Healthy Habit #8-Take Your Vities!

Today I challenge you to think about your health and take your multivitamin everyday.

Why?  even though we are all working very hard to make whole foods for us and the family, it does take a lot of whole foods to get what you need everyday.  Getting the right amount of nutrients helps our body defend against sickness and disease.  Caffeine deplete our body's store of calcium.  Calcium is a super important vitamin for woman, it helps fight osteoporosis!   Another interesting reason is that multivitamins include antioxidants, particularly selenium which activate the thyroid hormone and regulates our metabolism.
Here are the vitamins you are basically looking for in your mulitvitamin:

Vitamin A-maintains eyes, teeth, skin and bones-800mcg-found in carrots, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potatoes and mangoes.
Vitamin D-Helps maintain calcium good for teeth and bones-5-10mcg-found in salmon, oysters, milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese.
Vitamin E-good for healthy tissues, antioxidant-8mg-found in vegetable oils, nuts, wheat germ, seeds, mangoes, olives
Vitamin K-good for blood clotting, formation of bone-65mcg-found in brussels sprouts, kale, lettuce, spinach and broccoli
Vitamin C-good for gums, bones antioxidant to help fight infection enhances absorption of iron-60mg- Found in citrus fruit, papaya, kiwi, strawberries, red peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and broccoli.
Folate-good for heart, prevents birth defects-180mcg-Found in pasta, bread, cereal, poultry, lentils, beans, leafy green veggies.
Thiamin-good for muscle tone, digestion, helps cells convert carbs into energy-1.1 mg-found in yeast, pork, nuts, fish, soy, peas, beans, oatmeal, whole grains.
Roboflavin-good for skin, eyes, protection and growth of red blood cells-1.3 mg-found in lean meats, yeast, beans, yogurt, cheese, milk, green leafy veggies.
Vitamin B6-good for brain function, immune system-1.6mg-found in meats, fish, poultry, beans, eggs, white and sweet potatoes and bananas.
Vitamin B12-good for central nervous system and metabolism-2mcg-found in clams, shellfish, meats, milk, cheese and eggs-vegetarians tend to need some help with this one!
Niacin-good for skin, digestive system, converts food into energy-15 mg-found in meats, fish, poultry, nuts and grains.
Choline-good for memory, muscle, healthy cells-425 mg-found in eggs, milk,liver, peanuts and cauliflower.
Calcium-good for bones, heart, muscles, blood clotting-800-1200mg-found in milk, yogurt, cheese, salmon, sardines, black strap molasses and spinach.
Magnesium-good for energy, muscles, heart and bone development-280mg-found in nuts, meats, tofu, bananas, apricots, yogurt and grains.
Iron-good for blood, energy, immune system-15mg-found in dish, dried fruit, nuts, eggs.
Selenium-good for thyroid function, antioxidant-55mcg-found in brazil nuts, fish, garlic, eggs, poultry, sunflower seeds, red meat, breads, oatmeal and soy nuts.
Zinc-good for energy, metabolism and immune system-12mg-found in oysters, red meat, poultry, nuts, milk, whole grains, tofu and eggs.

Whew!

We talked about this a little on fb a few weeks ago.  Food is the best source to get your nutrients then vitamins.  Food-based vitamins are suppose to be the easiest to digest and absorb.

If you have any tips for us mamas-leave a comment!