“How was your day?”
Is a question asked of us so often it has become so mundane and banal. Our answers, of course, vary as our activities in any given day.
Our answers, too, will purely be a matter of externals. Never will it occur to us, even for a second, that our “day” will just be as good as our body allows it to. An impaired body function will definitely make our day very different than what we want it to be.
Very much like your car.
Our body is a machine, very much like a car. Whereas we lavish much attention on our car, we wait until we hear a strange hum in our chest, creaks in our joints, difficulty in our exhaust system before making a mad rush to a body mechanic for a check up.
To make our day zip like a car, we need to give our body a daily dose of pampering as well. We need to have it amply supplied with nutrients such as:
Vitamin D:
This strengthens the skeleton, among other things.
It reduces inflammation of the arteries; people deficient with it are 80% more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke.
It also triggers weight loss from the belly; people with high levels of Vitamin D in the blood store less fat.
Vitamin D is synthesized by the skin from the UV rays of sunlight. Being in the tropics, I am amply supplied with it. But those in cooler countries need reinforcement by taking lots of salmon, mackerel, tuna, milk and eggs. For good measure a daily dose (1,400 IU) of Vitamin D from food supplements is recommended.
Magnesium:
This lightweight mineral makes bright white flares. It is also involved in more than 300 bodily processes, like help the body cells generate energy. Without it, our muscles will be in permanent state of contraction and our body cannot adjust the cholesterol levels released into the blood stream. .
High magnesium levels prevent the increase of C-reactive protein in our blood. This protein type is a heart disease indicator.
Magnesium is not manufactured by the body and has to be taken from the food we eat. The problem is that our normal daily intake is almost always lower than the 400 mg/day we need.
To make up for the shortage, it is recommended to eat lots of halibut, navy beans and spinach. If this is not enough, 250 mg/day of magnesium citrate from food supplements should be sufficient.
Vitamin B12:
This keeps our brains healthy – a must for the elderly. A British study showed that older people deficient in B12 lost more brain volume than those with enough.
Vitamin B12 is abundant in lamb and salmon but is easier to digest if taken from fortified cereals. A bowl of 100% B12-boosted cereal and milk, taken daily, should be enough.
Potassium:
I once had a subordinate who collapsed while at work. He died shortly after reaching the hospital. The cause? Potassium depletion.
Potassium depletion can kill. But before death comes, the heart won’t beat properly, the muscles won’t contract and the brain could not understand a sentence. This is because it is important in making effective use of glucose.
Despite its ugly specter, our Potassium intake, on the average, is 60 to 70% below the required 4,700 mg/day. To make matters worse, we love to take more blood pressure-increasing sodium which negates potassium’s function.
Next time you go to the grocery, don’t ignore the avocados and bananas. They contain roughly 500 mg and 400 mg, respectively. And if you are not averse to carbohydrates, take lots of potatoes. They contain 1,600 mg.
Iodine:
This is needed by the thyroid gland to produce the T3 and T4 hormones which help control how the body burns calories. Not enough iodine will cause the body to gain weight and feel fatigued
Iodine can be found in a lot of sea foods, milk, eggs and yogurt.
“How was your day?”
Before giving an answer, smile and be thankful that you are loaded with the necessary nutrients to take you through it.
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