nutritional labels for foods

Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted. Just because you’re not sick doesn't mean you’re healthy. Today, more than 95% of all chronic disease is also caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies and lack of physical exercise. An unhealthy diet leads to diseases like diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers, and obesity and micro nutrient deficiencies. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it feeds your body and mind with the necessary nutrients and energy to function through the day. One of the easiest ways to stay healthy is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Aim to eat a variety of at least 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit every day. Fruit and vegetables contain lots of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Getting in your fruits and veggies can help the body produce its own form of Aspirin. Taking fruit and vegetables containing benzoic acid could produce their own salicylic acid. This is the main ingredient in aspirin that makes aspirin an anti-inflammatory pain reliever. For those with asthma broccoli should be eaten every day because it has antioxidant properties that will help to open up the airway in the lungs. Eating healthy eating includes consuming high-quality proteins, carbohydrates, heart-healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and water in the foods you take in while minimizing processed foods, saturated fats and alcohol. Eating in this manner helps you maintain your body’s everyday functions, promote optimal body weight and can assist in disease prevention. The nutrients in the foods you eat support the activities of day-to-day living, protect your cells from environmental damage and repair any cellular damage that might occur. Protein rebuilds injured tissue and promotes a healthy immune system. Both carbohydrates and fats fuel your body, while vitamins and minerals function throughout your body in support of your body’s processes. Vitamins A, C and E, for example, act as antioxidants to protect your cells against toxins, and B vitamins help you extract energy from the foods you eat. Calcium and phosphorus keep your bones strong, while sodium and potassium help to transmit nerve signals. Without a healthy diet, you might compromise any of these essential functions. Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.

Asthma is a condition in which airways narrow and swell and produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of our lungs. When asthma attack occurs, usually the patient’s airways are inflamed and swollen. When this happens, the muscled around them tighten and narrow the airways blocking air to flow into the lungs. Cells in the airways then produce mucus which is thick and further narrows the airways. Asthma results from complex interactions between an individual's inherited genetic make-up and their interactions with the environment. Other risk factors are family history of allergic conditions, hay fever, exposure to cigarette smoke, dust, polluted air, cold air etc. The most commonly used asthma medications include:

• Short-acting bronchodilators [Proventil, Ventolin, ProAir, Maxair, Xopenex] provide quick relief and can be used in conjunction for exercise-induced symptoms.

• Inhaled steroids are first-line anti-inflammatory therapy.

• Long-acting bronchodilators (salmeterol, formoterol) can be added to ICS as additive therapy. LABAs should never be used alone for the treatment of asthma.

• Leukotriene modifiers (montelukast, zarirlukast) can also serve as anti-inflammatory agents.

• Anticholinergic agents (ipratropium, tiotropium) can help decrease sputum production.