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Written by holistic nutritionist, personal trainer and wellness coach, Nik Toth
There are a number of nutrients that are more beneficial when combined with other foods. Great examples are fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. These vitamins are much better absorbed if they are combined with fats in the same meal.
They are not only important for maintaining overall health, but they can also make your skin glow, boost your antioxidant intake and slow down ageing.
Fat soluble vitamins are pretty special. Our bodies don’t need them every day so when not used, they are stored in the liver and adipose (fat) tissue.
We only need them in small doses, so most people don’t need supplementation. High doses can actually cause a lot of health problems.
So what can these vitamins do for you?
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, also called retinol has many important functions in your body. These include maintaining a healthy immune system, good eyesight and strong bones. It is also serves as a great anti-oxidant, which prevents us from radical damage.
Food Sources for Vitamin A include:
- Dairy products
- Fish
- Liver
- Fruits and vegetables that are orange and dark green in colour such as carrots, pumpkins, winter squash, dark green leafy vegetables and apricots. Yum!
Vitamin D is super critical in the body for bone health and immunity. The sad fact is that most people don’t get enough of it due to the lack of sunshine if they work indoors.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D or also called the sunshine vitamin, is required for the absorption of calcium and phosphorous. Without sufficient amounts, your body won’t absorb calcium from food. So make sure you get your tan on while the warm weather lasts!
Food Sources for Vitamin D include:
- Fortified milk and dairy
- Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and cod liver oil
Vitamin E is one of our greatest protecting antioxidants.
Vitamin E
Did you know that in out modern Western diet about 60% of vitamin E comes from vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, cottonseed and safflower? This vitamin protects our precious red blood cells and essential fatty acids from destruction.
Food Sources for Vitamin E include:
- Fruits and vegetables, grains, almonds and hazelnuts and sunflower seeds
- Vegetable oil from soybean, corn, cottonseed and safflower
- Bottled salad dressings
Vitamin K
Vitamin K, believe it or not, is naturally produced by the bacteria in our intestines and plays a crucial role in the normal blood clotting and promotes bone health. It also helps in the production of proteins needed for our blood.
Food Sources for Vitamin K include:
- Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, as well as, turnip, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli
- Soybean oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil and olive oil
As you can see, all these vitamins are pretty important. Remember they can only support your health if your meals contain healthy fats because they help the absorption.
So let’s put this knowledge into practice and cook up some healthy and delicious meals!
Recipe:Antioxidant Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cabbage, shredded
- 1 apple, grated
- 2 big handfuls of spinach
- 1 carrot, grated
- ½ cup Inca berries
- ¼ cup of pepita seed, toasted
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp flax seed
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- pinch of chili
Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- juice of 1 lime
- sea salt & pepper to taste
Method
- Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Place salad dressing ingredients in a jar, secure the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
Food to Nourish ACTIVATED ABC SPREAD is not just any ABC spread; this one is pretty special. Food to Nourish’s ABC spread uses nuts that have been activated. Why is that important? These nuts have been soaked for up to 12 hours and dehydrated for 24 hours. This begins the activation process of the nut and destroys some of the anti-nutrients, making it more digestible. PLUS it’s made right here in Australia!