You are what you eat

A recent nutrition article suggested that what one should eat is based on what something looked like.  For instance, a cut carrot looks like an iris and a carrot has vitamin A which is good for the eyes.

Below are a few suggestions for each vitamin. All suggestions have high levels of the nutrient for their category. Feel free to think up some of your own.

Vitamin A (Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and retinol are all versions of Vitamin A.) helps

• cell reproduction—cantaloupes have many seeds and we have many cells,
  
  
• stimulates immunity—chestnut trees are strong and chestnuts (with their vitamin A) will help your immune system to grow strong,
  
  
• needed for formation of some hormones—hormones are associated with passion and passion fruit is rich in vitamin A,
  
  
• helps vision—cut Carrots look like irises and are good for our eyes,
  
  
• promotes bone growth, tooth development—milk is white like our bones and is rich in vitamin A,
  
  
• helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes—grapefruit has thick skin, and plenty of vitamin A for healthy skin growth,

Vitamin B1/thiamine is important in the production of energy. Note: Most fruits and vegetables are not a significant source of thiamine. Vitamin B/thiamine helps

• the body cells convert carbohydrates into energy—catfish, tuna, herring and salmon swim all day. They are full of energy and eating them gives us more energy,
  
  
• for the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system—the heart of an avocado is a very large seed…and avocados are rich in vitamin B1 which is great for our hearts.

Vitamin B2/riboflavin helps

• the body grow—and oats grow prolifically filled with B2,
  
  
• reproduction and red cell production—red blood cells are red like the pomegranate,

Vitamin B3/niacin helps

• the functioning of the digestive system, skin, and nerves—spaghetti squash is long and stringy like our intestines.

Vitamin B5/Pantothenic acid is good for

• the metabolism of food —and buckwheat is no stranger to conversion as it is usually turned into flour,
• the formation of hormones and (good) cholesterol—hormones can give us goose bumps, gooseberries are great for hormone formation.

Vitamin B6 is good for

• the creation of antibodies in the immune system—think of brown rice as little anti-bodies being formed within you through their high levels of B6,
  
  
• helps maintain normal nerve function and acts in the formation of red blood cells—think of pumpkin seeds as little cells as they help you to form red blood cells.

Vitamin B9/folate and folic acid. Folate occurs naturally in fresh foods, whereas folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements. These nutrients are good for

• maintaining normal brain function, and is a critical part of spinal fluid—think of halved chestnuts as little brains as you feed your own brain function, think of the tall and sturdy sunflower and eat its seeds for a healthy spine,
  
  
• (even vital for)proper cell growth and development of the embryo—think of dates as little embryos. Strengthen a growing baby with this source of vitamin B9.

Vitamin B12 (only found in animal sources) is good for

• metabolic functioning, red blood cell development and the nervous system—eat cottage cheese to increase your metabolism and avoid cottage cheese-looking fat. Eat eggs that look like cells to develop your cells.

Vitamin C is one of the most important of all vitamins. It is good for

• its antioxidant qualities and cell protection ability—eat butternut squash to squash free radicals that harm your cells,
  
  
• use as an anti-viral agent—while you can have breadfruit, grapefruit and guava loaded with vitamin C, maybe try brussel sprouts like little bullets to fight off viruses.

Vitamin D is known as the "sunshine vitamin" since it is manufactured by the body after being exposed to sunshine. Ten to fifteen minutes of good sunshine three times weekly is adequate to produce the body's requirement of vitamin D. This means that we don't need to obtain vitamin D from our diet unless we get very little sunlight—usually not a problem for children. It is good for

• promoting the absorption of calcium and magnesium, which are essential for the normal development of healthy teeth and bones—cream cheese, cow's milk, whipping cream are all white like our healthy teeth and bones,
  
  
• maintaining adequate levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood— sardines keep for a long time and help to keep calcium and phosphorus in your blood.

Vitamin E, like vitamin C, plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. It is good for

• helping to minimize the appearance of wrinkles—eat pine nuts and blueberries to have skin as smooth as the outer core of these fruits and vegetables,
  
  
• helping to heal minor wounds without scarring, as it is valued for its ability to soothe and heal broken or stressed skin tissue—blackberries stay together in clusters and also help to keep your skin together.

Vitamin K is good for

• the critical role it plays in blood clotting—think of cashew butter as a natural bandaid,
  
  
• regulating blood calcium levels and its role in activating at least 3 proteins involved in bone health—use alfalfa sprouts to sprout some protein usage of your own.

Sources: National Institutes of Health: www.nih.gov, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food & Nutrition Center,  National Wellness Institute, Inc., PO BOX 827, Stevens Point, WI 54481-0827, 800-244-8922 www.nationalwellness.org, © 2008 National Wellness Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.