2. Vitamin D
While vitamin D deficiency has long been known as a cause of the childhood disease rickets, this vitamin made news recently as an essential nutrient for cancer prevention, osteoporosis and other diseases as well. And in northern countries like Canada, it's not always easy to get enough vitamin D from sunlight alone. "The majority of adults don't meet recommended intakes for vitamin D," says Pearson. So in addition to daily unprotected exposure to sunlight (15 minutes is usually recommended -- the Canadian Cancer Society offers recommendations on its website), include food sources of vitamin D in your diet, including vitamin D-fortified milk and milk substitutes, fatty fish such as salmon, and vitamin D-fortified yogurt (note that unlike milk, not all yogurts are fortified.)
Recipe to try: Salmon with Pea and Mint Puree (pictured at left) |
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