Posted by Mikie on Feb 6, 2010 in
Vitamins
Prenatal vitamin supplements are vitamin supplements that a woman can take on a daily basis to ensure that she is obtaining appropriate quantities of essential nutrients during pregnancy. It is important for a woman to discuss with her medical practitioner which prenatal supplements, if any, she should take and which she should avoid. It is essential that all prenatal vitamin supplements are only taken under the advisement of a medical professional. There are some prenatal vitamin supplements that can prove dangerous for a pregnant woman to take and she has to be especially cautious.
The most important point to consider when deciding which prenatal vitamin supplements to take is which one contains certain nutrients that are beneficial to the woman and her developing baby. The majority of adults do not need additional vitamins as they receive sufficient from a balanced diet but a pregnant woman often needs prenatal vitamin supplements, especially for folic acid and iron. However, it is essential that she ensures that the prenatal vitamin supplements that she takes to provide one particular nutrient do not contain potentially harmful amounts of another.
One of the most toxic types of prenatal vitamin that a pregnant woman has to be extremely cautious of is vitamin A. For this reason the most suitable prenatal vitamins for pregnant women who require extra vitamin A are those which contain vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a nutrient that is found in fruits and vegetables and is converted into vitamin A in the body. Prenatal vitamin supplements that contain vitamin A from animal products can cause birth defects when taken in high doses during pregnancy but beta-carotene is a much safer prenatal vitamin as it is not toxic in high doses.
It is essential that a woman discusses prenatal vitamin supplements with her health practitioner at her first prenatal check-up. They can examine her current dietary requirements and assess whether prenatal vitamin supplements are necessary to increase the amount of nutrients that she has available for her baby. Often a doctor will recommend that a pregnant woman takes a course of a folic acid vitamin supplement during the first trimester of her pregnancy. Folic acid is the most commonly prescribed prenatal supplement for the months prior to becoming pregnant as well and it is essential for the health and growth of the baby, especially the brain functions. Iron is another prenatal vitamin supplement that is recommended to prevent the mother suffering from anaemia due to the demands that the baby puts on her iron consumption.
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Tags: Dietary Reference Intake, Folic acid, Health, Multivitamin, Nutrient, Nutrition, Pregnancy, Vitamin
Posted by Mikie on Feb 5, 2010 in
Eating Healthy
Fast food is a big part of modern life these days, making it very hard to teach a child how he or she should eat healthy. The cheapest and easiest foods are those that are normally the least healthy. If you give your child the choice between healthy food and junk food, you normally won’t like the results.
Even though it isn’t possible to get a child to like all healthy foods, there are some ways to get your child to try and hopefully like at least a few of them. You can be as creative as you like, as getting kids to eat healthy foods can be a little harder than you may think.
- Sneak the healthy food in. Even though it would be great if your kid understood the importance of fruits and vegetables, this isn’t always possible. If you can’t get them to eat good food willingly, there are ways to sneak them in, such as making muffins out of bananas or apples, or pizza with spinach on it.
- Call fruits and vegetables by funny names. You can refer to broccoli as “trees”, making them more fun to eat. There are many different names you can call fruits and vegetables, even making up your own if you prefer. Most kids prefer to eat foods that sound fun.
- Make the foods taste better. Ranch dressing is great for broccoli, while peanut butter is a great topping for celery. There are several combinations for vegetables that can make them taste much better. You can let your child pick a topping for a vegetable, even if it’s something you wouldn’t normally like yourself.
- Dress the vegetables up. Just as much as calling them names help kids eat healthy foods, making them look funny also helps. You can do this by making funny designs on the plate, or setting them up to look like people. Although some parents don’t like their kids playing with their food, sometimes it helps to get them to eat healthier.
There are several ways to make your kids eat healthier, but to make them enjoy it also has to be fun as well. This isn’t always an easy task, because kids normally don’t like foods that are good for them. It can however, be done with a bit of creativity. Hopefully, doing this will help your child develop a love of healthy foods for the rest of their lives.
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Tags: Broccoli, Fast food, Food, Health, Kids and Teens, Nutrition, Spinach, Vegetable
Posted by Mikie on Nov 23, 2008 in
Vitamins
There is a lot of debate as to what the greatest vitamin actually is. Each vitamin has its own essential functions that contribute to a person’s general health and well-being. It is impossible to actually state that one of these is the greatest vitamin. However there are a number of foods that provide the greatest vitamin quantities.
The greatest vitamin sources vary for each vitamin. It is important to have a balanced diet to ensure that the required amounts of each vitamin are obtained. However, it may be useful to list the greatest vitamin sources for each vitamin to be used as a guide.
* Greatest vitamin A sources are milk, eggs, butter, yellow fruits & vegetables, dark green fruits & vegetables, and liver.
* Greatest vitamin B1 sources are brewer’s yeast, whole grains, blackstrap molasses, brown rice, organ meats, and egg yolk.
* Greatest vitamin B2 sources are brewer’s yeast, whole grains, legumes, nuts, organ meats, and blackstrap molasses.
* Greatest vitamin B3 sources are lean meats, poultry & fish, brewer’s yeast, peanuts, milk, rice bran, and potatoes.
* Greatest vitamin B4 sources are egg yolks, organ meats, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, soybeans, fish, and legumes.
* Greatest vitamin B5 sources are organ meats, egg yolks, legumes, whole grains, wheat germ, salmon, and brewer’s yeast.
* Greatest vitamin B6 sources are meats, whole grains, organ meats brewer’s yeast, blackstrap molasses, and wheat germ.
* Greatest vitamin B7 sources are egg yolks, liver, unpolished rice, brewer’s yeast, sardines, legumes, and whole grains.
* Greatest vitamin B8 sources are who1e grains, citrus fruits, molasses, meat, milk, nuts, vegetables, and brewer’s yeast.
* Greatest vitamin B9 sources are dark-green leafy vegetables, organ meats, root vegetables, oysters, salmon, and milk.
* Greatest vitamin B12 sources are organ meats, fish, pork, eggs, cheese, milk, lamb, bananas, kelp, and peanuts.
* Greatest vitamin B13 sources are root vegetables, and liquid whey.
* Greatest vitamin B15 sources are brewer’s yeast, rare steaks, brown rice, sunflower, pumpkin & sesame seeds.
* Greatest vitamin B17 sources are whole kernels of apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, and plums.
* Greatest vitamin C sources are citrus, cabbage family, chilli peppers, berries, melons, asparagus, and rose hips.
* Greatest vitamin D sources are salmon, sardines, herring, milk, egg yolk, organ meats, sprouted seeds, and sunflower seeds.
* Greatest vitamin E sources are cold-pressed oils, eggs, wheat germ, organ meats, molasses, sweet potatoes, and nuts.
* Greatest vitamin F sources are vegetable oils, butter, and sunflower seeds.
* Greatest vitamin K sources are green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, safflower oil, blackstrap molasses, and cauliflower.
* Greatest vitamin Q sources are pinto beans, legumes, and soybeans.
* Greatest vitamin T sources are sesame seeds, raw seeds, butter, and egg yolks.
* Greatest vitamin V sources are raw cabbage, sauerkraut, and leafy vegetables.
Tags: Health, Nutrients, Nutrition, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C
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