Are You Missing Key Micronutrients in Your Diet?

In an ideal world, a balanced diet provides every micronutrient– the essential vitamins and minerals- your body needs to thrive. A good question is whether your daily plates are hitting the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). This is the daily average intake of nutrients recommended for healthy individuals. For most people, the honest answer is- I have no idea.

I decided to stop guessing and do a nutritional audit on myself. I used a digital food journaling app (MyFitnessPal) with a detailed nutritional breakdown to track my food consumption for two weeks. The data was eye-opening. Despite my best efforts to eat healthy, I was consistently below RDA amounts in three key areas: Vitamin A, Calcium and Iron. Vitamin A is important for healthy vision, calcium for bones and teeth, and potassium for muscles and nerves. Armed with this data, I made targeted changes to my meals and supplementation with confidence.

For midlife women, micronutrient gaps can be a significant contributing factor to common concerns like bone density, heart health, and hormonal balance.

Are you curious to know if your healthy plate is providing you with the recommended intake of vitamins and minerals?

Spend one week logging your meals in a tracking app. There are several out there you can use and some are free. Review your micronutrient consumption at the end of the week. You might find that you’re doing great, or you might discover which nutrients are low in your body. Data-driven wellness is the ultimate form of self-care.

If you need help adding more nutrients to your plate, you could do a one-time consultation with me or book one of my signature one-on-one coaching programs.

Bebe Wilkinson is a Certified Lifestyle Medicine Coach, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and a Transformational Retreat Curator dedicated to women 40+. Through her signature coaching programs and her wellness retreats in North Carolina and the Bahamas, she helps clients harness the six pillars of lifestyle medicine to age gracefully and live abundantly.

---