Good Nutrition and Health: A complex balance

Diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease are conditions which threaten the health of the nation. Obesity accounts for 18% of the deaths of white and black men in the United States between the ages of  40 and 85, according to the US Journal of  Public Health (August 15, 2013). The previous estimate had been 5%.*

The usual recommendations for dealing with these serious health conditions are cutting calories, skipping meals, working out at the gym five times a week, eating high protein foods or low carbohydrate foods. This sounds good. It is what everyone says — BUT these things can actually hurt you. A person can be thin with a good build and actually be damaging his or her health if they are not eating, exercising, or dealing with stress appropriately.

Metabolism

Metabolism is the name for all of the processes that transform chemicals in our bodies to support all of the functions of life in each of our cells. Our bodies have trillions of cells and the food we eat gets broken down into organic (carbon based) and other chemical compounds. The processes of breaking down these chemical compounds to create energy is called catabolism  from the Greek for breaking down. The processes that create and maintain the cells structures and building materials are called anabolism from the Greek for building up.

The quality and quantity of the food and water we take in, the amount we move, physical stress, and our moods and emotions all interact to help or hinder our metabolism which produces our health and sense of well being.

Metabolic Conditions: When metabolism isn’t working right to help us

Diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disorders are examples of metabolic disorders because they are caused by the way we mismanage the way our bodies deal with food, exercise, and stress.

Metabolism is the way in which our bodies transform our food and drink by breaking down its components (catabolism) and then reassembling these components (anabolism) to give us energy, maintain all of our systems, and provide the right amount of building materials. This taking apart and building up process in the human body does not happen in isolation.

The right food and drink, suitable types of exercise, appropriate amounts of psychological, sociological, and environment stress are key factors if metabolism is to work well. This is an oversimplified explanation. However, we are trying to explain in a few words our use of scientific research to go beyond the generalities of losing weight, exercise, and nutrition as the keys to health.

Living It Up! Looking and Feeling Good.

*Obesity’s Death Toll May Be Much Higher Than Thought