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Vitamins and Minerals: What, Why & How Much?

March 19, 2014

inFood, Health, Lisa, Minerals, Nutrients, Nutrition, Supplements, Vitamins

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Vitamins and minerals are micro-nutrients, part of the 6 Essential Nutrients, required for your body to turn food into energy. Whole foods are the best source of vitamins and minerals, but it sometimes difficult to figure out if you are getting enough from the foods you eat. Below is a list of the most important vitamins and mineral women need and suggestions as to the best food sources. Note: Recommended daily allowances (RDA) listed below are for an average 45 year-old female. Healthy-Nutrition-For-Optimal-Tennis-Fitness

Calcium:

Why you need it: The body uses calcium to build and maintain strong bones and teeth, to help muscles and blood vessels contract and expand, to secrete hormones and to carry messages through the nervous system. Women start to lose bone density in their twenties which can lead to osteoporosis over time. Calcium is one of the best defenses against bone loss.
Where to find it: Milk, cheese, yogurt and dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and kale.
How much you need: 1000mg. Do not exceed 2,500mg.

Iron:

Why you need it: Iron carries oxygen in the body, aids in the production of red blood cells, supports immune function and cognitive development, and is essential for cell growth.
Where to find it: Lean red meat, chicken, turkey, fish, cereals, whole-grains, beans and dark leafy vegetables. Also remember that vitamin C rich foods enhance absorption of iron.
How much you need: 18mg. Do not exceed 45mg.

Magnesium:

Why you need it: Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including maintaining normal muscle and nerve function, keeping heart rhythms steady, supporting a healthy immune system, regulating blood sugar levels and promoting normal blood pressure.
Where to find it: Leafy green vegetables, whole grains, almonds, cashews and other nuts, avocados, beans, soybeans and halibut. Note that a diet very high in fat may cause less magnesium to be absorbed.
How much you need: 320mg. Do not exceed 350mg in supplement form.

Vitamin A:

Why you need it: Vitamin A ensures proper development and function of eyes, skin and immune system and may prevent some types of cancers.
Where to find it: Leafy green vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables, tomato products, fruits, dairy, liver, fish and fortified cereals.
How much you need: 2,310 IU. Do not exceed 10,000 IU.

Folate (Vitamin B9):

Why you need it: Folate helps to produce and maintain new cells. It is necessary for proper brain function for mental and emotional health, and helps protect against birth defects.
Where to find it: Leafy green vegetables, fruits and beans. It is also often added to cereals, breads, pasta and rice.
How much you need: 400 micrograms. Do not exceed 1,000 micrograms in the synthetic form.

Vitamin C:

Why you need it: Vitamin C facilitates normal growth and development, and repairs bodily tissue, bones and teeth. It is used to produce collagen, functions as an antioxidant to block some of the damage caused by free radicals and boosts the body’s immune system.
Where to find it: Most fruits and vegetables especially citrus fruit, red peppers, broccoli, tomatoes and strawberries.
How much you need: 75mg. Do not exceed 2,000mg.

Biotin:

Why you need it: Biotin plays an essential role in energy production and the metabolism of sugar and fats. It is also believed to aid in healthy hair, nails and skin.
Where to find it: Nuts, eggs, soybeans, cauliflower, fish, avocados and berries.
How much you need: There is no RDA, but generally 30 to 100 micrograms.

Other B Vitamins:

Why you need them: The B vitamins help the body convert food into fuel for energy. They contribute to healthy skin, hair, and eyes and also help to maintain muscle tone, metabolism, nervous system functions and memory.
Where to find them: Fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy products, legumes, and many fortified cereals and whole grains.
How much you need:
- B1 (Thiamine): 1.1mg. No upper limits have been set.
- B2 (Riboflavin): 1.1 mg. No upper limits have been set.
- B3 (Niacin): 14mg. Do not exceed 35/mg in supplement form.
- B6 (Pyridoxine): 1.3 mg. Do not exceed 100mg.
- B12 (Cobalamin): 2.4 mg. No upper limits have been set.

Vitamin D:

Why you need it: Vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorous in our bones and it is needed for bone and cell growth. It also helps to reduce inflammation.
Where to find it: Fortified mils and cereals, eggs yolks and fish. The body can make Vitamin D from exposure to sunlight.
How much you need: 15 micrograms. Do not exceed 100 micrograms.

Omega-3:

Why you need it: Omega-3 assists in proper brain function, helps reduce high blood pressure and calms inflammation.
Where to find it: Fish, especially salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel, flax seeds and walnuts.
How much you need: There are no standard doses for Omega-3. Check with your doctor to find out your specific needs.

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Virginia • March 19, 2014

Great information!
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Give It A Rest

March 13, 2014

inBalance, Debra, Exercise, Fitness, Health, Mental Health, Mood, Relaxation, Sleep, Workouts

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Cardinal rule of exercise – you have to allow your body to rest and repair. Although this is widely known, I often talk to people who never rest and exercise 7 days a week.

Why Rest Is Important:

The body repairs and strengthens itself in-between workouts. Continuous training can actually weaken the strongest athlete.
During recovery, the body adapts to the stress of exercise and the real training effect takes place – meaning, this is where you build muscle.
- Conditioning requires a balance between overload (pushing the muscles) and recovery. Too much overload or too little recovery result in both physical and psychological symptoms.
Rest helps maintain a better balance between home, work & fitness goals.
Sleep is key to keeping hormone levels steady which aid in stress and muscle recovery, as well as a stable mood. Sleep deprivation can also affect aerobic endurance.
Too few rest and recovery days can lead to overtraining syndrome : when you train beyond the body’s ability to recover.

Common Warning Signs and Symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome

Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
Pain in muscles and joints
Sudden drop in performance
Insomnia
Headaches
Decreased immunity (increased number of colds, and sore throats)
Decrease in training capacity / intensity
Moodiness, irritability or depression
Loss of enthusiasm for working out
Decreased appetite
Increased incidence of injuries
A compulsive need to exercise

Principal of Adaptation & How It Applies To Recovery

When we undergo the stress of physical exercise, our body adapts and becomes more efficient – Principal of Adaptation (also discussed in our “The Power of Your Heart” blog entry). When you do not properly rest from the stress of physical exercise, your body cannot adapt as easily to the changes.

The body can only tolerate so much stress before it breaks down and risks injury. Doing too much, too quickly will result in muscle damage and have adverse effects (too many days of exercise). Likewise, doing too little, too slowly will not result in improvement (going through the motions).

The other key component of building your fitness level is to vary your workouts between cardio and strength conditioning. All too often, people will focus on one or the other and constantly work the same muscles without rest. Ever try a new class and couldn’t move the next morning? Excellent example of muscles you are not training in your normal workout. Varying your workouts allows the muscles you typically use to rest and helps your body adapt to change (improve your fitness level).

My Take

People always ask me what I do for my workouts. I am a pretty scheduled kinda girl who likes to plan my week. I work out 5 days/wk with 2 days rest.

3 days I vary my workout with high intensity interval and strength training at K2 fitness. In between those days, I do 2 days/wk of interval sprints for 30 minutes on my treadmill (5 min running/2 min sprint circuits).

I believe in those 2 days of rest (as hard as it is sometimes to mentally convince myself to not workout). I feel so refreshed when I go back to my workouts.

When I workout, I workout hard and make every minute count. It’s better to maximize your time at the gym and work hard the days you go then going through the motions every day and not improving your fitness level. Workout, repair and workout again.

And think of all the time you will save with less days at the gym.

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The Rise of the Egg

March 11, 2014

inFood, Health, In The News, Lisa, Nutrients, Nutrition, Vitamins

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The egg’s fall from grace began over two decades ago and corresponded to the rise in concern over cholesterol levels. A single large egg contains 185 grams of cholesterol and the American Heart Association only recommends 300 mg of cholesterol per day – so 2 eggs puts you over their recommendation. However, these simple numbers don’t paint the whole picture because studies have shown that the cholesterol you eat, has very little impact on the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Why?

First: There are two types of cholesterol: dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol. Both are important. Dietary cholesterol is found in certain foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and diary products. The second type (blood cholesterol, also called serum cholesterol) is produced in the liver and floats around in our bloodstream. Blood cholesterol is divided into two sub-categories: High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL). LDL cholesterol is considered bad because it sticks to artery walls.

Unknown

Many scientists are now discovering that consuming food rich in dietary cholesterol does not increase blood cholesterol, but instead foods high in saturated fats may be to blame. Again – back to eggs. They contain primarily unsaturated fat.

Second: Cholesterol happens to be one of the most important nutrients in your body. It is a fat like substance found in every living cell in the body. It’s a requirement for growth (in infants and adults). And it’s required for the production of many hormones.

Results: Researchers have looked at the diets of hundreds of thousands of people and they have found that consuming eggs every day is not associated with cholesterol problems or heart disease. In controlled trials — the best kind of research — people were instructed to eat up to three eggs per day while on a weight loss diet. These people lost weight, had decreased inflammation and either maintained or improved their blood cholesterol levels.

So the end result is, unless you have diabetes or a rare genetic disorder, eating eggs is not only not bad for you, but good for you.

What’s in an egg.

One large egg has 6 grams of high-quality protein which means it is highly digestible and may provide better satiety (keeping you fuller for longer), which helps weight management.
Eggs are a complete protein which means they contain all the essential amino acids
Eggs “biological value” — a measurement used to determine how efficiently a protein is used for growth — is 93.7. Milk, fish, beef, and rice respectively have a bio value of 84.5, 76, 74.3, and 64.
Good source of Omega-3 fatty acids
Eggs contain over 11 essential vitamins and minerals
Egg yolk is one of a few foods that contain Vitamin D
One egg contains between 66 an 84 calories depending on the size
Eggs also contain biotin (a B-vitamin), calcium, cephalin and lecithin (both help brain function)
Each egg has 5 grams of fat of which about 3 grams are from healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.

Buying Eggs. As you may have noticed, there are a dizzying number of choices when buying eggs. Use the chart below to help you understand the differences..

eggs

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