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Vitamin-Rich Foods You Haven’t Thought Of
Vitamin-Rich Foods You Haven’t Thought Of

Too many of us turn straight to the vitamins, minerals and supplements aisle of the supermarket instead of sourcing our nutrition from fresh, natural food. The body always experiences some strain in digesting supplements; after all, food is nature’s intended way of delivering the vital nutrients for survival. Prioritise your wellness and get acquainted with the ten best vitamin-rich foods, saving you a fortune on supplements.

 

Arame – A common feature of Japanese cuisine, arame seaweed is literally overflowing with vitamins and minerals. Find it in the ethnic section of your local supermarket.

 

Grape juice – Well known for containing polyphenols and immune-boosting vitamin C, this delicious juice is excellent for detoxification as well as the health of your circulatory system.

 

Marmite – An addition that might be surprising to some, this British favourite is an excellent source of B vitamins. Marmite makes an ideal dietary addition to vegetarians and vegans, as it sources its nutrition from yeast.

 

Kimchi – Good news for lovers of Asian cuisine – the traditional Korean dish of fermented cabbage and chilli is packed with vitamins A, C and B as well as minerals.

 

Red Grapefruit – Too often overlooked in favour of other citrus fruits, e.g. grapefruit provides an excellent source of vitamin C and is known to have anti-cholesterol properties.

 

Turnip Greens – Perhaps they’re not known as a culinary favourite, but turnips should be given pride of place in any healthy diet. Containing a unique combination of vitamins contributing to cardiovascular health, turnip greens are also known to promote male sexual functioning.

 

Olives – An excellent source of antioxidants such as vitamin E, olives are a great way to promote heart health and fight inflammation. Vegetarians should pay particular attention to this one – just one serving of olives can provide 25% of your recommended daily allowance of iron.

 

Purslane – Usually known as a weed, purslane is actually the best plant source for omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains vitamins A, C and B6, as well as numerous minerals.

 

Mushrooms – A favourite of Traditional Chinese Medicine for their cancer-fighting properties, mushrooms also contain vitamins A, C and B6, as well as Potassium and Fibre.

 

Minerals

Fat: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly...
Fat is very important to our health. While sometimes it gets a bad name there is no doubt that we do need some fat in our diet to ensure we stay healthy. As you probably already know, dietary fats are packed with energy; oils and solid fats both contain about 120 calories per tablespoon, so less is definitely more. That said, fat is a vital source of energy during long, lower to moderate-intensity exercise and for the body at rest. As well as fuelling up on carbs, you can rely on your body fat stores for energy on days you are doing a slower paced workout. Essential fatty acids are used to make hormones, support the immune system and help form cell structure. It’s also known that fats assist in the absorption of the vitamins A, D, E, and K. Including a small amount of fat as part of your regular meals and snacks also helps to keep appetite under control and blood sugar levels at a sensible level. It’s important to remember that not all fats are friendly. To lower the risk of heart disease and inflammation, you should only occasionally eat foods containing saturated fats. Saturated fat can be any of the following: animal fat, coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Also be sure to avoid trans fats such hydrogenated oils, fried and highly processed baked foods. However, since dairy and animal products provide high quality protein and nutrients to support strength and training you should opt for leaner choices, such as skimmed milk, low-fat cheese, and lean, trimmed meats like chicken. Most of the fats we eat should come from fish and plant sources.  These mono- and poly-unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and are far more healthy that their saturated counterparts.  Healthy sources of fat include fatty fish, nuts, seeds and their oils. Also be sure to use vegetable oils, spreads made from a vegetable oil base, avocado, olives, and soy.
5 Reasons Why Our Bodies Need Calcium for Goo...
The most abundant mineral in the body is calcium and it is absolutely vital for healthy teeth and bones to develop and stay strong. Calcium is also essential for helping our hearts, nerve endings, muscles and other parts of the body to function properly. Young children need calcium to stop rickets and as we age, calcium is also necessary to prevent the degenerative bone condition osteoporosis developing. Here are 5 essential things to know about calcium.
  1. Calcium is not only important for building strong bones and teeth but it also helps our blood clot normally, lowers high blood pressure and regulates our heartbeat. The body needs other nutrients to absorb calcium properly, including vitamins D and K, magnesium and phosphorous.
  2. The best source of calcium is in food, especially dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt. Other calcium-rich foods include dark leafy green vegetables such as cabbage, okra and broccoli, tofu and soya beans, sardines and pilchards, nuts and anything made with fortified flour such as bread.
  3. A calcium deficiency can lead to the disease rickets in young children, which is a softening and weakening of the bone. As we reach our 30s, our bone density begins to lessen and so we need to ensure we eat a calcium-rich diet to prevent osteoporosis, a condition that particularly affects older women.
  4. Adults need 700mg of calcium every day. If you are calcium deficient because of your diet, you can take calcium supplements but you should not overdose on these as high doses can cause stomach upsets. Don’t take any more than 1500mg per day.
  5. The two most popular forms of calcium supplement are calcium citrate and calcium carbonate. Each contains different amounts of the mineral and absorbed differently by the body. If you are considering taking a calcium supplement, consult your GP for advice on which one would work best for you.

Sports Nutrition

Improving Health with a Diet and Daily Fitnes...
Taking charge of our diet and fitness now also means taking charge of our health. With the almost inexorable rise in the number of diseases and life-threatening conditions linked to lifestyle – that is, what we eat and whether we exercise or not – doctors are as likely to prescribe a fitness and nutrition program as they are to offer medication to certain patients. This has been described as “lifestyle medicine” with the likes of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, poor nutrition and lack of exercise all targeted by physicians. As we all know, being advised to eat less and to move more is easy but changing habits formed over a lifetime is a much harder thing to achieve. So the fitness community and the medical profession are increasingly joining forces to encourage all of us to incorporate good diet and exercise into our daily lives. This is especially important where children are concerned. In the developed world, an epidemic of obese or overweight children has become of serious concern to health professionals. Involving the whole family in a daily fitness regimen will pay off for all of you with health and social benefits in equal measure. Joining a gym, whether it’s a private one or a local authority leisure centre, can be the first step in your new resolution for a regular fitness program. The key is to keep using the facilities and not find excuses to avoid the gym after a few short weeks. A personal trainer can be a very effective way of pushing you to achieve fitness and diet goals over a short period of time – make sure the trainer you use is qualified. Not everyone can afford to join a gym or to hire a personal trainer, of course, but there are cheap and even free ways to get and stay fit. Walking costs nothing and it’s been proven that walking for 30 minutes every day is as beneficial as other, more strenuous forms of exercise. Jogging and cycling won’t break the bank, either. And if you struggle to stay motivated when you exercise, consider joining a class or fitness group where the camaraderie of like-minded individuals can keep you focused.
Why Rice Protein has Become a Popular Choice ...
A new study has indicated that rice protein is as effective as whey protein, and is as popular with fitness fanatics as well! According to those looking to build muscle, rice protein makes a great addition to your diet as it increases lean body mass and helps to build stronger and more powerful muscles. The amino acids found in rice protein are very closely linked to those on whey protein, which is why this new fitness addition has become so popular. When combined with resistance training, it has been proven to show great gains in muscle mass. While whey and soy proteins are common in sports nutrition, rice protein offers a vegan alternative to whey, which is sourced from milk. Rice protein is also absorbed and utilised by the body more effectively than other forms of protein – its mild flavour makes it an un-obstrusive element to your diet, so you can add it to cereal or yoghurt without worrying about strong tastes or packing your meal with too many calories. When you’re trying to build muscle mass you should aim to combine various elements of your lifestyle – simply adding rice protein to your foods won’t create a leaner body. Resistance training is the best form of exercise for building muscle mass and burning calories, so you should aim to do a couple of sessions of this each week. Likewise, your diet should alter to reflect the changes you’ve made to your level of physical activity. You should aim to eat foods that are low in fat and sugar, as well as upping your intake of fruit and vegetables for the vital nutrients your body needs. With these changes, you’ll start to see a  boost in your energy – when these are added to the addition of rice protein, your muscle mass will improve vastly.

Supplements

5 Ways That Food Supplements Can Save Your Li...
Whether you suffer from aching arthritis or from serious symptoms of Fibromyalgia, chronic pain can become the bane of a person's life right from the beginning. You have to make a lot of sacrifices in order to deal with the pain – and for most part, the result is almost as stifling as the growing symptoms. What if however, there was a way of making it worthwhile? It is almost a blessing that when it comes to pain, everyone has their story to tell. Universally, they will all say that painkillers just won't do the job – and anything stronger has their own 'special' side-effect. What they may also point out however, is that there is always another way. Enter the nutritional supplement, putting you back in charge of your life, your body and your mind. The 5 ways in which they can help are stranger than you may think:
  1. They put you back in charge. Most people have heard of the term “My body, My rules” - and it's abundance in many aspects of well-being is stronger than you may realise. You understand your body more than anyone else – with supplements, you can choose which ones are the best for you without damaging you through side-effects.
  2. They're part of the bigger picture. As part of your diet and any medication, supplements can bolster your system alongside your treatment. In doing so, it acts like an augmentation for positive effects.
  3. The healing system – the effects of your treatment take time and diligence – and so do vitamins. Like in exercise, you cannot expect a “from day one” miracle cure, but in the long-term, you will come to feel the benefits. If you invest good time and an equal amount of money into decent vitamins (which aren't often cheap), then the likelihood of helping your body is greater.
  4. They have a powerful role in the treatment of chronic pain. In the three stages of illness (initial, sustaining and maintaining pain), vitamins help with the upkeep, but it's down to you to calculate how much you take. Some are for long-term (such as anti-inflammation remedies) whilst others are far less so. In sustaining and maintaining, it is better to consider which vitamins are for long-term, as opposed to the initial pain, where you may be able to wean off a few types (such as detox).
  5. They are a proactive remedy. Knowing what is wrong with you is easier than finding ways to cure the problem. With time, there comes a variety of problems, such as the intensity and the change of symptoms. Don't lose heart – through a number of dietary means, you will be able to sustain yourself better and easier. As long as you look after yourself, your body will return the favour.
Why Are People So Crazy About Omega-3 Fatty A...
According to a survey by the National Centre for Health Statistics and the National Centre for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, omega-3 fatty acid supplements are the most common non-vitamin, non-mineral natural product taken by adults these days. This statistic is hardly surprising when you think about how many wellness experts and health organisations, as well as the mainstream media and Internet supplement makers, extol the wellbeing benefits of omega-3s, but what’s all the fuss about? There are two omega-3 fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in seafood, such as fish, krill, and calamari. These acids are known as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and the highest sources of them can be found in cold water, fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna. Research has consistently shown that fish eaters are less likely to die from coronary heart disease, and omega-3s are thought to be the reason why. However, studies have also linked EPA and DHA to other benefits, ranging from brain health to improving psychological disorders and treating arthritis. Yet, omega-3s really shine when it comes to heart health. EPA and DHA help to reduce your triglyceride levels and blood pressure, slightly raise your levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, provide blood-thinning benefits, slow your progression of atherosclerosis (which leads to heart disease), and reduce your risk of sudden death due to cardiac arrhythmia. So are omega-3 supplements just as good as eating fish? The American Heart Association prefers a food-based approach to increasing intake, but supplements still have their place. According to Roberta Anding, MS, RD, Director of Sports Nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital, ‘Studies have found benefits for both fish and fish oil. If an individual does not like fish, then clearly the supplement form is a better option.’ She adds that fish can contain mercury, which is detrimental to wellness, noting ‘Additionally, it is cold water fish that contains the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, so eating tilapia from the Gulf (of Mexico) is not the same in (omega-3) content as wild Alaskan salmon.’ However, it’s best to get your omega-3s from dietary sources if you can, and consult your doctor before moving on to supplements.

Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements