It is time to discuss the critical nutrients and minerals, and why simetimes they have to be supplemented.
Macro nutrients, ( the nutrients that our body needs in large quantities), are:
1. protein,
2. carbohydrates,
3. (good) fats.
Most vitamins fall into the category of MICRO nutrients. However, there is one category of vitamins that belongs to MARCO category of nutrients. People living in industrialized nations like ours do not receive enough of those vitamins in their daily diets, because the nutrients are very sensitive to the FOOD PROCESSING and they are so volatile that very few survive the harvesting, storage, and processing.
Those nutrients are the building blocks that make up the body's tissues--the skin, bone, tendons, cartilage, and muscle. They are:
- Vitamin C
- MSM (organic sulfur compound)
- Phytochemicals (veggies, herbs and nuts)
Those listed above are in all our fruits and vegetables, but they're volatile, so they rapidly begin to deteriorate when the foods are picked. Many are lost during transportation and storage, and more are lost during processing. And in the case of phytochemicals (will be listed below), most are formed in the final stages of ripening--so foods that are picked green tend to be deficient.
1. We discussed Vitamin C in my earlier postings. I will not spend much time on that. Please consider to supplement your diet with the vitamin C purchased from the reputable company.
2. MSM (organic sulfur compound): DETOX: MSM enables your cells and tissues to release toxins that have built up over the years. Sulfur is a vital part of our waste management system. If you take too much MSM, your body will release too much waste at one time for your kidneys and liver to handle. This waste in your blood stream can cause all kinds of problems ranging from flu-like symptoms. For example, heavy caffeine users may feel extra jittery. The key to reducing or eliminating detox symptoms is to start on MSM SLOWLY so that the waste in your tissues is released slowly and to drink lots of water so that the released toxins will be flushed out of your body quickly.
Be sure to increase your water intake - for most people this would be double the amount of water that they normally drink. Take baths with water hot enough to make you sweat, but not so hot that you might pass out. Limit the baths to 20 minutes in length. You may find it helpful to add ONE of the following to the bath water and alternating between these for different baths: a cup of vinegar or a cup of baking soda or a cup of epsom salt. These substances each help leach out different toxins through your skin.
Doses: It is recommended to start with between 500 mg daily. Take 500 mg about one week and rise to 1000 mg for another week. Continue 3 more weeks and start adding 500 mg to your daily dose each week, until you are taking 10 gr. daily. This will make up for the years of deficiency that your body has experienced. After a week of 10 mg daily, reduce the amount to the maintenance level, which is between 1 and 2 teaspoons (4000 to 8000 mg) per day. Always drink LOTS of water , twice of daily recommended 70 OZ. , when starting on MSM .
3. Phytochemicals in food : Many, if not most, phytochemicals are formed in the late stages of ripening. They give the fruits and vegetables their color. Since they deteriorate quickly, the only way to get them from the food supply is to eat foods right off the vine. That's one reason that a home-grown garden is such a good idea.
Lacking the ability to eat off the vine, the next best thing is the supplements made from foods that are preserved immediately after they're harvested. You should (still) attempt to include organic and fresh veggie/fruits in your daily diet. Each season, I am searching for a local access to a fresh garden or the food market that supplies good quality fresh produce.
The following list of vital phytochemicals is JUST FEW that are present in commonly consumed foods, so choosing best suppliers that you trust , that pick ripe fruit instead of harvesting them early and let them ripen during the transport instead of the sunlight:
Check out the brand called --Food For Life—for pasta and gain-based products.
a. Apiole – parsley.
b. Carnosol – rosemary.
c. Carvacrol – oregano, thyme.
d. Dillapiole – dill.
e. Flavonoids (polyphenols) – red, blue, purple pigments.
f. Quercetin – red and yellow onions, tea, wine, apples, cranberries, buckwheat, beans.
g. Gingerole – ginger.
h. Kaempferol – strawberries, gooseberries, cranberries, peas, brassicates, chives.
i. Myricetin – grapes, walnuts.
j. Rutin – citrus fruits, buckwheat, parsley, tomato, apricot, rhubarb, tea, pagoda tree fruits.
k. Naringenin – citrus fruits.
l. Silybin – blessed milk thistle.
m. Apigenin – chamomile, celery, parsley.
n. Catechins –tea, grapes, wine, apple juice, cocoa, lentils, black-eyed peas.
o. Peonidin –blueberry, cherry, cranberry, peach.
p. Cyanidin – red apple & pear, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, peach, plum, hawthorn, loganberry, cocoa.
q. Daidzein (formononetin) – soy, alfalfa sprouts, red clover, chickpeas, peanuts, other legumes.
r. Ellagic acid – walnuts, strawberries, cranberries, blackberries, guava, grapes.
s. Tyrosol – olive oil
t. Punicalagins – pomegranates
u. Alkylresorcinols – wholegrain wheat, rye and barley
Minerals:
In addition to the macro nutrients, there are several minerals that need to be supplemented, given the American food supply:
- Chromium
- Selenium
- Zinc
- Magnesium/Potassium
Chromium is needed to activate insulin, which metabolizes sugar. Chromium is deficient in most U.S. soils. So depending on how much sugar you eat, you may need to supplement this mineral.
Selenium is also deficient in the majority of U.S. soils. But it's very important, because it's needed to create glutathione peroxidase. Glutathione peroxidase reconstitutes Vitamin C after it breaks down--especially in the eyes.
Zinc plays an important role in the immune system, protecting the body against colds and infections.
Magnesium and Potassium: These nutrients generally come together in a single supplement. Magnesium is needed to absorb calcium, and it's also important for the operation of the immune system. Magnesium is known as a "muscle relaxer". It's found in whole grains, but it's refined out when the flour is processed, and it's not added back when the flour is "enriched".
Potassium deficiency has been implicated in arthritis and inflammation. Natural foods have more potassium than sodium, but most of the processed foods we eat have the reverse ratio, which creates a potassium imbalance.
Related articles:
Books:
- Colgan, Michael. Optimal Sports Nutrition: Your Competitive Edge. Advanced Research Press, New York, 1993.
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