Health

There’s no doubt that many of us are likely not meeting our daily vitamin and mineral requirements. But with all the product choices, and often-misleading claims about their disease-fighting capabilities, knowing which supplements to take can be confusing.

With unrealistic body images dominating popular culture, it’s no surprise that eating disorders are rising -for both men and women. They differ from normal diets in that they are extremes in eating and exercising behavior that can become overwhelming obsessions. Over time, people with eating disorders lose the ability to see themselves objectively (e.g. believing they are fat when they are dangerously thin).

Hitting the Sweet Spot

Is your weakness for cookies and ice cream sabotaging your weight loss efforts? It could be in your genes. Appetite is complex, with biological and environmental factors all influencing our food and beverage choices. New research also suggests that a predisposition to liking certain tastes, such as sweet or savoury, could be passed along from generation to generation.

Gut Wisdom

From your stomach, which breaks down the meal you just ate into smaller bits, to your small intestine which helps your body absorb nutrients, a well-running digestive system is essential to good health.

Your gastrointestinal (GI) system has a huge job to do. It breaks down and absorbs the food you eat, sends essential nutrients into your bloodstream, and rids the body of waste. When that process becomes impaired, you’ll definitely feel it in your gut.

Bloating, Cramping and Frequent Washroom Breaks

Indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea are the most common complaints.

Derived from “vita”, meaning life in Latin, vitamins are organic nutrients that are necessary to convert food into energy. But the sheer amount of supplements available on the market can be overwhelming. Your age, lifestyle, diet and overall health issues all determine your vitamin requirements. Here’s the top five recommended by experts:

Natural and herbal products are substances that are not drugs, but have health claims associated with them. Usually found in nature, they include things like vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies and homeopathic products.

Fibre is the portion of food that cannot be digested. Foods containing fibre come from plant sources like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes such as beans, nuts, and seeds. There are two types of fibre – soluble and insoluble. And, just as their names suggest, soluble will dissolve in water while insoluble passes through your gastro intestinal tract unchanged.