Vitamins for Mind, Body, and Sensory Balance

The Essential Guide to Vitamins: What Your Body Needs and Where to Get Them

At Sensory Lioness, we know that maintaining a healthy, balanced diet can feel overwhelming at times, especially with all the nutrients our bodies need. One key group of nutrients that play an essential role in keeping us feeling vibrant, focused, and energetic are vitamins. These little powerhouses help our bodies run smoothly, from keeping our immune system strong to supporting brain function. Let’s dive into the world of vitamins, explore how they support us, and uncover where you can find them in your diet.

Vitamin A: The Key to Healthy Vision and Skin

Vitamin A is one of the superheroes of the vitamin world. It helps maintain good vision, supports your immune system, and keeps your skin glowing. It also plays a significant role in maintaining healthy organs, including your heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Happy Facts

  • Vitamin A helps improve night vision – a crucial nutrient for those of us who want to spot the stars on a clear evening.
  • It supports skin health by keeping your skin smooth and glowing, helping you feel confident in your own skin.

Sad Facts

  • A deficiency in vitamin A can lead to night blindness or a weakened immune system.
  • Overconsumption of vitamin A can lead to toxicity, which might cause nausea and dizziness.

Where to Find Vitamin A

  • Animal-based: Liver (beef or chicken), eggs, and dairy products like milk and cheese.
  • Plant-based: Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, and red bell peppers.

Pro Tips

  1. Pair vitamin A-rich foods with a source of healthy fat, like avocado, to enhance absorption.
  2. Eating a rainbow of colourful vegetables will ensure you’re getting a variety of nutrients, including plenty of vitamin A.

Vitamin B Complex: The Energy Boosters

The B vitamins are a group of eight essential vitamins that work together to help the body extract energy from food, maintain healthy nerve function, and support the production of red blood cells. These vitamins are like the energetic team of nutrients that fuel your daily activities.

Happy Facts

  • Vitamin B12 is essential for keeping your energy levels up and fighting fatigue.
  • Vitamin B6 plays a role in reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety, helping keep your mood balanced.

Sad Facts

  • Deficiency in B12 can lead to anaemia, fatigue, and neurological issues.
  • A lack of B9 (folate) during pregnancy can increase the risk of birth defects.

Where to Find Vitamin B Complex

  • Animal-based: Meat, poultry, fish (especially salmon and tuna), eggs, and dairy products.
  • Plant-based: Leafy greens, legumes, whole grains, avocados, and fortified cereals.

Pro Tips

  1. Vegetarians and vegans may need to supplement with B12, as it’s mostly found in animal products.
  2. Keep your B vitamin levels in check with a variety of whole foods, such as leafy greens, beans, and nuts.

Vitamin C: The Immunity Warrior

Vitamin C is one of the most well-known vitamins. It’s packed with antioxidants, helps strengthen the immune system, and plays a vital role in collagen production (which keeps your skin youthful). It’s also essential for the repair of tissues in the body and the absorption of iron.

Happy Facts:

  • Vitamin C supports the production of collagen, giving you a glowing complexion and helping your skin stay youthful.
  • It also helps your body absorb iron from plant-based sources, supporting energy and preventing anaemia.

Sad Facts

  • A deficiency in vitamin C can lead to scurvy, which causes symptoms like bleeding gums and joint pain.
  • Vitamin C can be easily destroyed by heat, so it’s important not to overcook your vegetables.

Where to Find Vitamin C

  • Animal-based: Liver (though it’s minimal), as most vitamin C is found in plants.
  • Plant-based: Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons), strawberries, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

Pro Tips

  1. To preserve vitamin C, enjoy fruits and veggies raw or lightly cooked.
  2. Try adding citrus fruits to your meals to enhance the absorption of iron from plant-based foods.

Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, which supports healthy bones and teeth. It also plays a role in regulating your immune system and reducing inflammation. Interestingly, our bodies can produce vitamin D when we’re exposed to sunlight – hence its nickname, the “sunshine vitamin.”

Happy Facts

  • Sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D, so getting outside for a daily walk is good for your bones and your mood.
  • Vitamin D helps your immune system fight off infections, particularly respiratory infections.

Sad Facts

  • A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone disorders such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
  • Living in northern climates with limited sun exposure can increase your risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Where to Find Vitamin D

  • Animal-based: Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), egg yolks, and liver.
  • Plant-based: Fortified plant milks (almond, soy), fortified cereals, and mushrooms exposed to sunlight.

Pro Tips

  1. Try to get at least 15 minutes of sunlight daily to help your body produce vitamin D naturally.
  2. If you’re not getting enough sun, consider adding a vitamin D supplement to your routine, especially in winter months.

Vitamin E: The Skin Protector

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the body from oxidative stress and supports the health of your skin and eyes. It also plays a role in immune function and anti-inflammatory processes.

Happy Facts

  • Vitamin E is known for its ability to protect your skin from UV damage – it’s like your natural sunscreen.
  • It helps improve skin hydration and reduce the appearance of scars.

Sad Facts

  • Vitamin E deficiency can lead to nerve and muscle damage.
  • Overuse of vitamin E supplements can lead to increased risk of bleeding, particularly in people who take blood thinners.

Where to Find Vitamin E

  • Animal-based: Eggs, liver, and dairy products.
  • Plant-based: Nuts, seeds, spinach, broccoli, and vegetable oils (like sunflower and olive oil).

Pro Tips

  1. For glowing skin, try incorporating vitamin E-rich foods like almonds and spinach into your meals.
  2. Pair vitamin E with healthy fats (like olive oil) to enhance its absorption in the body.

Vitamin K: The Clotting Agent

Vitamin K is vital for blood clotting and bone health. It helps the body form proteins that are essential for blood coagulation and bone mineralisation, making it an often-overlooked but important vitamin.

Happy Facts

  • Vitamin K supports bone health by helping to activate proteins that promote bone mineralisation.
  • It also plays a role in improving cardiovascular health by regulating calcium in blood vessels.

Sad Facts

  • A deficiency in vitamin K can lead to excessive bleeding and bruising.
  • It’s relatively rare to have a deficiency, but certain conditions (like malabsorption disorders) can put you at risk.

Where to Find Vitamin K

  • Animal-based: Liver, eggs, and dairy products.
  • Plant-based: Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and broccoli, as well as fermented foods.

Pro Tips:

  1. Vitamin K is fat-soluble, so pair it with healthy fats like olive oil to boost absorption.
  2. Consuming a variety of green vegetables will ensure you’re meeting your vitamin K needs.

Did you know?

Vitamins are divided into two types based on how they behave in your body:

fat-soluble and water-soluble.

Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are stored in your body’s fat tissues and liver, meaning they don’t need to be consumed every day.

Water-soluble vitamins, like Vitamin C and the B-complex group, dissolve in water and aren’t stored, so you need to top them up regularly through your diet. Understanding this difference can help you better plan your meals and supplements!

We used several trusted sources to ensure the information in our guide was accurate, engaging, and evidence-based. Here’s where we gathered our insights:

  1. National Institute of Health (NIH)  For in-depth knowledge about the roles and benefits of each vitamin, including Vitamin A, B Complex, C, D, E, and K, and how they impact health.
    – Visit NIH

  2. NHS (National Health Service) – The NHS provided excellent guidance on dietary advice, food sources, and addressing vitamin deficiencies.
    Visit NHS

  3. Harvard Health Publishing – We turned to Harvard Health for insights on Vitamin D, particularly its connection to sunlight and immune function.
    Visit Harvard Health

  4. PubMed – To back our claims about antioxidants like Vitamin C and their role in protecting the body from free radicals, we explored several research articles on PubMed.
    Explore PubMed

  5. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – This journal helped us dive into the importance of Vitamin E for skin health and immune system support.
    Visit AJCN

  6. British Nutrition Foundation – Their resources guided our understanding of B vitamins and their role in energy production and overall wellbeing.
    Visit British Nutrition Foundation

We made sure to cross-reference these sources to provide you with accurate, easy-to-digest content that’s rooted in science.

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We are dedicated to supporting emotional well-being through sensory education, mindfulness practices, life coaching, and carefully curated products. Founded by Paulina Grygowicz, our mission is to empower children with sensory challenges and families seeking to find calm amidst life’s everyday chaos.

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