Essential Nutrients Missing From Your Diet
There are several essential nutrients missing from the diets most
people eat. Replacing them with vitamin supplements doesn't make up for
the synergistic effects of nutrients found in food.
Fiber nutrients
Fiber is the indigestible part of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Whole grains and cereal fiber can lower your heart disease risk by 30%.
To increase the fiber in your diet to the recommended 14g for every
1,000 calories eaten, have a 1/2 cup serving of Fiber One cereal and
add more beans to your diet with lentil soup. Use whole grain bread and
add some fruit and vegetables to your meals.
Magnesium and Potassium nutrients
Magnesium and potassium are linked to blood pressure control,
protection from osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. To
add magnesium, have a half-cup of bran and cooked spinach daily. For
potassium, eat sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans and bananas.
Calcium nutrients
Calcium provides the raw material for building your teeth and bones. It
prevents bone-thinning osteoporosis, contributes to healthy blood
pressure, and can reduce the risk of colon cancer. To have the right
amount in your diet, drink three glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk
every day, or have eight ounces of fat-free yoghurt and 2-3 ounces of
low-fat cheese each day.
Vitamin A nutrients
Vitamin A cares for and maintains our eyes, the linings of the
respiratory, intestinal and urinary tracts, and the quality of our
skin. To add more vitamin A to your diet, add darkly-pigmented foods to
your daily diet. These include carrots, spinach, kale, winter squash,
and a medium baked sweet potato. They do not include lettuce and french
fries.
Vitamin C nutrients
Vitamin C is necessary for our body to create collagen, a glue that
holds our skin, bones, blood vessels and skin together. It also helps
to make brain chemicals, neutralize damaging free radicals, and
metabolize cholesterol. Vitamin C may also help the heart and reduce
arthritis and diabetes. To add vitamin C to your diet, simply add a
glass of orange juice or an orange every day. Other helpful foods with
vitamin C are kiwifruit, cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, strawberries,
red or green bell peppers, and broccoli.
Vitamin E nutrients
Sufficient vitamin E also neutralizes free radicals to protect cells
from damage, plays a role in the immune system, can help prevent the
common cold, and can lower the risk of Parkinson's disease. Foods
healthy in vitamin E include almonds, sunflower kernels, and sunflower
oil in salad dressings, which helps you gain the nutrients from the
vegetables and carry the vitamin E into the bloodstream.
