Are you getting Enough Micronutrients From Your Food?
Macronutrients are divided into 3 groups that make up all food. Fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Various diets play around with the quantities of these macros. Micronutrients are dietary components, often referred to as vitamins and minerals, which although only required by the body in small amounts, are vital to development, disease prevention, and wellbeing. Micronutrients are not produced in the body and must be derived from the diet, as stated by the CDC. They are extremely important to us so that we can thrive no matter what diet style and macronutrient composition you choose to eat. In theory, by eating a healthy diet we will get all of these vital nutrients through the food that we eat. Or at least our grandparents could get all those vital nutrients. Now we have produce that is grown in soil that has been depleted. There are quite a few scientific studies out there but, this article in Scientific American explains it well. As quoted from the researcher Donald Davis: “Efforts to breed new varieties of crops that provide greater yield, pest resistance and climate adaptability have allowed crops to grow bigger and more rapidly,” reported Davis, “but their ability to manufacture or uptake nutrients has not kept pace with their rapid growth.” We are much better off avoiding genetically modified foods. Sadly, It is difficult to find any soy and corn that are not genetically modified these days. GMO's are not currently required to be labeled as such which makes avoiding them challenging sometimes. Opting for organically grown should be your first choice as much as your budget allows. At least you are avoiding some of the harmful pesticides and other chemicals sprayed onto and leaching into your food and it allows you to possibly consume more of those valuable micronutrients. Shopping from your local farmers market or buying from a co-op that buys direct from farmers is an even better option to get the most nutrients from seasonal food as possible.
We absolutely should get most of our nutrients from food. Let's say you have gone mostly local organic with your food. Are you now getting as many micronutrients as your body needs to optimally operate? I say no you are not and many health experts, researchers, and dietitians agree. Supplemented nutrients work with your biology by supporting normal enzyme function and biochemical reactions. The only problem with supplements is that they are not regulated so a manufacturer can literally put anything they want into a capsule and claim it as a healthy vitamin or supplement. Pretty scary. Here is a Fox News Report from a few years back telling you all about it.
Add to that social media and t.v. show doctors who tell you about the next great superfood nutrients. But what if that next great thing is not optimal for your personal health? What if it interacts with a medication you are taking or another one of your supplements? You can pay for blood tests from your doctor to find out what nutrients you may be lacking. You also need to do a little research to find out what time of day you should take each of those supplements. As studied in Chronobiology, nutrients can only be optimally utilized when taken at the right times during the day or evening.
When I found out there was a company that offers a FREE health assessment doing all that work for you to find out exactly what you need to take and dividing those up into the right time of day I was blown away. The health assessment takes into account one's personal information, diet, lifestyle, exercise, medical conditions, symptoms, and medications. Over 18 years of research went into the assessment and it is constantly updated as new studies and information becomes available. I partnered up with IDLife about 3 years ago pretty much just to be able to take the confusion out of the supplements and to offer the highest quality for my clients as well as get what I needed for myself. Click here to take the assessment. Even if you choose not to buy what is recommended for you and only take a basic am and pm, it is better than none at all.
Knowledge is power and I only hope to provide that knowledge. Evaluate where you are now and see where you can improve. If you eat a lot of processed foods, buying fresh and frozen produce and cooking for yourself is a step up. Try to op for organic at least for the "dirty dozen" food list. Here is the current list of dirty dozen and the clean 15. Do your best to give your body what it is really craving and see how it repays you.