7 Nutrients We Take For Granted

Some nutrients have been hyped so much that people are wary about them, like protein. 

Or maybe they’ve been unfairly placed in the “bad food” camp when, in fact, the right ones are excellent, like good carbs! 

And there are even nutrients that most folks don’t even think of as a “nutrient,” like water!

The famous comedian, Rodney Dangerfield, used to start every one of his acts with the line, “I don’t get no respect!”

Well, the following 7 nutrients are most definitely worthy of our respect as must-haves in our diet!

And Almased is your key to unlocking many of these nutrients’ “hidden” benefits, but more on that in a minute!

2. Amino acids

Amino acids are no longer thought of as “almost proteins.” In fact, the nutritional science behind amino acid supplementation has grown by leaps and bounds.
So making sure that we’re getting high-quality amino acids, the building blocks of protein, is very important.

Fortunately, Almased, the low-glycemic, high-protein meal replacement and food supplement, provides us with nearly 15 grams of essential amino acids, including (but limited to) leucine, arginine, and lysine.

Leucine is believed to increase muscle growth and lean body mass. It may also support healthy blood sugar. 

Arginine has been shown to be beneficial for heart health and immune health. 

Lysine supports muscle growth and helps transport fats into our cells to be burned for energy.

In fact, each serving of Almased provides all essential amino acids, in addition to those considered conditionally essential. 

Each scoop of Almased offers a whopping 2,300 mg of leucine, 1,800 mg of arginine and 1,550 mg of lysine!

4. Carbs

We need carbs. But with that said, it’s important to note that not all carbs are created equal. 

Biochemists usually classify carbs in one of two categories, simple carbohydrates (known as sugars) or complex carbohydrates (known as fibers and starches).

To gauge the impact of sugars and carbs on our body, scientists and nutritionists developed the glycemic index (GI). 

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a rating system for foods that lets us know how fast the body converts the carbs in a food into glucose.

The smaller the number, the slower the food is converted and the lower the effect on our blood sugar. A big advantage to low-carb / high-protein eating is that it dramatically restricts carbohydrates and sugars and basically forces the body to burn fat. 

Complex carbohydrates are found in such foods such as whole grains and vegetables. Good examples of low-glycemic vegetables, beans, and legumes are: asparagus; broccoli; carrots; celery; chickpeas; green beans; kidney beans; lentils; lettuce; peppers; soybeans, spinach; tomatoes; and zucchini. 

A list of low-glycemic foods can be found here. 

We can rest easy that Almased has a super-low glycemic index of 27!

6. Essential fats

Experts used to say that fats are high-calorie and should be avoided. Truth is, avoiding fat can actually lead to weight gain. The latest research shows that healthy fats can speed up your metabolism and help you shed pounds.

Fats are indeed the most calorie-dense nutrient, having twice as many calories per gram as proteins or carbohydrates. And healthy fats are essential for good health, provide energy, and help the gut absorb certain vitamins from foods. 

Healthy essential fats come mostly from plant sources that are liquid at room temperatures, such as olive or nut and seed oils. Other good sources are ground flax or hemp seeds, avocados, walnuts, and wild-caught salmon.

Unhealthy fats are deep-fried fast foods, trans fats, and manufactured fats found in processed foods, such as shortening, certain microwave popcorn and margarine, donuts, non-dairy creamers, and some vegetable oils.

Soybeans are low in saturated fat, naturally free of cholesterol, and are good sources of healthy monounsaturated fats.

A great addition to each meal (or your Almased meal-replacement shake) is 1–2 teaspoons of healthy oil, such as avocado, flaxseed oil, sunflower seed oil, olive oil (extra-virgin) or

7. Water

According to Healthline, “You can go for weeks without food, but you can’t last more than a few days without water.”

Water is vital for every system, tissue, and cell in the body, and it’s also the main nutrient we’re made of. It also helps get rid of toxins, plus it carries oxygen and nutrients to cells.

How much water should we drink? You’ve heard it before: Drink a lot of water and then some! Drinking more water is always a great idea, partly because we’re then downing H2O instead of carbonated sodas and sugar-jacked juices.

In fact, drinking an extra 17 ounces (about 2 cups) of cool, fresh water each day also boosts our resting metabolism by 10–30 percent for up to one hour. And drinking water 30 minutes before a meal helps us feel more full, too, so we can eat less.

In fact, some experts recommend that you drink ½ ounce of water per pound of bodyweight, so if you’re 160 pounds then you would drink 80 ounces (2.3 liters) a day. 

Or simply just aim for eight big glasses or cups of herbal tea or filtered water every day. This will help you feel full and flush away impurities.

Now that we’ve been able to show some respect to these under-appreciated nutrients, it’s a perfect time to show extra appreciation for our health by choosing Almased today!