10 nutrition tips

Our bodies rely on a steady diet of more than 45 nutrients to keep healthy. In fact, a growing number of studies show that even a modest vitamin shortfall can be harmful to our health. What's more, certain nutrients may lower our risk for heart disease, cataracts and cancer of the breast, colon, lung and prostate. Since our bodies can't make vitamins and minerals on their own, it's important to get enough from the foods we eat. The following 10 strategies will help you pack a powerful nutritional punch.

1. A carrot a day provides a hefty dose of vitamin A, a nutrient that fights infection, allows you to see well at night, and helps maintain healthy skin, hair and bones. One medium carrot has six times the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin A and is loaded with beta carotene, an antioxidant that may protect against certain types of cancer, including cervical and lung cancer. And don't forgo the dip -- a little fat helps your body absorb these two nutrients more efficiently.

2. For a blast of vitamin C, skip the diet soda and down a glass of tomato juice or tomato-based vegetable cocktail instead. One cup (250 mL) provides more than 50 per cent of your daily quota. And here's a bonus -- tomato-based foods are rich in lycopene, a natural plant chemical that may protect against prostate cancer.

3. Eat avocado for a hit of vitamins E and B6. Both are essential for keeping the immune system healthy and may help prevent hardening of the arteries. Add slices of this fruit to sandwiches, salads, omelettes and tacos.

4. Make spinach the green of choice to increase your folate intake. This B vitamin helps prevent birth defects and may also protect against heart disease and breast cancer. Adults need 400 micrograms of folate each day (600 micrograms if you're pregnant). One-half cup (125 mL)of spinach packs 139 micrograms of folate. Add spinach leaves to sandwiches, wraps, salads, pasta sauces and soups. Or steam it and eat it on its own.

5. Enjoy a low-fat latte (decaf preferably) for an excellent source of bone-building calcium. This energy-boosting midday snack not only adds 300 milligrams of calcium to your diet, it also provides a healthy dose of vitamin D, another important bone protector. If you don't like coffee, try a chai tea instead, a delicious concoction of Indian spices, black tea and steamed milk.

6. Top your next bowl of hot cereal with blackstrap molasses for a boost of iron. One tablespoon (15 mL) provides 3.2 milligrams of iron -- that's almost 20 per cent of a young woman's daily iron requirement, and 40 per cent of the daily iron requirement for women in their 50s, 60s and 70s. And more good news -- you'll also get 144 milligrams of calcium.

7. Boost your intake of key minerals such as magnesium, chromium, selenium and zinc by adding two tablespoons (30 mL) of wheat germ to yogurt, breakfast smoothies, muffin batters and casseroles. Magnesium and chromium help the body generate energy; selenium may protect against cancer, especially prostate cancer; and zinc is important for a healthy immune system.

8. A handful of peanuts each day (or two tbsp/30 mL of peanut butter) provides almost 50 per cent of your daily requirement for copper, an important mineral needed to maintain bone mass and prevent anemia. A regular intake of nuts may also ward off heart disease. Add one-quarter cup (50 mL) of peanuts to an Asian stir-fry, a bowl of yogurt or a green salad.

9. Quench your thirst with water, the forgotten nutrient. Water transports other nutrients and oxygen to cells and removes waste products from the body, and it helps muscles cool down during exercise. Keep a filled water bottle handy -- on your desk at work, in your car and at the gym.

10. For extra nutritional insurance, take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. The New England Journal of Medicine recently concluded that while proof of the benefits of multivitamins is still far from certain, the few dollars you spend on them is probably a good investment in your health.