Essential Minerals On a Raw Food Diet

One of the great aspects of the raw food diet is that you are almost guaranteed to get all of the minerals that you need to stay healthy.  Minerals function to help your enzymes function properly and to support a lot of functions in the body. 

Calcium

Calcium is the most common mineral found in the human body.  And as you can imagine, you need a lot of it.  Though calcium is probably most famous for helping develop strong bones, calcium also helps your muscles contract and expand, and helps your nervous system to function properly.  Lack of this essential mineral can affect you in your old age in the form of osteoporosis.  Young children and the elderly in particular need plenty of this mineral. It is abundant in almonds, seeds, arugula and many other raw foods.

Iron

Iron is important to people because it helps your body transport oxygen. It also plays a significant role in cell development.  A deficiency of iron can lead to fatigue and a weak immune system. Your best bets for raw sources of iron include seeds and nuts. Though they can also be found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach.  

Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals for helping maintain biochemical balance in the body. It helps strengthen muscles, regulate your heart rate, and keeps your bones rigid. A good supply of magnesium can even give you more energy and help regulate your blood pressure. Like with iron, magnesium is primarily found in green leafy vegetables and seeds, but you can also find good amount in tomatoes and broccoli.  If you are looking for a sweet source of magnesium, try cheating a few delicious cherries. 

Selenium

Your body requires a lot less selenium than it needs the other minerals listed, but it is nonetheless important. Selenium works as a powerful antioxidant, and works alongside vitamin E to clear free radicals from your body. If you workout regularly, it is essential to get plenty of selenium in your diet, because this mineral is important for giving you the energy to complete your workouts. Brazil nuts have the highest concentration of selenium of just about any other food you can find.  If you want to find a fruit source, strawberry is known to have some trace amounts. 

Potassium

Potassium helps the fluids in your cells stay at a normal amount. Insufficient potassium can even lead to muscle weakness, insomnia, and an irregular heartbeat. Some of the best sources of potassium include avocado, blackberries, and almonds.  

Sodium

Sodium is another essential element, but people on typical western diet actually have a tendency to eat far too much (in the form of salt). Excessive sodium can lead to heart problems over time.  Fortunately, while sodium can be found in sufficient amounts in almost all raw foods, it is next to impossible to get too much while on a raw food diet. 
 
 

About the author 

Christopher W. McCombs is a personal trainer who is famous in the Fitness Orange County community. Chris instructs a totally unique method of losing fat to his clients. Chris is also a fitness business expert who helps develop new Marketing Ideas for Personal Training for personal trainers who want to grow their business.