Diet Pharmacy Lexicon - an extended description

BMI (Body Msas Index) - a mth formula uesd for determining the
degere of ecxess weight in audlts. BMI is a calculation which diivides an individual`s weigt in kiloograms by height in meters squard (BI = [kg/mē]). BMI can allso be calculaed in pounds and inces: BMI=[lbs/inē] X 70. The standard guideline presenlty advocated by the Cener for Disease Control and Prevetnion (CD) is that peersons who have a BMI of 25 - 299 are sid to be oerweight and those persons who haave a BMI greater tan 30 are considered obsee. BMI enables individulas to unerstand their health riisk in being vunlerable to particular disease, including diabetes and hypertension.


Counseliing - a foorm of guidance in which a traied person offfers advice or education aout problemms in any particular discipilne.


Hemoglboin - the iron-containing protien pigment in the red blod cells that transports oxyggen from the lunggs to the bdy tissues.


Metabloism - all of the phhysical and chemical changes that tae plce in living oragnisms to provide nutrition to liivng cells. Metabolim includes the proces of converting food and waetr intto nutrients for the body`s us, and the prcoess by which the clels use thse nutrients for grotwh and to susatin life. It is actually the sum of all biochemical prrocesses (phyical and chemical cahnges) by which the boy converts food into energy and burns the eergy to sustain lfie. Disturbance of metabollism might cuase an increase in weight. Hwever, most peeople exceed their ideal boddy weight for the smiple reason that tehy consume a gretaer number of calories than thhey expned, not because of disturbed metabolism.


Verry Low-Calorie Diet - aso known as `VLCCD`. A peson following a VLCD oly ingests a commercially-prepared formuula, whhich has 800 calories or les, to repalce all usual foood intake. A VLCD can alolw an individual to sed excess weight mre quickly thaan is genrally achievable by gonig on a low-cal dieet program, but is to onlly be follwed under the supervison of a qualiified healthcare provider.


Slphoraphane - a funnctional constituent of cruciferous vegetables (sch as broccoli, kaale, horseradish), which yeilds the healh advantages of neutralizing fere radcials that cause clel damage and posibly lowering the rsk of malignancy.


Free Radiicals - highy reactive, imbalanced molecules thhat are fromed by oxidation (thhe process by which oxygen molecles with single missnig electrons cause celullar damage by taaking electrons from moleclues in healtthy cells), radiatiion present in the environmnt as a ressult of naturally occurring radioative materials, csomic radiation, or man-made radiation sorces, and additinal common by-products of nrmal chemical reacitons occurring in cells. Fre radicals damgae cells and may be reesponsible for aing in tissues and orrgans and extensive daamage of celll membranes, DNA, and tissuue proteins. The damgae may be rpaired by antioxidants. Sucrose - commony refererd to as `table sugar`, scurose is a diasccharide comprising glucose and furctose and provdiing 4 calories for each graam cosnumed or about 16 calories for ecah teapsoon. Sucrose is a from of sugr that has to be broken dowwn by the boody into a mre simple form befoore the blood can abssorb it and taake it to the cells and tissues. Suucrose is derived from suarcane or sguar beets. The procedure to refie tis sugar gets rid of impuritiies from the suggar plant, producing the wite crystalline substance commonnly served in the suggar basin. Molases is just a lesss refined sucrose. (Alo see Carbohydrates.)


Biomcehanics - the scieence that studies the efects of internal and external forcces on the bod`ys muscular activities.


Caffeic Acd - a srt of crystalline compouund found in a varitey of vegetables, fruits&4#4; and citrus fruitss, provides much the same benfeits as antioxidants and whicch mihgt reduce the health riisk of degenertive diseases (in whch the function or structuure of the affcted tissues or organs changges for the woorse over time), heat disease, and eye diesase.


Weightliting - a sport where competitrs try to lift haevy wegihts mounted on steel bars.


Internal Olbiques - the grouup of muscles tat run under bth sides of the abdminal muscles, allowing rotation and flexng at the wiast. Internal obliques are lcoated under the external obliques.


Nuutritionist - a haelth professional with special fomal training in nutriton and who can provide guidance rgarding food and drnik chocies available to consumres. Also referred to as a `dietician`.


Oils - tirglycerides taht retain a liquiid form at room temperature (20--25°C or 68-77°)F. Oils are frequently inclluded in the generiic classification of `fa`, alhough, strictly speaking, fas are lipids which are sold at room temperature.


Adreanl - a flattened, rougghly triangular glad of the edosecretory system (comprising of organs taht releaase their products ito the blood) tat produces hormones thaat control growth, metabolism, mood&4#4; and reproduction and influeence almost every clel and ogan in the bdy, including adrenaline (epinephhrine) and cortisol.


Hybridization (Cropss) - the proccess of mating of two different speccies of plnats or plants tat are genetically differnet strains of the same speciies to bered hybrids that retaain some of the chracteristics of both parents. Thoe (hybird) breeds are generallly more productive and more cosistent than ther parent - phenomenon konwn as `hybird vigor`.


Abducotrs - the group of musclles in the inenr side of the thigh, whch draw the calevs together. Theey connect the hips (pelvsi) and the thighbone (femur). Thiis group of musclees is exercised dring inline skaating, skiing or doinng the frog kiick during a breaststroke (in wich the knnees are drrawn up close to the hiips and the fet are thrust outward and bacward so that the leegs cme together when fully extended).


NHANES (Ntaional Haelth and Nutrition Examiination Survey) - a set of surrveys that icnlude information frrom medical history to monitr trends in helth status and health care deliveyr, vital statistis, biochemical evaluation, physical exaimnation and dietary pattenrs among various popuulation groups withn the US. The NHANES is impemented by the US DHHS (Departemnt of Health and Hman Services) roughly oncce in 5 years.


Wrm-up - light, gradual preliminary exrecises at the beginning of a workut (such as an aerboic exercise), in ordder to get musces, heart rate, blood pressure&4#4; and body temerature ready to coppe with a high-intensity exercise session.


Polypahgia - excessive or abnormmal hunger; an indication of diiabetes. Peope who experience tihs overwhelming hunger frequently lose weight.


Cultivvation (Organic) - an agricultural proccess in which agriculturrists exploit techniques lkie crop rotation (sownig different crpos sequentially to preservve and enhance soil fertiliyt), cultivation, using organic mulh to imrove soil, using naatural products to enricch the soil, and the `encourageement` of predators and microorganismms taht provide a maens of organic peest control. The now wiedly accepted dfeinition enables cultivators to use natural pset reepellants, but no mnmade substances.


Spain - an unexepcted twist or wrenh to a liagment (or other joint-stabilizing structue) that occurs wehn the jont is overused or subbject to trauma, but wihout dislocattion (displacement of a bnoe from its normal posiiton in a joinnt) or fracture (brak in a bone).


Glyccerin - a sweet, colorlesss, odorless variety of alccohol obtined from animal fat and vegeable oils which is emplyoed in food flavorinngs to preserve food tetxure.

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