Do you eat a balanced, whole and real food diet daily? If yes, you are most
likely obtaining enough vitamins and minerals your body needs for optimal health
and function.
If you often eat ‘on the go’
and this applies to many people in North America, there is a good chance you
may be lacking important nutrients.
Even if you eat healthy, it is
important to know that soil quality, transportation and processing of food will
drastically influence the levels of nutrients. The age and certain health
conditions, especially digestive issues, can also impact your body’s ability to
digest and absorb the nutrients from your food.
In this article I will introduce the most common nutrient deficiencies and
how to optimize them. Remember, eating real and whole food is always your best option,
but sometimes supporting your meals with supplements is necessary, especially
if you are showing signs of deficiency.
Vitamin D
This vitamin can be deficient in people of all ages, especially in those
who choose to use excessively sun screen that blocks vitamin D production.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include achy bones, feeling blue, head
sweating and poor immune function.
You should test vitamin D yearly. The optimal range for general health
appears to be between 50 to 70 ng/ml.
How to improve vitamin D
It is recommended to expose large portions of the skin, such as your
back, chest, legs, and arms, to reasonable sun exposure. You have to be
cautious about the length of your exposure. The skin should turn the light
shade darker. Any additional exposure will only cause harm and damage to the
skin.
Consider avoiding processed foods. They tend to be loaded with synthetic
ingredients and the herbicides that have been noticed to interfere with enzymes
responsible for activating vitamin D in the liver and kidneys.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
This
vitamin is needed for essential functions in the body including energy production, blood
formation, DNA synthesis, and myelin formation. We can be deficient in vitamin
B12 through a lack of this vitamin in our food, or through inability to absorb
it from the food.
It is estimated that one in four adults are deficient in this important
nutrient, and nearly half the population has suboptimal blood levels. Most
common deficiency symptoms of B12 include mental fog, mood swings, memory
problems, fatigue, depression, muscle weakness and tingling in the extremities.
Unfortunately, lower ranges of vitamin B12 may not manifest for a number of
years, so by the time the symptoms occur, you may be quite deficient.
How to improve
vitamin B12
The main source of Vitamin B12 is beef
and beef liver (grass-fed beef), lamb, venison, snapper, salmon, scallops, shrimp,
organic poultry and eggs. It is absolutely important to eat this food daily.
If the blood test estimated lower level of vitamin B12, the best supplementation
alternatives include injectable B12 or sublingual drops. Remember, most oral
supplements tend to be ineffective, as vitamin B12 is poorly absorbed.
Magnesium
This is one of the most abundant mineral in the body. It is estimated
that 80 percent of Americans are deficient in magnesium!
Insufficient cellular magnesium levels will worsen proper metabolic
function that may cause health problems. Researchers have detected presence of
magnesium in more than 3000 biological chemical reactions. For example
glutathione one of the most powerful antioxidant, requires magnesium in order
to be produced. Magnesium also plays roles in preventing migraine headaches,
cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, heart attacks and
strokes.
Low magnesium levels are found in those people with elevated insulin therefore
magnesium intake may help reduce your possibilities of developing diabetes if
you are at risk.
How to improve Magnesium
We do not
have, commonly known, commercial lab test that will give us an accurate reading
of magnesium status in the blood. However, Dr.
Carolyn Dean in her book, The Magnesium Miracle, lists about 100 factors
helping us to determine whether or not we might be deficient. Her guideline will help you estimate how much
magnesium you need in order to decrease or eliminate deficiency symptoms.
We can keep our magnesium levels in a good range by eating seaweed and green leafy vegetables like
spinach and Swiss chard also beans, nuts, and seeds, like pumpkin, sunflower,
and sesame seeds. Avocados are also
a good source of magnesium. Another recommendation to improve magnesium status
is regular baths in Epsom salt. Epsom salt is a magnesium
sulfate that can be absorbed into your body through the skin. Magnesium oil can
also be used for topical application and absorption.
If you need a magnesium supplement, I recommend magnesium glycinate provides
the highest levels of absorption and bioavailability.
Omega-3 Fats
Most people use daily too many
inflammatory omega-6 fats such as processed vegetable oils and not enough
anti-inflammatory omega-3s. These imbalances may cause health problems,
including cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, Alzheimer's or rheumatoid
arthritis.
Symptoms of omega-3 to omega-6 imbalances include dry, flaky skin,
"chicken skin" on backs of arms, dandruff or dry hair, brittle nails,
fatigue, menstrual cramps and lack of focus.
How to improve
omega-3 fats
The ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats is about 1:1 but the typical American
and Western diets are between 1:20. You should increase omega-3 intake but also
need to reduce the amount of omega-6 in your diet by eliminating processed and
fried foods.
Sardines are one of the most
concentrated sources of omega-3 fats. One serving contains more than 50 percent
of the recommended daily value. They also contain other beneficial nutrients
such as vitamin B12, calcium, and choline.
You may decide to take omega-3s in
supplement form. Remember always to purchase the oil from reputable
supplementation companies that provide technology preventing from oxidation of fragile
omega-3 fats.
Iodine
Worldwide, it's thought up to 40 percent of the population at risk of
iodine deficiency.
Iodine is an important
nutrient essential for body’s tissues, healthy thyroid function and efficient
metabolism. The following symptoms could provide signs that you're not having
enough iodine in your daily eating:
·
Salivary glands - inability to produce saliva, dry mouth
·
Skin - dry skin, and lack of sweating. Three to four weeks of iodine
supplementation will typically reverse this symptom, allowing your body to
sweat normally again
·
Brain - reduced alertness and lowered IQ
·
Muscles - nodules, scar tissue, pain, fibrosis and even fibromyalgia
How to improve Iodine
There are potentially some risks of taking too much supplemental iodine.
As a nutritionist I am recommending an alternative source of iodine such as sea
vegetables and spirulina. Raw milk and eggs contain iodine, as well.
Tips to power your daily eating with nutrients
1.
Eat whole foods
2.
Minimize processed foods
3.
Focus on healthy fats, produce, grass fed animals,
poultry, organic free range eggs, nuts, seeds
4.
Eat reasonable amount of fruits
In addition I recommend including
as often as possible:
·
Homemade
bone broth - contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients.
·
Sprouts - contain much more enzymes than raw produce, allowing your body
to extract more vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat.
·
Vegetable
juices - help you absorb the nutrients they contain.
·
Fermented foods (probiotics) - deliver the beneficial bacteria to your intestines.
Probiotics not only help with mineral
absorption but also play an important role in producing nutrients such as B
vitamins and vitamin K2.
If
you liked this article, please forward it to any of your friends, family or
co-workers that would enjoy reading it and implementing these tips.
Please
remember, I am here to help you!
Maria Pawlicka M.Sc., BAA, CNP
Certified
and Registered Nutritionist
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