What Makes a Food Healthy?

What makes a food healthy? A food is healthy if it provides your body what it needs, when it needs it WITHOUT adversely affecting your body's functions.

Let's take a look at the types of foods a body needs in order to function effectively.

Protein, the kind found in lean meat, dairy & nuts. Protein acts as a muscle builder, it repairs tissue, and helps kick-start your metabolism. Protein builds cells, enzymes and hormones and it forms antibodies to combat invading bacteria & viruses. And including protein at each meal makes you feel fuller.

Carbohydrates, the kind found in whole grains, fruit & vegetables. Carbs are absolutely necessary to fuel the brain, muscles and your metabolism. It's also an appetite suppressor. Fiber is an important part of your diet, and it's not found in proteins or fats.

Fiber expands in the stomach, taking up space, slowing the digestive process, and keeping your energy and hunger levels even for several hours. Remove the fiber and there's a rush of blood sugar as the carbs are quickly digested. That creates a burst of energy, and then a sudden drop in energy as the blood and your body crave more.

There are two types of fiber. Soluble is the kind in oatmeal, apples and other fruits and grains. It likes to hangout in the stomach, slows down the digestive process, giving a longer-burning energy throughout the day. A diet without fiber is full of spikes and troughs.

Insoluble fiber doesn't like to hang around. It shoots through your digestive track picking up miscellaneous fats and whatever else happens to be loitering in your system.

Finally, Fats - the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated kind. Our bodies need fat to deliver nutrients throughout our bodies. Polyunsaturated fats, one of the good kind like omega 3's found in fish, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil helps to clear your arteries. Monounsaturated fats like the kind you find in nuts, olives, avocados, coconuts and olive oils reduce cholesterol levels, help burn fat, keep you satiated.

While these are the basic building blocks of healthy foods - your education isn't over yet. You need to read about antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and healthy herbs. I'd like to invite you to start that at http://www.benefits-of-resveratrol.com/foods-high-in-antioxidants.html

I'll even throw in a free ebook on Blueberries and why they're healthy.

Dan Morris - Antioxidant Researcher, Owner and Founder of http://www.benefits-of-resveratrol.com and other nutrition-based information sites.

Is Your Dog And Cat Food Healthy?

I have a written a few articles on premium dog food and premium cat food. Some articles even have included the importance of supplements, treats and even the bones you give as a reward. So you can only imagine how important it is to feed our pets the proper nutrition. This nutrition comes daily from the food we decide to give them. It is extremely important to feed premium, quality foods for their health and in some cases their mental well being.

This article is especially important to me because of the recent pet food recall including dog and cat food. Please visit your vet immediately if you see any signs that may appear “abnormal” behavior. It may have nothing to do with what they ate but it is better to be safe than sorry.

As I write this article on March 25, 2007, the recall has widened to include all wet food as a safety precaution regardless of the date code, reports the Globe & Mail. Retailers have been asked to remove all of these foods. The “recall” list can be found by visiting menufoods.com/recall/.
As you may or may not have heard there has been a huge pet food recall on numerous brands of dog and cat food that may contain aminopterin, rat poison. Yes, rat poison. At this time there is no news as to how it got into the food. It has been reported this has been the cause of at least 16 deaths as well as more that are very ill and receiving treatment.
What can separate the premium food from mainstream?

Unfortunately, current pet food regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients that you would never knowingly give to your dog or cat. In fact, you may be shocked to learn what some brands of pet food really contain. For example: the use of by-products (feet, bones and intestines, etc.), chemical preservatives (BHA and BHT) and grains that are often difficult to digest (corn, wheat, gluten and soy), which are often used as a protein source instead of meat.

Be Aware of Undesirable Ingredients

By-products – basically this is what is left over when the good cuts of meat are taken for humans. Bones, intestines, heads, feet, tendons, ligaments and other body parts are known as by-products.

Grains like soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten are often used as protein sources; however, they are generally inferior and difficult to digest.

Chemical Preservatives like BHA, BHT and ethoxoquin can be very harmful to pets.

Freshness - Large manufacturers make pet food in tremendous batches that can last for a very long time, so you may be feeding food that is six months to a year old.

These are only some things to stay away from. Look to see if your dog or cat food contains vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and bacteria cultures to name a few.

Remember, what your vet recommends as premium dog food might be the farthest thing from healthy.

Lori Matthews studies health, nutrition and wellness. She enjoys writing articles on health for both people and pets. Please visit her site containing information on quality, premium dog food by Lifes Abundance