We all know that you should be taking in plenty of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. But it is one thing to know that, and quite another to make sure that you are really doing it. The truth is that it can be more difficult than you might think to ensure that you are getting everything you need, and it is often a case of trying to make a series of both small and large changes so that this happens. But then the question is: what kinds of changes should you be making? With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best ways to try and get more nutrients into your body on a daily basis.
Knowing Your Nutrients
As is often the case with health-related concerns, you need to make sure that you are actually aware of what you need in order that you can get it. In this case, that will mean spending the time getting to know your nutrients, and what you do and don’t need. This might be more of a challenge than you initially think, and you might find that it is quite surprising just how many you do actually need in order to be perfectly healthy. But it is a vital first step, and not one that you should overlook if you can at all help it. Spending time on this stage will really make a difference to how well you can improve your nutrient intake.
Cutting Out The Bad Stuff
It’s not just about eating foods which are high in what you need. If you are keen on ensuring that you are getting all of the nutrients necessary, you will also need to make sure that you are not eating or drinking anything which might be inhibiting the nutrients and minerals you are taking in. this might sound far-fetched but actually it is surprisingly common for this to happen. The perfect example is phosphoric acid. This substance is in plenty of foods, and it has been shown to have the potential to actually decrease the nutrients in the body which you get from other foods. You should therefore try to avoid eating too much with high levels of phosphoric acid, as it could be cancelling out the positive benefits of your diet.
Keeping The Knives Away
Sometimes it can be surprising what you can do to help your food retain its nutrients. For example, your vegetables will have much more in the way of vitamins and minerals if you do not cut them before cooking. This might sound strange, but it is backed up by science. In recent studies, scientists discovered that potatoes contain fifty percent more potassium when cooked whole compared to being cut. The same kind of process can be true of many other vegetables as well. You should therefore try not to cut your vegetables whenever possible – although of course, in some cases, you will still need to chop them up before you cook them.
Don’t Avoid Fat
Although you might be keen to keep your fat content down as much as possible, the truth is that you do need to eat a fair amount of fat in order to get all of the nutrients that you really need. If you avoid fat too much, you will find that you are not quite getting everything your body needs, as it is often the fat itself that holds most of the nutrients. Fat is what carries the nutrients into the intestines, and therefore if you don’t get enough of it it is much less likely you will be able to be as healthy as possible. So sometimes it’s a good sign if you have put on a little weight!
Consider Organic
You might well have heard plenty about eating organic foods in the past. There is much to be said both for and against eating organic, and many people find that uit can be much more expensive than other food. However, something that must be said for eating organic is that it almost always has plenty more in the way of natural vitamins and minerals. This is because of the simple fact that the way food is cultivated has a big effect on how many nutrients it has. If you are really serious about getting all the nutrients you need, you should try to eat organic as much as possible.
With the above taken into consideration, you should find that you are able to get plenty more nutrients in your body. This will result in you having more energy and clearer skin, among other benefits, and is definitely worthwhile.