Vitamin C

Vitamin C is unique as it is the only vitamin that seems to play a role in every bodily function as it holds the cells together! It has been called "an oil for the machinery of life" but your body can't manufacture it or store more than a few grams. This is why it is so crucial to get a rich daily supply of vitamin C. Deficiencies interfere with production of collagen (protein "cement" that holds your cells together), helping woulds heal, your ability to digest food and fight the effects of stress. The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) recommends we take 60 milligrams a day. That's fine if you want to stay just above the scurvy level...but, if you want to live a life of reduced infection, if you want to promote healing within your body's cells and sharpen your immune system, you'll want a daily intake far above the RDA. A healthy person should actually take 200 milligrams/day, but diabetics, smokers, the elderly, people under stress, or allergy sufferers should take a lot more. The reason is when your body is already struggling with a health issue, it demands additional vitamin C to heal itself and fight off enemies within. Make sure that you don't boil your vegetables because vitamin C is water soluable and quickly leaches into cooking water. Steam them instead. You might also want to eat them with foods rich in iron because these two nutrients work together and boosts the body's absorption of them. Studies have shown that vitamin C helps fight against fatigue, heals cold sores in half the time, prevent and relieve muscle soreness, thwart cancer, tame the flu and treat the common colds...the list is endless. Are you getting enough vitamin C?

Best Sources of Vitamin C
Orange juice, fresh squeezed
Green peppers, raw,chopped
Grapefruit juice, fresh squeezed
Papaya
Brussel Sprouts
Broccoli, raw, chopped
Orange
Canteloupe
Turnip greens, cooked
Cauliflower, raw, chopped
Strawberries
Grapefruit
Tomato juice
Potato
Tomato, raw
Cabbage, raw, chopped
Blackberries
Spinich, raw, chopped
Blueberries
Cherries, sweet
Mung bean sprouts