3 Tips For Getting More Essential Vitamins And Minerals
Proper nutrition is the foundation for a healthy, happy body and mind. Many health issues can be improved or entirely avoided simply by prioritizing your body’s nutritional needs.
In addition to improving your physical well-being, a healthy diet also impacts your mental and emotional state. Getting enough essential vitamins and minerals can make all the difference in your personal health journey.
Here are three ways to ensure your body is getting the nutrition you need to thrive.
1. Eat Nutritious Foods
The best way to strengthen your body is with a varied, healthy diet. Nutritionists divide healthy foods into macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients include compounds like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Micronutrients, however, include vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and zinc.
These different nutritional components give your body energy and equip your cells and organ systems to function and thrive. Good nutrition can impact every area of your health, from clear brain function to smooth, glowing skin.
Unfortunately, the average American diet is not nutrient-rich. Refined sugar and processed foods have little nutritional value, and heavy consumption of them can cause health problems. In addition, erosion of American topsoil means that fruits and vegetables now have a fraction of their potential nutritional value.
To get the most nutrition out of your food, you can shop at farmers markets or consider growing some of it yourself. Another option is to add supplements to your diet.
2. Supplement With Vitamins
There are several different kinds of supplements you can take to increase your vitamin and mineral levels. While supplements can’t take the place of good nutrition, they can help close gaps in your diet.
Industrially-made Supplements
Many vitamins and minerals are isolated and produced artificially in a lab. The majority of the supplement bottles you see in stories contain these synthetic supplements. While these vitamins and minerals are chemically similar to natural supplements, they are not absorbed as well and may interact differently with your body. Therefore you should try to use all-natural health supplements wherever possible, like those you can get from Nature's Happiness because they are more nutrient-dense and effective.
Whole-Food Supplements
Natural supplements are made from concentrated whole foods. In this form, supplements are easier for your body to absorb and mimic the benefits of eating nutritionally-rich foods. However, whole-food supplements are often more expensive to make and can cost more for the typical consumer.
IV Therapy
Another option for increasing your nutritional intake is to add vitamins and minerals directly to your bloodstream. Some individuals may have genetic issues that make it difficult for them to process certain types of macronutrients. IV therapy can bypass this problem and quickly give your body essential nutrients.
Which Supplement Is Best?
The supplement that’s best for you depends on your age, diet, and personal health. Some studies suggest that supplements do not affect healthy adults, while others say they’re beneficial.
Unfortunately, many people try to use vitamins as a “medical cure” to cover for their poor diet. Vitamins just don’t work that way, and pretending that they do may keep you from the real benefits of changing what you eat.
Because supplements are unregulated, it’s up to you to evaluate companies and products for your personal use. Consider your health needs, and talk to a doctor before taking heavy amounts of any supplement. If you have previous health conditions or are on medication, be very careful introducing supplements into your diet.
3. Forage for Wild Plants
Vitamins and minerals are essential for good health, but there’s another valuable chemical compound that many Americans forget to consider. These are known as phytochemicals.
Phytochemicals, also called phytonutrients, can be found in plants like fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and herbs. While these compounds aren’t essential for your body to function, they have many powerful health benefits.
Because wild plants battle the elements without human help, they have very high levels of phytochemicals. These plant compounds can help your body fight off disease, balance blood sugar, and protect heart health, among many other things.
The best way to incorporate phytochemicals into your diet is by foraging for wild foods. Foraging is best learned from a mentor, but there are also many books and plant guides you can reference to get started.
Be sure to check for any legal requirements in your area before you start taking plants from parks or natural areas. Before you eat anything you’ve gathered, you should always ensure it’s 100% what you think it is. You should also be aware of pesticides and which areas are chemically safe for foraging.
Because foraging is seasonal, it can help you become more aware of your natural environment and seasonal nutritional needs. Make sure you don’t over-forage so that resources remain available year-to-year.
A Healthy Lifestyle
Many Americans live to eat, enjoying processed snacks and sugary treats without considering long-term health effects. To protect your well-being, you should instead eat to live and incorporate essential vitamins and minerals into your diet.
Improve your diet, consider micronutrient supplements, and incorporate wild plants into your diet to up your vitamin and mineral intake and improve your health. Taking care of your body is never a choice you’ll regret.