children to better understand issues. If you actually explain to your child that they won’t have to suffer through those nasty colds nearly as much if they maintain healthy diet.

Another huge reason why nutrition is so important for children is because they simply don’t know enough on their own to naturally choose to eat well. Unfortunately, the foods and snacks that taste the best are usually the worst for our bodies, and a child left to their on whim will almost always choose junk food over fruits and vegetables. Provide them with the right nutrition now and they will learn at an early age what’s necessary for good health. This will also help to set them up for a life of proper eating and nutrition, almost certainly helping them to live longer. Countless studies show that what someone learns as a child is then perpetuated throughout their life. Teach them healthy eating habits now and you’ll perpetuate a healthy lifestyle for them and put them on autopilot on their way to lasting wellness.

It’s easy to make a million excuses as to why we can’t feed our kids or ourselves a healthy diet, but maybe stop finding reasons and start making real changes. If you make health top priority, you’ll find other aspects of life that just fit in and flow better.

Do you feel like you give your kids the best source of food to enable optimal growth?

What would you like to change about your current diet?