Nutrition Through Food

Getting Your Nutrition Through Food

If you are worried about getting the proper vitamins/nutrients/minerals in a natural way, then there is nothing better than getting it through the food you eat everyday. It is estimated that 40% of overweight American adults are deficient in vitamins A, C, D, E, calcium, and magnesium when compared to average weight adults. Why the lack of nutrition? It is the diet choices we make on a daily basis. The following is a list of commonly deficient vitamins and their food sources:

Vitamin A: Helps with bone growth, organ function, and vision. Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for adults is 700-900 ug/day.

Found in- meat, fish, dairy, and vegetables (green veggies, carrots), yams, prunes, and grape fruit

Vitamin C: Helps the skin (collagen production), heart, adrenal glands, and immune system. RDI for adults is 75-90 mg/day

Found in- Green veggies, onion, sweet potato, liver, tomato, and citrus fruits.

Vitamin D: Helps with bone growth, calcium absorption, and may help prevent colds. RDI for adults is 15 ug/day, and 20 ug/day for those over 70 years old.

Found in- sunlight, fish, butter, eggs, and many foods fortified with vitamin D (OJ, milk)

Vitamin E: Helps kill viruses and bacteria, prevents arteries from hardening, and keeps blood from clotting. RDI for adults is 15 mg/day.

Found in- fish, grains, almonds, sunflower seeds, avocado, Swiss chard, dairy, and meat.

Calcium: Helps build bone and clot the blood. RDI for adults is 1000 mg/day.

Found in- dairy, seafood, tofu, seeds, nuts, kale, and broccoli.

Magnesium: Needed for over 300 chemical reactions in the human body, aids in the function of heart muscles and blood vessels. RDI for adults is 400 mg/day.

Found in- meat, dairy, fish, nuts, poultry, legumes, broccoli, and squash.

Zinc: Helps with growth, healing wounds, and keeping the immune system strong. RDI for adults is 8-11 mg/day

Found in- eggs, milk, meat, oysters, fish, and whole grains.