Micronutrients
Vitamins and minerals are a very important and essential part of our diet – they are the “sparkplugs” that our bodies need for life and they are essential for our health and wellbeing. Whilst vitamins and minerals don’t contain any meaningful energy themselves, they allow your body to use energy within the macronutrients.
We get vitamins from plant food or from animals that have eaten plant foods. Some vitamins are water soluble (e.g. vitamins B & C) which means we are unable to store these in any meaningful way, so we need to consume them on a daily basis. Some are fat soluble (e.g. vitamins A,D,E & K) and are utilised and transported in the presence of fat. We can store these vitamins in our bodies.
Minerals are inorganic compounds that are present in the earth in which our food grows – plants absorb the minerals and we eat the plants. Minerals are essential for many processes within the body including bone formations, muscles contraction, fluid regulation etc. A diet lacking in essential vitamins will have a negative impact on our health, for example, a lack of iron will affect our bodies ability to transport oxygen to our blood.
The general recommendation to ensure we consume the correct amount of micronutrients is to have a varied and non-limiting diet.
HydrationWater makes up the vast majority of our body so it is essential to keep our bodies well hydrated. Water helps regulate body temperature, it eliminates waste and toxins, it is an integral part of all our muscles and it helps move chemicals and carry blood cells around our body.
It is recommended that we consume at least six to eight tall glasses of water a day, the equivalent of around 2 litres. We need to keep our bodies really well hydrated before, during and after high intensity exercise. A well hydrated body also burns fat at a higher rate than a de-hydrated body. As such, I suggest aiming for around 2.5-3 litres of water per day.