Eat Your Way to Increased Energy
It's a well-known fact that you are what you eat -- as far as
your physical health goes.
But it's so easy to get off the track and fill up on empty
calories instead of eating wholesome energy-packed foods. For
example, how many times have you heard chocolate chip cookies in
your cupboard calling for attention?
It's all right to eat sweets as a special treat but not as a
steady diet.
What's passed is passed. You can't un-eat what you've eaten, but
you can decide to use wisdom in the future to choose more
wholesome foods. And if you do, there's the anticipation of
having lots more energy today and in your tomorrows too.
For you to function at your best, you need essential vitamins,
minerals and fiber, so here's a short list of energizing
vitamins with foods to select for your daily diet:
1. Vitamin A is essential for your vision, growth, healthy skin
and hair, mucous membranes and immunity to disease.
Make a selection from this list: sweet potatoes, carrots,
mangos, turnip greens, raw spinach, papaya, red bell pepper,
apricots, cantaloupes, eggs, raw tomatoes, broccoli, green bell
pepper and oranges.
2. The B-complex vitamins are needed for your energy, healthy
nervous system, skin, hair, eyes and liver.
Choose some of these: whole-grain cereals, rice, nuts, milk,
eggs, meats, fish, fruits, leafy green vegetables, brewer's
yeast, and liver.
3. Vitamin C helps your body to stay well.
Want to help your body fight off sickness? Make sure you eat
enough foods containing Vitamin C. A dangerous result of not
having enough Vitamin C is a condition known as scurvy -- a
disease characterized by bleeding gums and loose teeth. Sailors
suffered from this illness in the past. If your gums bleed a lot
and easily, you just might want to eat more food with this
essential vitamin.
Some of the fruits containing Vitamin C are apples, apricots,
pears, avocado, banana, grapes, grapefruit, mangoes, melons,
plums, oranges, peaches, persimmons, pineapples, plums, berries,
strawberries, tangerines and tomatoes.
You'll also find Vitamin C in vegetables such as asparagus,
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage, cauliflower,
potatoes, spinach, and turnip greens.
4. Vitamin D enables your body to absorb calcium.
Would you like to give a boost to your body's absorption of
calcium? Eat more food containing Vitamin D. It's necessary for
the development and protection of healthy teeth and bones. Brain
and nerve cells also depend on getting enough calcium that
Vitamin D helps to deliver.
Not getting enough Vitamin D can cause rickets -- a disease
characterized by soft and deformed bones.
Eat these foods to include Vitamin D in your diet: cheese,
butter, cream, fortified milk, fish, and fortified cereals.
5. Vitamin E helps protect your body.
Eat these foods to include this necessary vitamin: whole eggs,
apples with skin, raw avocados, raw spinach, raw tomatoes and
raw turnip greens.
6. Minerals
Don't forget to include minerals in your diet. Your blood needs
iron and your bones and teeth require calcium. Some salt is
needed for the proper functioning of your muscles.
Two foods that most people enjoy are beans that are high in iron
and other minerals, and potatoes that are rich in Vitamin C,
copper, magnesium phosphorous, potassium, and iron.
7. Fiber
Want to avoid the misery of feeling sluggish from being plugged
up? Be sure to include enough fiber in your diet. It makes your
digestive system work properly.
You'll find fiber in grains, fruit, brown rice, whole wheat,
buckwheat and barley.
So why not treat yourself to a bran muffin!
What you put in your mouth is an ongoing decision that will
drastically affect your energy level.