Are You Getting All The Nutrients You Need?
(BeWellBuzz) Good nutrition is one of the key ways to make sure you live a healthy life. When it comes to discipline, the food you eat deserves it as much as anything else. Talk of good nutrition and the importance of right nutrients can’t be stressed enough. Which means it’s vital for you to know the kind of nutrition you need and how the food you eat can contribute to that.
So what makes up the nutrition that facilitates your everyday functioning?
What We Eat in America, a report released by USDA, lists down the various nutrients your body needs from the word go.
- Fiber – Talk of digestive problems and this is the first kind of nutrient that comes into the picture. Take the right dose of fiber daily and you can stay miles away from digestive disorders. Dietary fiber has the ability to fight other major health concerns like colon cancer, diabetes, and gallstones. Complex carbohydrates and a complex chemical compound called Lignin constitute dietary fiber. Fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and legumes are rich sources of fiber.
- Calcium – The nutrient that looks after your bone health. In short, that’s calcium for you. If you don’t want your bone density to be affected, calcium should feature importantly in your diet – for as long as you live! Along with maintaining bone health, calcium also makes nervous transmission, hormonal function, and muscular function possible. To get your daily dose of calcium, rely on dark leafy greens, dairy products, tofu, and fish with bones.
- Potassium – Nerve impulses in your body could easily go for a toss if you didn’t pay attention to your daily potassium intake. This is a nutrient you most definitely need to keep your blood pressure under check. To make sure you never go on a potassium low, eat foods full of it. Yogurt, potatoes, white beans, avocados, soybeans and bananas are some potassium-rich foods that can make your diet complete.
- Magnesium – From bone health to nerve function, magnesium has an important role to play within the human body. It is also extremely important for calcium absorption. The fourth most abundant mineral in the body, magnesium can make or break the way you live. It steadies your heart and strengthens your immune system. Foods rich in magnesium include nuts, kidney beans, bananas, raisins, and avocados among others.
- Vitamin A – This is the nutrient that controls the production of red blood cells, immune function, and vision. Source your daily Vitamin A from green leafy vegetables as well as fruits and vegetables that are orange in color.
- Vitamin C –This nutrient plays the role of antioxidant within the body. So, for a sturdy immune system, Vitamin C is what you need. Fresh herbs, guavas, bell peppers, and leafy greens are all rich in Vitamin C.
- Vitamin E – Much of your vision health depends on this nutrient. That apart, Vitamin E acts as an important antioxidant. Spinach, dried apricots and an assortment of nuts like peanuts and almonds are rich in Vitamin E.
Now that you know nutrients that make a difference to your body, it’s time to find out how you can assess if you’re getting them all. Here are a few pointers.
- Watch your weight – If you’re not eating right, one of the first factors to buckle is your weight. You could well be eating nutrient-rich foods. But if you’re ballooning up, it surely means something is wrong. Check what your ideal weight should be and how many calories you should be eating. This will give you an idea about where you currently are. You may want to keep a diary to observe your progress. Also, make sure you get some form of exercise every day.
- See if you can see well – How good our vision is plays a vital role in how good our quality of life is. So, it’s important to keep a watch on how your vision is faring on a day-to-day basis. If you find something isn’t quite right with your sight, lack of nutrients could well be the answer. Up the intake of fresh fruits and veggies and in all probability, you’ll notice a difference very soon.
- Check your hair and skin – Quite often, the fact that you may not be taking all important nutrients is evident by the look and feel of your hair and skin. If your hair and skin lack healthy glow and have a drab feel about them, you might be in for trouble. Healthy cell growth is responsible for bringing sheen to your hair and skin. Eat foods like avocados, olives and nuts to keep cell growth steady. Lean chicken and turkey are also helpful in cell growth and regeneration.
Nutrients are your biggest lifelines. Ignore one of them or ignore them all, your body won’t thank you for it. Pay attention to the details and get surprised by how your body rewards you.
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References:
http://suite101.com/article/are-you-getting-all-the-nutrients-you-need-a411544
http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/are-you-getting-essential-nutrients-from-your-diet
