Cardiovascular - connected with the heart and blood vessels (arteries,
veins, and capillaries) or the circulatory system.
Lycopene - a red carotenoid belonging to the same family as the better-known beta-carotene. Lycopene gives tomatoes and some other fruits and vegetables their distinctive red color. Nutritionally, it works on the body as an antioxidant, providing protection against the damaging effects of free radicals. Research conclusively indicates that lycopene is most easily absorbed by the body when ingested in the form of ripe tomatoes that have been processed under heat, with a small quantity of vegetable oil. This includes cooked foods like tomato paste and tomato sauce. (Also look at `functional foods`.)
Protein - a class of complex organic macromolecules (very large molecules made up of smaller subunits) that are the fundamental foundation of each and every living cell and are, consequently, essential in the dietary intake of animals for the growth and repair of tissue. It is a nutrient present in foods. In terms of chemical composition, it is a complex nitrogenous compound constructed of one or more chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Dietary proteins play an active role in the production of tissue protein and other exclusive metabolic functions. In anabolic processes (the building up of proteins from simpler molecules in the body), they supply the amino acids required to build and sustain body tissues and cells. As a source of energy, proteins are equal to carbohydrates in providing 4 calories per gram. Proteins have a primary function in building and repairing body tissues and cells and in the production of enzymes, hormones and various body fluids and secretions. Proteins have a vital role in the movement of some lipids, minerals, and vitamins and help maintain the body`s homeostasis.
The body is able to produce a few amino acids, but others can only be extracted from dietary intake. The amino acids the body can make are called `nonessential` as it is not so important to obtain these amino acids from dietary intake (they are able to be synthesized by the body). The amino acids that are only obtainable from the food ingested are called `essential` or `indispensable`. The body cannot make them, which is why it is essential to ingest a range of foods that have different proteins. Proteins are found in red and white meats, poultry and poultry products, as well as in nuts, beans, and tofu. Foods like grains, fruits and vegetables have very small quantities of proteins.
Artificial Sweeteners - substances that give sweetness to foods but supply very little energy, or none at all, to the muscles, tissues, and cells of the body. Popular artificial sweeteners are acesulfame, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose. Saccharin is the oldest of low-calorie sweeteners and contains 0 calories. Acesulfame potassium (or Ace-K) is another artificial sweetener used in many foods and beverages and was also approved as a flavor enhancer in 2003. Ace-K has 0 calories, is heat stable and, when blended with any other low-calorie sweeteners, has an exponential result that helps enhance the taste, sweetness, and stable properties of low-calorie foods & beverages. Aspartame is also extensively utilized in foods & beverages and as a packaged sweetener to be served at table. 4 calories for every gram but since it is two hundred times as sweet when compared to table sugar, a miniscule quantity of it is required to adequately impart a sweet flavor to foods & beverages. Sucralose remains the only low calorie sweetener which manufactured by the selective chlorination of sucrose (sugar). It is around 600 times sweeter, does not contain calories, and retains its properties under an extensive variety of food-processing conditions. The FDA has approved sucralose for use in food products and beverages, for both baking and cooking, and also as a tabletop sweetener (forms of low-calorie sweeteners served at the table).
Eating Disorders - disturbed eating patterns that can be classified as anorexia nervosa (an eating disorder characterized by low body weight, a distorted body image, and an intense fear of gaining weight), bulimia nervosa (an eating disorder in which people eat massive amounts of food in a single sitting and then vomit it out), compulsive overeating (a syndrome in which eating is out of control), binge eating (a compulsion to eat excessively&44; very like compulsive overeating), or else any overlap of these. Each disorder is diagnosed according to specific patterns. Hypotension - an abnormally low blood pressure. Hypotension is frequently connected to trauma, though not necessarily a symptom of it.
Soy Protein - the protein nutrients found in soyabeans and soy-based food products which, when ingested in amounts of 25 grams per day, might reduce the chances of heart illness.
Morbid Obesity Diet - also called `after gastric bypass surgery diet`, `gastroplasty diet`, and `roux-en-y diet`. This diet is a stringent dietary routine that people are put on after bariatric (obesity) surgery. It often limits patients to less than 800 calories per day.
Isometrics - a system of muscle-building exercises involving the contraction of opposing sets of muscles. There is little movement despite the fact that the two sets of muscles are exerting force.
Nitrite - a risk-free food additive that is a centuries-old method to preserve meats, fish, and poultry. It also is responsible for the inimitable flavor, color and consistency of processed foods such as hotdogs. As nitrite protects smoked or cured meats against the most lethal food borne bacterium ever known, Clostridium (C.) botulinum, its use is promoted by public-health groups. The human body produces much greater nitrite levels in comparison to nitrites that are used as food additives. Nitrates ingested in foods like green vegetables and carrots are converted to nitrite by the digestive process. The presence of nitrite in the human body is the key to helping the coagulation of blood, healing burns and wounds, and enhancing the immune system in order to destroy tumor cells.
Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) - the level of effort individuals believe they are putting into an activity. The Borg scale is a scoring scale that helps people explain their sense of how much their bodies are exerting by matching a number from 6 right up to 20. Numbers that are lower down on the scale are used to describe a modest level of exertion, and numbers that are higher up on the scale denote that the body is exerting more.
Brittle Diabetes - an expression employed when a person`s blood sugar (glucose) level frequently rapidly fluctuates between high and low. Also referred to as labile diabetes and unstable diabetes.
Retinopathy - any disease or disorder of the retina.
Sibutramine - also called Meridia, a oral medication used along with a reduced-calorie diet program in order to help people achieve weight loss and prevent a recurrence of weight gain. This medicine is authorized for individuals whose BMI (body mass index) is at least 30. Obese individuals with additional risk factors, such as hypertension or diabetes, could also be prescribed this medication if their BMI is 27 or above 27. Sibutramine could cause an increase in pulse rate and blood pressure. During the time patients are on this drug, their doctor will check out their blood pressure and heart rate at periodic intervals. People who have unchecked hypertension should not be on sibutramine/Meridia. Other possible side-effects involve dryness of the mouth, constipation, headaches, insomnia, tension, unusual annoyance or irritability, edginess, stuffy or runny nose, or problems in sleeping.
BT (Bacillus Thuringiensis) - among the most prevalent microorganisms used in the manufacture of natural pest repellants. Several of the proteins produced by Bt, mainly found in the outer sheath of the bacterium forms around itself, are lethal to individual insect species. By using Bt in pesticide formulations, the targeted insects are able to be kept under control using an environmentally harmless, biologically-based agent. Bt-based insecticides have been widely used by household gardening enthusiasts for several years, as well as on farms.
Herbicides - a special class of chemical plant-killers employed to inhibit or kill weeds on cultivated tracts and in forested areas, as well as for non-agricultural uses, such as on golf links, public property and residential yards.
Static Stretch - an uncomplicated muscle stretch, which produces exactly as much tension as is needed to extend the muscle to its full length and is held steadily for several seconds (20 to 30), without bouncing or any other movement.
Cancer - the uncontrolled and abnormal growth of cells. In `05, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee concluded that while there was some evidence to suggest a link between the overall fat intake and some cancers, a definite linkage has not yet been established. Data suggest that diets low in folates and calcium and which have a high calorie count from fats, alcohol, and meat are associated with a higher possibility of developing colorectal cancer. The analysis of the findings also states that saturated fats in the diet that come from animal products might be linked a greater risk of prostate cancer. Current research shows that, as a rule, the amount of fat in the diet does not appear to be linked to the possibility of breast cancer. One of the questions that still needs to be answered is whether associations noted between a fat-rich diet and the probability for developing cancer are related to the amount of fats, or can be traced to the type of fatty acid, or linked with some unidentified factor in food. Analyzing the linkage between cancer and particular types of fats is an important focus of ongoing research.
Adult-onset Diabetes - look at type 2 diabetes.
Caffeine - a natural stimulant present in the fruits, leaves, or seeds of over 63 plant species around the world and that belongs to a group of organic compounds called methylxanthines. The most popularly recognized sources of caffeine are coffee and cocoa beans, kola nuts, and tea leaves. This stimulant acts like a drug and, depending on the dosage, can have a mildly stimulating effect on the nervous system. This substance does not accumulate in the body over time and is normally purged some hours after it has been ingested.
FSO - see `Fructooligosaccharides`. Urine Testing - an examination of urine to determine whether it contains sugar (glucose) and ketones. Reagents (substances used to detect pathologic processes) in the form of paper strips or tablets are placed in a small quantity of urine or urine plus water. Color changes in the strip or tablet show the quantity of glucose (sugar) or ketone byproducts present in the urine sample. A urine test (also called `urinalysis`) is the only means to check for the presence of ketones, a symptom of life-threatening illness.
Dehydration - an abnormal depletion of fluid or water from the body. An excessively elevated level of glucose (sugar) in the urine causes loss of a great deal of water, and the individual becomes extremely dehydrated.
Phytate - a chemical complex (large-moleculed) substance that is the dominant (that is, 60 - 80 percent) salt of phosphorous in chemical form inside the husks of whole grains, oilseeds, and their byproducts. Monogastric animals like man (for instance, swine) cannot assimilate and utilize phosphorus within phytate, because their bodies do not produce the enzyme known as phytase in their gastrointestinal systems, and consequently phosphorus (phytate) is purged out of the body into the atmosphere. If the diet of monogastric animals includes phytase enzyme in sufficiently large quantities, the monogastric animal can then absorb the phytate, thereby releasing phosphorus for assimilation.
