Choosing Vitamins Over Diets

This month at NuPower we are focusing on clean eating for 28 days. 

Clean eating sounds intimidating, expensive and to be honest, not very fun. It sounds like a diet. However, clean eating is less about cutting out foods strategically for weight loss and more about choosing food that give you more energy, both mental and physical. 

With so many fad diets and “quick tricks” out there, it is hard to know what to trust. There are so many power bars and energy drink companies who promise extreme focus and intense bursts of energy. 

Synthetic foods and beverages often make us feel more energized because of the caffeine and sugar content. But what does your body really need?

Rather than making food choices for a quick fix, choose food that contains the vitamins and minerals you need to feel like your best self. You will notice the benefits for much longer.

So what are vitamins and minerals? We all know we need them to survive but what are they?

“Every day, your body produces skin, muscle, and bone. It churns out rich red blood that carries nutrients and oxygen to remote outposts, and it sends nerve signals skipping along thousands of miles of brain and body pathways. It also formulates chemical messengers that shuttle from one organ to another, issuing the instructions that help sustain your life.

But to do all this, your body requires some raw materials. These include at least 30 vitamins, minerals, and dietary components that your body needs but cannot manufacture on its own in sufficient amounts.

Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients—because acting in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body. They help shore up bones, heal wounds, and bolster your immune system. They also convert food into energy, and repair cellular damage..” - Harvard Health Article

The best way to get vitamins is through your diet. Choosing healthy, balanced options will ensure that you are getting the nutrients you need. 

Here is a list from Harvard Medial School of the best ways to receive vitamins through nutrition. 

Vitamin Sources

Water soluble:

B-1: ham, soymilk, watermelon, acorn squash

B-2: milk, yogurt, cheese, whole and enriched grains and cereals.

B-3: meat, poultry, fish, fortified and whole grains, mushrooms, potatoes

B-5: chicken, whole grains, broccoli, avocados, mushrooms

B-6: meat, fish, poultry, legumes, tofu and other soy products, bananas

B-7: Whole grains, eggs, soybeans, fish

B-9: Fortified grains and cereals, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, legumes (black-eyed peas and chickpeas), orange juice

B-12: Meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, fortified soymilk and cereals

Vitamin C: Citrus fruit, potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts

Fat soluble:

Vitamin A: beef, liver, eggs, shrimp, fish, fortified milk, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, mangoes

Vitamin D: Fortified milk and cereals, fatty fish

Vitamin E: vegetables oils, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts

Vitamin K: Cabbage, eggs, milk, spinach, broccoli, kale

Minerals

Major:

Calcium: yogurt, cheese, milk, salmon, leafy green vegetables

Chloride: salt

Magnesium: Spinach, broccoli, legumes, seeds, whole-wheat bread

Potassium: meat, milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes

Sodium: salt, soy sauce, vegetables

Trace:

Chromium: meat, poultry, fish, nuts, cheese

Copper: shellfish, nuts, seeds, whole-grain products, beans, prunes

Fluoride: fish, teas

Iodine: Iodized salt, seafood

Iron: red meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, green vegetables, fortified bread

Manganese: nuts, legumes, whole grains, tea

Selenium: Organ meat, seafood, walnuts

Zinc: meat, shellfish, legumes, whole grains

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If you see a lot of things on this list that are not a part of your daily routine, it might be time to clean up your diet. Join us at NuPower from July 14 - August 11 for a month long challenge of choosing nutritional health. 

If you need community support and would like to walk alongside this next step with a Doctor, we have spots available in the class being led by Dr. Jacob Hamrick. They will meet weekly for group support and a time of learning. As a bonus, this includes a month of free yoga! 

Sign up today!

($25 Tribe / $100 non-Member) 

Not ready to commit to a whole month? Check out our Introduction to Ayurveda ebook for amazing recipes to clean up your diet and stop by for a yoga class. Balance begins with the first right step.