These Daily Nutrients Are Missing From Your Diet
Being conscious of health and nutrition has become far more mainstream than ever before. Organic fruits and vegetables are available at almost every supermarket nationwide, and consumers are keeping a watchful eye on the ingredients in their food, how their food is grown and how it’s all packaged.
But the fact of the matter is that most people are still not getting the nutrients they need every day. So, what exactly are you missing?
Nutrition Does a Body Good
Your body needs 45 nutrients every day just to survive, let alone endure all the stress you put it through, such as smoking, drinking, exercise, and travel. Factors like age, gender, and local availability of fresh fruits, vegetables and proteins play a major role in your body’s health. This includes how you feel each morning and how well you fight off sickness and heal from injury. Here’s your guide to getting the nutrition your body needs, no matter how short you are on time and local resources.
Cold-Weather Killer
Experts across the board agree that the vast majority of Americans are missing some very specific and necessary nutrients. The most widely overlooked and most important to your overall health and well-being is Vitamin D. The natural way to soak up Vitamin D is through the sun’s ultraviolet rays. And while sunbathing can lead to skin cancer, a Vitamin D deficiency can wreak havoc on your health, too, resulting in lower bone density, a weakened immune system, higher susceptibility to some cancers and an increased risk of terminal cardiovascular disease.
Symptoms can take years to present themselves, and getting your Vitamin D levels back up to a healthy range can take months. Many kinds of cereal, juices, and loaves of bread are fortified with Vitamin D, but the best way to get it is through foods that contain it naturally, like eggs and salmon.
The Antioxidant Vitamin
Vitamin E is an incredible antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals that are both naturally and environmentally occurring. The National Institutes of Health believes this antioxidant can help ward off everything from cancer to cardiovascular disease.
And while it’s easy to pop a vitamin and get your daily recommended dose, you’ll get even more health benefits from eating the foods and oils in which it naturally occurs. You’ll find the highest concentration of Vitamin E in dry roasted almonds, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ oil. You can also find smaller amounts of it in mangos, tomatoes, and spinach.
Missing Magnesium
If your diet consists of not nearly enough green things and includes refined sugar and caffeine, you most likely need to supplement your diet with magnesium.
It’s responsible for more than 300 enzyme systems that affect chemical reactions in the body. Magnesium affects muscle function, blood pressure regulation, and nerves. Plus, magnesium is essential to carry out your daily bodily functions. You can find it in its highest concentration in dry roasted almonds and cashews, and it’s especially abundant in boiled spinach.
Fill in the Gaps
Getting your nutrients from real, unprocessed foods is ideal, but not always plausible. Kids, jobs and life in general, have a way of excusing you from responsible routines and healthy food options. Plant-based supplements, however, can fill in the gaps and keep your nutrient levels right where they need to be. But remember: They are never a replacement for real, whole foods. For some extra information on supplements, check out Amway’s Facebook page to see what the company offers.
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