A word on the importance of vitamins and minerals, “vitamins cannot effectively work in our bodies without the correct balance of minerals.”  How one maybe feeling, or the business  the of day may alter their total adequate nutritional intake. 

 Did you know without certain minerals consumed in our diet that blood production, bone growth, organ function, and vessel stability would be altered?  In other words a well balanced diet must be ingested.  For example; calcium is needed for vitamin “C” utilization, zinc for vitamin “A”, magnesium for “B” complex vitamins, selenium for vitamin “E” absorption, etc.

While only 5% of the human body is made up of mineral matter, they are critical to keeping the blood and tissue fluids from either becoming too acid or too alkaline.  By doing so, they allow other nutrients to pass into the bloodstream, aiding in transportation of nutrients to the cells and also drawing chemicals in & out of the cells.  It’s a big job for such a small object whose sole job is to make sure, that any slight change in the blood concentration of any mineral can quickly endanger life.

A common questions is, “Should supplements be taken?”  I usually advise a blood analysis to determine if any particular vitamin or mineral is missing.  Typically missing are calcium, iron, vitamin C and B’s. This could be from: age, growth spurts, sickness, daily nutritional intake or how one chooses to diet. Additionally,  many don’t take into consideration that foods lack higher amounts of qualtiy  vitamins and minerals due to pesticides, insecticides, pollution and erosion.

Please review the list below of vitamins and a short list on how they benefit of us, various nutritional minerals are also listed with their functions and important roles in maintaining the body’s homeostasis.

Vitamin K.  Promotes blood clotting, regulates blood levels, and activates 3 proteins for bone growth and health (gamma-carboxylase: BGP, MGP, Proteins.

Vitamin A Vitamin A helps vision and promotes bone growth, tooth development, and helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes.  Deficiencies:  Dry skin, blindness, poor bone growth, and weak tooth enamel.

Vitamins C and Vitamin E are antioxidants that effectively work against free radicals in order to protect the body’s cells.

The fat vitamins K, A, D, E are stored in the liver and typically found in measurement of international units which is considerably less than water based vitamins C and B’s, that are found in micrograms.  B and C vitamins must be consumed multiple times throughout the day as they are washed out of our system about every 4 to 6 hours. 

Vitamin B’s releases energy from Carbs. 

• Vitamin B1 Thiamine:  ENERGY, controls fxn of heart, muscle, nervous system. 
• Vitamin B2 Riboflavin: Growth, reproduction, produces RBC. 
• Vitamin. B3 Niacin Digestive system, skin and nerves.
• Vitamin. B5 pantothenic acid:  Metabolism Food, and formation of hormones.
• Vitamin B6 Pryidoxine: Immune system, nerve fxn, RBC. Too little B6 in the diet can cause dizziness, nausea, confusion, irritability and convulsions. Critical for protein rxn’s. 
• Vitamin B9 folate/folic acid:  RBC, nervous system, creates and forms DNA, brain fxn, spinal fluid. cell growth, developing baby growth in utero.
• Vitamin  B12:  RBC, maintains central nervous system.

While only an individual can truely identify their personal status, it is important to know your body and listen to it.  Talk it over with your doctor, most will agree that a multi vitamin is not a bad idea to include into your daily routine in order to balance out your nutritional intake and supplement those vitamins and minerals that could have otherwise been missed for the day.

Global Researchers are advicing us to eat raw vegetables in order to optimize la quantity of nutrients for our bodies. The benefits of raw vegetables consists of the stomach feeling satisfied, which contributes to not overeating and keeping focused while at work or studying at school.

While it’s true that cooked vegetables lose the quantity and quality of vitamins, recent research however, shows that there are also benefits from boiled vegetables. Consuming prepared vegetables helps the body absorb larger amounts of antioxidants through the intestine. It is important to note that boiled vegetables should be removed from the water after 3 minutes and at the maximum of 7 minutes.

Another way to eat vegetables is steamed…it is still considered the best way to not lose the quality or quantity of the vitamins while also provinding the benefits of those which are boiled.

For the parents, additional benefits should be noted based on their importance: Raw vegetables have been shown to reduce certain types of cancer, heart attacks, renewing of cells / tissues and weightloss.

Adults and Kids are learning about how to make successful dietary lifestyle choices by classifying foods into three visual categories for a balanced diet.  Bariatrics Research studies on Judith Willis “Traffic Light Diet” have proven weightloss and a newly adapted eating philosophy that makes around the kitchen table sense.  It begins with the most common question asked throughout ones day is “What am I going to eat?” However the question should more often then not be “Why am I eating?”

When balancing food for fuel we can take time to understand what we are putting on our plate and how to proportionally meet daily intake.  Judith Willis author of the “Traffic Light” diet explains that we can quickly educate ourselves by following a Red, Yellow Green color coded approach to nutrition.  This diet is easily “digested” information and is great for both adults and children.