Eating For Health

We try to eat well, we think we are getting all the nutrients we need. But are we?   WebMD recently had an article on the 7 nutrients missing in American diets.   Here are 2 of those 7 nutrients.   Calcium     – everyone knows we need calcium for strong bones and teeth.   But calcium has many important roles to play in our bodies.    Calcium helps our muscles function, and is needed for your heart rhythm.    It also may help prevent high blood pressure.   Dairy foods like milk and yogurt are great sources of calcium and provide us with much needed vitamin D.    It is vitamin D that helps our bodies absorb the calcium in foods.   Read more about calcium at:   http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/ .   Milk and yogurt are not only good sources of calcium but also of another missing nutrient, vitamin D.   Cheese – great source of calcium but not usually fortified with vitamin D.   Some pasteurize Swiss cheese is fortified with Vitamin D – check the label

Why is Vitamin D Gaining so Much Public Attention? By Melissa Mackey      Today vitamin D deficiency is an unfortunate problem rising in many young children.   Children in today’s times do not drink as much milk and eat foods that have vitamin D, nor do they go outside and play as much.   Children are drinking more fruit drinks, sodas, watching T.V. and playing video games.   But doctors have found that children are in much need of vitamin D and that it is an extremely important vitamin.   Vitamin D not only helps build strong bones, but it also been found to increase the body’s immune system.   According to healthychildren.org, “A vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets, a bone-softening disease that continues to be reported in the United States mostly in children in the first two years of life.”   Some say the children should take a vitamin D supplement, but it is also very important for children to get more outside play, and eat more vitamin D fortified foods.   Some vit

       We try to eat well; we think we are getting all the nutrients we need. But are we?   WebMD recently had an article on the 7 nutrients missing in American diets.   In my last post, I focused on potassium and magnesium.   Two other nutrients missing in the American diet are:                Vitamin A – hard to believe anyone in America can be lacking vitamin A because so many foods are such a rich source of vitamin A or its precursor, Beta Carotene.   What does vitamin A do for us?   Good vision for one.   One of the first signs of a vitamin A deficiency is having trouble seeing in a darkened room.   It helps prevent illnesses by giving us a healthy immune system and it helps tissue growth and gives us healthy skin.   Beta carotene is one of many antioxidants in foods and as such protects our cells from daily damage.   When students ask me what they can eat for healthier skin, I always answer vitamin A rich foods.   Vitamin A helps our bodies form and maintain healthy sk