Satoko Urabe writes:
Mr. Tanaka, there are many problems in your diet and lifestyle. Regarding your
daily diet, first, you should eat breakfast every day, and not only vitamin
supplements and some cups of coffee. Vitamin supplements are not so
bad, but you had better make effort to take vitamin from foods. And,
coffee and cola caffeine that stimulates the central nervous system. I
think it is reason why you can't relax after work. So it is good idea
to keep your average intake below three cups of coffee a day.
Second,
you should stop eating fastfood for lunch or dinner. Those diet give
you unbalanced and fatty rich diet. It cause your LDL level growing
up. Regarding questions you have, first, I'll tell you about RDA of
vitamins and minerals for a man of your age. Vitamins and minerals
play important roles in nutrition. There are 13 vitamins, and they
help the body turn food into energy and tissues. Minerals are needed
for growth and maintenance of body structures. They also help to
maintain digestive juices and the fluids found in and around cells.
The RDA of vitamins is, for example, 50mg for vitamin C, 1800-2000IU
for vitamin A. Unlike vitamins, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins,
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, chlorine, magnesium and so on. Other minerals, called
trace elements, are needed in much smaller amounts. Trace elements
include iron, copper, fluorine and so on. For example, RDA of iron for
you is 12mg. It's contained in clams, oysters, mussels, etc. On the
other hand, protein make up the body's materials to give some
examples, muscle, skin, bone and hair. In addition, every cell
contains proteins called enzymes, which speed up chemical reactions in
the body. Cells could not function without these enzymes. The body
uses proteins to make antibodies, or disease-fighting chemicals, and
certain hormones such as insulin, which serve as chemical messengers
in the body. Meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, cereals,
legumes, and nuts are all good sources of protein. So it's not enough
for you to eat only red meat.
About the difference between
carbohydrates and fats, they play different roles in nutrition.
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. Second,though you says you get your fiber from udon or
rice, it's not enough for you. Fiber has been shown in studies to help
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 move food and digestive
by-products through the large intestine (colon) and out of the body.
The faster that 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.
Now, I'll talk
to you about your LDL level. Too much cholesterol is bad for your
health, you know. And LDL is bad cholesterol. But the body needs HDL,
so you must control them. The amount of cholesterol in your
bloodstream depends on three factors, heredity, diet and lifestyle.
Some families have a tendency to high cholesterol levels. Your mother
is currently ill with a critical heart condition, so you must to be
careful. Secondly cutting out cholesterol is only part of the answer.
Saturated fat also affects your cholesterol level; in fact, it's a
worse offender. Keep your saturated fat intake under 10 percent of
your calories each day, and you're on your way to lower cholesterol
levels. Use the Food Guide Pyramid to help you lower your intake of
fat and cholesterol. Lastly, the more physical activity you get, the
higher your good (HDL) cholesterol levels and the lower your bad (LDL)
cholesterol levels are likely to be. Physical inactivity leads to high
LDL cholesterol levels. You do little exercise now, so you should do
more to give an example walking from station to home. You have to do
exercise not only to keep your weight down. That's all I'll suggest to
you now for your health. Good luck!!
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