Gou Ohtao writes:
I think you have a lot of points you should think more carefully about, Mr. Tanaka.
First, you don't have
time to eat breakfast most mornings. We intake the nutrients which are
needed to move our bodies and control our brains. It is true to say
"breakfast is basic in our diet". You know the reason why you can not
have time to eat breakfast is that you are very busy, so you must do
your best to find time to eat breakfast.
Second, you should do exercise. You think you need exercise only to
keep your weight down, but this is a mistake. After exercise, we feel so
nice. Exercise is effective to both our minds and bodies. Your LDL
level is measured at 172. This is too high. Your LDL level has an
increased risk for heart disease. You should raise your HDL cholesterol
level by exercising.
Third, your knowledge is not enough. Carbohydrates include all
starches and sugars. They are the body's main source of energy. Each
gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories. Most foods contain
carbohydrates. The main sugar in food is sucrose, which is everyday
white or brown sugar. Other sugars include lactose (found in milk) and
fructose (found in most fruits and many vegetables). Starches are a
more complex form of carbohydrate. They are more filling and contain
more nutrients than foods with lots of sugars, fats, or oils. Foods
containing starches include beans, breads, cereals, pasta, and
potatoes. On the other hand, fats pack a lot of energy. Each gram of
fat provides 9 calories. There are three kinds of fat: saturated,
monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Animal and dairy fats, which
remain solid at room temperature, are saturated fats. Saturated fat is
often called "bad" fat. Unsaturated fats include vegetable fat and
oils; they remain liquid at room temperature.
More troubling, you are not meeting your recommended daily
amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins help the body turn food into energy and tissues. There are
13 vitamins in all: vitamin A (750ug); the vitamin B complex, which
includes thiamine (1.2mg), riboflavin (1.8mg), niacin (20mg), vitamin
B6, folic acid (200ug), vitamin B12 pantothenic acid(2ug) , and
biotin; and vitamins C (30mg), D (2.5ug), E (10ug), and K (140ug).
(Daily amounts for a man who weights 65kg.) Minerals are also needed for
growth and maintenance of body structures. Minerals are not made by
plants and animals. Plants get minerals from water or soil, and
animals get minerals by eating plants or plant-eating animals. The
minerals the body needs in large amounts include calcium (800mg),
chlorine, magnesium (350mg), phosphorus (800mg), potassium, sodium,
and sulfur. Other minerals, called trace elements, are needed in much
smaller amounts. Trace elements include iron (10mg), copper, fluorine,
iodine (150ug), selenium, zinc (15mg), chromium, cobalt, manganese,
and molybdenum. . You should take these at good balance.
Though you think you have got your fiber from udon or rice, it's not
enough for you. Fiber has been shown in studies ever to help you
reduce the rates of some forms of cancer, namely colon and breast
cancer. Certain kinds of fiber have been found to lower levels of
cholesterol in the blood. A number of foods are good sources of fiber,
including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. There
are two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber is the
indigestible part of food\the bran in grain, the pulp of fruit, and
the skin of vegetables. Insoluble fiber helps you move food and
digestive by-products through the large intestine (colon) and out of
the body. The faster food and by-products travel through the digestive
tract, the less time there is for potential cancer-causing substances
to work. Soluble fiber can be partially digested by the body. Only
soluble fiber appears to have the ability to lower cholesterol levels
in the blood. Soluble fiber can be found in a wide variety of foods,
including apples, oats, guar gum, dried beans, and green vegetables.
How fiber acts on cholesterol is not fully understood.
You must know stress damages your body. Since you can't relax, your
condition is worse than you think of. Take time to relax:listening to
music, reading books, walking, and so on. Such a time is good to you.
I think coffee is also the cause of your stress. Coffee and cola
drinks contain caffeine. Caffeine is a drug that stimulates the
central nervous system, making you feel more energetic. As a diuretic,
it increases the blood flow through our kidneys, which produce more
urine. The average cup of coffee offers about 100 milligrams of
caffeine. Your four or five cups of coffee in the morning and colas in
the afternoon are too much. So, it is a good idea to keep your average
intake below three cups of coffee a day.
I think the other problem you have is that you are confused by
variable information. If one book says "It is good", maybe you follow
that idea. But if another book says the opposite, you would follow that
next. I suggest that you had better ask specialists what you
don't know. Knowledge only from books is dangerous. So, take care of
yourself!
| Click the BACK button to return to the student index.|