In this chapter, I'll go over the reasons why the nutrients in the World's Healthiest Foods are so important to your health. Nutrients are the body's ingredients for health. You will see that they are the key to healthy weight loss and optimal health because they offer so many great benefits.
Even though most people are familiar with the concept of nutrition and nutrients, many do not really understand what they do or how they function, including how they help people lose weight. I want to explain what nutrients do by using the straightforward example of calcium.
You've probably heard that calcium is important for your bones' health. You may also have been told that "calcium can prevent osteoporosis," a condition that affects 20 million adults in the United States.
I wish things were as straightforward! Sadly, however, they are not. Indeed
however calcium assumes a significant part in keeping up with our bone wellbeing,
it's simply not a fact that calcium, without anyone else, can forestall the event of osteoporosis.
First and foremost, there are numerous additional nutrients that bones require to construct their structure and density. For instance, a wide range of nutrients, including magnesium, manganese, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin K, boron, silicon, potassium, and others, are necessary for good bone health 44 Healthy Weight Loss — Without Dieting45. You won't be able to achieve good bone health by only consuming calcium. Nutrient-dense foods like the World's Healthiest Foods are the only ones that can provide you with the wide range of nutrients you require.
The majority of people are accustomed to thinking of nutrients in terms of "this cures that." The overly simplified marketing of dietary supplements can sometimes encourage this way of thinking. Health claims that present relatively straightforward cause-and-effect relationships between nutrients and health are frequently included on product labels by manufacturers. A manufacturer of a supplement might say, for instance, that vitamin E supports heart health, that fiber keeps the bowels regular, or that calcium builds strong bones.
Even though all of these connections between nutrients and health are supported by science, consumers might conclude that vitamin E is all they need for a healthy heart or that calcium is all they need to build strong bones. The fact of the matter is that no single nutrient can protect an entire body system, such as blood vessels or bones, or prevent a disease entirely.
It is not as though a nutrient can magically resolve a health issue. The role that nutrients play in all of the body's underlying structures and metabolic activities is connected to the fact that nutrients are linked to both the prevention of future health issues and the improvement of existing ones. They are the resources that are required by our body in order to produce and keep healthy cells. They are the substances that enable our body to carry out its moment-to-moment physiologic activities and aid in the operation of our metabolism. Our body can't do what it needs to do without them: For instance, oxygen cannot be carried in our blood, our muscles cannot contract, and our cells cannot communicate. In addition to those three, there are literally thousands of other activities that take place every second at a metabolic level that we cannot see but is absolutely necessary for our health.
As a result, nutrients are the components of the body's recipe for Nutrient-Rich World's Healthiest Foods Key to Healthy Weight Loss46. These nutrients support the body's fundamental structure and function, which are the foundation for our physical health.
If you take any one nutrient and look at everything it does in the body, you can see this huge underlying health foundation. Take, for instance, magnesium.
Over 300 enzymatic reactions involve magnesium as a cofactor.
Our DNA synthesis and numerous steps in the energy production cycle are examples of these. Additionally, magnesium plays a significant role in cell-to-cell communication, particularly that involving our nerve and muscle cells, and is an essential component of bone structure.
Our bodies wouldn't be able to function properly if they didn't have enough magnesium, which can start with less energy and eventually lead to a variety of signs, symptoms, and health conditions when things aren't working right. As you can also see, it's more complicated than merely claiming that magnesium has a positive effect on bone health or heart health, two claims that are frequently associated with this mineral. Like all other nutrients, magnesium is needed to support our underlying metabolic processes in hundreds of different ways. These underlying processes are the true foundation for our overall physical health.
You might think that a more holistic and comprehensive view of nutrition and health would make food preparation more difficult.
But in fact, the opposite is true! It's actually much simpler to understand how nutrients actually affect your health.
This is because the World's Healthiest Foods are also all-encompassing! When you look at the World's Healthiest Foods collectively, you'll see that their nutrients meet all of our metabolic and cellular requirements. They do so optimally by combining nutrients in their most natural patterns, not only maintaining this massive underlying biochemical structure that supports all of our health. This amazing synergy between nutrients cannot be replicated by any supplement! Healthy Weight Loss — Without Dieting requires you to concentrate on enjoying the World's Healthiest Foods because of their nutrient-richness and natural synergy of nutrients.
The Functions of Nutrients Despite this, I still believe that knowing about some of the functions and advantages of various nutrients—all of which are found in the World's Healthiest Foods—is essential if you want to lose weight and improve your health. You will find a few key examples from the wide range of known nutrients that our bodies require to be healthy and lose weight safely in the chart below.
POTENTIAL HEALTH
PROMOTING
FUNCTIONS
POSSIBLE
INDICATIONS THAT
MORE IS NEEDED
Biotin
Helps support healthy
skin; Helps maintain
nerves' energy supply
Depression;
Nervousness;
Memory problems
Calcium
Helps maintains healthy
strong bones; Helps
support proper functioning
of nerves
Tingling and numbness of
hands and feet; Muscular
pain and spasms
Carotenoids
Helps protect cells from
free radicals; Helps
promote eye and lung
health; Helps enhance
functioning of immune
system
Low intake of fruits and
vegetables; Smoking;
Regular alcohol
consumption
Choline
Helps promote cell
membrane function;
Assists nerve-muscle com
munication; Helps prevent
homocysteine build-up
Fatigue; Insomnia;
Fat accumulation in
blood; Nerve muscle
problems
Cysteine
Helps protect cells from
free radical damage; Helps
detoxify chemicals and
heavy metals; Helps
breaks down excess lung
mucous
Frequent colds; COPD
Copper
Helps maintain the health
of bones and connective
tissue; Helps keep the
thyroid gland functioning
normally
Blood vessels that rupture
easily; Frequent
infections; Loss of hair or
skin color
Dietary Fiber
Helps support bowel
regularity; Helps maintain
normal cholesterol and
blood sugar levels; Helps
provide satiety (quenching
of appetite) to help pro
mote weight loss
Constipation;
Hemorrhoids; High Blood
sugar levels; High
cholesterol levels
Flavonoids
Help prevent excessive in
flammation; Help promote
blood vessel integrity;
Helps protect cells from
free radicals; Enhance ac
tivity of vitamin C
Easy bruising; Excessive
swelling after injury;
Frequent colds or
infections; Frequent nose
bleeds; Low intake of
fruits and vegetables
Folic Acid
Helps support red blood
cell production; Helps sup
port heart health; Helps
nerves to function properly
Depression; Irritability;
Mental Fatigue; Confu
sion; Forgetfulness; In
somnia
Glutamine
Helps maintain health of
intestinal tract; Helps
produce glutathione, a key
antioxidant; Helps ensure
proper acid-base balance;
Helps maintain muscle mass
Regular high-intensity
exercise; Intestinal
dysbiosis; Frequent colds
or flu
Iodine
Helps ensure proper
thyroid function
Goiter; Depression;
Fatigue
Magnesium
Helps prevent free-radical
damage; Helps keep bones
strong and healthy
Insulin resistance and ele
vated blood sugar levels;
Decreased bone mineral
density
Manganese
Helps prevent free-radical
damage; Helps keep bones
strong and healthy
Insulin resistance and ele
vated blood sugar levels;
Decreased bone mineral
density
B3 (Niacin)
Helps stabilize blood sugar
levels; Helps lower
cholesterol levels; Helps
body process fat
Fatigue, listlessness;
Sensations of weakness;
Numbness, tingling, and
shooting pains in feet
Omega-3
Fatty Acids
Help prevent excessive in
flammation throughout
body; Help keep blood
from clotting excessively
Dry, itchy skin; Brittle
hair and nails; Fatigue;
Depression; Inability to
concentrate; Joint pain
Pantothenic
acid
Helps transform carbohy
drates and fats into energy;
Can improve ability to re
spond to stress; Helps as
sure adequate production
of healthy fats in cells;
Helps body process fat
Fatigue, listlessness;
Sensations of weakness;
Numbness, tingling, and
shooting pains in feet
Phosphorus
Helps form bones and
teeth; Vital for energy
production
Weakness; Weight loss;
Irritability; Anxiety;
Increased incidence of
hypertension
Potassium
Lowers risk of high blood
pressure; Helps maintain
pH balance
Muscular weakness;
Confusion; Irritability;
Fatigue; Heart problems;
Chronic diarrhea
Protein
Helps maintain healthy
skin, hair, and nails; Helps
keep immune system
functioning properly
Weight loss; Muscle
wasting; Fatigue and
weakness; Frequent
infections
Selenium
Helps protect cells from
free-radical damage;
Required for thyroid
hormone production
Whitening of fingernail
beds; Weakness and pain
in muscles; Discoloration
of hair and skin
Tryptophan
Required for proper sleep
regulation; Helps regulate
appetite
Overeating or carbohy
drate cravings; Depres
sion; Anxiety; Inability to
concentrate
Vitamin A
Helps preserve and
improve eyesight; Helps
fight viral infections,
colds, and flu
Dry, scaly, rough skin;
Frequent infections; Night
blindness.
B1 (Thiamin)
Helps maintain energy
supplies; Helps support
proper heart function
Pins and needles sensa
tions; Feeling of numb
ness, especially in legs;
Muscular tenderness
B2
(Riboflavin)
Helps protect cells from
oxygen damage; Helps
support cellular energy
production
Sensitivity to light; Tear
ing, burning, and itching
of eyes; Soreness around
lips, mouth, and tongue;
Cracking of the skin in
corners of the mouth
B6
(Pyrodoxine)
Helps support nervous
system health; Help
promote proper breakdown
of sugar and starches
Fatigue; Anemia; Skin
disorders including
eczema and dermatitis
Vitamin B12
Helps prevent anemia;
Required for nerve cells to
develop properly; Helps
cells metabolize protein,
carbohydrates, and fats
Tingling or numbness in
feet; Red or sore tongue;
Depression; Nervousness;
Memory problems
Vitamin C
Helps protect cells from
free-radical damage;
Improves iron absorption
from plant foods
Frequent colds and
infections; Lung-related
problems; Poor wound
healing
Vitamin D
Helps keep bones and
teeth strong and healthy;
Helps prevent excessive
inflammation
Thinning bones; Frequent
bone fractures/soft bones;
Lack of exposure to sun
light; Bone deformities in
children
Vitamin E
Helps prevent cell damage
from free radicals; Helps
protect skin from
excessive exposure to
ultraviolet light
Tingling or loss of
sensation in arms, hands,
legs and feet; Digestive
system problems
(malabsorption)
Vitamin K
Allows blood to clot
normally; Helps
absorption of calcium and
helps prevent osteoporosis
Excessive bruising and
bleeding; Digestion, liver,
and gallbladder problems
Zinc
Helps balance blood sugar;
Helps support optimal
sense of smell and taste
Frequent colds and
infections; Depression;
Impaired sense of taste
and smell