Foods as Nutrients

We eat food to provide us with a balanced source of minerals, vitamins, proteins and fats. A variety of fresh unprocessed foods with a wide range of tastes, colors and textures is the best indication of a balanced diet.

When we are emotionally stressed, physically over exerted, smoke, drink, lack sunshine, fresh air and exercise, or eat plants grown on impoverished synthetic soil and animals fed on synthetic foods, then our body’s nutrient requirement increases and we must adapt our diet and lifestyle or fall sick. The best indication if our body’s nutrient requirements are fulfilled or not is if we feel well or have symptoms of being sick. If you are more tired this week than last week, if you sleep less deep, have more pains or newer symptoms, then there is a possibility that your body’s nutrient requirement is not being met.

Deficiencies of nutrients and problems in producing or absorbing them are shown by symptoms that we can look for. Fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are stored by our body in fat. Water soluble vitamins C and B are not stored and any unused vitamins are flushed out with urine and must be more frequently replenished.

Vitamins are molecules that have a left and a right handedness to their shape, just like gloves have. When vitamins are made in laboratories and factories, there are just as many left handed as right handed molecules produced. When vitamins are made in our bodies, there are only right handed molecules made and used. So it is important to use natural made vitamins from plant and animals, rather than the much cheaper synthetic ones.

Essential nutrients are those that cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from food. These are vitamin C, 2 fatty acids (omega 3 and omega 6) and 9 amino acids.

Minerals

Minerals are needed for bones and to regulate body chemistry. They are concentrated in herbs, spices, molasses and yeast.

Potassium (K) is essential in regulating ATP with sodium for energy generation. Symptoms of deficiency are mood changes, constipation, muscle cramps, dry scaly skin, and acne. Dietary sources include legumes, potato skin, tomatoes and bananas. Highest concentrates are in molasses, parsley, saccharin, coffee, tarragon and yeast.

Sodium (Na) is essential in regulating ATP with potassium for energy generation. Dietary sources are table salt (sodium chloride).

Chlorine (Cl) is needed for production of hydrochloric acid for the stomach and cellular pump functions. Table salt (sodium chloride) is the main dietary source.

Calcium (Ca) is needed not only for bone, but also for muscle and blood. Symptoms of deficiency are irritability, depression, insomnia, eczema, brittle nails, joint pains, high cholesterol level, muscle cramps. Dietary sources include dairy products, fish with bones (salmon, sardines), green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds. Highest concentrates are in basil, marjoram, thyme, mint, poppy seeds and molasses.

Phosphorus (P) is a component of bones, cells, in energy processing and many other functions. Symptoms of deficiency are anxiety, fatigue, bone pain. Dietary sources include poppy seed, parsley, chives, yeast and tomato.

Magnesium (Mg) is required for chlorophyll which allows plants to obtain energy from sunlight. It is also required for processing ATP for energy generation and for bones. Symptoms of deficiency are anxiety, nervousness, lethargy, muscle cramps, dizziness. Dietary sources include nuts, soy beans, and cocoa. Highest concentrates are in herbs (chives, sage, basil, parsley, cumin, sesame seeds, tarragon, marjoram, coriander, saffron, cloves, thyme, and rosemary), flax seeds, wheat bran and molasses.

Iron (Fe) is required for haemoglobin which allows blood cells to carry oxygen to the cells. Symptoms of deficiency are nervousness, dizziness, headaches, constipation, spoon shaped nails, nails with a central ridge, brittle nails and hair, cracking at corner of mouth, tongue inflammation. Dietary sources include red meat, leafy green vegetables, fish (tuna, salmon), eggs, beans and whole grains. Highest concentrates are in thyme, parsley, mint, marjoram, cumin, basil, rosemary, sage, cinnamon, anise seeds, chives, molasses, wheat bran and flax seeds.

Copper (Cu), Selenium (Se), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn) and Molybdenum (Mo) are required by many enzymes. Main dietary sources are seeds and nuts.

Vitamins

Vitamins are vital molecules for health. They are found in all plant and animal foods and our body can make all of them except vitamin C.

Vitamin A is an ester which is converted to the alcohol retinol in the small intestine. It is vital for healthy eyes. If you enter a dark place from a light one and it takes you very long to adapt to and see objects in the low light, then you have what is called night blindness. This can be an indication that you are deficient in vitamin A. Other symptoms of deficiency are fatigue, insomnia, weight loss, inflammation of the sinuses, ear abscesses, dry scaly skin, acne, hangnails, dry scalp, dry itchy tired eyes, Vitamin A is found naturally in many foods: The main food sources are: liver and cod liver oil, carrot, sweet potato, spinach, pumpkin, cantaloupe, butter, cheese, and milk.

Vitamin D is not found in sufficient quantities in many foods. It is produced in our skin when we have sufficient sunlight. Bone problems are the main symptoms of deficiency. Other symptoms of deficiency are diarrhea, insomnia, burning mouth and sweating scalp. Main food sources are: fatty fish and cod liver oil, eggs, mushrooms and yeast.

Vitamin E deficiency is rare and is almost never caused by a poor diet. Symptoms of deficiency are inflamed varicose veins and premenstrual cramps. Foods rich in vitamin E are: wheat germ, nuts like almonds and hazelnuts and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin K is required for blood coagulation and protein formation. Flora bacteria in our colon synthesize a significant portion of our vitamin K requirements. This is one of the reasons why newborns often receive a vitamin K shot at birth in order to tide them over until day 5-7 when their colon becomes colonized. Symptoms of deficiency are nosebleeds. Vitamin K is found chiefly in: wheat bran, green leafy green vegetables and parsley

Vitamin C also called ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans as the human body cannot produce its own supply. Vitamin C, a protecting antioxidant is needed for wound-healing. Deficiency symptoms include poor wound healing, colds, bleeding gums and loose teeth and scurvy. Scurvy often presents itself initially as symptoms of malaise and lethargy, followed by formation of spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding from the mucous membranes. The richest natural sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables like in: rosehip, acerola, red pepper, kiwi, red currant, lemons and cranberries.

Vitamin B is a group of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. Vitamin Bs increase the rate of metabolism, useful if you want to lose weight. Vitamin Bs maintain healthy skin and hair.

Deficiency cause cracks in the lips, high sensitivity to sunlight, inflammation of the tongue, emotional disturbances, impaired sensory perception, weakness and pain in the limbs, periods of irregular heartbeat. B vitamins are found in: whole unprocessed foods, meat, beans, yeast and molasses.

Protein

A protein is a folded chain made up of a combination of 20 types of amino acids, 9 of which are essential and can be only produced by plants. We must get them by eating the plants, or the animals that ate the plants. Proteins that we eat are broken down by our stomach into the amino acids which are then used for growth and maintenance to build all the cells, muscles, blood and bones hair and skin as well as all their enzymes and hormones. Protein deficiency, only seen in countries with famines can lead to reduced intelligence or mental retardation. The main dietary sources of protein are: meat, eggs, cheese and whey, beans, seeds and nuts

Fats

We eat chains of proteins, carbohydrates and fats and break them up into their amino acids, glucose and fuel and fatty acids building blocks that we use to build our tissues and burn for our energy needs. If you live in a developed part of the world, getting the right proteins and the carbohydrates is very easy. But getting the right fats is extremely difficult. There are two essential fats that we are unable to make and that we need to get from our foods; omega 3s and 6s which are essential for healthy membranes.

Membranes enclose and define cells and regulate what goes in and what goes out. Everything has a membrane, from the organelles in our cells to the organs in our bodies and our skin that encloses them. Membranes can be likened to walls of houses. Weak membranes are like weak walls and roofs. The omegas work as a team, and unfortunately there is a drastic shortage of omega 3`s. Only by having a good balance of omega 3s to 6s can we be ensured that our membranes are healthy.

Fats are required to keep cell membranes functioning properly, to insulate body organs against shock, to keep body temperature stable, and to maintain healthy skin and hair. Fats are made of fatty acids and there are 2 essential fatty acids that must be obtained from our foods, omega 3 and omega 6. While omega 6 is widely available from foods, omega 3 is readily destroyed by heat air and light during the modern efficient oil extraction processes. Omega 3 and omega 6 work together and there should be twice as much omega 3 as omega 6. Because of the abundance of omega 6 and the lack of omega 3 in the modern diet, this is difficult to achieve without flax seeds which have 4 times more omega 3 than omega 6. Omega 3 deficiency causes acne, eczema, loss of hair, dry scalp, and poor wound healing. The main dietary source of omega 3s are: flax seeds and cold water fatty fish like salmon.

There are three types of omega-3 fats: DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid), and ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid). Most of the health benefits associated with omega-3 fats are linked to animal- based omega-3 fats like EPA and DHA, not plant-based omega-3 fats like ALA. ALA is converted into EPA and DHA in the body, but only at a very low ratio. Even if you eat large amounts of ALA, your body can only convert very small amounts into EPA and DHA, and only when sufficient enzymes are present. Plant-based ALA is mainly a source of energy, while DHA and EPA are important structural elements of your cells.

Light, air and heat during processing and storage damage omega3`s so that undamaged omega-3`s are rare to find in the modern diet. The high temperatures used to extract oils from seeds, leaves the oil deficient in omega 3s and leaves us with not only very weak membranes, but also with heavy piles of useless fat that we have to lug around.

Scientists, in their attempt to make us all thinner, produce synthetic fats called trans-fats that, like plastic bags, block up and otherwise suffocate us. When we are blocked up with trans-fats, we can no longer produce vital components needed to ensure that our blood, with all its components, flow as smoothly as if greased. It takes about 1 month for our bodies to clean up and remove any harmful trans-fats.

Fats have other components that are vital for our well-being. Vitamin D3 and K2 make their home in fat. Vitamin D3 is like a window to let fresh air and sunshine in. Vitamin K2 is like cement that make walls strong. It also regulates the flow of blood, from being as smooth as if oiled, to being dammed up in a clot whenever and wherever we get cut. While the omegas 3`s and 6s build our membranes, vitamins D3s and K2s ensure that the membranes are strong and functional.

Vitamin D3 is made by our skin from cholesterol, when sun exposure is adequate. Vitamin K2 is made by our gastrointestinal bacteria when there are enough of them. Vitamin D3 is responsible for enhancing intestinal absorption of calcium which it uses to build strong blood vessels. Vitamin K2 uses calcium to build strong bones, teeth, and clots blood like beavers build dams. Only by having a good balance of D3 to K2 can our calcium be properly used and distributed where it is needed.

Scientists, in their attempt to make us all thinner remove fat from foods. The "improved" foods then became too unappetizing to market, so scientists, in their attempt to improve marketing replace the fats with sugars. This is a boom to the pharmaceutical industry and to the health care industry as it makes people fatter and less healthy while making a few businessmen fatter and more wealthy.

Low calorie meal replacement

When we want to lose weight, we need to eat fewer calories and exercise more. To ensure that we get all our required nutrients, a low calorie meal replacement product like Herbalife with an omega 3 supplement can be used. The minerals and natural vitamins are provided by a mix of herbs and spices carefully dried into a powder that can be mixed with water or milk.

THE END 

please SHARE