Holistic Health Coach Archives - Page 4 of 4

The Sugar Effect in Our Diet | The Cause of the Obesity Epidemic

May 11, 2018March 25, 2017 by Adriana Rueda

Recently I watch a lecture done by UCSF endocrinologist Robert Lustig to the UCSF extension students. He made the point, with proven data, that the cause of the Obesity epidemic over the last 30 years is one single factor: increased amounts of sugar in our diet. You can watch the lecture of Dr. Lustig’s here, and I recommend you take the time to watch it. His lecture has become viral since it was uploaded on YouTube in 2009, it’s been viewed almost five million times.

This documentary opened my eyes even more about the problems that we faced due to the overconsumption of sugar and process food. Dr. Lusting proved that over the last 30 years people all over the world are gaining weight not because they eat too much, but because we are consuming too much sugar in our diets and not eating the right foods. He proved that our food system is broken and the cause of all the epidemic is not laziness or gluttony.

How to Turn the “Good” Genes On and the “Bad” Genes Off

May 12, 2018March 17, 2017 by Adriana Rueda

Twelve years ago life gave me a wake-up call so that I would change my lifestyle. I realized I have the “obesity genes” That tendency of gaining weight just by looking at a cake, lol. I gained 12 kilos (about 26 lb in 4 months). My genetics betrayed me and my insulin levels started to rise and the doctor told me that, if I stayed on the same path I could become diabetic. I did not want that!

That moment I realized that I had to do something, of course, I didn’t know anything about nutrition or healthy eating (that wasn’t a family dinner topic at the time) So I had to figure it out and most importantly take action. I had to learn How to Turn the “Good” Genes On and the “Bad” Genes Off! And I’m happy to say now that I succeeded!!

The Minerals in your diet | Are they important?

May 17, 2018March 7, 2016 by Adriana Rueda

This article will continue the series of Vitamins and Minerals. This part will discuss the Essential Minerals in your Diet.

First of all, what are minerals?

Minerals are originated in rocks and minerals stones. We get them in our diet in our food and also through water we consume. These are essential for good health.

This little substances help regulate metabolism (reactions that are constantly occurring in our body). For example, the bones are the stocks of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, which in case of deficiency the body can make use of them. They are found in many molecules in the body and help in various chemical reactions. For example, the sulfur is part of Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Calcium triggers the action of digestive enzymes that digest fats and copper is necessary for the incorporation of iron in hemoglobin (the molecule that carries oxygen in blood ).

Important Vitamins in your Diet

July 30, 2023June 9, 2014 by Adriana Rueda

With this article, I begin a series on Vitamins and Minerals, which are a key factor in our diet. In the first two articles, I’ll talk about Vitamins in your Diet, how they help our health and where we can find them in the food. In the following articles, I’ll cover the most important minerals in our diet.
Vitamins are micronutrients not synthesized by the body, but required in small amounts, play a critical role in maintaining good health. They are very important not only because of its deficiency cause diseases but, if they are provided in their optimal amounts, they may help to prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, cancer and aging.

5 servings of Fruits and Vegetables?

July 30, 2023March 13, 2014 by Adriana Rueda

5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day will give you lots of water (between 75% and 95% of its weight is water), vitamins, water-soluble like vitamin C, folic acid and small amounts of other B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and B6) and soluble compounds such as carotenoids (mainly ß-carotene) with activity of pro-vitamin A and vitamins K and E.

Vegetables also provide minerals like potassium, magnesium and small amounts of calcium, iron, phosphorus and phytochemicals (organic compounds present in plant foods that are not nutrients but have beneficial effects on health) among which we can highlight carotenoids, phenolics, glucosinolates and phytosterols, and fiber.

Nutrition Myths | Don’t fall into these myths!

July 30, 2023March 2, 2014 by Adriana Rueda

Nutrition has always been a topic of great interest and concern to a large percentage of the population. There is a variety of nutrition myths and misconceptions that are widely spread throughout the history. In many cases these issues are dealt with ignorance.

Very often people want to group foods into good and bad; the ones that make you fat or thin; useful and harmful to cardiovascular health, etc. But nutrition is a complex science and any simplification is wrong. Nutrition as a science is relatively modern and is hidden in an apparent simplicity; however it is a complex matter that requires study and continuous updating.

In the following lines I will uncover some Nutrition Myths and controversies that have been spread throughout time:

Best Sources of Calcium for your Bones

July 30, 2023February 8, 2014 by Adriana Rueda

There is a big debate about whether milk consumption is the best source of Calcium for your Bones and whether it helps prevent fractures and osteoporosis or not. On one side are those who think that high calcium intake in the form of three glasses of milk a day, would help prevent osteoporosis and fractures. Yet, each year osteoporosis causes about 1.5 million fractures in the U.S. alone.

On the other side are those who believe that consuming lots of milk does not affect the risk of fractures and could also contribute to other problems such as heart disease or prostate cancer.

My Super Foods Guide | Part I

July 30, 2023February 3, 2014 by Adriana Rueda

In this first post of Super Foods Guide I will list the foods you should always have in your kitchen, ready to prepare delicious and nutritious meals: 1. Nuts: Walnuts are the best sources of vegetable protein. They are rich in Fiber, B vitamins, magnesium and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Nuts are also high in plant … Read more