What is Vitamin K?

This vitamin aids in blood clotting and bone health, especially with aging.

It's found in leafy green vegetables as well as brasicas (brocoli family). Bacteria in the intestines also aids in Vitamin K formation.

It is fat soluable meaning that the K Vitamin is better absorbed when eaten with some fat.

Vitamin K does not store well in the body and can be rapidly depleted. 

What is Vitamin B 12?

This vitamin is also known as cobalamin and is responsible for healthy DNA formation, healthy blood cells, and nerves. A deficiency of this vitamin can cause anaemia, nerve damage, and heart disease.

The nest sources of Vitamin B 12 are from animal products including dairy.

There is much confusion and controversy on whether vegetarians and/or vegans can get enough of this vitamin to stay healthy.

Reseach shows that chlorella is a good source of plant based B 12.

Many nutritionists suggests that vegans take supplementation.  

Why are diets so hard to stick to?

A public health researcher at the University of Buffalo recently looked into the question of why follow through on diets is so difficult.

He found that maintaining a diet is a "thinking" event requiring planning, scheming, will power, etc. which are all cognitive skills.

But follow-through on a diet requires good "feelings" in  order to be successful. If one doesn't enjoy the foods in a diet, the diet will fail. A successful diet needs to have a very strong emotional component. If the "thinking" and the "feeling" of a diet are not congruent, the health change will fail.

So the key issue, in designing a new diet, is much more than what's healthiest to eat....but also what are the most enjoyable as well as the healthiest foods to eat. 

What's the difference between a Macronutirent and a Micronutrient ?

Nutrition supplies three physiological needs:

1) Fuel for cellular energy.

2) Raw materials so the body can make it's own molecules.

3) Essential nutrients which the body can't make so must be supplied by the diet.

Macronutrients are needed in large amounts and are seen to be carbs, proteins (amino acids), and fats (essential fatty acids).

Micronutrients are needed in much smaller amounts and are needed for enzymatic activity.  They are divided into 2 groups: vitamins (organic, carbon based componds) and minerals (metal ions from inorganic elements).