Protein plays a fundamental role in our overall body health and wellness. It helps with weight control and in building, maintaining and repairing muscles. Studies have shown that a meal high in protein can help you feel fuller longer, which helps further with weight management. But how much do we really need? It could be more than you think!

The “average” adult according to the European Food Safety Authority – needs 0.83g of protein per kg of body weight. However, this level increases with the level of activity undertaken. that protein’s dietician, Orla Walsh, says that active adults and those training should consume between 1.2g to 1.5g protein per kg of body weight per day depending on the level of intensity of the exercise. It is considered safe to consume up to 1.6g protein per kg of body weight per day.

Many people may not know that Pregnant women require additional intake of 1g, 9g and 28 g per day for the first, second and third trimesters respectively and Breast-feeding women need an additional intake of 19g per day during the first 6 months and 13g per day thereafter. Infants, children and adolescents require between 0.83 g and 1.31 g of protein per kg of body weight per day depending on age.

If you are a vegetarian or vegan you may find getting enough protein more of a challenge simply because there are fewer protein sources available and less “grab and go” availability.

So, what does protein DO for us? At the most basic level protein is needed for every cell in the body – so to be healthy and well and to have the best possible body, skin, hair, nails you must get the correct amount of protein every day. Muscles are made of protein and protein maintains, repairs and builds muscle. The more muscle you have the faster your metabolism goes and a healthy metabolism is key to lowering body fat and maintaining a healthy body fat percentage which is beneficial for our health throughout our lives. If you are active, a protein shake or adding protein to a smoothie after activity will help repair muscles and replenish the body. A great choice is that protein 2in1 Plant Protein Super Foods as the range also contains not only organic plant protein but added nutrition like vitamin C for reducing tiredness and fatigue and supporting a healthy immune system.

Don’t forget that muscles are not just located externally but also internally; e.g. the heart is a muscle. Our muscles are constantly breaking down and repairing and they need protein for fuel and repair. Without adequate protein the body will stop functioning at optimum level and illness could follow.

So is that all we need to know?
Not quite. Firstly, all proteins are not equal. Some will come with attendant saturated fat (think e.g. red meat, or cheese) and other sources can be highly processed, contain artificial ingredients or be high in refined sugars.

Secondly, some proteins are not complete proteins. That means they do not contain all the essential amino acids the body needs every day to be healthy and well but can’t make itself. These are: Leucine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Methionine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan and Valine. As the body can’t make these amino acid we must get them from our food.

Finally, it’s not just the amount of protein we need to be aware of but also when we need to consume that amount. The body can only process and utilize so much protein at one sitting so key to protein consumption is to spread it evenly across the day.

So… to make sure you are getting your protein consumption right, why not take this mini protein challenge with 5 easy steps?

Start in the morning by working out how much protein you need to eat that day based on the above reference intakes, your lifestyle and your exercise levels.

Write down in a notebook how much protein you actually consume that day.

Consider the kind of protein you are consuming and how that fits with your lifestyle and health priorities e.g. is it organic? Is it low in saturated fat? Free from chemicals and additives? Free from refined sugar? Lactose free? Vegan? You decide!

Be aware of when you are consuming your protein and if you are having it throughout the day – don’t just add up the total amount of protein – it must be taken throughout the day.

Conclude if you are getting your protein intake right or need to make changes.

Consuming the right type and the right amount of protein for your lifestyle and exercise level at the right time will ensure you support your total body health and wellness and help you attain your fitness and weight management goals.

Research has shown that when people are missing certain nutrients, their mental performance drops. When people meet their nutritional needs, they are okay. But even if they are not getting enough water their mind can get fuzzy. The thirst mechanism slows down when we age.

Your brain needs vitamin B
The most essential nutrients to keep your mind sharp are probably the vitamin B complex.
Your body needs the B vitamins for the transformation of food into mental energy and for the manufacturing and repairing of brain tissue. “Thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6 and B12 deficiencies can all cause mal function of the brain”, says Vernon Mark, MD, author of Reversing Memory Loss. In fact, pellagra, a niacin deficiency, used to be the main cause of admissions into mental hospitals,” he explains. Research has shown that when children are given 5 mg thiamin instead of the Daily Value of 1.5 mg, they achieve remarkable higher scores when they are given tests of mental functioning, Dr. Mark adds.

Nowadays many cereals, breads and pastas are enriched with thiamin and niacin, so that most people are getting enough of these vitamins. Niacin deficiencies have become extremely rare, especially in this country. But in older people or those who frequently drink alcohol, levels of thiamin can drop low enough to cause memory problems, says Dr. Mark.

The best way to make sure you get enough brain-boosting B vitamins is to eat foods that contain enriched grains. One cup of enriched spaghetti, for example, has 0.3 mg of thiamin, or 20% of the Daily Value (DV), and 2 mg of niacin, or 10% of the DV. Meat is also a good source for getting these nutrients. Three ounces of pork tenderloin, for example, provide 0.8 mg of thiamin, 53% of the DV, while 3 ounces of chicken breast deliver 12 mg or 60% of the DV for niacin.

It’s not so easy when we get older, to get extra amounts of vitamin B6 and B12, because it’s harder for the body to absorb them. After the age of 55, it’s common to be low in these vitamins, because the lining of the stomach is changing. When you get older, it’s a good idea to get more than the DV of both of these nutrients. Vitamin B6 is abundant in baked potatoes, bananas, chickpeas, and turkey. One baked potato provides 0.4 mg of vitamin B6, 20% of the DV. and one banana provide 0.7 mg or 35% of the DV. For vitamin B12, meat and shellfish are good choices.

Maintaining blood flow to the brain
There should be sufficient blood flow to the brain in order to avoid memory problems.
When adequate blood flow is not maintained, the brain and memory begin to perform poorly.
The lack of blood to the brain is often caused by a buildup of cholesterol and fat in the arteries,
the same problem that leads to heart disease and stroke. This condition is not only preventable through diet, it is even at least partially reversible. The primary cause of cardiovascular disease – clogged arteries in the heart and the brain – is too much saturated fat in the diet. Keep your intake of saturated fat low by cooking with small amounts of liquid oils, such as olive or canola oil. instead of margarine or butter and by minimizing your intake of fatty foods, such as full-fat mayonnaise, rich desserts and fatty meats.

It’s also important to get plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants, compounds that block the effects of harmful oxygen molecules called free radicals.
This is important because  when free radicals damage the harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, it becomes stickier and more likely to stick to artery walls.

Studies have proved that antioxidants in fruits and vegetables can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
In 2002, researchers studied nearly 5,500 people and found that those who ate diets rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and E, lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Citrus fruits, kiwifruit, sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage are packed with vitamin C. While whole grains, nuts, milk and egg yolks contain vitamin E.

The combination of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and reducing fat in your diet will help to keep your arteries clear, including those leading to your brain. Actually, it can help restore blood flow through your arteries that have already started to close up.

Coffee can Improve Memory Function It’s not without reason that millions of Americans jump start their day with steaming cups of coffee. The caffeine in coffee has been shown to improve mental functioning, including memory.

In one study, Dutch researchers used a chemical to block short-term memory in 16 healthy people.
They found that giving these people 250 milligrams of caffeine – about the amount of 3 cups of coffee – quickly restored their powers of recall. However, too much coffee can be bad, if only the java buzz wears off within 6 to 8 hrs. For some people, at least, the after-coffee slump can result in mental fogginess.

Everyone has different reactions to caffeine. For people who rarely drink coffee, having a cup or two can definitely improve performance and memory. But if you drink coffee throughout the day, you quickly build up tolerance and you won’t get the same benefits. In fact, too much caffeine can make you nervous and reduce your concentration.

Don’t kill your brain cells “Killing brain cells is not the best way to get a high score in the memory department. Yet that’s exactly what many of us do to our grey matter. Drinking too much alcohol can cause a significant decrease in memory function.” In fact, even small amounts of alcohol can damage cells in the brain responsible for memory.

Many doctors recommend to stop drinking alcohol all together to keep your mind at its sharpest.
At the very least, it’s a good idea to limit yourself to one or two drinks – meaning 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 11/2 ounces of liquor – a day. When you do drink, choose red wine. It contains resveratrol, a compound that may keep your brain young.

Optimal Diet for your Brain
You can’t prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia altogether, but you can keep them at bay longer with a heart-healthy diet that focuses on the nutrients that have been found to be critical for brain function and aging.

Aim for a body mass index of 23 to 25. Being overweight increases your risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension, which leads to vascular disease and brain damage.

Choose Dairy
Eat one serving of low-fat, low-sugar dairy once a day, such as milk, plain yogurt, cottage cheese or ricotta cheese.
Epideemiologie studies show that people who drink milk are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Toast to a young brain
Drink one glass of red wine or 4 ounces of purple grape juice or pomegranate juice a day.
They contain resveratrol, a compound that doctors believe activates a gene that is associated with longevity.

Eat berries
When you eat one cup of berries a day, it gives your brain resveratrol, and other flavonoids, that strengthens your resistance against the development of chronic diseases associated with aging.

Drink some juice
Drink 8 ounces of fruit juice high in vitamin C daily. Three times a week, substitute a glass of vegetable juice that you buy or make on your own for the fruit juice. Antioxidants and other compounds in those juices help protect the brain from dementia.

Include fish oil in your diet.
Omega-3 fatty acids are powerful agents for a healthy heart and arteries. When you eat oily cold water fish such as sardines or mackerel you will ensure that you get enough omega-3. You can also substitute with 2,000 to 3,000 mg of fish oil or flaxseed oil per day. Walnuts are also rich in omega-3. Eating 8 to 10 walnuts per day or using walnut oil in your salads of dark green vegetables will help protect your brain.

Drink green tea every day.
Green tea is rich in antioxidants and has proved to reduce the risk of dementia.
Experts recommend drinking one to two cups a day.

Use Multivitamins
To include those in your diet is particularly important for older, inactive adults who’s calorie intake doesn’t supply the micro nutrients that they need. Choose a multivitamin without iron or reduced iron if you are not anemic or menstruating.

Consider vitamin D supplements
Vitamin D is a new shining start in the role of brain development and function and many people are deficient without knowing it. We get about 95% of our vitamin D from sunlight, but young people who work long hours and elderly adults who are home bound often don’t get enough sunlight to fill their vitamin D requirements.

Avoid omega-6 fats. The omega-6 fatty acids in corn- safflower- and sesame oils aren’t as healthy as omega-3’s found in olive and canola oil. So, use those oils sparingly.

Nourish Your Brain
An overall brain-healthy diet is low in refined carbohydrates, (Found in sugars, baked food, candy, and other sweets, for example), red meats and trans fats. It’s high in fatty fish, poultry, soy protein, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Nutritional Medicine is unknown to most physicians as well as the public. The benefits of a good exercise program and a healthy diet are well known. Few however, especially physicians, have any knowledge of the health benefits of taking high quality nutritional supplements.

Vitamins are a hot issue within the medical field. But the verdict is in. What your doctor doesn’t know about nutritional medicine may be killing you. Only about 6% of the graduating physicians in America have received any training in nutrition.
Doctors believe that you don’t need supplements and that you get all the nutrients you need from a good diet. Doctor and patients alike must take a long hard look at how they approach health care to-day.

Numerous studies prove that a healthy diet, a good exercise program and high quality nutritional supplements is the absolute best way to maintain your health and to regain your health after you have lost it. There are records of amazing results by practising nutritional medicine.
Patients with multiple sclerosis, who have gone from wheelchair-bound to walking again.

Some cancer patients have gone into remission, patients with macular degeneration have found significant visual improvement and fibromyalgia patients have regained their lives.
Oxidative stress is the underlying cause of all chronic degenerative diseases, like coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and macular degeneration.

Heart disease is not caused by high cholesterol, but the inflammation of blood vessels, which can be reduced and even totally eliminated by taking nutritional supplements.

Antioxidants and there supporting nutrients have become our new weapon in the war against our number one killer: heart disease. Fruits and vegetables contain thousands of extremely potent bioflavanoids. They also have some anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Red wine and grape juice contain polythenols, which has been proven to reduce the formation of oxidized LDL cholesterol. Grape seed extract is known as the best antioxidant to prevent chronic inflammatory disease.
Vitamin E is the best antioxidant for the cell wall, vitamin C for the plasma and glutathione is the best intra cellular antioxidant.
All of these antioxidants need the so-called antioxidant minerals and B-co factors to do their job. These ingredients work together in synergy as they accomplish the ultimate goal of defeating oxidative stress.

Doctors are content to let the pharmaceutical companies determine new therapies when they develop new drugs. But our natural antioxidant and immune system are the best defense against the development of chronic degenerative diseases.

There is some good news however, medical research is beginning to support the idea of supplementation with a mixture of antioxidants and supporting nutrients.
 This mix can enhance traditional chemo and radiation therapy and at the same time protecting normal cells from toxic effects. But you don’t have to be a physician to start practising nutritional medicine, you as a patient can become proactive about preserving the health you have.

To promote Healing and Pain Relief

Hydrotherapy is a series of specialised water-based treatments developed to stimulate
general or local circulation in the blood vessels. This promote healing of injured or
diseased parts of the body, by allowing more metabolic wastes and other toxins to be
removed and more nutrients to flow into the area.

The treatment is applied in the form of an immersion bath or hot/cold compresses.
The water itself, while soothing, does not create the response in the tissues, but is due to
reaction by the nerves in the skin to the heat or cold applied to the area.

As a general rule we can say that heat expands vessels, increases blood flow and relaxes
nerves and tissues, while cold constricts vessels, reduces blood flow and stimulates nerves
and tissues.

Acute conditions, such as sprains and strains, require cold applications to reduce swelling
and therefore tissue damage. Chronic conditions, like stiff joints and aching back, require
heat to soothe and relax the area. Hot and cold can often be used alternately to stimulate
an area for more rapid recovery. The pattern to be used for alternating treatments is three
minutes hot and one minute cold, applied three times all together.

Hydrotherapy should not be regarded as a primary therapy, but rather as a supplement
to other forms of therapy.

Here follows a brief description of the more common techniques:

Hot and cold sitz baths
Produce a flushing effect in the pelvic region, which helps relieve chronic constipation
and pelvic pain. Sit for three minutes in a tub of warm water at approximately 40 degrees
Celsius with the feet in a bowl of cold water. Then for one minute, sit in another tub
containing cold water with the feet in hot water. Repeat this process three times in total –
being sure to finish sitting in the cold tub- then dry briskly with a towel and dress warmly.

Hot and cold leg baths.
These stimulates circulation in the legs and help fluid retention, cramps, restless legs,
chronic injuries and possibly varicose veins. A suitable leg bath is a clean garbage bin,
two of which are required. The procedure and water temperatures are similar to those
for sitz baths.

Hot and cold hand baths
Good for circulation, arthritis and chronic injuries in the hands. As with the above
procedures, using bowls of hot and cold water, bathe the hand for three minutes
and one minute respectively, and repeat the cycle twice more. Dry promptly.

Hot and cold foments
Used to stimulate circulation for healing and pain relief in parts of the body where baths
can’t be used. Wrap a hot water bottle in several layers of towel and place on the
effected part for three minutes. Then rinse another towel in cold (not freezing) water.
Wring gently so that it doesn’t drip, and place on the area for one minute.
Repeat the cycle twice more. Take care that the hot phases don’t burn the skin –
use more layers of towel if necessary.

Cold compresses
Apply to sprains, bruises, and insect bites.

Steam inhalations
These help clear nasal passages and ease respiratory conditions. Place four cups of
boiling water in a bowl. Sit with the head over it, and cover both head and bowl with
a towel. Inhale until there is no more steam. Be careful not to burn the airways.

Some general guidelines for hydrotherapy need to be kept in mind:
*  Sit or rest comfortable during the procedure.
*  Watch for any reactions indicating sensitivity to heat or cold.
*  Cease the treatment if pain increases
*  Do only one hydrotherapy treatment at a time
*  Limit treatments to two per day, because more than this could drain vitality.

When we consider that the classic risk factors for atherosclerosis are valid as lifestyle guidelines, they don’t explain the majority of heart deaths. But when we take into account the condition (he degree of oxidation) of dietary fat and cholesterol, as well as the antioxidant status within the body, the picture becomes clearer.

Still other influences are playing a roll, of which the most significant appears to be a high
blood level of the amino acid homocysteine. This is showing up as being as great a risk as
high cholesterol or smoking.

According to all three theory groups, the safest way to avoid heart disease, as far as diet is
concerned, is to ensure that dietary fat is low and unsaturated, that dietary fat and
cholesterol are fresh, that antioxidant intake is high, and comply with the requirements for
save levels of homocysteine.

These guidelines, however, prescribe a plant-based diet with an abundance of fresh fruits
and vegetables. The dairy products that many vegetarians include can better be avoided or kept to very small amounts. Protein can be obtained from small quantities of legumes, nuts and seeds. Eggs could be retained at low levels for their vitamin B12 content.

Smoking and coffee are in particular to be avoided, but moderate tea consumption is acceptable, preferably green tea for its additional anti-cancer benefits.

The heart disease paradox is now largely solved and demonstrates yet another way
in which an unrefined, essentially plant-based diet, high in fresh fruits and vegetables,
is vastly superior to a high meat – and high-refined-carbohydrate diet, that is low in fruits and vegetables.  

Being a natural whole food, but much too concentrated to eat in large quantities,
garlic can be considered as a natural supplement because of its outstanding qualities.

Garlic has many benefits, mainly due to its high natural sulphur content.
It is considered to be nature’s antibiotic and helps prevent disease.

Dr. Earl Mindell in his book: ‘Garlic, The Miracle Nutrient’, lists the benefits of garlic as:
*  acts as an antiseptic
*  helps the body overcome infection
*  stimulates the immune system
* act as a decongestant and expectorant
* contains substances that help prevent cancer
* thins he blood, reducing he risk of dangerous blood clotting:
*  tends to dissolve blood clots: *  lowers blood pressure (at least partly the result of blood thinning):
*  reduces high cholesterol:
*  helps reduce high triglycerides (blood fats)

Dr Mindell quotes a professor of medicine as saying that garlic is the most powerful agent
for preventing blood from becoming sticky, even more powerful than low-dose aspirin.
This may be part of the reason why people in Italy and France have less heart disease.

The odorous compound in garlic is a sulphur compound called allicin, a highly effective
antibiotic. However, there is no allicin in raw garlic. Raw garlic contains alliin, which, when
garlic is crushed, converts to allicin.  This is garlic’s way of protecting itself from microbial
attack after injury.

Unfortunately, allicin tends to damage not only bacteria, but healthy cells as well.
When raw garlic is consumed in very large amounts, harmful effects can result, including
irritation to the mouth, throat and stomach: anaemia: destruction of friendly gut bacteria:
reduced absorption of nutrients, and impaired liver function.

How much garlic is excessive and how much is safe to consume on a regular basis?
The long held Natural Health view is a clove or wo a day. This is well below the amount
that produces outright medicinal effects and possibly also harmful effects, which is
around five gloves per day (approximately 25 grams) or more, on a regular basis.

The bottom line is that any strong substance like allicin has to be broken down by the liver.
Too much can significantly add to the load on the liver, which is already very high in a
world of chemicals, alcohol, high-fat diet etc. One clove a day seems to be tolerable
for most people.

Orthodox nutritionists recommend that breakfast should be the main meal of your day.
However, many people following the Natural Health Lifestyle have found that a fruit breakfast
offers better health. They feel ‘lighter’ and their head is clearer during the morning.

This is because elimination of waste products is enhanced, as fruits produce negligible wastes-
it burns clean- Also, metabolism is in its elimination phase between four o’clock in the morning
till noon. If a heavy meal is eaten during this phase, it diverts energy from the elimination process and actually impedes elimination, increasing toxemia in the long term.
Accordingly, fruit is the only food that is entirely suitable to be eaten during elimination phase.

Also, according to recent research at the University of Sydney, eating only two main meals in the day adjacent to each other greatly reduces the risk of cancer. This means main meals either for lunch and dinner or for breakfast and lunch.

The suggested daily meal plan is a light fruit breakfast followed by two mean meals.
This occupies the body with full-scale digestion and assimilation for only about nine hours a day, leaving 15 hours for the elimination of metabolic wastes and reducing their tendency to build up in the body. In contrast, two main meals a day leaves only around 10 hours a day for elimination and encourages toxemia.

A manual worker having a fruit only breakfast would probably need more fruit at mid-morning,
or ‘heavier’ carbohydrate, such as bread, rice crisps or other grain food.
People may say that in the old days farmers would always have a hearty breakfast in the morning. indeed they may have done, but it was after a 4.00 or 5.00 am start and a number of hours hard work in the fields.

Breaking a lifelong habit of heavy breakfasts needs to be done gradually for physiological reasons and may require several weeks. If it is not a successful change, gradually revert to the former pattern. A fruit only breakfast may not suit everybody. This is not a recommendation, simply an option to try.

Exercise is important to maintain our health.
Even a moderate walk as exercise starts a chain-reaction,
and as a start it causes the skeleton muscles to become more active.
As the muscles warms up, more heat is given off.
Body temperature remains almost the same, because the body’s automatic
air conditioning system starts to disperse the extra heat through the skin.
As more blood sugar is turned into energy, more carbon dioxide gas will
be expelled in the air we breath out, and blood will flow more rapidly
through the muscles. The breathing will become deeper, and the heart beat
and blood pressure will be changed.

In more strenuous exercises, these processes will be stepped up.
More heat will be generated, the heart beat will be faster, blood-pressure higher,
breather deeper and faster, and the circulation more rapid.
The limiting factor in strenuous exercises is the oxygen supply,
and when this limit is reached, oxygen fatigue is experienced and
the exercise has to stop.

Need for Exercise
Exercise has been recognized even in sickness.
Physicians are not permitting patients with organic ailments to stay in bed
as long as before. According to “The American Practitioner”,
’The evils of bed rest include the development of negative nitrogen balance and
calcium loss through the kidneys, with the possibility of developing kidney stones.’

The article also says:’nervous tension can be released at times by exercise,
either in the form of specific muscular exercise or through some form of athletics.’
Physio and occupational therapy are now standard procedures in medicine,
to restore the use of muscles and nerves that have been injured by disease or by accident.

Those who’s occupation involves standing a long time, like dentists, teachers,
shop assistants, etc., are likely to develop phlebitis, i.e. the formation
of a blood clot – usually in the calf of the leg.
These people are advised to walk more and in addition. to take vitamin E
and lecethin capsules to improve the circulation, dissolve the clot and
prevent the formation of further clots.
Sufferers from rheumatism and arthritis, also those who are overweight,
are prone to take too little exercise. When people are troubled with
rheumatic twinges it is usually a sign that more exercise is needed and
that their diet contains too many acid-forming foods.
It is well known to vets that pampered pet dogs, which receive little
exercise, are troubled by ailments of degeneration which never affect
hard working sheep and cattle dogs.

Forms of exercise
Forms of exercise is a matter of personal preference.
While exercise programs often vary from person to person based on fitness levels
and goals, each one should include aerobic exercise, and resistance and flexibility
training. Those components will help you improve your fitness level and help you
overcome obstacles that challenge your agility, balance, coordination, endurance
and strength in everyday life.
Skipping is an effective form of exercise, and one of the best exercises
for keeping fit and is very suitable for wet days, as it can be done indores.