Previous - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - Next

46. Leptin

Also known as “satiety hormone”, leptin is produced by your white fat cells. It regulates appetite and metabolism by signaling your brain to stop eating when full, or to store when your body isn’t getting enough food. It plays a role in both diabetes and weight gain. Your leptin levels increase when you gain fat, and decrease when you lose fat.

47. Low Calorie Diet

A low calorie diet is usually used as a method to lose weight. It works by taking in fewer calories (typically between 800 to 1500) each day than your body requires for its energy needs. The desired result is for your body to utilize excess fat stores for energy instead, leading to weight loss.

48. Low-carb Diet

A low-carb diet is a diet in which the amount of carbohydrates you consume each day is monitored and significantly restricted. Some low-carb diets focus on restricting specific foods (typically ones with a lot of sugar or starch) while others restrict all carbohydrates (such as the Atkins diet).

49. Low-density Lipoprotein

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is often referred to as the “bad” cholesterol in your body. This is because when you have high levels of LDL you have a much greater risk of developing heart disease. This type of cholesterol can build up in your arteries and eventually block them which can cause a heart attack.

50. Metabolism

This term actually covers several biochemical processes that take place in your body. Typically metabolism is associated with the process in which your body turns food into energy by breaking it down (“catabolism”), but it also includes “anabolism”, which involves new cell growth and maintenance, as well as energy storage for future needs.

51. Monounsaturated Fat

Fats that are usually in liquid form at room temperature, such as olive oil or canola oil, but which start to solidify at cold temperatures are often monounsaturated fats. Seeds and nuts also contain this type of fat. It is regarded as a healthy fat because it helps reduce cholesterol levels.

52. Multi-joint Exercises

Any type of exercise which requires your body to make a variety of movements and thus utilize several joints is considered a multi-joint exercise. For example, walking and running are multi-joint exercises because all the joints and muscles in your legs are being used as you do them.

53. Nutrition

Nutrition refers to the necessary nourishment your body needs in order to grow, function and remain healthy. Inadequate nutrition leads to health problems. Nutrition can also refer to the science or study of how living things receive the nourishment their bodies require for growth and health.

54. Obesity

Obesity refers to a degree of excess body fat. When someone weighs at least 20% more than what is considered normal for his height, or has a body mass index (BMI) over 30, he is considered obese. Body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly used measure to determine whether or not someone is obese.

55. Organic Food

Organic goods are those grown without chemicals (such as pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers) or irradiation, and have not been altered genetically. In other words, they are grown naturally. Organic meat, poultry and dairy means (essentially) that the animals were fed certified organic foods and not given hormones or medicated (e.g., with antibiotics).

56. Oxidation

When you cut an apple in half and it starts to turn brown, that is due to oxidation. It is a destructive chemical reaction that takes place when the food is exposed to the air, or more specifically, to oxygen. Nutrients in the food are gradually destroyed whenever oxidation starts to occur.

57. Pancreas

The pancreas is an organ in your body which is only about half a foot long. It is situated next to your small intestine in the upper part of your abdominal region. Its primary functions are to produce hormones (insulin and glucagon) which regulate your blood sugar, and also to manufacture enzymes which aid in digesting food.

58. Plaques

These are substances made up of a type of protein known as beta-amyloid (B-amyloid) which can begin to accumulate in the brain. Research has shown that individuals who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease have a large amount of these plaques (along with another substance called “tangles”) in their brain.

59. Polyunsaturated Fat

Like monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats are also considered to be fats which are good for you because they contribute to reducing hour LDL cholesterol and increasing the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body. Two essential fatty acids, omega-3 fats and also omega-6 fats, are the two primary kinds of polyunsaturated fats.

60. Protein

Proteins are large molecules made up of a group of amino acids which are linked together like a chain. Every cell in your body contains protein and it must be constantly replaced with new protein. Primary sources of protein include meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products. Tofu, beans and nuts are also good sources of protein.

Previous - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - Next

Comments Off