The Digital Dude Presents:
How to treat your body RIGHT!

Here's a collection of information I've gathered over the years.  Print this out and put it on your fridge!
(Page taken from www.xdude.com)

Fibre - Vitamins - Minerals - Summary

It's no secret that the modern diet is shaped more by convenience and marketing gimmicks than good sense. One symptom of this problem: a widespread deficiency in dietary fibre.

There are two kinds of fibre: soluble and insoluble. Most plants contain a mixture of both.

• Insoluble fibre is the food product in fruits and vegetables that doesn't break down during digestion. This refers to the crunchy fibres that we commonly call roughage, in such foods as whole grain cereals and breads. Because it's not absorbed into the blood stream, fibre contributes practically no calories to the body.

• The natural gel-forming fibres like pectins and gums, are considered water soluble or soluble fibre. Soluble fibres form gels, adding viscosity to the contents of the gastrointestinal tract. Soluble fibres have the capacity to bind water and swell, which slows down the passage of food from the mouth and stomach and helps to produce a feeling of satiety.

The value of dietary fibre was discovered in 1971.   Researchers in Africa found a surprisingly low incidence of many diseases among people with high fibre diets. Since that time, the link between good health and dietary fibre has been confirmed time and again.

Both the National Cancer Institute and the American Dietetic Association recommend between 25 and 35 grams of dietary fibre a day, for children as well as adults. Most people consume less than half that amount. Nevertheless, the benefits of fibre are far reaching. Foods high in fibre satisfy hunger readily because they hold a great deal of water. They also tend to be low in fat and simple sugars, so they help prevent obesity.

The American Heart Association reports that soluble fibre binds with serum cholesterol, and helps prevent it from being absorbed into the bloodstream. In fact, in clinical studies at the University of Kentucky, an addition of just 3 1/2 ounces of oat bran to the daily diet caused an average cholesterol reduction of 13%. . over a period of just 10 days. And reducing serum cholesterol is one of the most effective defenses against heart disease.

Soluble fibre works in a similar way to aid diabetes. Its binding action helps slow the entry of glucose into the bloodstream. Recent studies by the American Diabetes Association prove that high fibre diets consistently improve glucose tolerance and lower insulin needs.

The National Cancer Institute links dietary fibre to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. In fact, some scientists estimate that by the turn of the century, more than 20,000 cases of large bowel cancer might be prevented every year, simply by adding more fibre to the diet.

The advantages are clear. Fibre helps to reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, bowel disorders and cancer. In 1988, all of these benefits were confirmed by the Surgeon General of the United States.

Take charge!  Increasing your beauty vitamin intake can give your dry, greasy, or muddy-looking skin a dewy radiance.   Increasing the amount of whole grains you eat can make your dull hair gleam!   You have the means to live up to your beauty potential right on your own grocery list. And not just your external beauty potential. Providing your body with the beauty food components keeps your entire system in balance. At the most regular level, your mental and emotional well-being are directly affected by the regular intake of certain vitamins.

Vitamins and minerals are the building blocks of all the complex mechanisms that insure the body's metabolic function. Vitamins, after all, were so named because 'vita' means life. Each makes its contribution to our well-being, but the key is that they work together.

• VITAMIN A: Vitamin A is involved in the body's growth and healing processes and is also needed for good vision, especially at night. It is one of the major skin vitamins because it plays an active role in the metabolism of the skin cells. It helps to slough off dry cells and therefore keeps skin soft and smooth. Vitamin A protects the skin against dryness and premature aging (i.e., the formation of wrinkles and the development of irregular pigmentation). A proper supply of vitamin A also guards the skin against infection. According to Dr. George Wolf, a nutritionist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, vitamin A is an anti-infection vitamin because it strengthens walls of skin cells, making them less susceptible to penetration by microorganisms.
  
  Vitamin A is found chiefly in green and yellow vegetables, and in milk, eggs, liver, fish-liver oils, and many fruits.

• B-COMPLEX VITAMINS: The B-complex vitamins are essential for a properly functioning nervous system and for maintaining healthy skin and hair. Vitamin B is the "Big-Beauty B.' It simply helps everything. It nourishes your skin, and soothes away tension lines. Too little vitamin B results in skin problems, hp hair, fatigue, nervousness, and even depression.
  
  There are more than ten B vitamins. While they have specific individual functions, they occur together in many of the same foods and work together as an efficient team. For example, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is essential for strong, lustrous hair and healthy skin. It helps your body to convert carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into energy. A B2 deficiency shows up in the form of dull, oily skin, hair loss, hypersensitive areas around the nose and mouth, a tendency to pimples, and hypersensitivity of the eyes. Vitamin B6 (pyridoine) is necessary for the production of collagen and elastin, which keep your skin smooth and maintain its elasticity. You might think of B6 as the anti-aging vitamin. An adequate supply of B6 protects you against eczema, dandruff, and other skin problems that interfere with looking your best. Another B vitamin that is important to good looks is vitamin B12 (cobalamin), which protects against anemia, helping you to look healthy and have good color.
  
  In order to get enough of the B vitamins, make sure you eat whole-grain products, yeast-rich foods, wheat germ, fresh fruits and vegetables, liver, nuts, and dairy products.

• VITAMIN C: Vitamin C is probably the most important vitamin for maintaining health and beauty. Vitamin C is essential to the production of collagen, the connective  tissue that holds cells together. Because of its role in producing collagen, this vitamin promotes smooth and elastic skin. Vitamin C helps to prevent wrinkles and is also used very successfully for the treatment of acne, eczema, and other skin problems.
  
  In addition to maintaining the skin, vitamin C helps to develop healthy blood vessels, to form the dentine layer of your teeth, to harden bones, and to heal burns and wounds. It strengthens the immune system and protects against colds, infections, and painful swollen joints.
  
  The best sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits of all kinds, leafy green vegetables, peppers, tomatoes, and blueberries. It is present in all fresh fruits and vegetables to some degree.

• VITAMIN D: We need vitamin D for strong bones and teeth and for good vision. It is also necessary for proper processing of calcium and phosphorus. The body actually makes its own vitamin D when exposed to the sun. But, since beautiful skin demands that your exposure to the sun should be limited, you can get vitamin D from fortified milk; certain fatty fish (like tuna and salmon); and fish-liver oils, egg yolks, and liver.

• VITAMIN E: Like vitamins A, B, and C, vitamin E is also essential for lasting beauty. This vitamin increases the oxygen intake of cells, which allows faster healing and regeneration. In connection, with exercise, vitamin E aids muscle development. It also helps to prevent varicose veins; large quantities of vitamin E are used to treat varicose veins.
  
  Vitamin E is present in wheat germ, seeds and whole-grain products, cold-pressed vegetable oils (olive and sunflower), green leafy vegetables, as well as eggs.

• VITAMIN K: While vitamin K does not appear to have a direct effect on appearance, it is absolutely essential for proper blood clotting and helps to maintain normal bone metabolism. Doctors increasingly believe that vitamin K keeps you younger longer because it provides energy for your cells.
  
  Eat yogurt, milk, and eggs to maintain your vitamin K supply, as well as leafy green vegetables, liver, and cereals. Vitamin K is also found in fish- liver oil.

• FATTY ACIDS: Fatty acids are not official vitamins, but since they help to promote proper skin metabolism, the process of forming and sloughing cells at the right speed and in the right amounts, they are included here. Fatty acids are necessary for beautiful skin and properly functioning glands and mucous membranes. You shouldn't ever eliminate unsaturated fatty acids from your diet, even when you're trying to reduce your fat intake. A lack of these substances will become apparent very quickly, because your hair will be dry and you may develop dandruff, your nails will be brittle, and your skin will lose its radiance. The body cannot form these fatty acids, so you'll have to get them from your food.
  
  Nibble nuts and seeds (like sunflower and pumpkin), sprinkle wheat germ on your cereal, use a little butter. Vitamin F also occurs in lecithin and fish-liver oil.

Now let's consider the beauty minerals that you need to maintain good looks and good health. Certain minerals are essential for the development of healthy skin, muscles, blood, bones, and nerves. And, of course, your body's good health will be reflected in your glowing skin and gleaming hair.

As is true of the vitamins, there are certain minerals that are especially important to maintaining good looks. These beauty minerals are calcium, copper, iodine, iron, potassium, sulfur, selenium, and zinc. Other minerals, such as chromium, fluorine, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, silicon, strontium, tin. -and vanadium are important for a healthy body, but they do not appear to have any particular effect on our appearance (except for fluoride, which will make teeth less susceptible to cavities when used on a regular basis).

• CALCIUM: Like vitamin A, calcium is a must for healthy skin. It is important for our overall well-being because we use it every day for many bodily functions. It promotes strong bones and teeth and a healthy heart. Calcium is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses and in the contraction of muscles.
  
  Calcium is very important for everyone, but it is especially important for women after menopause. If you don't have enough calcium, your bones will become brittle and have a tendency to break at the slightest impact. This condition is known as osteoporosis and, while it can affect everyone, women are afflicted more often than men. It's a condition you should and can guard against by making sure that you get enough calcium, starting at an early age. If your food doesn't provide an adequate supply, your body will try to maintain a proper level of the mineral by taking it out of your bones. It's an insidious process and it makes your bones fragile long before anything shows up on x rays. So, to prevent your bones from softening, make sure that your calcium intake is adequate.
  
  Calcium is found in all dairy products, in green leafy vegetables, in whole grains, and in certain fish, such as salmon and sardines. The bones of these fish are a superb source of calcium. They're so soft that you can crush them up when you're making salmon salad or a sardine hors d'oeuvre.

• COPPER: Copper is important to beauty because it helps to maintain natural hair color and keeps skin elastic. It is involved in the development of red blood cells and is needed for the proper formation of respiratory enzymes.
  
  Copper is found in whole-grain products, fish and seafood, yeast, and liver. Practically no one in the developed countries has a copper deficiency, because there are minute quantities in our tap water.

• IODINE: According to Leslie Kenton, nutritional editor for Harper & Queens magazine, iodine is important for beautiful hair. It keeps hair strong and glossy and protects against rough and wrinkled skin. We also need iodine for our metabolism and to regulate our energy supply.
  
  We can satisfy our iodine requirement by eating fish and seafood and even, occasionally, seaweed (kelp).

• IRON: Iron strengthens our hair and nails. An inadequate supply of iron makes us pale, weak, and extremely sensitive to cold. A proper iron supply promotes healthy red blood, which is reflected in proper skin color.
  
  Iron is present in egg yolks, liver, and red meat, green leafy vegetables (remember Popeye and the instant energy he got from a can of spinach), whole-grain products, and fish. Cooking in cast-iron pots also adds iron to your diet.

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