Foods That Build Your Body

The body needs certain vitamins and minerals in order to maintain and build itself. The best diet is one made up of a balance between foods. To build your body make sure that you incorporate these foods into your daily diet.

Bones and Teeth
The body needs calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Bones also need vitamin D, Vitamin A and to a lesser extent magnesium and zinc. These vitamins help move the calcium to the bone.
• Milk – Milk is an almost perfect food for building strong bones. It contains a large amount of calcium and protein along with some magnesium and zinc. Vitamins D and A are added, so it provides all the elements needed for good bone growth.
• Dairy Products – Cheese and other dairy products provide calcium along with vitamins A and D.
• Nuts – Nuts are a good source of calcium. Many varieties have been found to be good sources of healthy cholesterol. The best nuts are those that contain oils that are heart healthy such as almonds, walnuts and cashews
• Leafy Vegetables – The darker the better. Dark green leafy vegetables hold lots of bone-healthy nutrients. Kale and chicory provide the best sources of calcium followed by dandelion greens, collard greens and spinach.

Muscle and Skin
The body uses protein to help build muscle and to keep muscle mass intact. Protein helps you grow and aids in skin maintenance.
• Fish – Fish is a good source of lean protein and contains many other vitamins and nutrients to help the body.
• Lean Meat – Eating meat is a great way to get the protein our muscles need. Make sure you choose lean cuts of meat to keep cholesterol down.
• Chicken – Chicken is another good source of protein, as it does not have fat levels that can be bad for us. Avoid eating the skin.
• Eggs – Eggs are an excellent source of protein. Once thought bad for us, the common opinion now is that the benefits of eggs outweighs any ill effects.
• Soybeans and Nuts – A way to get protein without eating meat is to eat healthy beans and nuts. Soybeans are particularly packed with protein as well as vitamins and other nutrients our bodies need to build muscle.

Brain and Blood
The brain and other internal organs require a healthy balance of many vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Vitamins B and C and Iron are among some of the nutrients your body needs to produce a healthy blood and brain.
• Lean Meat – Provides a good source of iron, which the body uses to build blood.
• Vegetables – Green leafy vegetables are the best source of iron. Try kale or spinach. Other vegetables provide vitamin C.
• Fruits – Oranges, strawberries and other fruits are a good source of vitamin C.
• Broccoli and cabbage – these green vegetables are an excellent source of vitamin C.