“Micronutrients?” What are on Earth those? They are arguably the most important aspect of your nutrition; they truly define “healthy” foods from “unhealthy foods. More often than not, micronutrients are overlooked when following a nutrition plan, and to great dismay, we might add. Given in our last blog post we covered macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates) which are the larger scale nutrients, it is only fitting we go into depth about the smaller quantities which make up our diets too, these include vitamins, mineral, and enzymes (for the purpose of this blog we will just be looking at vitamins and minerals). Managing your micronutrient intake is very important, it is important to regulate the exact amounts you take in each day to the exact percentage, but it also important not to overlook the effect that they can play in your fitness and health journey.
What is a “micronutrient”?
Micro means “smaller scale” and with regards to nutrition, smaller scale nutrients which are as follows:
- Vitamins – Organic carbon compounds required for normal growth and metabolism
- Minerals – Used to convert food into energy and are necessary for structure and normal metabolic functions, such as hormonal and nervous interactions.
The body requires vitamins and minerals in very small amounts, nevertheless they play a vital part in our diets.
Supplements?
According to a recent UK survey, people spend on average £39.63 a month on supplementation. Truly, the problem isn’t the amount that’s spent, it’s reliance that people have on them once they’ve spent it. Supplements are an optional tool which can help you get to your goal, but your main focus should essentially be on your diet before anything else.
Which micronutrients are important to me?
All micronutrients are important but the ones that you need to take in larger quantities depends on your current eating habits and general health. Depending on your diet, it is difficult to accurately assess yourself as to which nutrients you are lacking in. Therefore, it is important to consult nutritionists or health practitioners before you employ any radical changes to your micronutrient intake. Otherwise, we suggest maintaining a healthy balanced diet of vegetables, proteins, fats and starchy carbohydrates which if drawn from good sources, will add up to a healthy amount of nutrients.
If you found this post insightful, why not check out some of our previous posts on our blog page or if you are interested in becoming a qualified personal trainer check out our main page for course information and if you have any questions feel free to email us at info@focusfitnessuk.com.
Written by Daniyal Siddiqui.