Essential amino acids or indispensable amino acids are organic substances that cannot be synthesized by the human body independently, they must come to us together with food or supplements. They take an active part in all metabolic processes, so without them, the normal functioning of our body is impossible. In addition, amino acids are the main building material for all tissues, including muscle.

All amino acids (including essential ones) are a structural component of proteins, so their main sources are high-protein products. 

A list indispensable amino acids

There are different opinions about essential amino acids. Some sources say that there are eight of them, others insist that there are nine. Why are there such disagreements and how many of them are there really?

The fact is that there are only eight of them, and the ninth amino acid – histidine — is indispensable only for the child’s body, and in adults it is perfectly synthesized independently.

Arginine is also indispensable for children, but synthesized in the adult body.

Therefore, the answer to the question “how many essential amino acids are there for an adult?” is obvious: there are eight of them.

So, there are 8 essential amino acids that the body cannot synthesize itself:

valin;
isoleucine;
leucine;
lysine;
methionine;
threonine;
tryptophan;
phenylalanine.

Where are the essential amino acids contained

The myth of the presence of indispensable amino acids only in animal food is precisely a myth actively promoted by food corporations and owners of the meat processing industry.

On the Internet, you can find enough information about which plant products contain all eight amino acids.

First of all, legumes are rich in essential amino acids — peas, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, etc. However, peanuts are extremely undesirable for consumption. In order to protect the plant and fruits from being eaten by pests during cultivation, peanuts are crossed with petunia genes, and such peanuts are extremely harmful to the liver. However, even if the peanuts are not modified, under the wrong storage conditions, a very dangerous mold forms on it, which leads to cancer. Peanuts also acidify our body, which is extremely harmful.

Nuts, seeds and cereals are rich in amino acids. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin and sesame seeds will be especially useful. And among the cereals — oats and unpolished rice. Among nuts, almonds, cashews and walnuts contain the most amino acids.

Thus, a complete list of indispensable amino acids can be obtained even if all animal products are excluded from the diet.

A healthy snack is the best way to satisfy evening hunger and provide the body with the necessary elements that will help the body to restore strength better during the night. Is it possible to eat cottage cheese before going to bed?
This late snack has its own benefits that you need to know about.

A healthy snack before going to bed is a good habit, but it is easy to spoil it. A piece of cheese and a handful of nuts is a healthy and nutritious snack, a whole package of cheese crackers is not. Eating before going to bed can serve several purposes, both good and not so good. Some people find it easier to fall asleep on a full stomach. But the key to a successful late healthy snack is to make it simple and clean.

The protein is your friend

A diet with sufficient protein content is one of the best ways to keep your body healthy and strong. As you know, protein consists of amino acids, which are usually called the building blocks of our body — they can be combined, broken down and recombined in an almost infinite variety of configurations, depending on how your body needs to use them.

Amino acids are used not only for building muscle mass, but also for the growth of bones, cartilage, hair, nails and skin. Protein is used to create enzymes that digest food, carry oxygen through the bloodstream and help regulate hormones, as well as build and repair tissues.

Another advantage of protein, especially useful at night, is that it takes longer to digest than carbohydrates. This means that you will feel full for longer than if you ended your day with a donut or chips.

Myths about late snacks

Snacking before bed have gained a bad reputation because some people believe that your body does not burn calories while sleeping. This is not true. Your metabolism may slow down a bit during sleep, but your body is still working on tissue repair, and your metabolic functions, such as breathing and blood circulation, are certainly still working.

Another popular is that everything you eat at a certain time of the day inevitably turns into fat. In fact, you gain weight if the total number of calories you consume exceeds the number of calories you burn. If you consume fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. Of course, the ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in your diet also matters, but it is not so important what time of day you eat.

Someone thinks that it is good not to have a snack before going to bed, because the more you move after eating, the more calories you burn. But this is not quite true. Your subcutaneous fat is not lost and is not gained every hour. These changes occur over days, weeks, and even months. And this is the main difficulty in losing weight: success requires thinking for the long term, while too many people want quick results.

Why cottage cheese is a great choice

Choosing cottage cheese as a health snack before going to bed makes sense for a number of reasons: from protein and nutrients to creaminess and fresh taste. So, researchers from the University of Florida found that people who eat at least 30 grams of protein for 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime have a better metabolism, muscle quality and overall health than people who did not do it.

Moreover, the study participants who ate cottage cheese before going to bed received all these benefits, but did not gain weight. Another study published in the British Journal of Nutrition used regular food, rather than just protein powders or other supplements, which makes it more relevant for real life.

In addition, cottage cheese practically does not require cooking, it is well stored in the refrigerator and is even sold in containers for one serving or with already added fruits. It is also relatively inexpensive, and you can choose the percentage of fat content that you like and fits better into your macros.

Cottage cheese is always easy

There are many different ways to enjoy cottage cheese, regardless of whether you prefer it cold or hot, salty or sweet. The easiest way is to take a spoon and just start eating. Add a little salt or pepper to emphasize its natural creamy taste. Any fruits and berries are well combined with cottage cheese. A little sweetness will give it honey and maple syrup. You can also add a little cinnamon to enhance the taste. 

Edema can be caused by too much salt and additional sodium in the body. That keeps the liquid outside the cells.

Sodium plays a key role in regulating water in cells, and also contributes to the functioning of the nervous system and muscle work. The body tries to maintain the ratio of sodium to water outside the cell walls, about the same as in seawater.

When using salt, the body retains water to maintain the desired ratio. So, 400 mg of sodium (the amount in 1 g of table salt) makes the body retain an additional 0.5 liters of water. We need at least 180 mg of sodium per day, and ideally 1500 mg. However, a modern person receives more than 3,400 mg.

Measures to prevent edema

One of the ways to reduce water retention is to increase potassium intake at the expense of vegetables and fruits. These foods contain nutrients that help prevent the leakage of fluid from the blood vessels into the tissue spaces. It is better to eat foods with a high content of potassium, and not take artificial supplements.

You can reduce or exclude unhealthy food from the diet: canned food, semi-finished products, fast food and other food that may contain hidden salt ingredients.

The problem with water retention can begin when a person goes on a low-calorie diet. As a rule, a low-calorie diet lacks protein, and protein is an important nutrient for preventing abnormal changes in body tissues.

Here are some tips that will help reduce edema in the body:

Reduce your sodium intake
Avoid processed foods
Drink 8-12 glasses of liquid a day (water, fruit juices, milk)
There are more citrus and green leafy vegetables
Follow the diet: eat at the same time and do not overeat
Regular movement is necessary. Cycling and walking help to activate the circulation of fluid in the lower extremities. Excess fluid is not excreted in those who make long flights, sit at a table for a long time or are in a wheelchair.

How to quickly remove excess fluid?

Doctors can prescribe diuretics-drugs that help the body get rid of water and sodium. When using diuretics, you need to be careful because of possible side effects: dizziness, dehydration, weakness. It should be remembered that edema is not a cause, but a consequence of various disorders. If the cause is not eliminated, it will lead to more serious problems. The complications caused by fluid retention vary depending on the severity and the underlying cause.

Some products have a diuretic effect. For example, adding lemon juice to water causes frequent urination and reduces water retention. Cranberry juice is another natural diuretic. You can drink one glass of cranberry juice a day to reduce water retention. Most foods high in vitamin C also have natural diuretic properties.

No matter how contradictory it may seem, but the use of a large amount of water reduces its retention in the body. Since water retention often occurs due to dehydration, providing the body with a large amount of water will allow the body not to store water in order to prevent it.

It is necessary to maintain a healthy lymphatic system. It circulates lymph throughout the body and collects bacteria, viruses and residues of cell waste products for subsequent disposal.

Proper nutrition and physical activity will help to avoid serious health problems and, as a result, fluid retention.

Be healthy!

Water retention, or edema, is defined as an excessive accumulation of fluid in the circulatory system, tissues or cavities of the body. 

We consist of about 60-70% water. Water is contained in organs, muscles and even bones. But sometimes the body holds too much water, and then there is swelling of the feet, ankles, hands, face.

Water retention is often temporary and can be easily eliminated. However, this may be a sign of a serious illness. In particular, weight may increase, and no diets and exercises will help you lose extra pounds.

Why water retention happens in the body

Edema occurs when small blood vessels leak fluid into nearby tissues. Excess fluid accumulates and causes swelling of the surrounding tissues. There can be many reasons for edema: a dislocation, a bee sting or a skin infection. By the way, in the case of an infection, edema helps the body to heal, since more white blood cells fighting the infection get into the swollen area.

Other reasons that the fluid is retained in the body can be caused by a number of conditions and diseases. The most common reason is too much salt in the diet. The cause may be: diseases of the heart, kidneys, liver, side effects from certain medications, a malfunction of the lymphatic system. 

Other common causes:

A long stay standing on your feet.
Hot weather.
Burns, including sunburn.
Lack of protein or vitamin B1 (thiamine) in the diet.
Taking medications (hypotensive) for high blood pressure, corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Chronic venous insufficiency: weakened vein valves on the legs cannot effectively return blood to the heart.

Water retention: symptoms

Fluid retention can be accompanied by symptoms that depend on the underlying disease or disorder. For example, clinical symptoms of water retention in the body associated with diseases of the cardiovascular system:

Chest pain or pressure
Fatigue
Inability to move for a long time
Shortness of breath

Other symptoms that may occur together with fluid retention:

Reduction of body hair, especially in areas of edema.
Discomfort or pain in the part of the body where the swelling occurs.
Reduced ability to move the part of the body affected by edema.
Changes in the condition of the skin in areas affected by edema: thickening, loss of elasticity, etc.
Rapid weight gain or weight fluctuations.
When pressed, the skin can hold the dent for several seconds.

There are more serious symptoms that may indicate a life-threatening condition:

Shortness of breath
Inability to urinate
Loss of consciousness

What foods retain water in the body: list

Edema is a serious health problem, so you need to understand which products retain water in the human body. The mechanism of water retention depends on the peculiarities of digestion of these products. For example, gas formation, bloating and increased acidity lead to water retention.

Pay attention to the list of products that lead to edema. They can be excluded from the diet or reduced in number:

Foods rich in sodium. Table salt is one of the main causes of water retention. How salt retains water in the body has been known for a long time, but it is not so easy to exclude the product from the diet. Salt is present in almost everything that we eat: in processed and ready-made products, bread, etc. Table salt contains about 40 % sodium, which the body dilutes with water, then the excess liquid is retained. Given this fact, you can remove excess fluid from the body by replacing salt with spices.

Carbonated drinks and drinks with a high acid content. In addition to soda, this list includes coffee, caffeinated drinks, fermented tea and some fruit juices.

Vegetables of the cruciferous family. White cabbage, broccoli, radish, horseradish also retain water in the body of men and women. This is due to the fact that they contain raffinose — a sugar that remains undigested until it is fermented by bacteria in the intestine.

Apples. This product is an integral part of a healthy diet. However, the fruit contains fructose and sorbitol, which are difficult for some people to digest, which leads to puffiness.

Starch. Most products rich in starch (potatoes, corn, pasta, wheat, etc.), products made of refined wheat flour, as they are difficult to digest, emit gas, are rich in fats and can cause water retention.

Dairy products. In people with lactose intolerance, the body cannot digest dairy products, so they move to the colon, where bacteria try to break them down.

Legumes. These products are rich in proteins, but at the same time they contain such an amount of sugar and dietary fiber that it is not easy for the body to digest.

Spicy and fried dishes. The stomach takes much longer to break down fats and digest them properly. Spicy food stimulates the secretion of gastric juice and can cause an increase in acidity.

How alcohol causes water retention in the body

Alcohol is a toxin, and the body needs water to remove the poison. Therefore, on the one hand, the body itself retains water to help the liver cope with toxins, and on the other — alcohol disrupts the excretory function of the kidneys — and fluid accumulates in the tissues.

The situation can be worsened by the use of fried, salty and spicy food together with alcohol. How long alcohol retains water in the body depends on many factors: the strength of drinks, their quantity, the accompanying food and, of course, the state of health of the person who uses alcohol poison.

Vegetarianism is one of the healthy and balanced nutrition models. Nutrition is the basis of a healthy lifestyle, maintaining impeccable performance and love of life for many years.

But everyone has their own concept of rationalism: some refuse to fry in favor of safer ways of cooking, others exclude excess salt and smoked meat, and for others, a healthy diet is limited to eating fruits and vegetables at least several times a week.

From the point of view of logic, none of these approaches can provide a full-fledged diet, and it can hardly be called healthy, because the key to a full-fledged life is not so much the quality of the products consumed, but the harmony that they bring to the body.

That is why vegetarianism is considered to be a way not only to provide the body with everything necessary for active life and a full-fledged physical condition, but also to maintain mental balance and natural balance, without killing innocent animals for the sake of satisfying base gluttony.

What is vegetarianism?

For most ignorant critics who are skeptical about vegetarianism, a plant-based diet is just a way of eating that excludes meat consumption. This position has the right to exist, but for true vegetarians, their principles are not just a daily diet, but rather a life philosophy that generates bliss, harmony and compassion for all living things on earth.

People who have chosen vegetarianism as the basis of their life are driven by social, religious, ethical and spiritual aspects. The basic principle “I don’t eat anyone!”, voiced many years ago, is still the slogan of adherents of a plant-based diet, since it reflects the true motives of vegetarians. For them, killing for food is base, blasphemous and simply unacceptable.

The spiritual aspect of vegetarianism is associated with the belief that any food carries positive or negative energy obtained in the process of its extraction and preparation.

However, what positive emotions can we talk about if, before getting on the table, the animal was killed by the hand of a person? All the horror, fear and hopelessness that he experienced at that moment were absorbed into every piece of the future steak, into every molecule of it. And by consuming such food, a person cannot remain in harmony with himself, live in peace and harmony, killing for dinner, even if not with his own hands, but still…

In addition, meat-eating brings chaos to the ecological situation of the planet. Just think about it: one of the leading places in the rating of pollutants of water bodies is occupied not by the chemical industry, which everyone is used to blaming for natural disasters, but by livestock farms.

The deforestation of forests for pasture territory, hundreds of hectares of grain for animal feed, which are artificially bred for the sake of enrichment – is this not an environmental disaster? Even the ancient Greek philosopher Plato expressed the opinion that eating meat leads to an unreasonable use of land resources, so why this obvious fact has not yet changed the situation.

The benefits of vegetarianism for the body

There is an opinion that a vegetarian diet consists of one “herb”, which is not able to provide the body with all the necessary vitamins, nutrients and minerals. But how in this case do vegetarians manage to maintain an indecently healthy, young and blooming appearance for many years, maintain an active physical and spiritual component of life?

Vegetable food is not only herbs and roots, but also cereals, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables…

Unsaturated fatty acids, which are rich in plant foods, strengthen the cardiovascular system, normalize metabolism, improve the condition of the skin and bones.

Modern classification

With the growing popularity of such a concept as vegetarianism, it has ceased to have the monosyllabic meaning of a plant-based diet. In modern society, it is quite difficult to navigate among the variety of branches.

Who today can proudly call themselves a vegetarian? There are many options:

Those who have refused meat dishes, but continue to consume fish and seafood, adhere to the principles of peskovegetarianism.

Carnovegetarians, having excluded meat from the diet, continue to eat poultry.

For some reason, Flexitarians consider the use of cattle meat acceptable.

However, even among the adherents of deep philosophical principles of this direction, varieties have appeared:

Lactovegetarianism allows the use of dairy products in food.

A plant-based diet that includes eggs is called ovovegetarianism.

The combination of two indulgences – milk and eggs in the diet – is called lactoovegetarianism.

Vegans adhere to stricter principles, completely abandoning animal products.

Raw food diet implies minimal heat treatment of plant foods to preserve natural sources of vitamins and minerals.

Fruitarianism means eating fruits, nuts, seeds, berries and vegetables, but not the plant itself. In short, if at least one representative of the plant or animal world has suffered during the preparation of food, the Frutorian will refuse to eat such a dish.

Macrobiotics build their diet on cereals.

The palette of modern vegetarianism is diverse and full-fledged, so everyone can choose independently which principles it is more convenient for him to adhere to.

The main thing is that the dining table does not cost anyone their life.