Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes!

Every living cell in our body needs the proper fuel to work its best. Check out the nutrients and foods listed below to help give you a variety of foods to optimize your overall health:

• Brain: Whole Grains such as quinoa, farro and barley fuel your brain with complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber.
• Eyes: Leafy greens like spinach are full of lutein, which helps prevent macular degeneration. Vitamin A and carotenoids can also help our eyes and can be found in fish, liver, eggs and dairy products.
• Teeth: Dairy products and vegetables provide calcium and Vitamin D for strong teeth.
• Skin: Maintain disease-free and healthy-looking skin with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) found in spinach and broccoli. Fruit provides vitamin C to make collagen that promotes skin elasticity.
• Hair: Zinc and B vitamins prevent hair loss and support cell growth. They can be found in tomatoes, carrots, beans, leafy greens, etc.
• Bones: Leafy greens provide vitamin K, known for bone health.
• Heart: Oranges are high in potassium, which can help lower blood pressure.
• Lungs: Green leafy vegetables like kale contain multiple nutrients that may help prevent lung cancer.
• Gallbladder: Oats help bind bile to prevent cholesterol production.
• Liver: Fruit provides a variety of antioxidants to protect your liver.
• Kidneys: Water helps your kidneys flush out waste products.
• Stomach: Citrus fruits and vegetables may inhibit H pylori growth, a cause of ulcers. Fermented foods are also wonderful to increase good bacteria in your gut, so grab for that kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, etc.
• Large intestine: Beans provide fiber to aid laxation.
• Pancreas: Green vegetables like broccoli have antioxidants to protect your pancreas.
• Small intestine: Yogurt contains probiotics to keep good bacteria healthy.
• Muscles: Eggs and other high-protein foods provide the building blocks for strong muscles.
• Legs/Feet: Nuts and seeds contain magnesium and potassium to prevent leg cramps.

Join OSU Health Coach Lindsay on March 24 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. for the Group Health Coaching series Essential Nutrients from Head to Toe. We will take a more in depth look at some of these tips and more. Click here to sign up today.

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