Let’s face it. Getting all your recommended daily nutrients can be a little tricky. You may be eating right, exercising, drinking lots of water, etc. But are you really getting enough? Are you absorbing these nutrients?
You see, my gut has kind of gone through hell and back (before eating gluten free) and getting my food/nutrients to absorb has been my main goal. The best way (for me) has been to focus on REAL nutrient dense foods a few other important supplements. These supplements have had to be either in liquid form or powder in order to get into blood stream a little faster than in pill form. Although this might not be true for everyone, it has worked well for me.
Okay, we all know certain supplements/vitamins are beneficial for our diet but what about food? Is it helping or hurting our so called “absorption rate?” Do we really absorb all our nutrients in REAL food?
Oh wow, so many questions. Lets bullet point this.
How to get more bang for your buck with food/nutrients:
- Calcium- needs Vitamin D to absorb properly. Certain Calcium supplements will now come with Vitamin D added.
- Food wise, try pairing the two in a snack or meal. Example: Fortified Cereal and Milk, Stuffed Mushrooms (vitamin D) with Mozzarella (calcium), Cheese and Veggie Omelet (eggs- vitamin D, cheese for calcium).
- Iron - best absorbed with Vitamin C. So take iron supplements with orange juice, fruit, etc.
- Food wise- Steak (Iron) with bell peppers or tomatoes (Vitamin C). Try this combo in a salad or wrap. Don’t eat meat? No prob. Tempeh is a good source of iron. Try pairing it in a salad with strawberries (vitamin C) and toasted almonds.
- Potassium - absorbed in the large intestines, and with that being said, eating other foods in conjunction with potassium can actually inhibit absorption. So avoid eating too much sodium, caffeine, or alcohol. I guess bananas foster doesn't really count, eh? hehe.
- Food wise- Banana with peanut butter is a great way get that potassium absorbed
- B12 Vitamin- Absorbs well with folic acid. So if you take a B12 vitamin (good for vegetarians), you might want to take it fortified cereal.
- Coffee (go solo)- Since coffee acts as a diuretic and pushes “things” through the stomach a little faster, avoid taking supplements with it. It just might push those nutrients right through as well.
So there you have it folks. Are you more confused? haha. I know it can be like playing a game of mix and match but the bottom line is REAL food is our best source of nutrients.
ENJOY it and ABSORB it!
The nerd in me loves this. I could talk all day about the science behind it but don’t worry….
I won’t bore you----------> yet.
What do you think? Are you absorbing much??
Cheers,
Nerd alert Lindsay
p.s.
who else was shocked watching the bachelorette?
