| Abdominals:
the collective name for the muscles on the front of
the torso, below the chest. Same as Abs.
Abs:
the collective name for the muscles on the front of
the torso, below the chest. They are part of your "core" and
when weak contribute to back pain.
Abductors:
muscles of the inner thigh that pulls the legs together. They
attach the pelvis and the femur (or thigh bone). These muscles
are used in inline skating, skiing or swimming the breaststroke
(frog kick).
Acetone: a
chemical (see ketone bodies) formed when the body breaks down
fat instead of glucose for energy. Levels rise and acetone
"spills" into the urine and is exhaled in the breath
producing a "fruity" smell.
Adequate
Intake: intake level that sustains a defined nutritional
status, such as growth rate, normal circulating nutrient values,
or other functional indicators of health.
Adipex:
a brand name for Phentermine,
an appetite suppressant used to reduce calorie
intake.
Adipocytes:
Fat Cells. A fancy term used by scientists rather than using
plain english. Has twice as many syllables as fat cells.
Adipose:
The fat found in Adipose tissue.
Adipose
tissue: A specialized type of tissue for storing
cellular fat.
ADP(Adenosine Diphosphate):
a high energy phosphate molecule involved in the production
and storage of energy. The end product of the mono-phosphate
reduction of ATP.
Adrenal:
a gland of the endocrine system that produces essential hormones
including adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol .
Adult-Onset Diabetes:
another term sometimes used for type 2 diabetes
Aerobic:
containing oxygen or requiring oxygen.
Aerobic
Exercise: any continuous activity of large muscle
groups that forces your heart and lungs to work harder for
an extended period of time. Aerobic means "requiring oxygen".
Examples include walking, swimming, stair climbing, and bike
riding.
Albuminuria:
occurs when a protein called albumin is found in the urine
above a specified level - indicates potential kidney damage.
Allergy: exaggerated
response by the immune system in susceptible individuals.
Signs of allergic reactions include sneezing, coughing, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, and rashes.
Alpha Cells:
cells in the pancreas (the area called the islets of the Langherans),
that produce the hormone glucagon which in turn raises blood
glucose(sugar)levels.
Alveoli: Air
sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.
|
Amino Acid Score:
A measure of the actual amounts of individual amino
acids in a food, or in the diet relative to the need for the
amino acid. Does not evaluate whether the protein is digestible
Amino Acids:
The essential building blocks of Proteins, nine of which cannot
be manufactured by the body and therefore have to be obtained
through food intake.
Anaerobic:
not containing oxygen or not requiring oxygen.
Anaerobic Exercise:
continiuous activity that requires your body to perform
at explosive bursts for a relatively short duration. In this
type of exercise, your body relies heavily on stored energy
that does not need oxygen to be released. Examples include
weightlifting and sprinting.
Anaerobic Threshold:
The level of effort where lactic acid levels begin
to rise. It is the point at which you begin working your muscles
without oxygen
Angiopathy:
a disease of the blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries)
that occurs as a long-term complication of diabetes. Two types
macroangiopathy and microangiopathy.
Anorectic Drugs:
class of pharmaceuticals whose main purpose is to
suppress the appetite and are therefore used and prescribed
to patients who need to lose
weight
Anorexia Nervosa:
A psychophysiological disorder characterized by an abnormal
fear of becoming obese and therefor a distorted self-image.
This results in an unwillingness to eat leading to severe
weight loss. It can also be accompanied by vomiting, excessive
exercise and other physiological changes.
Antioxidants
like beta carotene and vitamins C and E, protects the cells
in your body from an unstable form of oxygen called a free
radical. The antioxidant combines with the free radical to
prevent it from attaching to and damaging the cells in your
body.
Antibodies:
substances occurring naturally in the body that help fight
infection.
Arteriosclerosis: thickening,
hardening and narrowing of the arteries.
Artheriosclerosis: see Arteriosclerosis
Artery a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.
Aspartame: a low
calorie synthetic sweetener
Asymptomatic no symptoms or sign of disease present.
Artificial Sweetners: substances
that impart sweetness to foods but supply little or no energy
to the body. They include acesulfame, aspartame, saccharin,
and sucralose.
Asana: The
term for any of the many poses done in yoga.
Ascorbic Acid:
Vitamin C
ATP(Adenosine Triphosphate):
a compound that is the main fuel cells use to synthesize molecules,
contract muscles, and various other tasks. |
