Monday, January 16, 2012

Nutrition




The human body is like a complex machinery that require constant maintenance, its full of pumps, motors, gates, sensors cells and enzymes the must constantly be replaced or repaired, power plants and factories must be fueled and serviced and errors in the cell's master program (DNA) must be found and repaired. These and other life processes require a great deal of fuel to power them and and raw materials with which to work. We get these fuels and raw materials from our food, which  supplies the body with the elements and compounds it needs for energy, repair, and growth. All that in mind its really important to supply your body with proper nutrition such as eating whole grains instead of processed grains, eating whole fruits and vegetables, avoiding foods that are high in sugar and fats. There are 6 main kinds of nutrition:  proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. The combination of these nutrients provide the following for the body, fuel for the energy, the basic building blocks for growth and maintenance, and substances that act to control body processes. The carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are called energy nutrients because they provide energy for the body. Make sure you're getting you're energy from  foods with natural energies instead of energy drinks, caffeine and sugars, I drank a monster in about tens minutes and was practically bouncing of the walls, not a good idea. My body was not use to having that much energy in my system in that short of time. Don't do it its not worth the energy rush you get afterwards I crashed hard and was wiped out and left with a pounding headache.



 Proteins: 
  Proteins is an essential part of every cell in your body, the largest portion existing in the muscle tissue. You supply protein to your body cells by eating foods that contain protein. protein is the only source you body has nitrogen which is needed for building new tissue. Proteins help form muscles, bones cartilage,skin, antibodies, some hormones, and all enzymes. Eating lean meats. fish, poultry, milk, cheese, eggs, whole grain cereals, soybeans and other legumes and certain vegetables is a great way to get a good source of proteins. I decided to try to be a vegetation and its great if you're ready to put some study into what other foods have proteins in it to eat in place of meat, I got tired of eating rice and beans so it only lasted a couple months.



Carbohydrates:  Are the most important energy producing compounds in the cell, serve as the cell's primary fuel supple. Carbohydrates provide energy for the body, help control the breakdown of proteins, and protect the body against toxins. Carbohydrates should take up at least three fifths of our total calorie intake. Cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta and rice are rich in starchy carbohydrates and  fruits, honey, and cane and beet sugar are rich in sugary carbohydrates. Foods excessively high in refined sugar such as frosting cake, candy and pastries, are not the best source of carbohydrates because they lack vitamins,minerals or other nutrition the body needs. Many highly processed starchy foods such as macaroni, white spaghetti, white rice and white bread lose some of their vitamins and minerals during the refining process. A lot of people who are conscious about their weight make the mistake of cutting all carbohydrates out of their diets, you need carbohydrates in you diet for energy. 
    

Fats:
 When you hear the word fat most people automatically think its bad, and yes to much is bad for you but having a small  amount can do you good, the problem is Americans eat far more fat then the body even needs. Saturated fats and trans fats are bad for you because they raise your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. But monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are good for you. Some things fats are good for: Growth and repair, maintaining body temperature, cushioning vital organs, insulation of the body though the stored fat in tissues, keeping the skin from becoming dry and flaky, manufacture of certain hormones. Fats provide more than twice as much energy as carbohydrates do. Some good foods to get the fat you need is from most cooking oils, fish, nuts, and seeds, be sure to use sparingly. 


Here's to happy eating! 
xoxo 
Cameron Ashleigh





Friday, January 13, 2012

Shamrock run!

Hey guys! My work is participating in the Shamrock run( http://www.shamrockrunportland.com/ ) and I decided that I wanted to try it this year, I've been running for about a year or so, off and on, but this will be my first time actually running in an event and not just on my own so I'm super excited about it! I was trying to decide whether I should do the 8km run or the 15km( 8km being 4.97 miles, and 15km being 9.3) but I think I'm actually going to push myself to do the 15km, I'm kinda nervous because I've haven't really run that much before and its in a very hilly area. I have about about 2 months to train for this event, its going to be a lot of hard work but I think I'm up for the challenge! Some of the benefits I have noticed from running are my legs have become a lot more defined and toned, Running can raise your levels of good cholesterol while also helping you increase lung function and use, Running is one of the best forms of exercise for losing or maintaining a consistent weight, Running relieves stress, and get you looking great! Do you like running or hate running? What do you like or dislike about running? Have any good ideas for me about training?

xoxo
Cameron Ashleigh