If you are here, reading this, its most likely because you have bought or been given one of the NOURISH posters. Firstly, thank you so much for showing an interest and for your support. The poster was an idea I had purely for me, something I really wanted to have designed and put up in my kitchen. The design of the poster was really important, that it looked great, something that could be framed on a wall or on show on a kitchen shelf. I then thought maybe other people would be interested too, so equally it needed to  be informative and something that could be used for reference when planning a meal, at times of illness or a change to someones nutritional needs. 

 

Nutritional sciences, the biochemistry of foods and their effects on our health is a really complex subject and new research is being looked at all the time. Now, obviously not all the roles that minerals and vitamins play in the body, or a full list of all the foods each one is found in can fit onto one poster. I chose just some of the main jobs and foods for each.

 

Here is a little further information surrounding vitamins and minerals that may be useful to know. We need them, our bodies and our health depend on them. This is why they are deemed essential to life.

 

Vitamins . . . 

 

The 13 essential vitamins are widely agreed upon in the industry. They break down into 2 categories. Fat soluble and water soluble. Most vitamins can't be made by our bodies very easily, this is why it is really important that we include them in our diets. 

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Vitamin D can be made via the skin when we are exposed to sunlight. For us here in the UK this is really only when we are exposed to summer sun, from around April - September. Even then most people may struggle to get the right amount of safe sun exposure, especially those that work inside. Because of this it has recently been one of the vitamins that is recommended to be taken as a supplement for all ages, right from birth.

 

There are 4 Fat soluble vitamins A,D,E,K. These are stored in the body’s fatty tissue (adipose tissue) They are more easily absorbed by the body when taken in the presence of dietary fat. 

 

There are 9 water-soluble vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B6, B9, B12. These vitamins can not be stored by the body at a useful level except for B12. B12 can be stored, mainly in the liver until it is needed. Any leftovers from the remaining water-soluble vitamins that have not been used by the body, leave the body daily in our urine.

 

Minerals . . . 

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Minerals are inorganic substances needed by the body in small amounts to support a variety of different functions that are listed on the poster. Again, I have listed just some of their functions and the foods that they are found in.

 

Minerals can be categorised into 2 groups, major and trace, but are all important to our overall health. This poster only touches the surface with the most industry agreed major minerals that are considered essential to life. 

 

Minerals are as important as vitamins but we need them in much smaller amounts. Depending on your source, the essential minerals list can vary. This is due to continued research and developments found through studies from around the world. As well as the major minerals that I have listed on the poster there are around 72+ trace minerals that can be found in our bodies. 

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Try pairing these nutrients together for better absorption:

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Vitamin D & Calcium eaten alongside healthy fats 

Vitamin K & Calcium eaten alongside healthy fats 

Vitamin C & Iron 

Vitamin D & Magnesium also work well as a pair

Vitamin D & Zinc eaten alongside healthy fats

Vitamin B12 & B9 - Folate 

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