Making an effort to eating healthy is an important step towards living a longer, happier life. Your body is a living, breathing machine with thousands of systems working perfectly in tune to function properly, so it is important that it needs to be well-nourished in order to keep up with your everyday activities. Thanks to the internet—and science, of course—it’s been a lot easier for people with busy lifestyles to educate themselves on the value of clean eating and put their knowledge of it into practice.
Once you get into the habit of eating healthy, it becomes a lot easier to grocery shop and eat out. It becomes second nature, of sorts, but what many people don’t know is that often times these “so-called” healthy diets are missing some essential nutrients that the body needs. These nutrients are compounds that your body can’t create, thus, it needs to absorb them from food or vitamin supplements. Check out the list below of four essential nutrients that you may be missing in your diet and how to get them.
- Calcium
With the rise of dairy-free diets, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to get enough calcium into their bodies. As we all know, calcium helps build and maintain strong bones, but it also helps keep the cardiovascular, muscular, and nervous systems healthy. Calcium is incredibly important for our well-being and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life. So, where can you get calcium on a dairy-free diet? Calcium is also found in nuts, seeds, leafy greens, oysters, and peas. There are great non-dairy milk substitutions such as almond milk. Eating on the go? Those with busy lifestyles occupied by kids and work should try some easy-to-make plant protein shakes that are perfect—and nutritious—for those on-the-go mornings. - Vitamin D
Similar to calcium, Vitamin D contributes to overall bone health as well as helps the keep the muscular and nervous systems in top shape. As many of us know, exposure to sunlight produces Vitamin D, but what many people don’t know is that wearing sunscreen—which you should ALWAYS do by the way because it protects your skin against harmful UV rays—actually blocks this production of Vitamin D in the body. While there are a handful of foods that contain Vitamin D—such as cheese, egg yolks and salmon—there aren’t many options for those on special vegetarian or dairy-free diets. Also, the amount of food you have to eat to meet your daily requirement is hard. Instead, adding a complete multivitamin like Vitalizer™ into your diet may be the best way to ensure you’re getting the right amount of this essential nutrient. - Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that contributes to a longer cell life in the body. It is an essential nutrient and is particularly important for those who are exposed to environmental or toxic pollution on a daily basis. Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables. Consider taking a supplement as well. Outside of your diet, there are skincare products—such as lotions—that are fortified with vitamin E to moisturize skin and enhance the cell regeneration process. - Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)
Folic acid—also known as vitamin B9—aids in red blood cell production. Everyone needs folic acid. Getting enough folic acid is even more important for women as a prenatal/postnatal vitamin to reduce the risk of birth defects. Though folic acid can be found in foods such as green peas, lentils, and chickpeas, many nutritional experts recommend taking a women’s formula vitamin in order to ensure that you’re getting the proper amount of essential nutrients during pregnancy.
Practicing a healthy lifestyle and ensuring your body is getting the nutrients it needs are important steps towards living a long and happy life. We’re all human, with an amazing body that miraculously keeps us going daily, so it’s important to love and nourish it.
