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including metabolism and nerve and muscle function. However, the typical North American diet that relies heavily on highly processed foods provides too much sodium, which can lead to negative health consequences, including high blood pressure. Again, moderation is key. Reducing our intake of highly processed foods, and cooking more from scratch, gives us control over the amount of sodium in our food, providing us with what our bodies need while also promoting health.

I want to address metabolism and micronutrients. First, I need to clarify that when I talk about metabolism I am not referring to the ability to use energy and consequently lose weight, but rather to the ability to break down the food we eat and turn it into energy that the cells in our body can then use to function. B vitamins are central to the metabolismof macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) into energy, but magnesium and iron also play a key role in this process.

Lastly, we may forget to think about how nutrients impact our genes, but even dna needs vitamins and minerals to perform the functions essential to our survival. B vitamins are needed to create and repair dna, while magnesium, iron, and zinc are needed for dna production.

It is incredible how the food we eat impacts our body’s ability to function all the way from the essential creation of dna to being able to jump on a trampo-line and have strong skin. Nutrients work as a team, not individuals, in allowing our body to function.

Multivitamins

It’s a common misconception that taking a multivitamin will help provide “nutrient insurance” if you are busy and not always eating a healthy diet; however, there are several reactions that occur with micronutrients and food that cannot be replicated in a supplement, like how the lactose in milk helps our body absorb the calcium. Unless it’s vitamin D, it is best to make an effort to get key vitamins and minerals from food.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)

Developed by American and Canadian experts after an extensive research review process, Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) are a set of values used to explain the amount of a nutrient needed by most healthy individuals.14 Using the dri as a guide for The Complete Plate, we have analyzed ingredients, put recipes together, and created a plan that ensures you get a complete set of macro- and micronutrients each day.

To cover the largest demographic possible (male and female aged 19–50 years old), we accounted for the highest dri values for each group. However, even when considering the highest dri values, intakes still fall below set upper limits. If you would like an in-depth diet analysisfor each meal plan, please refer to page 290.