Top ten vitamins to help you get the most out of life
Being on the road doesn't mean you have to compromise a healthy intake of nutrients in your diet.
Being in top form helps us enjoy life. One way to stay at your best is to pay attention to the adage, “You are what you eat.” Check the ingredients on the box. Make sure you are getting the recommended daily intake of vitamins. Know what they do for you. Know how to eat them—in pill form or in certain key foods. Here is a partial list of the best:
Vitamin A: Found in eggs, milk, green and yellow vegetables. Benefits the skin, eyes, healing, growth and appetite.
Vitamin B1: Found in milk, liver, peanuts, yeast, rice and pork. Breaks down carbs, repairs alcohol-damaged nerve tissue and keeps your nervous system viable.
Vitamin B2: Found in green vegetables, cheese and fish. Benefits growth, skin, nails, hair and eyesight; breaks down protein, fat and carbs.
Vitamin B3: Found in peanuts, lean meats, fish and bran. Helps to metabolize carbs and oxidize sugars.
Vitamin B6: Found in whole-grain cereals and bananas, chicken, pork, fish, dried beans and liver. Prevents skin conditions and nerve problems. Absorbs protein and carbs.
Vitamin B12: Found in eggs, milk and liver. Aids digestion, absorbs nutrients, promotes healthy nerves and makes red blood cells.
Vitamin C: Found in citrus fruit, kiwi, berries, cauliflower, potatoes, green leafy vegetables and peppers. Benefits metabolism, cartilage, connective tissue, bones, immune system, protects against viruses and bacteria. It also helps to heal wounds, reduce cholesterol and prevents scurvy. Oh yes, it is a natural laxative.
Vitamin D: Found in sunlight, cod-liver oil, sardines, herring, salmon, tuna and milk. Helps improve the absorption of calcium and phosphorus—essential compounds for bones and teeth.
Vitamin E: Found in nuts, soybeans, vegetable oil, broccoli, sprouts, spinach, wholemeal products and eggs. Fights toxins and deals with free radicals.
Vitamin K: Found in leafy green vegetables, olive and soybean oil. Vitamin K functions as a blood clotting agent.
I am told that there are more vitamins in frozen broccoli than in supermarket broccoli because it is fresher. Buy local at a farmer’s market or frozen for best vitamin content.
