How Can I Keep a Balanced Daily Diet? Nutrition is a key to a healthy life, especially if you work out regularly, food will become the energy that you need. But... What do I need to incorporate in my diet? Which are the best vitamin sources and proteins for our bodies? and What happens if I don't incorporate the necessary amount of them?... Read the article and get informed about the best vitamin sources and organic proteins to have a balanced daily diet.
In these last years, vegan diets have become increasingly popular and veganism has seen a huge global increase since 2014, especially amongst millennials and those conscious of what they are putting into their bodies. One common concern about vegan diets is whether they provide your body with all the vitamins, minerals and proteins you need. Although we all know that one of the easiest ways to acquire the necessary amount of vitamins your body needs is through the intake of the fruits and vegetables, one of the most controversial topic these days haunts around the question: Which are the Best Protein and Vitamin Sources for Vegans?
Both vitamins and protein are equally essential for our body and well-being. There cannot be any comparison between these two as absence or deficiency of any of these would pose serious impact on our health. Along with these two, we also need other macro and micronutrients...
In this article we will talk about the importance that proteins and vitamins have in our daily routine and which are the best vitamin sources to keep healthy. Read on and learn a little bit more to live a fully balanced life!
What Are The Best Vitamin Sources and Why Are They Needed?
The vitamins are natural and essential nutrients, required in small quantities and play a major role in growth and development, repair and healing wounds, maintaining healthy bones and tissues, for the proper functioning of an immune system, and other biological functions. These essential organic compounds have diverse biochemical functions.
A small amount of vitamins is required for proper development of our body and to maintain overall health. There are 13 vitamins in total and they are divided into two categories based on how your body absorbed them. Similar to minerals, vitamins cannot be synthesized by our body. Therefore, we need to get vitamin sources from the food we consume or in extreme cases supplements to keep ourselves healthy.
This is a list of the 13 needed vitamin sources:
- Vitamin A: Found in potato, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, beef and eggs.
- Vitamin D: Found in fortified milk and other dairy products.
- Vitamin E: Found in fortified cereals, leafy green vegetables, seeds, and nuts.
- Vitamin K: Found in dark green leafy vegetables and in turnip or beet green.
- Vitamin C: Found in citrus fruits and juices, such as oranges and grapefruits.
- Vitamin B1 thiamine: Found in pork chops, ham, enriched grains and seeds.
- Vitamin B2 riboflavin: Found in whole grains, enriched grains and dairy products.
- Vitamin B3 niacin: Found in mushrooms, fish, poultry, and whole grains.
- Vitamin B5 pantothenic acid: Found in chicken, broccoli, legumes and whole grains.
- Vitamin B6 pyroxidine: Found in fortified cereals and soy products.
- Vitamin B7 biotin: Found in many fruits like fruits and meats.
- Vitamin B9 folate: Found in leafy vegetables.
- Vitamin B12 cobalamin: Found in fish, poultry, meat and dairy products.
In case you find it difficult to maintain the necessary levels of vitamins in your body, a good organic vitamin supplement is another vitamin source worth considering. Read on and find the 6 best organic vitamins to supplement your diet: Organic Vitamins: 6 Options to Supplement Your Vegan Diet
The Top Three Reasons Vitamins Are Important
1. Keep Our Bodies in Good Working Order
Why is it important to eat food with a high percentage of vitamin sources? Vitamins work hard to keep our bodies functioning properly and they help drive essential processes needed in our everyday lives. Each nutrient is on a mission to deliver health benefits that help you reach your wellness goals.
2. Healthy Aging
Our cells experience wear and tear as time passes, but proper nutrition can slow down this process. Vitamins, like antioxidants, function to protect cells from environmental stressors, helping to support healthy aging.
3. Cover Your Nutritional Bases
We do our best to eat healthy, but some nutrients are hard to get from food alone. A multivitamin can ensure you meet your regular daily requirements for all the essential vitamins and minerals.
Which Are The Most Common Vitamin Deficiency Symptoms?
There are a number of different symptoms of vitamin deficiency. Generally, some of those deficiencies arise from the fact that people don't like the vitamin sources where to get all they need. Usually, noticeable effects do not begin to develop until you have had several months of low vitamin levels.
Common symptoms of vitamin deficiency include:
- Fatigue, low energy
- Loss of bone density
- Dry skin and hair
- Depression
- Irritability
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Poor wound healing (sores that last for a long time)
- Predisposition to infections
- Skin color changes (usually small, flat, light patches on your skin)
- Anemia, which is decreased red blood cell count and/or function, is a common consequence of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency. It can cause symptoms such as fatigue and irritability.
Warning: nobody wants to live an unhealthy life... Continue reading and learn how to prepare the best dishes with high percentage of vitamin sources and proteins!
What Are Proteins and Why Are They Important for?
Proteins are organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen and sometimes iron, phosphorus, and sulfur. Among the importance of proteins, they are needed to grow new tissues, repair old tissue, help your body fight infection, It helps build our body, helps maintain fluid balance and keeps your immune system better. It also assists in the development, structure and function of cells, tissues, antibodies, hormones and enzymes... Those are some of the reasons why proteins are often called the body’s building blocks, since our body requires large amounts of it to function properly.
What Do Proteins Do?
When digested, protein breaks down into amino acids. These amino acids help the body's tissues function and grow. That makes this macronutrient important to having healthy and strong muscles and bones, as well as impacting your hair and nails.
There are nine essential amino acids and 11 non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are "essential" in that they must be consumed through the diet because our bodies cannot make them.
Unlike with carbohydrates and fats, there is no mechanism to store excess amino acids that are consumed in the diet... So, a continuous supply is needed. Put simply, you need to consume protein daily to meet your body's needs.
Do you want to learn more about the best protein sources to fill your days with power? please read:
- Protein Powder: Which Are the Best Protein Sources for Vegans?
- Best 9 Organic Protein Powder to Fill Your Exercise Day with Energy
What Are The Most Common Protein Deficiency Symptoms?
Proteins are important for weight gain, growth, and gestation what makes it impossible to believe that the most common nutrient deficiency in humans is that of proteins. When your body doesn't get the required protein amounts or isn't able to use protein efficiently, research has shown that it can lead to the following symptoms:
- Increased infections and illnesses4
- Reduced muscle mass, often referred to as sarcopenia in older patients
- Swelling in the legs
- Slower wound healing times
- High blood pressure during the second trimester of pregnancy, also called preeclampsia8
Protein deficiency may show up differently in infants and children
Important Facts About Protein:
- Essential macronutrient, which means you need an adequate amount of protein in your diet to stay healthy
- Needed to maintain muscle mass
- Helps with keeping blood sugars stable
- Maintains hunger
- Responsible for growth, repair and maintenance of cells – amino acids are the building blocks of protein – they play a major role in hair growth
- Not getting enough protein in your diet can result in your body utilizing muscle for energy
- Builds muscle, cartilage and skin
- Plays a role in hormonal regulation
Some people have difficulty getting enough protein in their diet, simply because they might not like protein-rich foods or they might have difficulty finding foods that they do like. This can lead to unhealthy eating habits, such as taking in too many carbs. Following these tips can help you get more protein, maintain a healthy diet, and stay healthy.
So,...
How To Get More Protein in Your Diet?
Choosing nutritious protein sources is recommended for optimal health and fitness. This includes foods such as:
- Apple
- Peanut butter
- Carrots
- Cheese stick
- Celery
- Hard boiled egg
- Add in some healthy fats for a snack that have protein in them: avocado, olives.
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Switch to Greek yogurt as Greek yogurt has more protein: If you don’t like the texture or taste of Greek yogurt, make a smoothie with some frozen fruit to give it some texture and flavor (i.e., banana, raspberries)
- Snack on roasted chickpeas – great carbohydrate and protein source
- Seafood
- Peas
- Soy products
- Unsalted nuts and seeds that also have a high level of Omega 3. Tip: To find more ways to include Omega 3 in your diet, please read: Vegan Omega 3, Different Natural Alternatives
In case you exercise regularly, you might find lots of benefits on snacking often, even more if your snacks are full of proteins. If you are interested in post workout snacks, you might like: Post Workout Snacks: Which Are the Best Options For You?
Tip: Try to aim for at least the size of a deck of cards of protein per meal. Have a serving of protein with your snack (7 grams of protein is equal to one serving of protein) .Anyway, If you need help or more ideas on how to get more protein, consult with a nutritionist to identify foods rich in protein that could be added to your diet.
Meet Your Own Needs
Protein requirements vary for each person...
Currently, according to the Institute of Medicine, the recommended daily allowance for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. An adult, non-active male weighing 160 pounds would require 58 grams of protein per day, for example. The recommended daily allowance for children is 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. It is 0.8 to 1.5 grams for the elderly, and 1.2 to 2.0 for athletes
Both vitamins and protein are equally essential for our body and well-being. There cannot be any comparison between these two as absence or deficiency of any of these would pose serious impact on our health. Along with these two, we also need other macro and micronutrients. Each nutrient and their best sources should be consumed according to daily needs. You should maintain a balanced diet with recommended value of all the vital nutrients.
Hope I have provided you all the necessary information to learn about the best vitamin sources and proteins to live a healthy, balanced life!
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