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California Avocados are a fresh, natural, wholesome part of a healthful diet.  They’re irresistibly rich in flavor and, avocados also provide vital nutrients and phytochemicals.  Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases.

There are 13 vitamins that the body absolutely needs: vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate). Avocados naturally contain many of these vitamins.

• MONOUNSATURATED FATS (3g per serving) – Helps to lower blood cholesterol if used in place of saturated fats.
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• VITAMIN K (6.3 mcg/8% DV per serving) – Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting. It is known as the clotting vitamin, because without it blood would not clot. Some studies indicate that it helps in maintaining strong bones in the elderly.
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• FOLATE (27 mcg/8% DV per serving) – Promotes healthy cell and tissue development.  This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy.  Folate is also essential for metabolism of homocysteine and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.
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• POTASSIUM (140 mg/4% DV per serving) – In the body, potassium is classified as an electrolyte.  Potassium is a very important mineral to the human body.  It has various roles in metabolism and body functions and is essential for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs:  It assists in the regulation of the acid-base balance; assists in protein synthesis from amino acids and in carbohydrate metabolism; and, it is necessary for the building of muscle and for normal body growth.
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• VITAMIN E (1.2 IU/4% DV per serving) – A fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant that protects the body tissue from damage caused by unstable substances called free radicals.  Free radicals can harm cells, tissues, and organs.  They are believed to play a role in certain conditions associated with aging.  Vitamin E is important in the formation of red blood cells and helps the body use vitamin K.  At lower levels, vitamin E may help protect the heart.  Vitamin E also plays a role in healthy skin and hair.
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• LUTEIN (81.3 mcg) – A carotenoid (a natural pigment) that may be associated with a lower risk of eye diseases. Lutein is an important antioxidant that may help your eyes stay healthy while maintaining the health of your skin. It provides nutritional support to your eyes and skin and has been linked to promoting healthy eyes through reducing the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older.
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• MAGNESIUM (8.7 mg/2% DV per serving) –An essential mineral for human nutrition.  Magnesium in the body serves several important functions:  Contraction and relaxation of muscles; Function of certain enzymes in the body; Production and transport of energy; and Production of Protein.
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• VITAMIN C (2.4 mg/4% DV per serving) –A water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development.  Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants.  Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which are by-products that result when our bodies transform food into energy. Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body.  It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.
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• VITAMIN B6 (0.080 mg/4% DV per serving) –A water-soluble vitamin.  Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water.  The body cannot store them.  That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.  Vitamin B6 helps the immune system produce antibodies.  Antibodies are needed to fight many diseases.  Vitamin B6 helps maintain normal nerve function and form red blood cells.  The body uses it to help break down proteins.  The more protein you eat, the more vitamin B6 you need.

Avocados are included in dietary programs from some of the world’s leading nutrition organizations:

• USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• Produce for Better Health Foundation Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® Program
• American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Food Pyramid
• UCLA Center for Human Nutrition’s California Cuisine Food Pyramid
• Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust’s Mediterranean, Vegetarian and Latin American Diet Pyramids and Med Mark Program
• The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet Eating Plan

Now that you’ve got the scoop, get a spoon and dig in!

Introduction

• Eating healthy consists of consuming a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy oils, low fat dairy and lean animal or plant-based proteins. This balance is outlined in the United States Department of Agriculture's healthy foods pyramid. This pyramid acts as a basic guideline to eating in such a way that you promote a healthy body. Of course, this pyramid can be altered to fit your lifestyle (such as that of a vegetarian), but the same principles apply in getting the right mixture of carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein needed for the body to function correctly.

Weight Control

• When eating a balanced diet, one of the first ways that your body benefits is through weight control. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2006 alone, over 72 million Americans over the age of 20 were considered obese. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) score of 30 or more. Eating healthy helps prevent obesity in several ways. First, those who eat healthy tend to take in less calories during meals. Second, eating healthy ensures higher amounts of fiber (such as those found in fruits vegetables and whole grains). Fiber gives your body the sensation of feeling fuller longer, which reduces the overall intake of food during the day. Finally, eating healthy influences your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories each day.

Heart Health

• A healthy diet replaces unhealthy fatty foods packed full of LDL (bad) cholesterol with foods that are full of HDL (good) cholesterol (such as olive oil or salmon). High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood create plaque buildup in the blood vessels. This can lead to arterial hardening and heart disease. HDL cholesterol removes bad cholesterol from the bloodstream to the liver, where it can then be processed and removed from the body. A healthy diet is also high in fiber, which can help control the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.

Blood Sugar

• Eating healthy also benefits your body by helping control your blood sugar levels. This is mostly achieved through eating healthy forms of carbohydrates. Eating foods full of sugar and other unhealthy forms of carbohydrates can quickly cause the levels of blood glucose to rise in your circulatory system. Although your cells need glucose to create energy, too much glucose can result in insulin resistance, known as diabetes. Insulin is an important hormone that unlocks the cell's ability to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. When the cells become resistant, they no longer can absorb the glucose from the blood. This causes the glucose levels to rise above healthy levels in the bloodstream, resulting in serious damage to the blood vessels.

Disease Prevention

• Eating healthy also helps the body prevent disease. Healthy foods, especially vegetables, tend to contain higher levels of phytochemicals. Pytochemicals are substances that increase your immune system's ability to fight diseases. Eating healthy also helps prevent conditions that promote disease. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, by eating less fatty foods and increasing the amount of plant-based foods you consume, you can actually prevent certain cancers. Eating healthy can also help prevent heart disease, diabetes, strokes and even Alzheimer's disease.

Article extracted from :http://www.ehow.com/how-does_6650058_eating-healthy-good-body_.html

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As we age, many of us notice a loss of mental sharpness and think that this is just part of getting older, but aging cannot explain the current epidemic of severe mental deterioration. The fact is the human brain is highly susceptible to living in a modern 'developed' society. Poor lifestyle and diet, ongoing stress, smoking and environmental pollutants all damage fragile brain cells. Alcohol consumption and many pharmaceutical drugs can cause severe memory loss. More and more children are showing behavioral and learning difficulties linked to pollutant exposures, and such difficulties can persist into adulthood. Altzheimers has become so common it is now accepted as a 'dis-ease' of the elderly.

People who abuse their bodies through poor diet and lifestyle can experience mental fall-off as early as their 30's, and for many others the problems become really noticeable during their mid 40's. These people who perform the worst for their age group are at an increased risk of severe cognitive deterioration in later life, unless they make a commitment to rebuilding brain function.

The brain uses 20% of the body's energy. It requires constant oxygen which it receives from the bloodstream and uses approximately 25% of all oxygen inhaled. Brain physiology is highly complex and has the power to influence everything we do. 
 

The Brain and a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet that attends to the specific needs of the brain may help neurons to achieve the most desirable chemical balance naturally. The brain being a hungry organ depends first of all on a healthy liver and gastrointestinal tract to use food well: to properly absorb nutrients and deliver them to the brain, to remove toxins and to maintain proper immune system activity.

Because the brain cells are largely composed of fat, the right kinds of fat in the diet are one of the most critical elements in creating and maintaining brain health. The same precious Omega-3 fatty acids that promote healthy hearts can also help our brains. Primary sources of those health-giving fats are fatty cold-water fish including salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring and Atlantic sturgeon. Eat fish a minimum of three times a week. Canola, olive and flax-seed oil are good plant sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, with flax seeds, which can also be ground and added to foods, being the supreme, most recommended source.

DHA, one of the Omega-3 fatty acids, is the primary structural fatty acid in the gray matter of the brain, which promotes communication between brain cells by allowing synapses to remain soft and functional. By helping build myelin sheaths around nerve fibers, DHA facilitates chemical message transmittal. It helps the brain monitor mood and memory as well. As a component of breast milk, DHA promotes higher intelligence in children.

The B-complex vitamins work in chorus to promote brain and immune system health by protecting nerve tissue against oxidation, enhancing memory and insulating nerve cells. Your body requires B vitamins to produce many neurotransmitters. Besides meat, there are many good vegetarian sources of B vitamins, including whole grain pasta, grains, rice, wheat germ and nuts.

Because the brain in made up largely of fatty acids, it is susceptible to oxidation damage caused by free radicals - highly reactive molecules that attack and damage cell membranes, protein and even our genetic code - and in doing so bring about age and 'dis-ease'. Antioxidants are nutrients which combat and neutralize free radicals. The primary weapons in this ongoing fight are vitamins C and E, carotenoids and the mineral selenium. Many foods are rich sources of antioxidants. Carotenoids are found in dark orange and dark green leafy vegetable, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, kale and spinach. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits and vegetable like broccoli and peppers. Vitamin E is found in seeds and nuts as well as soybeans and vegetable oils. Selenium is present in seafood, grains and Brazil nuts. Supplementation or reinforcement of antioxidants is recommended since they are the major police force of the body, thought to deflect virtually all chronic 'dis-eases' including heart disease, cancer, cataracts, Parkinson's and the aging process itself.

Staying Healthy

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Start out the day with a meal that is low in fat, high in protein and low in carbs and sugar. This will help you achieve peak mental performance during the day. Specifically eat protein first and then complex carbohydrates in your meal. The goal is to have the amino acid L-Tyrosine found in protein-rich foods reach the brain first, followed by L-Tryptophan, an amino acid whose relaxing effects are strengthened by carbohydrates.

Caffeine can improve mental alertness but limit its use to prevent addiction. It can leave you with unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as stress, anxiety and irritability, and can be detrimental to overall health. Alcohol slows brain function and should be avoided if high mental performance or concentration is required.

A lifestyle which includes ample relaxation time, meditation, proper exercise and plenty of sleep all help to regenerate and invigorate our mental state.

In short, the way we eat can not only help us be more intelligent, alert and successful in mental activities, but also more balanced in our emotions and behavior. The way to build a foundation for a healthy brain is with a healthy diet and supplementation.

Phosphatidylserine - phospholipid substance that is a major building block for brain membranes. Proven to boost energetic and electrical activity across the entire brain.

Phosphatidylcholine - found in soy products and lecithin. Readily converts to acetylcholine, the memory neurotransmitter in the brain.

L-Glutamine - used as an energy source by the brain and is converted into glutamic acid, essential for cerebral function, and GABA, an important neurotransmitter.

Acetyl L-Camitine - essential for converting fatty acids into metabolic energy, capable of readily crossing the blood brain barrier where it promotes the synthesis of acetylcholine.

Hyperzine A (club moss) - functions as a cholinesterose inhibitor which prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine.

Vinpocetine (periwinkle) - increases metabolism of the brain by increasing blood flow, increases the rate at which the brain cells produce ATP (energy) and speeds up the use of glucose and oxygen in the brain.

Co Q10 - plays a critical role in the production of energy in every cell of the body. Increases tissue oxygenation.

Ginko biloba - herb which increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

Gotu kola - herb which energizes the brain and increases alertness (great replacement for coffee drinkers). 

The author

Chuck Homuth 
. 
Chuck Homuth is a Florida licensed nutritional counselor
who owns and operates three Chuck's Natural Food Markets and 
the Vitamin Shoppe in the Tampa area, FL. (813) 980-2005.

Extracted from: http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n14/opinion/improving1.html