Vitamins and Minerals: Best Bets 3
How, why, and where to get your daily vitamins and minerals
FOR THE NEXT FEW POSTS, I WILL UPLOAD INFORMATION ON THE DIFFERENT VITAMINS AND MINERALS LISTED BELOW. WHICH FOODS HAVE THE MOST AND HOW MUCH YOU NEED.
Benefits of Lycopene
Lycopene is a carotenoid that may boost heart health, prevent vision loss, and lower the risk of some cancers.
Recommended Amount: How Much You Need
There's no specific RealAge recommendation for lycopene, but it's found primarily in fruit, so eat four servings of fruit each day and you should be covered. It'll also make you younger.
Good Sources of Lycopene
The brighter the better. Pink, orange, and red fruits are generally rich in lycopene. For a lycopene boost, consider:
Watermelon
Tomatoes, tomato juice, and tomato sauce
Papaya
Pink grapefruit
Guava
Tip: It's easier for your body to absorb lycopene from tomatoes that have been cooked, canned, or otherwise processed. Adding a little bit of fat helps as well, so cook your tomatoes with a splash of heart-healthy olive oil.
Benefits of Magnesium
Magnesium plays a key role in hundreds of cellular processes, from metabolizing food into energy and absorbing calcium to maintaining a strong immune system and keeping your heart, muscles, and nerves functioning properly.
Recommended Amount: How Much You Need
Government guidelines suggest 420 milligrams (mg) per day for men, 320 mg for women. Nutritionists recommend that both men and women aim to get 400–500 mg of magnesium per day. It may be tough to get all the magnesium you need from food, so top up your daily intake with a multivitamin that contains at least 100 mg of magnesium.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have kidney disease or diabetes, are on a low-calorie diet, or are taking digitalis preparations or diuretics, talk to your doctor about how much magnesium you should be getting.
Good Sources of Magnesium
| Spinach, cooked (1 cup) | 156 mg |
| Halibut, cooked (3 ounces) | 91 mg |
| Cashews (1/4 cup) | 89 mg |
| Oat-bran muffin (1 medium) | 89 mg |
| White beans, canned (1/2 cup) | 67 mg |
| Bran cereal (3/4 cup) | 64 mg |
| Brown rice, cooked (3/4 cup) | 63 mg |
| Potato, baked, with skin (1 medium) | 57 mg |
| Whole-wheat bread (2 slices) | 46 mg |
| Walnuts (1 ounce; 14 halves) | 44 mg |
| Banana (1 medium) | 32 mg |
Benefits of Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are the good-for-you fats that protect your heart by reducing your risk for cardiovascular disease. Omega-3s also have anti-inflammatory properties that may help fight disease, boost your mind and mood, and reduce symptoms of inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Recommended Amount: How Much You Need
Think in threes: Eating 3 ounces of nonfried fish -- rich in omega-3 fatty acids -- three times a week can make you younger. Not a fish lover? Many nuts, seeds, and plant oils are good sources, too.
Good Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Cold-water fish tend to have the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Try these:
Salmon
Haddock
Trout
Tuna
Mackerel
Sardines
Cod
Nuts and seeds -- and their oils -- are also good sources for omega-3s:
Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
Pumpkin seeds
Walnuts
Canola oil
Olive oil
Benefits of Potassium
Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and maintain normal heart and artery function. It also reduces the risk of stroke.
Recommended Amount: How Much You Need
I currently recommend getting at least 3,000 milligrams (mg) of potassium per day from food, but we're reviewing the latest science and expect our recommendation to increase -- so watch this space! The government now advises 4,700 mg per day. That said, don't take a potassium supplement unless directed by your physician, because too much of this mineral can be toxic. Some multivitamins contain potassium, but only in small amounts, so if yours is one of them, don't panic -- just make sure it's less than 100 mg.
Good Sources of Potassium
Potassium-rich foods include:
| Potato, baked, with skin (1 medium) | 1,082 mg |
| Sweet potato, baked, with skin (1 medium) | 694 mg |
| White beans, canned (1/2 cup) | 595 mg |
| Yogurt, low fat (8 ounces) | 531 mg |
| Beets, cooked (1 cup) | 519 mg |
| Halibut, cooked (3 ounces) | 490 mg |
| Banana (1 medium) | 422 mg |
| Kidney beans, canned (1/2 cup) | 328 mg |
| Raisins (1.5-ounce box) | 322 mg |
| Salmon, cooked (3 ounces) | 319 mg |
| Blackberries (1 cup) | 233 mg |
WHAT’S FOR DINNER?!
Asian Halibut & Brown Rice Packets
Prep Time:
mins
Total Time:
mins
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
Directions
1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill.2. Heat 3/4 cup water, 1 cup orange juice and soy sauce in a small saucepan until just simmering. Pour into a medium bowl; stir in rice and scallion whites and set aside, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Whisk hoisin sauce, ginger, sesame oil and the remaining 2 tablespoons each of water and orange juice in a small bowl.
3. Stack two 20-inch sheets of foil (the double layers will help protect the ingredients on the bottom from burning). Coat the center of the top layer with cooking spray. Place one-fourth of the rice mixture in the center. Set a piece of fish on the rice. Arrange 3 wedges of plum on the fish. Top with one-fourth of the hoisin mixture and sprinkle with one-fourth of the scallion greens. Bring the short ends of the foil together, leaving enough room in the packet for steam to gather and cook the food. Fold the foil over and pinch to seal. Pinch seams together along the sides. Make sure all the seams are tightly sealed to keep steam from escaping. Make 3 more packets with the remaining ingredients.
4. Place the packets on a gas grill over medium heat or on a charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals. Cover the grill and cook until the fish is opaque in the center, 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness. (When opening a packet to check for doneness, be careful of steam.) Use a spatula to slide the contents of the packet onto a plate.
Technique: Packet Steps
Step 1. Stack two 20-inch sheets of foil (the double layers will help protect the ingredients on the bottom from burning). Coat the center of the top layer with cooking spray.
Step 2. Layer your ingredients on the foil. Center everything: it's easier to wrap the food and Makes the packet look neat.
Step 3. Bring the short ends of the foil together, leaving enough room in the packet for steam to gather and cook the food. Fold the foil over and pinch to seal. Pinch seams together along the sides. Make sure all the seams are tightly sealed to keep steam from escaping.
Step 4. Place the packets on a gas grill over medium heat or on a charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals. Cover the grill and cook just until the packet contents are done. Handle the hot packets with a large spatula or oven mitts. Carefully open both ends of the packet and allow the hot steam to escape.
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