"And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln
All of the nutrition books tell us some fat is necessary in our diets, and we think to ourselves yeah right but fat makes us fat!! (unless we read sugar busters and know sugar actually makes us fat but back on topic) The books are right! Some fat is essential to maintain a healthy and happy body. Fat keeps us feeling satisfied, usually tastes pretty good (although it would make things way easier if it didn't), and most importantly it stores fat-soluble vitamins which we literally couldn't survive without! The fat-soluble vitamins A,D,E, and K are often found in fat-containing foods, and are stored in the liver or adipose tissue until they are needed. When the bodies ability to absorb fat is impaired, so is its ability to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. However, fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body for extended period of time before they are excreted. Although, the ability to store fat-soluble vitamins is a benefit in most cases, it can also increase the risk of toxicity from overconsumption.
Here is the break down on Fat-soluble vitamins (click to make larger):
RDA- Recommended Daily Allowance
Data is from the National Academy of Sciences
So stock up on your leafy green veggies, milk, fish, eggs, fruit, and fortified cereal and you will get all of the fat-soluble vitamins you need. Luckily, we already eat these healthy food everyday so we are all set!! Right?? If not, there is not better time to up your vitamin intake than now!! The summer is the best time to buy fresh fruits and veggies at your local farmers market or even just the grocery store. The number of fruits and vegetables that are in season right now is amazing! I try and get a different type of fruit every week to add variety and make sure I am getting all the vitamins I need. Happy Picking!
Yours truly,
Lauren G.
I like your suggestion to go buy and try more fruits and veggies. People get hung up on so much supplementation, they forget it starts with good nutrition. Our western diet is the elephant in the room, labeled with tons of health claims to turn a profit. Industrialized, mass production of processed junk! Portions are way out of control, and too much sugar, flour and animal product. I am writing a blog about adding more vegetarian and vegan dishes to the weekly meal repetoire, even the desserts take advantage of fresh fruits in season. Check it out http://sweetveg-e.blogspot.com/ I look forward to following your blog.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on supplementation. One time, a friend told me he could get all of his fruits and vegetables from a pill. I almost died!! I loved you blog! I am always looking for new ways to incorporate veggies into my meals, so I am super excited to try out some of your recipes!
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