Notes On Nutrition · 10:27pm Dec 24th, 2016
Notes On Nutrition
These are some notes I have been taking on nutrition. I am not a doctor or healthcare practitioner, so always ask a doctor about what vitamins and foods should be taking/ eating. These are more or less just general notes about vitamins that are good to take daily to promote good health.
Vitamins that are good for healthy teeth and bones:
K2: https://chriskresser.com/vitamin-k2-the-missing-nutrient/
Vitamin D3
Calcium
Msm Organic Sulfur
Omega 3
Eggshells, ground up, eaten daily: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/01/science/eating-the-shell-along-with-the-egg.html?_r=0
Making eggshell calcium: https://youtu.be/xra1regtIvM
Vitamins and Minerals - How to Get What You Need:
What are micronutrients?
Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals found in food that nourish your body and help keep you healthy.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), adult Americans do not typically get enough of the following nutrients:
Try to incorporate more of these nutrients in your daily diet. Keep in mind that it’s best to consume a variety of foods, instead of just taking a multivitamin, to make sure that your body is able to absorb the micronutrients properly. If you are unable to get all the nutrients you need from food alone, ask your doctor if dietary supplements are right for you.
Calcium
Potassium
Fiber: https://draxe.com/high-fiber-foods/
Magnesium
Vitamins A, C and E
Calcium:
Your body needs calcium to build strong bones and teeth in childhood and adolescence. As an adult, you need calcium to maintain bone mass. According to the USDA, the average American adult (eating roughly 2,000 calories per day) should get 1,136 milligrams of calcium each day.
The following foods are good sources of calcium:
Quick Tip: Almonds are the perfect snack – pack a handful to take to work or school for a healthy boost.
Nonfat or low-fat yogurt (8 ounces = 345-452 milligrams)
Nonfat or low-fat cheese (2 ounces = 400 milligrams)
Low-fat milk (1 cup = 290 milligrams) or skim milk (1 cup = 306 milligrams)
Fish and seafood such as sardines (3 ounces = 325 milligrams), pink salmon (3 ounces = 181 milligrams) and ocean perch (3 ounces = 116 milligrams)
Beans such as soybeans (1/2 cup = 130 milligrams) and white beans (1/2 cup = 96 milligrams
Spinach (1/2 cup = 146 milligrams)
Oatmeal (1 packet = 99-110 milligrams)
Potassium:
A diet rich in potassium helps your body maintain a healthy blood pressure. The USDA recommends that the average American consume 4,044 milligrams of potassium each day.
The following foods are good sources of potassium:
Quick Tip: Cut up a banana and mix it with a cup of low- or nonfat yogurt to make a healthy snack or light lunch.
Sweet potatoes (1 sweet potato = 694 milligrams) and regular potatoes (1 potato = 610 milligrams)
Beans such as white beans (1/2 cup = 595 milligrams), soybeans (1/2 cup = 485 milligrams), lima beans (1/2 cup = 484 milligrams) and kidney beans (1/2 cup = 358 milligrams)
Nonfat yogurt (8 ounces = 579 milligrams) or low-fat yogurt (8 ounces = 531 milligrams)
Skim milk (1 cup = 382 milligrams) or low-fat milk (1 cup = 366 milligrams)
Fruit such as bananas (1 medium banana = 422 milligrams), peaches (1/4 cup = 398 milligrams), cantaloupe (1/4 medium melon = 368 milligrams), and honeydew melon (1/8 medium melon = 365 milligrams)
Fish such as halibut (3 ounces = 490 milligrams), yellowfin tuna (3 ounces = 484 milligrams), rockfish (3 ounces = 442 milligrams) and cod (3 ounces = 439 milligrams)
Tomato paste (1/4 cup = 664 milligrams), puree (1/2 cup = 549 milligrams), juice (3/4 cup = 417 milligrams) and sauce (1/2 cup = 405 milligrams)
Magnesium:
Magnesium is a nutrient that helps your body produce energy, and helps your muscles, arteries and heart work properly. According to the USDA, the average American adult should get 380 milligrams of magnesium each day.
The following foods are good sources of magnesium:
Vegetables such as pumpkin (1 ounce = 151 milligrams), spinach (1/2 cup = 81 milligrams) and artichokes (1/2 cup = 50 milligrams)
Bran cereal (1 ounce = 103 milligrams)
Beans such as soybeans (1/2 cup = 74 milligrams), white beans (1/2 cup = 67 milligrams), black beans (1/2 cup = 60 milligrams), navy beans (1/2 cup = 48 milligrams) and great northern beans (1/2 cup = 44 milligrams)
Tofu (1/2 cup = 47 milligrams)
Brown rice (1/2 cup = 42 milligrams)
Nuts such as brazil nuts (1 ounce = 107 milligrams), almonds (1 ounce = 78 milligrams), cashews (1 ounce = 74 milligrams) and peanuts (1 ounce = 50 milligrams)
Vitamin A:
Vitamin A is associated with vision development and cellular growth and maintenance.
The following foods are good sources of vitamin A:
Quick Tip: A medium-sized sweet potato provides more than 100% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A!
Organ meats such as liver and giblets (3 ounces = 1490-9126 micrograms)
Vegetables such as sweet potatoes (1 medium potato = 1096 micrograms), pumpkin (1/2 cup = 953 micrograms), carrots (1/2 cup = 679 micrograms), spinach (1/2 cup = 573 micrograms) and turnip greens (1/2 cup = 441 micrograms)
Cantaloupe (1/4 medium melon = 233 micrograms)
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C helps the body form collagen (which is the main protein used as connective tissue in the body) in blood vessels, bones, cartilage and muscle.
The following foods are good sources of vitamin C:
Quick Tip: Make fresh fruit a part of every breakfast. One cup (about a handful) of halved strawberries or cubed cantaloupe provides the recommended daily amount of vitamin C.
Fruits such as guava (1/2 cup = 188 milligrams), oranges (1 medium orange = 70 milligrams), kiwi (1 medium kiwi = 70 milligrams), strawberries (1/2 cup = 49 milligrams), cantaloupe (1/4 medium melon = 47 milligrams), papaya (1/4 medium papaya = 47 milligrams), pineapple (1/2 cup = 28 milligrams) and mango (1/2 cup = 23 milligrams)
Vegetables such as raw red sweet pepper (1/2 cup = 142 milligrams), raw green sweet pepper (1/2 cup = 60 milligrams), Brussels sprouts (1/2 cup = 48 milligrams), broccoli (1/2 cup 38 milligrams), sweet potatoes (1/2 cup = 34 milligrams) and cauliflower (1/2 cup = 28 milligrams)
Vitamin E:
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which is a nutrient that helps fight damage to the cells in the body.
The following foods are good sources of vitamin E:
Quick Tip: A small handful of almonds provides half of the daily recommended amount of vitamin E.
Nuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds (1 ounce = 7.4 milligrams), almonds (1 ounce = 7.3 milligrams), hazelnuts (1 ounce = 4.3 milligrams), pine nuts (1 ounce = 2.6 milligrams), peanuts (1 ounce = 2.2 milligrams) and brazil nuts (1 ounce = 1.6 milligrams)
Turnip greens (1/2 cup = 2.9 milligrams)
Peanut butter (2 tablespoons = 2.5 milligrams)
Spinach (1/2 cup = 1.9 milligrams) and avocado (1/2 avocado = 2.1 milligrams)
Tomato paste (1/4 cup = 2.8 milligrams), sauce (1/2 cup = 2.5 milligrams) and puree (1/2 cup = 2.5 milligrams)
Vitamins for women: http://www.healthline.com/health/vitamins-for-women
Where Can I Get Vitamins?
Below are suggestions of foods you can eat for each vitamin:
vitamin A: cantaloupe, apricots, egg yolk
vitamin B1 (thiamine): lean meats, nuts and seeds, whole grains
vitamin B2 (riboflavin): milk and other dairy products, green leafy vegetables
vitamin B3 (niacin): legumes, fish, poultry
vitamin B6: avocado, banana, nuts
vitamin B12: shellfish, eggs, milk
vitamin C: citrus fruits, strawberries, Brussels sprouts
vitamin D: fatty fish such as salmon, fortified milk and dairy products
vitamin E: mango, asparagus, vegetable oils
vitamin K: cauliflower, kale, beef
biotin: pork, nuts, chocolate
pantothenic acid: broccoli, sweet and white potatoes, mushrooms
folate: beets, lentils, peanut butter
choline: eggs, meats, fish
Vitamins Women Need:
It's a message you've probably heard before: Keep yourself healthy with the right mix of vitamins. But which ones, you wonder, and should I pop pills or get the nutrients through the food I eat?
The best thing to do is to keep up a balanced diet. But supplements can be a good way to fill in the gaps when they happen.
Antioxidants:
This group includes vitamin A -- retinol, beta carotene, and carotenoids --, vitamin C, and vitamin E. They appear to play a role in protecting you from tiny particles your body makes, called free radicals, that can tear cells apart.
Antioxidants may lower the risk of some health problems and slow aging. Some researchers also think they help boost the immune system, your body's defense against germs.
Antioxidants include:
Beta-carotene: Your body changes it to vitamin A, a nutrient that helps eyesight, soft tissue, and skin. You'll find it in apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, guava, kale, papaya, peaches, pumpkins, red peppers, spinach, and tomatoes.
Vitamin C: You may also hear it called ascorbic acid. It heals wounds and helps your body make red blood cells. It also boosts levels of the brain chemical called noradrenaline, which makes you feel more alert and amps up your concentration.
Studies show that when you're under a lot of stress, or as you get older, your levels of ascorbic acid go down. You can get vitamin C from broccoli, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, peppers, potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes.
Vitamin E: It's also known as tocopherol and includes related compounds called tocotrienols. Your body needs it to keep cells healthy. It may slow signs of aging, too. But you raise your risk of bleeding if you take too much of it every day. You can get this nutrient in foods like margarine, corn oil, cod-liver oil, hazelnuts, peanut butter, safflower oil, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ.
B Vitamins:
There are a few types of these nutrients, and they're all good for your body. But three of them -- vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid -- are especially important.
Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. You need it to keep your brain working well and to help your body change food into energy, which is called metabolism. It can be toxic if you get too much of it at once, so your best bet is to eat foods that have this nutrient in it. Try fish, potatoes, chickpeas, avocadoes, bananas, beans, cereal, meats, oatmeal, and poultry.
Vitamin B12 is also important for metabolism, and it helps your body make red blood cells. You can get it from cheese, eggs, fish, meat, milk, and yogurt. Older adults, people with anemia, vegans, and vegetarians should work with a doctor to make sure they get enough of it.
Folate (folic acid). It helps build a healthy brain and spinal cord. It also makes DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells, and prevents the changes in DNA that can lead to cancer. Adults and children need it to build normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. But it's especially important for pregnant women because it helps prevent birth defects like spina bifida.
Foods high in folate include spinach and leafy greens, asparagus, citrus fruits, melons, strawberries, fortified grains, legumes, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, eggs, and liver.
Vitamin D:
It may be called a vitamin, but it actually works as a hormone. It helps to move calcium and phosphorus -- important minerals for keeping bones strong -- into your bloodstream. When your body doesn't have enough vitamin D, it will take calcium and phosphorus from your bones. Over time, this makes them thin and leads to conditions like osteoporosis, which puts you at risk for fractures.
You can get vitamin D if you eat eggs and fish, especially salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Many middle-aged and older adults, though, might need to get what they need from "fortified" foods, which have the nutrient added by the manufacturer, or from supplements.
Because calcium and vitamin D are closely linked, many doctors recommend that older people, especially women who have been through menopause, take a supplement that has both nutrients.
Vitamin K:
It plays an important role in keeping bones strong and helping blood clot for older people. The best food sources include green leafy vegetables, soybean oil, broccoli, alfalfa, cooked spinach, and fish oil.
Foods vs. Supplements: Which Is Better?
Most dietitians say it's better to get key vitamins from foods without relying on supplements. But talk to your doctor to see what’s right for you. Follow his directions so you don't take more than you should.
Are you telling me something about my gut in a long nutrition thing?
4353960 Lol No. These are just some notes I've taken because I want to start living a healthier lifestyle. It helps me to remember what kind of foods I should cook/ meals I should prepare. And it's just handy to have all of this information written down so I have a quick reference on all of vitamins and such I need to take daily.
4353966 I thought so too. So I decided to write it all down and share it with anyone who might be interested. :)