Parents: Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Zinc Are Crucial to Health

There are three nutrients that are very vital to your health and as a parent you know that your family's well being is important to you as well as it is to them. It is very important that we maintain healthy bones and bodies. Vitamins are very essential in building up your family's immune system and they are a chemical compound that the human body needs in small amounts.

Vitamins make up one of the major groups of nutrients (food substances necessary for growth and health). As a mom or dad, you need to know that the best way for a healthy individual to obtain the proper vitamins is to eat a balanced diet as a lifestyle. Your family's is important and they must have the following key vitamins in their daily diet. I have found that the following vitamins are needed in the family diet to help us stay healthy and strong and able to fight off any type of germ or bacteria that might come our way.

Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is essential for calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Without vitamin D in your daily diet it can cause serious negative affects to the bones. Vitamin D has been called the "sunshine vitamin" because it forms in the skin when the body is exposed to sunlight. Sunlight prompts your body to make vitamin D and this is critical to everything from bone health to weight maintenance. Be sure to add in your daily diet fish liver oils, fortified milk, eggs, tuna, salmon, and sunlight to increase your vitamin D intake.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for healthy blood vessels, sound bones and teeth. It helps our systems stay ultra-high-functioning so we are better able to fight of viruses and bacteria. To have our family obtain Vitamin C it is good for them to eat cantaloupe, citrus fruits, raw cabbage, strawberries, and tomatoes. If we lack this vitamin in our systems, it could cause sore gums and they could even suffer bleeding under the skin. Vitamin C also helps form collagen, a protein that holds tissues together.

Zinc

Zinc is essential for your family body's production of infection fighting white blood cells, and is shown to help reduce the length of colds that could occur in your house hold. Zinc helps increase energy in which most mothers, like me, need because of the job we have as mothers. (Mother-hood does not get vacations or time off) Zinc also helps our mood swings. Researches have found that zinc can be found in yogurt with a RDA of 8 mg, meat such as chicken, and in nuts, almond, legumes and oysters.

Therefore, be sure that you check your ingredients before serving your family. Go to your local nutrient store and purchase these essential vitamins so that your family can stand healthy and strong. Your health as a parent is just as important as the health of your child, working to improve everyone's diets can help to bring health and vitality to the entire family.