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The Six Key Elements to Nutrition Planning: Vitamins and Minerals

Building meal plans can be confusing with all the contradictory diet advice out there. There are however six key elements every meal plan should include. Today we are diving deeper into element number two: vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals are typically referred to as micronutrients. Just like with macronutrients your body needs these to help build, repair and perform at its optimal level. They are your nutritional safety net and help your body perform hundreds of vital functions.

Micronutrients help every system in your body perform and can also help prevent disease and disorders including blindness and scurvy.

Getting vital micronutrients can also help with creating strong bones, preventing birth defects and healthy teeth.

Vitamins are organic compounds that can be broken down by heat, air or acid whereas minerals are inorganic compounds and hold their chemical structure. This just means it is easier for your body to obtain minerals through your diet thanks to soil, water and food intake. Vitamins are harder to obtain through food because cooking and air exposure can decrease their potency or completely remove them from their original source.

Vitamins come in two types: water soluble and fat soluble. Water soluble vitamins are absorbed directly by the bloodstream as your food or supplement digest. Since our bodies are largely water these vitamins circulate easily and excess amounts are removed from your body in your urine. Fat soluble vitamins gain entry to our bodies through our blood via protein carriers  as they  travels through lymph channels in the intestinal walls.

Minerals are stored in fairly large amounts in the body because our bodies require large amounts of them. They travel through the body in different ways that vary by each individual mineral. One of the biggest tasks of minerals is to maintain our  bodies water balance.

Getting the right amount of minerals is pretty easy through proper nutrition, however a blood test by your doctor can determine if you are deficient in one. To much of one mineral can cause a deficiency in another.

Most individuals do not need to supplement for minerals or individually for vitamins. A good multivitamin will help fill in any gaps in your diet and your body will remove any extra from your body.

I get my favorite multivitamin delivered right to my door for more information the brand I recommend email: kickittothecarb@gmail.com


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