Vitamins and minerals help regulate everything from hormonal levels to a strong immune system. They play critical roles in the structure of our bodies. For example, calcium mineralizes our bones, and Vitamin C makes our collagen strong. Micro nutrients also impact how well our bodies function:
Sodium, potassium and calcium work together to moderate hydration and muscle contractions.
Vitamin K allows blood to clot if we get a cut.
Vitamin E, an antioxidant, protects healthy cells from being damaged.
The water and fat soluble vitamins we consume are no less important than the fats, carbs and proteins for maintaining good health.
It’s not necessary to know every function of every vitamin and mineral to understand their importance. When I was the Director of Health and Phys. Ed. for a local college, I taught a course on nutrition. It took over half the semester hours to cover the micro and macro nutrients. I will spare you the drawn out education plan and just give you a summary today.
Maximizing Micro Nutrient Intake
Be sure you eat from all food groups. It makes me crazy when I hear clients tell me they are eating no carbs or cutting a particular food group out. You are robbing yourself of important nutrients.
Add colour to your plate! Many micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals) contribute to the colour associated with foods. Trying a variety of fruits and veggies will help assure you are getting the vitamins and minerals needed.
Eat fresh or frozen foods when you can. Many nutrients are lost during processing of packaged and canned foods.
Minimize processed food and sugar. These foods tend to leach vital micro nutrients from your body. As mentioned in a previous blog, sugar is an anti nutrient!
Stock up on frozen produce. Frozen fruits and vegetables are usually picked at peak freshness and quickly processed, which preserves their nutrient value.
Kitchen Basics
Certain vitamins and minerals can be lost or broken down in cooking, while others can be better digested and absorbed when paired with certain foods. Below are some general rules to follow in the kitchen;
Eat some produce raw and avoid overcooking the rest. When cooking: steaming, roasting or sautéing will generally preserve more vitamins and minerals, compared to boiling.
Eat iron-rich plant foods like lentils, spinach, tofu and beans with a squeeze of lemon juice or citrus dressing. The Vitamin C increases iron absorption.
For better absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, combine with a healthy fat, like oil & vinegar dressing.
I prefer to choose foods over supplements. Supplements are usually man made synthetic blends. Vitamin and mineral supplements can be beneficial when treating nutrient deficiencies or certain medical conditions, but for most people, natural sources are better assimilated into our bodies. It’s possible to get a wide variety of micro nutrients from a healthy, well-balanced diet.
*Information compiled from sparkpeople.com