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Vitamins vs Minerals

What’s the difference?

One distinction is where you obtain them from. Vitamins are gained from plants and animals, however minerals are elements that come from soil and water and are absorbed by plants and animals.

Another contrast is the role that they play in the body. It uses minerals for keeping your muscles, heart, and brain working properly. On the other hand, vitamins help fight infections, wound healing, and making bones stronger.

Finally, if you are mineral deficient you could experience bloating, abdominal pain, and a decreased immune system. With a vitamin deficiency, hair loss, bone pain, and reduced night vision may occur.

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yummy snack

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What functions do key nutrients provide to the body?

Fundamental roles of nutrients are to provide energy, support bodily structure, and/or control bodily chemical reactions.

Fibre - Holds onto water in order to make you feel full, and regulates bowel movements.

Iron - Used to create amino acids, neurotransmitters, collagen and hormones. It is also used to make proteins responsible for holding oxygen in red blood cells and muscles.

Calcium - Needed to grow our bones, as well as reducing bone loss in later stages of life. Another important feature that not many know of is that it sends signals from the brain to tissues in the body.

Vitamin A - Creates immune cells that fights infections and inflammations. Additionally, it plays a role in determining what type of tissue cells become.

Potassium - Maintains fluid balance, muscle contractions, maintaining a steady heartbeat and transmitting signals through nerves.

It is much easier to obtain the nutrients required by having a well-rounded diet!

Source: Cronometer

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What are quality foods to obtain key nutrients?

Different nutrients are essential to the body to perform different functions (which will be covered in the next blog). Hence, it is important that we eat a varied, nutrient dense diet full of whole foods.

A few nutrients that are needed include;

Iron, which is found in liver and red meat.

Calcium, which is found in dairy products (such as milk, yogurt, and cheese) and spinach.

Vitamin A, which is found in kale and pumpkin.

Potassium, which is found in bananas and mushrooms.

Vitamin C, which is found in strawberries and peppers.

Folate, which is found in edamame and lentils.

Magnesium, which is found in pumpkin seeds and almonds.

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Gut Friendly Grocery List 🥦🥑🧀

🧀 Probiotic and Fermented Foods:

Yogurt (look for live and active cultures)

Kefir

Sauerkraut

Kimchi

Pickles (fermented)

Tempeh

Miso

Fermented cheeses (e.g., cheddar, gouda, Swiss)

Kombucha

🫘 Fiber-Rich Foods:

Whole grain bread, cereal or pasta

Oats

Brown rice

Quinoa

Lentils

Chickpeas

Black beans

🍳 Protein:

Lean meats (chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef or pork)

Fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)

Eggs (rich in amino acids)

Tofu and tempeh (fermented soy products)

Cottage cheese

🍎 Fruits:

Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)

Bananas

Apples

Oranges

Lemons

Watermelon

🥦 Vegetables:

Spinach

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Brussels sprouts

Asparagus

Onions

Garlic

Artichokes

Sweet Potato

Jicama

Chicory root

Dandelion greens

🥜 Nuts and Seeds:

Almonds

Walnuts

Flaxseeds

Chia seeds

Pumkin seeds

🥑 Healthy Fats:

Avocado

Olive oil

Grass fed butter

🍠 Herbs and Spices:

Turmeric

Ginger

Garlic

🧉 Beverages:

Green tea

Herbal teas

Aloe vera juice

Coconut water

🍫 Other:

Dark chocolate (in moderation)

Apple cider vinegar

Bone Broth

Raw honey

sea salt

Collagen

Seaweed

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What’s really in our food?

Recently, many people have been checking the ingredient lists of our food to determine if it is ultra-processed. We are able to see strange sounding ingredients on the back, but what exactly do they do to our food?

Let’s examine a proclaimed ‘healthy’ food, a gluten free KIND bar. Its ingredients include;

tapioca syrup, produced from tapioca starch that is used as a thickener, sweetener, and stabiliser. It has been linked to causing fatty liver disease.

vegetable glycerin, a sugar alcohol that is a byproduct of the soap and biodiesel industry. It can lead to nausea and diarrhoea.

palm kernel oil, made by the bleaching, deodorising and neutralising of crude palm oil. It increases levels of bad cholesterol.

Keep in mind that these effects are shown when the ingredients are eaten in excess, however 60%-90% of the average American diet are full of these foods (that are ultra processed). Learn your ingredients!

Sources;

Dr. Chris van Tulleken

Learn - the whole truth. (n.d.). The Whole Truth Foods. https://thewholetruthfoods.com/learn