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New Jersey Nutritionist Our daily nutrition is another vital piece to overall health and longevity. While Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center’s services such as physical therapy and chiropractic are extremely important, they will not be as effective without a consistently healthy diet. With a good nutritional diet, a number of health problems can be prevented. A healthy diet will also assist in alleviating an array of health issues. At Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center, our Red Bank nutritionists work with patients to identify a plan towards nutrition and help achieve their goals. A healthy diet begins by identifying the types of food that are hazardous to one’s health. Recent studies have found that numerous food-borne pathogens can precipitate long-term ailments such as heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, neurological problems, autoimmune disorders, kidney damage, and even cancers. Short-term effects of certain food-borne pathogens also pose a serious problem. Every day in our country, thousands of people become sick from food-borne illnesses. Some of these people are hospitalized or even die. Nutrition is defined as the process of nourishing our cells and body with the nutrients necessary to support life. There are seven types of nutrients which include water, vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, fiber, and carbohydrates. A healthy balance of each of the seven types of nutrients provides our patients with a path to nutritional health. Water Our bodies are made up of approximately 70 percent water. Therefore, water is one of the most important substances for a human being to consume. Water is essential to all our body’s components including our muscles, tissue, and brain. When exercising, drinking water is essential because our body is utilizing a large portion of the water stored. However, exercise is not the only time water is important to be consumed. Many leading authorities recommend we drink a significant amount of water on a daily basis due to the fact that our body is losing the important nutrient to factors such as heat exposure and physical movements other than exercise. Vitamins and Minerals Vitamins and minerals are essential to our bodies. Many foods that we eat on a daily basis unfortunately do not contain enough of these nutrients for our body’s needs. This can be due to the processing and preparation of the food or the simple fact that some of the foods we consume are of poor nutritional value. A poor intake of vitamins and minerals can lead to numerous diseases and deficiencies including rickets and scurvy. Our Red Bank nutritionists will show you how to consume the proper amount of vitamins and minerals through a healthy daily diet and additional supplements when required. While vitamins and minerals are imperative to our body, many experts believe that exercise and additional healthy practices need to be accompanied for this set of nutrients to be utilized by our bodies to full capacity. Proteins Proteins are found in high concentrations in foods such as steaks, chicken, eggs, and fish. Proteins can also be found in meat substitutes such as soy and tofu. Our body utilizes proteins to build and fix tissue as well as produce hormones and antibodies. Proteins also help our bodies build muscle which makes this nutrient an imperative piece to physical therapy and exercise. However, protein needs to be consumed in controlled portions. Too much protein can be unhealthy. Our Monmouth County nutritionists at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation Center will show you how to measure your protein intake effectively and efficiently. Fats While a large amount of fat intake can be detrimental to our bodies, a normal fat consumption diet is needed for our bodies to function normally. The intake of fats help our bodies create energy and absorb many types of vitamins including Vitamin A and Vitamin D. There are three categories to fat which include saturated and unsaturated fats as well as trans fat. Many studies have found that unsaturated fats are the healthiest of the group, while trans fat being the worst for our bodies. Fish make up a great source for unsaturated fats including salmon and tuna and provide a great source for critical fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6. Many experts feel that these fatty acids can help reduce major health risks such as heart disease. Saturated fats are found in many foods such as meats, dairy products, butters, cheeses, fried foods, and several types of cooking oils. Saturated fats are considered by many experts to be a factor in developing high cholesterol levels and heart diseases. Numerous fast food items are also rich in saturated fats. It is normal for our diets to include some portion of saturated fats and it is equally important to work with a nutritionist to understand what the correct portion should be. Trans fats have been in the news as of late and are being attached to major health problems. Studies have shown that trans fats raise bad cholesterol levels in our body which increases the risk of coronary heart disease. There are millions of Americans currently living with coronary heart disease and has now become one of the leading causes of death in this country. Trans fat is created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil (also called hydrogenation). Manufacturers of trans fats do this to increase the shelf and flavor life of foods. Trans fat has been found in numerous food products including snack foods, crackers, margarines, and fried foods. This type of fat provides absolutely no health value and should be avoided when possible. Our nutritionists will build a program to help you avoid trans fats. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are broken down into two categories which are simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. The body takes these carbohydrates and then breaks them down to simple sugars for easy digestion. Simple carbohydrates (also called simple sugars) are easier to digest and are found in common foods such as a variety of soft drinks, candies, and fruits. Fruits that contain mostly simple sugars include oranges, kiwis, cherries, and cranberries. These fruits are also vitamin rich and are most likely a better alternative to simple sugars via candies such as lollipops. Complex carbohydrates are largely found in grain products such as rice and pastas, as well as vegetables and oatmeal. This group of carbohydrate takes longer to break down to simple sugars by the digestive system due to the complexity of its structure. There are many complex carbohydrates that can be good for your health and in most cases, these are the carbohydrates that have not been processed or refined by a factory. When a carbohydrate is processed, most of the nutrients and fiber are removed. Two good examples of refined complex carbohydrates are white rice and flour. Fiber is considered a complex carbohydrate however cannot be completely digested by our stomachs. Fiber is present in many foods coming from plants including fruits, vegetables and grains. This complex carbohydrate can be broken down into two categories which are soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber can be dissolved in water while insoluble cannot. Both types of fiber provide numerous benefits to our bodies. Soluble fibers can help lower cholesterol and maintain blood glucose levels. Insoluble fibers can help promote good intestinal health and help prevent certain cancers. |
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