Health Tips for March 24

Health Tip: Get Needed Vitamins and Minerals

A diet rich in vitamins and minerals is an important part of staying healthy and feeling well.

Here is a list of important vitamins and minerals to include in your diet, and how to get them, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

• Calcium, which is found in yogurt, cheese, milk and other dairy products; sardines, salmon and perch; soybeans and white beans; spinach and oatmeal.
• Potassium, which is found in sweet potatoes, seafood, fruits including bananas, peaches and honeydew; beans and dairy products.
• Magnesium, which is found in vegetables, bran, beans, tofu, brown rice and nuts.
• Vitamin A, which is found in the meat organs such as liver and giblets; vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes and spinach; and cantaloupe.
• Vitamin C, which is found in oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe, guava and papaya; and vegetables such as red and green peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes.
• Vitamin E, which is found in nuts and seeds, turnip greens, peanut butter and spinach.

Health Tip: The Signs of Hunger

When you have a desire to eat, are you really hungry? Other factors can make you feel like you want to eat, including feeling sad or lonely, the time of day, craving certain foods, or being thirsty.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers this list of actual hunger signs:

• Your stomach growls or rumbles.
• You feel hunger pangs in your stomach.
• You have a slight headache, or difficulty concentrating.
• You feel grumpy or irritable.