Magical for our body but sometimes complicated to find, today we shed some light on a complex subject, yet essential to your Food Basics. We’re talking about vitamins.

Since my years spent in London, I have spent a great deal of time in the fitness industry. I learned as much about mental conditioning, program planning as I learned about the power of food intake optimisation, especially vitamins.

Vitamins are substances with an energetical value that our organism need but cannot produce. So to get them we source them from the food we eat. Every small amount is very active, and present in a lot of different food items. There are essential to most of our body functions so let’s not omit them.

Your voyage in the wonderful world of vitamins starts here

Pretty much like the Lord of the Ring, there are 13 vitamins that rule our body overall: A, C, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12.

And on this journey everybody is different, and so is their needs in vitamins. Whether you are young, old, male, female, big or small, your needs will differ. If you are a sportsman, teenagers, or pregnant you’re even more concerned about getting the right amount of it.

Your environment plays a big part in your life and so your vitamin intake. Pollution and lack of sunshine are having an influence on your vitamin levels: in these environments, your body uses more vitamins and cannot synthesise as much as needed!

Let’s focus on these 9 for now, for which we observe deficiencies in developed countries :

The Fantastic 4 :

If you do live in a developed countries, these are the 4 vitamins you lack the most, depending on your lifestyle.

Vitamin B9

That's the first one out of the Fantastic 4!!! Your new BFF if you are expecting a little one or breastfeeding, but also for the ones who are going heavy on the booze, stress-heads, or having guts issues.
Where to find them: Spinach, Asparagus, Broccoli, Corn, Liver, Chickpeas, Nuts, Hazelnuts.

Vitamin B12

You are concerned by these if you are a vegetarian/vegan, sportsman, smoker, drinking alcohol regularly, pregnant or breastfeeding.
Where to find them: Oily fish, Beef, Lamb, Shellfish, Giblets, Eggs, Cheese.

Vitamin C

That’s your skin treatment, but not only. If you do smoke or have asthma, anaemia, or inflammatory diseases, eating citrus fruits will become a must. In those health cases, your body will need more vitamin C than the average.
Where to find them : Blueberries, Citrus fruits, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Radish, Peppers, Stawberries, Kiwi.

Vitamin D

Last but not least in our Fantastic 4 list, here comes the sunshine vitamin. For the French Londoner I am, it’s the one I’m watching over right now. I do not have much light in Paris, nor did I had in London. Good levels of vitamin D come from sun exposure. BEWARE: I’m not talking about playing toast on the beach here! Healthy sun exposure is showing off the skin of your legs, forearms and hands for 15 min, 3 times a week, without a sunscreen.
Where to find them: Oily fishes such as Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna, Trout, Herring, Sardines, Cod Liver.

The Fabulous 5

And because all of us are different, here are five more vitamins for which you might want to take a look at.

Vitamin A: For the infection-prone people.
Sources: Carrots, Apricots, Cheese, Meat and Fish, Eggs.

Vitamin B1: If you are on a calorie restrictive diet, with a high alcohol or sugar intake.
Sources: Yeast, Fish, Legumes, Meat.

Vitamin B2: If you are a vegan or with a low animal protein intake, or having issues with intestine absorption.
Sources: Giblets, Fish, Daily products, Eggs.

Vitamin E: If you are having issues with absorption such as Celiac or Crohn disease.
Sources: Avocado, Almond, Hazelnuts, Spinach, Olive and Rapeseed oils.

Vitamin K: For newborn mostly, very rare for the adults.
Sources: Green leaf vegs, lettuce, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Fermented products.

Now that's great, but where do I start?

Well, that's a terrific question that requires a terrific answer.

Start a food journal. Every day for about a week, track down the time and all the items you've eaten. But most importantly, write down how you feel. This will help you understand your body better as to what it tolerates or not. For example, if you feel tired on an ongoing basis, you might be having a low iron level in your system (anaemia), which can be improved by having more vitamin C.

For all existing diet, there is a solution. The sources of vitamins are not limited to the list given, so explore other options depending on your food regimen, and if there are limited, you can complete your intake with carefully chosen supplementation.

When it comes to food, there is no "one size fits all". It's all about you, your uniqueness and how you feel. So get in tune with your body so you can get the vitamins you need for a better feeling you.

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Until next time...

The French Londoner

Pics Sources : Unsplash.com

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P.S.: Here is a little list, in case you missed out on some of the good stuff :

Back to Food Basics series :

🧀 Back to Food Basics - Fats
🍗 Back to Food Basics - Proteins
🍎 Back to Food Basics - Glucids
🍩 Back to Food Basics - Breakfast