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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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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