Glossary

Word Definition

Polyunsaturated oils: Oils and fats are made up of molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. When all the carbon atoms of an oil are bonded to hydrogen atoms, it is called a saturated oil or fat (pork fat, coconut oil, etc.). If there are carbon atoms that are not bound to hydrogen atoms then the oil is a polyunsaturated oil (corn oil, vegetable oil, etc.). Oils that are not saturated with hydrogen react to oxygen in the environment and can oxidize or rot. Polyunsaturated oils are those oils that contain a large amount of carbon atoms that are not hydrogen bonded and therefore react to oxygen and can oxidize or rot if not refrigerated.

Adaptogen: Adaptogens are natural substances that were discovered by the Russians and were secretly studied by scientists in the former Soviet Union from 1947 until 1991 when the communist regime was dissolved in Russia. They are substances that have properties that help the body adapt to all kinds of adverse situations such as stress, fatigue, exhaustion or cold. Adaptogens have been successfully used to increase the body's metabolism and energy as well as to combat a large number of diseases and conditions such as depression, hypothyroidism, diabetes or obesity.

Starch: Carbohydrates such as potato, yautia, cassava, sweet potato and other tubers are composed of starch. Rice is also a starch. Starches are molecules composed of simple sugars which the body converts into glucose very easily.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are foods such as bread, rice, potatoes, flours of different grains (corn, wheat, barley, etc.), pasta, vegetables, fruits and sugars. Carbohydrates are also called carbohydrates and are by definition sugar molecules such as glucose, fructose, lactose and others. The human body uses glucose (blood sugar, carbohydrates) as a source of energy for the cells. They are called carbohydrates because they contain the elements carbon and hydrogen along with the element oxygen.

Cholesterol: A natural substance produced by the human body and by animals. Cholesterol is the main building material of many hormones such as estrogen (female hormone) and testosterone (male hormone). Virtually every cell in the body contains cholesterol with the exception of bone cells. There is cholesterol that is called good cholesterol (HDL,high density lipoprotein) and one called bad cholesterol (LDL,low density lipoprotein).

Cortisol: Its real name is glucocorticosteroid or cortisone. This hormone is produced in the adrenal glands which are located on top of each of our two kidneys. The wordcortisolis the English name for this hormone. It is a hormone that is produced in response to stress and whose effect includes actions such as increasing blood glucose levels (hence fattening), destroying some muscles to convert them into amino acids that the body can use to produce energy (destroying muscles creates sagging skin), reducing the action of the immune system (creates more likelihood of infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites) and reducing any inflammation in the body.

Enzyme: Enzymes are proteins that are involved in bringing about changes and transformations of other substances. For example, there is an enzyme that transforms cholesterol and converts it into the hormone estrogen. There are different enzymes that are used to digest fats, proteins and carbohydrates. There are enzymes in the body whose main function is to deactivate toxic substances that enter the body. Some enzymes break the bonds that exist between the atoms of a food and thus release the energy contained in the food. Enzymes are involved in all body processes.

Goitrogens: Natural or chemical substances that have been shown to suppress the function of the thyroid gland. Anything that suppresses thyroid gland function reduces metabolism. Some natural goitrogens are contained in soybeans. Fluoride in toothpaste is one of the goitrogens because it reduces the production of thyroid hormones.

Hyperthyroidism: A condition in which the thyroid gland produces an excess of thyroid hormones. This causes weight loss, palpitations, high blood pressure, insomnia, panic attacks, difficulty concentrating, continuous tiredness and nervousness, among others.

Hypoglycemia: The word hypoglycemia means low blood sugar (glucose). The prefix hypo means low or low and glycemia comes from glucose. Contrary to diabetics who have too high blood glucose, people with hypoglycemia have too low blood glucose at times. Having too low glucose causes tremors, dizziness, sweating and mental disorientation. It is estimated that practically all diabetics went through hypoglycemic states before reaching the condition called diabetes.
Hypothyroidism: A condition in which the thyroid gland produces an insufficient amount of the hormones that control metabolism and body temperature. This condition is characterized by symptoms such as depression, hair loss, cold extremities, constipation, dry skin, difficulty losing weight, continuous fatigue, digestive problems and continuous infections. It is a condition that is not always detected in laboratory tests and may exist subclinically (not easily detected in laboratory tests).

Insulin: A very important hormone produced in the pancreas that allows glucose to be transported to the cells to be used as a source of energy for the human body. It is the hormone that allows the accumulation of fat in the body when there is an excess of glucose that is not used by the cells. Diabetics have problems related to this hormone and in some cases have to inject it if their pancreas has already suffered damage and does not produce enough of it.

Metabolism: The sum of all the processes and chemical changes the body uses to convert food and nutrients into energy for survival. The word that best defines metabolism is the word movement. Metabolism has to do with all the movements of the human body.

Mofongo: In the typical food of Puerto Rico there is a dish prepared with fried plantain and then mashed that is called mofongo. It is said to be a dish originated by African slaves in Puerto Rico during the colonial era. The name mofongo is of African origin. The people of the Dominican Republic have a similar one called mangú which apparently was also originated by African slaves. The plantain is a very high carbohydrate starch. It is tasty, but if abused it is fattening.

Osteoporosis: A condition that mainly affects women who are in their menopause and in which part of a woman's bones are lost. The loss of bone creates pores in the bones and this increases the risk of bone fractures by any simple blow or fall.

Whey protein: Several types of proteins are extracted from milk, such as casein and whey. In Spanish whey means whey. Whey has proven to be the type of protein that accelerates the human metabolism the most and even its consumption has a protective effect because it boosts the body's immune system. For weight loss or to improve metabolism there is no more appropriate protein than whey protein.

Proteins: Proteins are materials such as meat, cheese and eggs. Proteins are made up of amino acids. Many amino acids together build a protein. Many of the hormones such as insulin are proteins. Digestive enzymes are also proteins because they are composed of amino acids. The word protein originates from the Greek wordprotaswhich means of primary importance.

Testosterone: Testosterone is a hormone that creates the masculine characteristics of men (greater muscularity, lower pitched voice and facial hair). It is also the hormone that controls sexual desire in both men and women. Men's bodies lose their ability to produce testosterone as men age. Women's bodies produce very little testosterone but it is still an indispensable hormone for women because it controls sexual desire in women.

Triglycerides: Triglycerides are fats. All fats and oils are triglycerides. They are so called because the molecules of all fats and oils always contain 3 (tri) lines of extensions composed of fatty acids attached to a backbone of glycerin. This is where the word triglyceride comes from . The type of fatty acid that makes up the extension is what determines whether it is olive oil, corn oil or any other type.

Tubers: foods such as cassava, yautia, malanga, sweet potato and others that grow under the ground and are mainly composed of starches. Starches are sugar molecules that are very easily converted into glucose.

Iodine (Iodine): Essential mineral used by the thyroid gland in order to build the T4 and T3 hormones that drive the metabolism and allow the creation of energy at the level of all cells in the body. Iodine is also necessary for the health and proper functioning of other glands in the body such as the mammary (breast), ovarian, prostate and adrenal glands. There are several other compounds toxic to the body that compete with and displace iodine in the body's cells which can cause hypothyroidism. For example, the chloride contained in iodized salt competes with iodine since salt contains 30,000 times more chloride than iodine. The same happens with the fluoride contained in toothpaste that interferes with the absorption of iodine. Similarly, the bromide added to bread and wheat flour blocks the entry of iodine. Also mercury from dental amalgams displaces iodine and negatively affects the thyroid.