Nutrients - What Do You Need?

While I am no nutritionist or doctor, it is common sense that healthy eating requires you to eat a number of nutrients every day. In fact, there are 40 different nutrients you need to ingest in order to keep your body healthy. That’s a lot of nutrients you need to know about! Luckily, you can break down all of these nutrients into smaller categories in order to keep them organized in your mind and make sure you get all of the foods you need.

Water
You probably didn’t think of this as a nutrient, didn’t you? Everyone needs water in order to live a healthy life. Without water, we become dehydrated, and eventually die. An adult’s body is made up of about 50-70% (up to 90lbs in a 130lb adult!) water. When water is taken out of our diet our survival time is 2-3 days at best so we simply have to make sure we are always well hydrated. You lose water when you sweat and through daily bodily functions, so water must be continuously replenished.

Drinking about 8 glasses a day is recommended, but the reality is that this depends on a number of different factors; for example, if you work out, what you eat, the temperature, etc. Although, water is found in food as well as in drinks, I would suggest that you aim for a minimum of 8 glasses of water over and above what else you drink. Especially since some other drinks actually dehydrate, like for example coffee. So although it contains water, it doesn’t actually help.

Drinking a lot of, arguably, tasteless water can become a deterrent. I’ve found that adding a slice of lemon or lime to a glass of water makes a big difference. It adds (natural) taste, and it increases the alkaline content in the water and it helps detoxify the liver and kidneys. There are loads of articles written on the benefits of lemon in your water.

If you are struggling to control your portion size when eating, try to drink a glass or two of water before your meals. It will fill you up with no calories at all.

Proteins
These are found in foods such as meat, eggs, and soy products. They provide the amino acids needed to build muscle tissue as well as help make some of the hormones in our bodies. Red blood cells and hair is also made from protein.

Along with proteins, a body also needs adequate amounts of fats (especially the right kinds) and carbohydrates in order for us to have enough energy during the day. Fats are primarily used for energy during intense activity, like exercising, while carbohydrates are primarily used for energy during less intense activities, like standing, sitting, and other movements. Both the fats and the carbohydrates that we eat in a day can be stored for later use as fat, so it is important to eat enough for energy, but also important to regulate intake in order to stay slim and healthy. In the event that you are not eating enough fats and carbohydrates, your body can also provide itself with fuel from proteins.

Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are also important nutrients for our daily lives. We get these from fruits, vegetables, milk, and most natural sources of food. Some of our foods, such as bread products, can even be enriched so that we get more vitamins and minerals in our bodies. There are dozens that you need to ingest regularly, such as iron, thiamine, vitamin C, and vitamin D.

If you are eating a healthy diet (which very few of us do nowadays), you can most likely get enough vitamins and minerals from your foods, but you can also take supplements to make sure that you are getting the right amounts you need to maintain body function. Supplements may also be available to help with other nutrients as well, and I would suggest you explore this.

Closing remarks
When you change what you put into your body, the changes are interesting and amazing to observe. Not only do you feel better and do you have more energy, but your “cravings” also change.

For example, I used to drink lots of coffee, eat primarily red meats, would never touch green tea, or chose to eat fish. Last year we started to consume a nutritional drink to supplement our diet, my “cravings” have changed; I still like my coffee but instead of drinking 5-7 coffees each day, I drink 2 and most days not a single cup, I order green tea with lunch and drink green tea before going to bed, sometimes I like eating fish and the red meat days have been reduced to 1 a week.

So while adding this supplement to our diets has added an expense, I am saving $20-$30 ($4 for a coffee is pretty normal in most coffee places) each day by not drinking that much coffee. My supplement is costing me about $5 a day, and it gives me my Omega 3, 6, 9, proteins, vitamins, you name it. So I am still ahead by $15-$25 each day – that is savings of about $500 each month! … And I am providing my body with the building blocks it needs to help me stay healthy now and in the future. Saving money and getting healthy. Perfect isn’t it?