Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Seven Nutrients Many Americans are Lacking

--from(sixwise.com)

1. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects your cells from damaging free radicals, may protect against cancer and Alzheimer's disease, helps your cells to communicate effectively and helps to boost your immune system. However, up to 93 percent of Americans are not getting enough.

  • Excellent Food Sources: Mustard greens, Swiss chard, sunflower seeds (raw, preferably), turnip greens, almonds, spinach, papaya and olives

2. Vitamin C

Over 30 percent of Americans are not getting enough vitamin C, which is crucial for boosting your immune system, helping wounds heal, protecting against cancer and fighting against free radical damage.

  • Excellent Food Sources: Red bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, parsley, lemon juice, strawberries, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cantaloupe, and grapefruit

3. Fiber

Fiber helps to support bowel regularity, maintain normal cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and may help you maintain a healthy weight by staving off hunger. However, upwards of 96 percent of Americans are not getting enough.

  • How Much You Should be Getting Daily: For Americans aged 19-50, 38 g for men, 25 g for women

  • Excellent Food Sources: Turnip greens, raspberries, broccoli, Swiss chard, raw celery, kidney and pinto beans, squash, strawberries and asparagus

4. Magnesium

About 56 percent of Americans are lacking in magnesium, a nutrient that is essential to build and strengthen your bones, keep your blood circulating smoothly, support your heart health and help your nerves and muscles to relax.

  • How Much You Should be Getting Daily: For Americans aged 31 years and up, 420 mg for men, 320 mg for women

  • Excellent Food Sources: Swiss chard, spinach, squash, pumpkin seeds, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, black beans and navy beans

5. Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps to preserve and improve your eyesight, promotes healthy skin and boosts your immune function, but about 44 percent of Americans aren't getting enough.

  • Excellent Food Sources: Raw carrots(some of these are not vit.A), calf's liver, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, apricots, red bell peppers, cod liver oil [you can only get true vitamin A from animal/fish sources]

6. Calcium

About 70 percent of Americans don't get enough calcium, which helps maintain strong bones, supports nerve and muscle function, and may help maintain normal blood pressure.

  • How Much You Should be Getting Daily: Americans aged 19-50, 1,000 mg. Those over 50, 1,200 mg

  • Excellent Food Sources: Yogurt, sesame seeds, milk, spinach, greens (mustard, turnip and collard), broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, oranges

7. Potassium

Potassium helps your nerves and muscles function properly, maintains normal blood pressure and helps regulate body fluids, yet 97 percent of Americans aren't getting enough.

  • How Much You Should be Getting Daily: For Americans aged 19 and up, 4,700 mg

  • Excellent Food Sources: Swiss chard, spinach, crimini mushrooms, lima beans, avocado, pinto beans, papaya, lentils, eggplant, beets, strawberries

3 comments:

mystical_rose84 said...

I love all the recent notes! Thanks for sharing them! I wanted to add psyllium to your foods high in fiber. I came across a recipe using psyllium to make a raw pudding... I can't find the recipe but I have elaborated on it a little so I thought I would just share how I make it. I have made this recipe almost every morning for the past few weeks and my whole family loves it! We have it in place of yogurt and sprinkle grape-nuts or granola on top. I use the blender to make a nut milk (about 2-3 cups water and between 1/3 to 3/4 cup of nuts depending on how creamy a consistency is desired) *I like to use a combination of : almonds, walnuts, and pecans* I then add half a lemon or more (rind and all ; exept the seeds), a few dashes of vanilla extract, a few shakes of salt, and several tablespoons of maple syrup (with some stevia if desired). After all the ingredients are blended together well I add between 2 and 3 full tablespoons of the psyllim husk and blend until it begins to thicken (it only takes a minute or two). Just before it fully thickens I add several ice cubes and blend some more (this chills it nicely). Another great thing is I can add other raw supplements such as flax oil, aloe vera juice, and lecithin along with the other ingredients and the flavors blend well. So I just thought I would share a little success story =)

etr said...

Thanks for still checking in on the blog. Thank you also for the recipe it does sound yummy. I'll have to try it, although I might modify it somewhat. I purposely omitted the psyllium because I'm still researching it. I have heard mixed reviews on it. I've heard it can cause gas and bloating, and it contains compounds that can exacerbate digestive disorders (I'm not sure about this though). I have also read that flax seed oil has too many phytoestrogens so I have just been using freshly ground flax seeds, which is a good substitute for psyllium.

mystical_rose84 said...

That is so interesting about the pysllium and the flax oil. Please let me know if you come across anything more on the subject ... however freshly ground flax is probably better for you anyway! I will have to try that =)