It’s simple to justify our consumption of food by supplementing our diet with tablets or powders. But is it really more beneficial to get the nutrients we need via a bottle rather than from food?
You’re likely aware of the various essential nutrients that your body requires and why they’re so important. A lot of us were raised to consume carrots to improve our eyesight dri, milk to build strong bones and drink eight glasses of fluids each throughout the day. But what percentage of that advice remains relevant to us today?
Key Nutrients Our Bodies Need
To ensure proper body functions as well as brain growth, you need to incorporate a diverse selection of food items within your food intake. The most important nutrients our bodies require are the following:
Vitamin B-B vitamins: thiamine, riboflavin vitamin, niacin pantothenic acid, and biotin B6, B12, and folate.
Calcium Chloride, magnesium as well as potassium, phosphorus and sulfur, sodium.
Trace minerals include Chromium, fluoride, copper, iodine manganese, iron, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc.
How to Get the Right Nutrients
Although water isn’t as sour as it appears to be, sipping it can be the most efficient method of staying watered. Of course, it is possible to test flavors in water and other additives to your water to inspire you to consume the quantity you require. There is also water in fresh fruits and vegetables; however, you’ll have to drink the real water daily in order to obtain enough to ensure optimal performance all the way to the cell level. It’s suggested that we drink approximately half of our daily weight in ounces. If you weigh 130 pounds, you’d like to drink 65 ounces of water each day.
Although carbs are sometimes given an unpopular reputation, they are vital for providing energy to your brain and body. They are used to produce glucose, which is an extremely powerful energy source for the body. Without carbs, our bodies will switch to protein for glucose, which breaks it down prior to getting into the muscle. Protein for energy production means that our muscles do not get what they need to sustain or build up mass.
Simple carbs include sugars that can be found naturally in food items or added deliberately. Simple carbs are present in fruits, milk, and milk-related products. Table sugar can also be a source of simple carbohydrates and is often included in a variety of food items (baked items, juice/soda, and cereals).
Complex carbohydrates may take longer to digest, which gives you the “full” feeling for longer. A good source of complex carbs includes whole grains, vegetables, and fruit.
Protein is composed of amino acids that stimulate the growth of cells. Protein can be obtained from animal or plant sources like dairy, eggs, and nuts, as well as beans. Whichever source you use for your protein, you should have diverse sources to keep your cells running on fuel for renewal. If you’re a meat lover, make sure to select less-fat cuts of meat to gain greater protein and fewer energy and calories.
It’s “good” fat, and then there’s “bad” fat. Contrary to what popular diets claim, we require fats in our daily diets. Fat aids in vitamin absorption as well as providing security for our bodies. Fat does not only serve as insulation, providing warmth, but also serves as the organs’ cushion. It also serves as a source of energy storage, a fuel source for cell growth, and also helps to regulate blood pressure and cholesterol. There are many kinds of fats, and knowing their effects on our bodies is crucial.
Saturated fat is not a good choice since it may increase the LDL (“bad”) cholesterol level. It is typically present in animal meats, cream, and butter, as well as dairy products that contain high fat and cheese.
Unsaturated fats can be classified into two kinds:
Monounsaturated: avocados, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, plant oils.
Polyunsaturated: oils from plants, nuts, seeds, walnuts, and fish.
It is possible to focus on eating the best types of unsaturated fats. However, you must cut down on the amount of saturated fat that is present in your diet. Try substituting saturated fats for unsaturated fats. Simply eating more unsaturated fats won’t erase the saturated fats that you consume.
Do you remember those carrots we spoke about? We were instructed to eat them as children to gain the nutrients we require to maintain healthy eyes. While there’s some truth in the benefits of eating carrots, research suggests that you’ll need to consume around 4.5 pounds of carrots six times a week for six weeks to observe improvements. However, not all people can convert beta-carotene into sufficient vitamin A to improve eyesight. What’s the purpose of consuming your vegetables?
Vitamins aid in eye and skin health growth and development of bone and muscles, as well as protect against infections and help to boost the nerve system. There is myriad foods to offer our bodies the vitamins that our minds and bodies need. It’s the same with minerals, too. As with vitamins, minerals help improve the health of your bones, muscle function, bone health, and circulation.
Are Nutrition Supplements Effective?
There are plenty of wonderful ways to add some spice to our diets today. Incorporating capsule vitamins or powders into our daily diets is beneficial; however, there’s an art to it. Finding the ideal dosage of supplements isn’t as simple as drinking the Flintstones vitamin each morning or evening; it could be that we are feeding ourselves excessive amounts of a mineral or vitamin and not enough of the other.
If you choose to take supplements, make sure you make sure you research what your body’s requirements are. Take note of your exercise levels and the best way to achieve your health goals: by using the proper mix of foods and supplements.
If you have further concerns, schedule a free consultation with one of our nutrition specialists by calling us today.