Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Vocabulary 1.: Dramatically
Vocabulary 1.: Dramatically
dramatically
exercises
reasonable
slightly
fitness
careless
harmful
inactive
irregular
Vocabulary 2.
avoid
artificial
man-made
reject
guidelines
created
edible
nutrition
emits
ultimately
Reading passage 1.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
1. Too much sudden exercise may result in physical injury and the feeling that exercise is
not doing you any good.
2. Given time, physical damage can be repaired, but the psychological damage lasts much
longer.
3. Sudden over-exercise should not be seen as a solution to the effects of over-eating.
4. Mike Rayner believes that not enough people make preparation before beginning a
fitness programme.
5. Small splits in the bone caused by exercise are very painful
6. The people who visit Mike Rayner with hairline breaks find that recuperation can take
a longer time.
7. According to Chief Medical officer, the right type of exercise should make people feel
rather breathless
8. If exercise is not done in a methodical and steady way, the amount of bad cholesterol
in your body can rise.
Brain foods
A ‘Brain foods’ are those foods which improve brain function. A diet rich in complex
omega-3 acids, for example can help keep the blood vessels of the brain clear of
blockages and allow nerve cells to function at a high level. Eggs and oily fish like
salmon are both rich sources of omega-3 acids, and are considered to be excellent
brain foods. Vegetarians and vegans can find their sources elsewhere: some nuts,
seeds and leafy green vegetables such as spinach are high in simpler omega-3
acids known as alpha-linolenic acids, or ALAs, and are a healthy substitute for the
acids found in fish and eggs.
B The best brain foods are complex carbohydrates. The molecules in these are
long, so it takes longer for the intestines to break them down into the simple sugars
the body can use. Because of this, they provide a source of steady energy rather
than a surge followed by a plunge. The rate at which sugar from a food enters brain
cells and other cells is measured by the ‘glycemic index’ (GI). Foods with a high
glycemic index start the roller coaster of ‘sugar highs’ and ‘sugar lows’. Foods with
a low glycemic index keep blood sugar levels at a more steady level, helping the
body to avoid highs and lows.
C Fruits such as grapefruit, apples, cherries, oranges, and grapes have a low
glycemic index. Whole fruit ranks lower than juices, because fibre in the fruit slows
the absorption of fruit sugar. In the cereals and grains group, oatmeal and bran are
best. Spaghetti and rice have a relatively low GI, whereas corn flakes, sugarcoated cereals,
and white bread have much higher GIs. Vegetables and legumes,
including soybeans, kidney beans, chick peas, and lentils are great brain foods,
since they have the lowest glycemic index of any food. Potatoes and, perhaps
surprisingly, carrots have a much higher GI. Finally, dairy products have low
glycemic indexes; higher than legumes, but lower than fruits.
D How you prepare and eat your food also affects the way the body and brain uses
it. Eating sugary food after a meal of legumes, for example, may slow the
absorption of the sugar and prevent the ‘sugar blues’. Fats can also slow sugar
absorption, so ice cream without sugary fruit will have a lower glycemic index than
low fat yogurt with sugary fruit. It should also be noted that over-cooking some
starches can be similar to pre-digesting them, thus causing them to feed their
sugars into the blood too quickly.
E Proteins affect brain performance because they provide amino acids, from which
neurotransmitters are made. Neurotransmitters carry signals from one brain cell to
another. Therefore, the better you feed these messengers, the more efficiently they
deliver the goods. The amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine are the substances
from which neurotransmitters are made. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid and
it must be obtained from the diet. Tyrosine is not an essential amino acid because
the body can make it if need be.
F Some high protein, low carbohydrate, high tyrosine foods that are likely to rev up
the brain are seafood, meat, eggs, soy, and dairy. High carbohydrate, low protein, high
tryptophan foods that are likely to calm the brain include: pastries and
desserts, chocolate, nuts and seeds, and legumes.
G It is very difficult to compile a list of good and bad brain foods. People do not
always respond in the same way to differing ratios of protein to carbohydrates in
meals, and there are also subtle sensitivities to foods that vary from person to
person. Experimentation is called for, and it is up to the individual to find the
combination that works best for them.