Micronutrients are found within the macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber) of whole foods and include such substances as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants.

The depletion of vitamins and minerals in our soils today makes it necessary to supplement your diet with the core vitamins and minerals you need for a healthy lifestyle. For example, you would need to eat 75 bowls of spinach to get the amount of iron found in one bowl of spinach in 1935. Obviously eating 75 bowls of spinach is impractical, not to mention nearly impossible. The alternative is to take a supplement that would provide you with the necessary amount of iron.

The vitamins and minerals you take need to be high quality. That is, they need to be pharmaceutical grade and have no colors, bonders, fillers, dyes, sugars, or flavors. A review of the benefits, dietary sources, and symptoms of deficiency for each of the specific healthy weight loss plan micronutrient essentials is provided for your review. A comprehensive list of other essential vitamins and minerals are provided as part of the Metamorphic Weight Loss Program.

Vitamin A (Retinol)

Functions

- Rebuilding of body tissues.

- Formation of teeth and bone.

- Retards the onset of senility and prolongs lifespan.

- Important in maintaining good vision, healthy skin, and healthy mucous membranes.

- Necessary for proper immune system function.

Dietary sources

- Found only in foods from animal sources, especially beef, calf, and chicken liver and eggs.

- Dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream.

- Beta-carotene, a nutrient found in fruits and vegetables, can be converted to vitamin A in the body as needed.

Symptoms of deficiency

- Frequently tired.

- Susceptible to infection.

- Rough, dry skin.

- Decrease in appetite or sense of smell.

- Night blindness.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Functions

- Important antioxidant essential for stopping the damage caused by free radicals, which are the major causes of aging and disease.

- Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body.

- Essential in the maintenance of immune function,

- Necessary in the formation of collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

- Assists in wound repair.

- Needed to form and repair cartilage, bones, and teeth.

- Boosts your body's resistance to the common cold and viruses.

Dietary sources

Your body does not store vitamin C so you must consume enough each day to maintain good health. Excellent sources include:

- Oranges, green peppers, watermelon, papaya, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, mango, broccoli, tomato juice, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage.

- Vitamin C is also found in raw and cooked leafy greens (turnip greens, spinach), canned and fresh tomatoes, potatoes, winter squash, raspberries, and pineapple.

Symptoms of deficiency

- Slow healing wounds and fractures.

- Swollen, painful joints.

- Bleeding gums.

- Nose bleeds.

- Severe deficiency results in clinical scurvy.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)

Functions

A powerful antioxidant that protects LDL cell membranes from oxidation damage.

- Helps maintain healthy DNA in the interior of cells.

- Important in supporting good cardiovascular health and a strong immune system.

- Required for respiration on the cellular level.

- Helps the lungs function normally and inhibits the clotting of blood.

Dietary sources

- Vegetables and seed oils including soybean, safflower, and corn; sunflower seeds; nuts; whole grains; and wheat germ.

- Leafy vegetables also supply an appreciable amount of this nutrient.

Symptoms of deficiency

- Larger than normal deposit of fat within the muscles

- Rupturing of red blood cells are symptomatic of a deficiency of vitamin E.

Beta Carotene

Functions

- Anti oxidant that is converted by the body only as needed.

- It acts to protect cells from attack by free radicals.

Dietary sources

- The richest sources of beta-carotene are yellow, orange and green leafy fruits and vegetables such as carrots, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, and winter squash.

- In general, the greater the intensity of color of the fruit or vegetable, the more beta-carotene it contains.

Symptoms of deficiency

- Loss of appetite.

- Susceptibility to colds.

- Dryness of the hair.

- Insomnia

Calcium

Functions

- Maintains bone mineral density.

- Critical to nerve conduction, muscle contraction, blood clotting, neural function, cell division, and electrical conduction in the heart.

- Helps regulate blood pressure

- Essential for producing and activating enzymes and hormones that regulate digestion, energy, and fat metabolism.

Dietary sources

- Dairy products

- Vegetables

- Symptoms of deficiency Osteoporosis.

- Back and leg pain.

- Uncontrolled, painful muscular contractions.

A healthy weight loss program micronutrient consumption recommendation would be to:

- Take 1 multivitamin 3 times per day.

- Take an additional 1000 mg vitamin C 2 times per day

- Take an additional 400 IU of vitamin E with breakfast.

- Take an additional calcium supplement 2 times per day.

The goal of Micronutrient Supplementation in a healthy weight loss plan is to help you achieve nutritional balance. The benefits of having proper nutritional balance include looking better, feeling better, having more energy, having greater mental clarity, and being less stressed.

This investment in your health will provide you with a higher quality of life and will pay dividends for many years to come.