Nutrient: Dietary Salt and Sodium

Northville Prompt Weight Loss

Sodium chloride, salt, contains 40% sodium and 60% chloride by weight. Some foods naturally contain sodium however, usually in small amounts. Some people add salt in cooking and at the table, but the majority of dietary salt and sodium comes from foods where salt has been added during processing or preparation.
Functions of Sodium
Sodium has many important functions in the body including:

• maintaining water balance
  
• maintaining acid-base balance
  
• transmission of nerve impulses
  
• regulating muscle contractions
  
• absorption and transport of some nutrients
  Too Much Salt
  Although sodium has important roles in the body, most people consume more sodium than they need. The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for sodium is 1,500 mg/day for people 19-50 years of age, 1,300 mg/day for people 51-70 years of age, and 1,200 mg/day for people >70 years of age.The Upper Level for sodium intake for adults is 2,300 mg/day.The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends people reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg and further reduce intake to less than 1,500 mg among persons who are 51 years of age and older, and those of any age who are African American or have hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
  Sodium and High Blood Pressure
  High sodium intake may contribute to high blood pressure in “salt sensitive” individuals. For these individuals, too much salt and sodium intake may be related to the development of high blood pressure. High blood pressure puts extra strain on the heart. This strain can lead to heart problems, including heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. Most evidence sug- gests that individuals at risk for high blood pressure reduce their chances of developing this condition by consuming less salt and sodium and maintaining a healthy weight.
  There is no way at present to tell who may be sodium sensitive or who may develop high blood pressure from con- suming too much sodium. However, many health professionals recommend that the population as a whole should reduce sodium intake ... Read More
  
  
  
  
  
  From Oli G
  To Learn More about Oli Geagea MS Dietitian and receive nutritional support go to www.promptweightloss.com
  
  
  
  
  
  

Protein and Muscle: Strength Building and Muscle Mass

Northville Prompt Weight Loss

Muscle is harder to build and maintain as men reach adulthood.

 This is due to lower testosterone levels, the hormone that helps build muscle. A male’s testosterone level peaks between ages 16 and 18 and evens out when he is in his 20s. For adult men, regular resistance training exercises are key to building and keeping muscle. Results can be seen quickly after starting to strength train; the activation of new muscle fibers makes muscles look bigger in no time.

Good nutrition supports strength building. A calorie-controlled meal plan of five to six small meals per day fuels muscle growth: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, beans, nuts, fish, vegetable oils and plenty of water. Protein, carbohydrates and fat play a major role, as does getting enough calories throughout the day. Men wanting to add muscle mass need at least 200 extra calories per day.

Protein and Muscle Building

The belief that more protein is better for muscle building is not necessarily true. When building muscle, protein needs go up to 1.4 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (or 15 percent to 20 percent of your daily calories). But research shows eating more protein than this amount doesn’t have a benefit. 

Keeping muscle mass requires a lot less protein than building new muscle. For an adult male to keep muscle mass, he needs between 0.5 to 1.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day; this is within the same range as the needs of a sedentary adult (0.8 grams per kg body weight per day) ...Read More

From Oli G

To Learn More about Oli Geagea MS Dietitian and receive nutritional support go to www.promptweightloss.com

Research: Obese drivers more likely to die in crashes

Northville Prompt Weight Loss

Obese drivers are more likely to die in collisions than people of normal weight, a new study has found.

The risk of death increased the more obese the driver was, according to the study released Monday in the BMJ Group's Emergency Medicine Journal.

The researchers examined data from the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 1996 to 2008. In that period, 57,491 collisions in the nation were submitted.

The study used the World Health Organization definition of obese , which is a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher ....Read More

From Oli G

To Learn More about Oli Geagea MS Dietitian and receive nutritional support go to www.promptweightloss.com