Introduction

It is important to ensure meals and snacks are based around nutritious carbohydrate foods to
meet daily fuel and nutrient demands.
Recovery from one training session to the next is crucial to maximise training benefits.
It is essential to plan daily food intake to ensure regular snacks and meals are consumed around
training sessions.
It is important to have nutritious carbohydrate snacks containing some protein on hand
immediately after training to initiate the re-fuelling process if you are training twice a day.

Keep hydrated!
Drinking fluids is essential to achieve training and performance potential.
Fluid in the blood transports glucose to exercising muscles and carries away metabolic waste
products.
Fluid in urine eliminates metabolic waste products, which will lower performance if they
accumulated.
Fluid in sweat releases heat through the skin, to cool the body down. This prevents the body
from overheating

Fluid and carbohydrate needs during training and Races!
For training 500ml – 600ml of fluid per hour is sufficient to ensure that you remain hydrated
Add 50-60g of carbohydrate per hour in the form of solids or liquid if your trainings session or
race exceeds 1 hour as this helps to maintain your blood glucose levels and delay fatigue.
It doesn’t matter if the carbohydrate is in the form of a sports drink, sport gels or solid food.
This will help maintain blood sugar levels and spare muscle glycogen (storage form of
carbohydrate) as much as possible in order to delay the onset of fatigue.
Suitable examples = Sports drinks, diluted coke, clear jelly type sweets, marshmallows, energy
bars, small potatoes, etc. (plain rolls, marmite sandwich - depends on what’s available at races.
Runners should experiment with various carbohydrate drinks and foods during longer training
sessions so that you know what they are comfortable using during races. Do not let anyone at a
shop or expo lead you to believe any gel is similar to the one you have been using because if
you hate the taste or don’t tolerate it, You will pay the price and be stuck with no fuel!

Some examples of 50g of Carbohydrates =
· 600-800ml of any sports drink
· 2 sports gels e.g. 2 GU / 2 Vooma / 2 Gulp ‘n Go / 2 Octane gel sachets

Daily Eating

Focus on Whole grain energy sustaining carbohydrates
Carbohydrate foods have a vital role to play in exercise performance. They are the fuel for the
exercising muscles.
Carbohydrates can only be stored in the body in moderate amounts, thus carbohydrate stores
must continuously replaced. They can be a source of essential energy as well as fibre vitamins
and minerals

Healthy carbohydrate food examples
Whole grain bread, Brown / Whole-wheat/ Rye/ Health Bread Rice (Brown wild & White)
Small, potatoes (Baked, Boiled, Mashed) Pasta
Whole grain breakfast cereals & Porridge (Bran flakes, low fat muesli, whole wheat Pronutro,
Bokomo oats, mealie meal, Maltabella)
Scones/low fat muffins/Pancakes (Low fat)
Fruit & vegetables
Unsweetened fruit juice (Liquifruit, Ceres, Pure Joy etc)
Small amounts of dried fruit (No sugar added)
Fruit smoothies
Sugar/honey (small amounts)
Note*
However it is important that runners remember to reduce their intake of high fibre foods 12-24
hours before a race to prevent; bloating, Wind, Belching, or a “Sloshing stomach” or cramping
bowels” during the race

Protein

Include some protein with every meal!
Protein is an important part of the diet responsible for the body’s building material and essential
for recovery

Low fat protein choices
Chicken breast, grilled
Fish, grilled or boiled or baked or steamed
Tuna/ Salmon (in brine/ water)
Hake/Haddock/Kingklip etc.
Red meat grilled or
Extra lean/ Lean mince meat
Fillet steak
Lamb chops (fat removed before cooking)
Eggs: boiled or poached or scrambled or omelette
Cheese: low fat, hard cheeses
Ricotta, Low fat Weigh less cheese, Cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella cheese
Legumes, soya

Fats are essential for good health

A small amount of fat should be included in every meal.
Fat supplies essential fatty acids necessary for proper concentration, immune health as well as
the carrying of fat soluble vitamins into the body.
Fat also enhances the flavour, aroma and texture of food.
Include some avocado, small amounts of nuts and peanut butter in your daily eating.

A note on vitamin and minerals
To Support your immune system:
Ingest carbohydrate during long runs and races.
Take a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement (~100% RDA)
Increase intake of antioxidants i.e. Vitamin C (1000mg), vitamin E (100mg), Beta carotene (18-
20mg) 7-days prior to a major race

For years, runners thought that candy was the ideal quick-energy source and steak was a good pre-competition meal. Fortunately, many runners now recognize these for the misconceptions they are. However, these enlightened individuals in search of optimum nutrition are bombarded with sports nutrition advertisements, and confused by the big selection of nutritional products available in pharmacies and supermarkets. What to choose? How much is enough?

Many books have been written on nutrition for sportspeople. The aim of this section is to provide, in a concise but scientific way, specific and useful responses to questions frequently asked by runners. A qualified sports dietician should be consulted for a more comprehensive and individualized eating plan. For those individuals interested in furthering their own knowledge, the books in the reference list at the end of this section can be consulted.

Nutrition For Training

Proper nutrition for training is one of the keys to success in competition. To achieve quality training, adequate nutrition to support tissue repair and replenish depleted energy stores is vital. It is first and foremost recommended that you follow a balanced diet including a variety of foods from all the food groups and in the correct portions. Without a solid and well-balanced nutritional base, specific nutritional interventions will be of little value.

Your best friend, Carbohydrate

The major role of carbohydrate (starches and sugars) is to provide energy, and scientists have long known that carbohydrate is one of the prime energy sources during exercise. Dietary carbohydrate, however, suffers a poor reputation in the mind of the general public, particularly those attempting to loose body weight. Many popular books and magazines tout a low-carbohydrate, high protein diet to loose body weight and even improve exercise performance. This is a misconception that deserves to be put right.

Daily vitamin/mineral supplements: are they needed?

Based on the available scientific data, nutrient supplementation does not appear to be necessary for the well-nourished athlete during training. However, nutrient supplementation may be warranted in some cases. Many runners find it difficult to eat right while maintaining a heavy training program, full-time work, and family life. Skipping meals, relying on quick-energy, high-fat fast foods, and cutting calories for weight loss will soon find a runner malnourished and lacking in energy. Thus, it is generally recommended that these runners take a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, although they should actively work at correcting their eating habits.

Nutrition for Competition

Many a runner can attribute the loss of a medal or “personal best” time to an unfortunate, or seemingly negligible, mistake in diet. The golden rule of pre-race and in-race nutrition therefore states: “Thou shalt not experiment with any new food, drink, or nutritional supplement prior to or during an important race!”

Leading up to competition, carbohydrate intake is important to optimize muscle and liver glycogen stores. These stores will be utilized for energy production (specifically to maintain running pace) during the race. The regular intake of carbohydrate drinks during the race will maintain a steady blood glucose level that is vital for preventing sudden fatigue. It is, however, important to remember that not all carbohydrate is created equally.

Any time you eat carbohydrate, your blood glucose (sugar) rises. In turn, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone, which facilitates the entry of glucose into the muscle cells where it is used to produce energy. During, or just prior to competition, you don’t want a high insulin level to drive down your blood glucose when you need to feel energetic. Foods that have a low to moderate Glycemic Index (GI) don’t cause a dramatic release of insulin. Conversely, foods with a high GI will send insulin rushing into you blood stream. Thus, it is recommended that you consume food or drinks with a low to moderate GI prior to and during competition. High-GI foods and drinks should only be consumed after competition or training, and during carbo-loading, to facilitate the rapid replenishment of muscle and liver glycogen stores. Breathru’s Caroblode is very effective in this regard which also includes a three day cabo-loading diet.

Glycemic Index (GI) of foods and drinks commonly consumed by runners

Pre-Competition Meals

If possible, the pre-race meal should be consumed three to four hours prior to competition and is based on body-weight. It should consist of four to five grams of carbohydrate per kilogram body-weight, i.e.: a man of 75kg would require 337,5 grams of carbohydrate. These carbohydrates should be in the form of low to moderate GI foods and drinks. Due to the impracticality of eating a meal at three o’clock in the morning, runners have the option of consuming a liquid meal. A liquid meal can be consumed up to an hour before the race. However, research indicates that the combination of a carbohydrate meal and carbohydrate-electrolyte drink is more effective in improving endurance capability than a carbohydrate drink alone.

Meal 1
Glass of orange juice
Small bowl of oats porridge
Two slices of toast with jam
Apple slices

Meal 2
Glass of apple juice
Bow of low-GI cereal (See Table 1)
Small container of flavored yoghurt

Meal 3 - Liquid meal
½ cup water
½ cup of nonfat dry milk powder
¼ cup of glucose polymer (available at sports shops)
3 cups of skim milk
1 teaspoon of flavouring for platability (e.g. vanilla or chocolate extract)

Meal 4 – Liquid meal
30 grams of Weider Platinum Mega Mass Deluxe with
450 ml water or low fat milk

Nutritional intake during competition

Maintaining adequate levels of carbohydrates during an endurance event will enable the runners to sustain a faster pace and/or higher intensity for a longer period. However, it should be noted that optimizing the nutritional intake during the race may delay fatigue but won’t prevent it. Approximately 30-60 grams of carbohydrate should be consumed every hour during prolonged events. More specifically, drinks containing a 5-10% solution of carbohydrates in the form of glucose polymers should be ingested at predetermined frequencies. Because of the lower intensity at which endurance runners participate, they could tolerate higher solutions (15-20%). Runners who become hungry during prolonged events should consume a carbohydrate food with a medium glycaemic index. Also, remember that it is vital to train with the carbohydrates source you are going to consume on the race-day, to prevent any surprise gastrointestinal upsets (experiment with different foods during your training prior to the big event).

A few words of advice

Decide on a specific carbohydrate drink or supplement to consume during the race and then stick to it. At water stations, do not alternate between, for example Coke and Corn Syrup. Such practices may lead to nausea and diarrhoea. Fructose is an excellent pre-race supplement. Unfortunately, it is not well tolerated by many runners, inducing diarrhoea and flatulence. Experiment with fructose containing supplements during training. High-fiber foods and milk products should be consumed with caution before a race as they might cause stomach cramps, diarrhoea and flatulence. Again, experiment during training.

Post race nutrition

Less-than-optimum post-training recovery will diminish training quality during the next run. It may also weaken your immune system leaving you susceptible to infections, and at a higher risk for overtraining syndrome.

The primary aim of post-race nutrition is to replenish the muscle and liver glycogen stores and promote rehydration. Directly after the event a meal containing 50 grams of high GI foods, (or a drink containing the same amount of carbohydrate), should be consumed. This should be continued every two hours until consumption of the first mixed meal. In order for rehydration to be effective, caffeine and alcoholic drinks should be avoided as they promote a diuretic effect.

Examples of 50 g carbohydrate snacks:

Nutritional supplements elucidated

Carbohydrate supplements

Carbohydrate supplements are available in powder, ready-to-drink or gel form can be used during training/racing, post-exercise refueling or carbo-loading.

The glucose polymer-based drinks are the carbohydrate-type of choice during exercise as they are not very sweet and deliver energy at a high rate to the muscles. During carbo-loading the powders can be mixed into any food or drink to help boost carbohydrate intake without adding bulk. It is particularly useful for athletes with a poor appetite, or people who are unable to stomach a big volume of food, or for those who simply cannot meet their increased carbohydrate (or energy) demands via eating food alone.

Most of the ready-to-drink carbohydrate energy drinks are a mixture of glucose polymers and sucrose (sugar). They can also successfully be used as part of a general training diet, before, during and after exercise. However, some people find that these drinks are generally too sweet for during exercise as taste perception changes during exercise – taste sharpens and something that might taste great at rest might be too sweet during exercise.

A drink concentration of 6-10% (6-10 g of carbohydrate per 100ml) is the ideal for during running. During training and racing one should aim for a carbohydrate intake of 30-60 g per hour; and 500-750 ml fluid per hour (intake depends on body size, pace, weather conditions, and should be experimented with during training). A drink that is too concentrated (a 15% solution or 15 g carbohydrate per 100 ml) might lead to gastric upset and should not be used during training (could however form part of post- and in-between exercise carbohydrate replenishment, and carbo-loading). Also insure that the amount of particles that are dissolved in the drink (osmolality) is not above 300 milli Osmols (high osmolality will slow down the rate at which the drink is absorbed from the gut, which ultimately slows down energy delivery to the muscles).

Fructose-based drinks are not ideal during exercise as they are absorbed from the gut at a slower rate than glucose polymers and ultimately have a much slower rate of energy delivery to the working muscles. Fructose in high quantities is also renowned for causing gastric upsets and diarrhoea. Fructose-based supplements can be used for pre- or in-between exercise carbohydrate supplementation.

Protein supplements

Protein requirements are increased by exercise – a small amount is used as fuel, and the majority of dietary protein is used to repairing damaged tissue and building muscle (and other tissues).

Although athletes have an increased need for protein, only a very small portion of athletes actually need protein supplementation as our “normal” South African diet is inherently high in protein. Even athletes doing prolonged endurance exercise, or weight training with the aim to build muscle can quite easily and effectively meet their protein demands by means of the correct dietary choices. Protein or amino acid supplements (amino acids are the building blocks of protein), are therefore not needed to fulfill protein requirements for either strength or endurance exercise.

Daily vitamin/mineral supplements: are they needed?

The Nutritional Dictionary

Here's a thumbnail sketch of what vitamins, minerals and other nutrients do in the body, and where you'll find them.

Vitamin A (a.k.a. pre-formed Retinol;Beta-Carotene)
What it's good for: Promotes growth and repair of body tissue, healthy eyes, good night vision and a strong immune system.
Where you get it: Liver and fish oils, whole and fortified milk and eggs. Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and other leafy green veggies, yellow squash, peaches and apricots provide Beta and other carotenes.
RDA: 800 RE for adult women; 1,000 RE for adult men.
Watch out: Vitamin A can be toxic in large doses, and when taken during pregnancy can cause birth defects. Your body stores excess vitamin A so don't exceed the RDA.

Amino Acids
What they're good for: Building blocks that make up proteins like hormones, enzymes and proteins in tissues and muscle. There are nine essential amino acids that we need to get from food; the body can make the other 11.
Where you get them: Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products and beans.
DRI or RDA: None

Vitamin B-1 (a.k.a. Thiamine)
What it's good for: Helps convert food into energy, nerve functions, growth and muscle tone.
Where you get it: Wheat germ, pork, whole and enriched grains, dried beans, seeds, and nuts.
RDA: Between 1.1 to 1.5 mg for adults.

Vitamin B-2 ( a.k.a. Riboflavin)
What it's good for: Releases energy, keeps red blood cells healthy, makes hormones.
Where you get it: Dairy products, meats, poultry, whole and enriched grains, and green vegetables such as broccoli, turnip greens, aspargus, and spinach.
Tidbit: High doses of B-2 may help prevent migraine headaches.
RDA: Between 1.3 to 1.7 mg for adults.

Vitamin B-3 (a.k.a Niacin)
What it's good for: Releases energy, important for a healthy digestive system, blood circulation, nerve function, appetite.
Where you get it: Poultry, fish, whole and enriched grains, dried beans, and peas.
RDA: Between 15 to 19 mg for adults.

Vitamin B-5 (a.k.a Pantothenic Acid)
What it's good for: Converts food into energy, necessary to make important hormones, vitamin D, and red blood cells.
Where you get it: Found in almost all foods.
DRI or RDA : None.

Vitamin B-6 (a.k.a Pyridoxine)
What it's good for: Helps convert food into energy, keeps red blood cells healthy, makes antibodies, maintains nerve function, enhances the immune system, helps prevent heart disease.
Where you get it: Poultry, fish, pork, eggs, and whole grains.
Tidbit: Small doses of B-6 may help alleviate morning sickness. Check with your doctor.
RDA: Between 1.6 to 2.0 mg for adults.
Watch Out: B-6 in high doses can cause balance difficulties, nerve injury.

Vitamin B-12 (a.k.a Cobalamin)
What it's good for: Releases energy from food, keeps red blood cells healthy, helps maintain the nervous system, boosts the immune system, helps prevent heart disease.
Where you get it: Dairy products, lean beef, fish, poultry, and eggs.
RDA: 2 mcg for adults.

Biotin
What it's good for: Metabolizes fats, proteins and carbohydrates, helps in the transfer of carbon dioxide and assists in various metabolic chemical conversions.
Where you get it: Cheese, beef liver, cauliflower, eggs, mushrooms, chicken breast, salmon and spinach.
Suggested Daily Value: 300 mcg for adults.

Vitamin C
What it's good for: Helps wounds heal, strengthens blood vessels, builds connective tissue,healthy gums, skin and promotes strong teeth and bones. May boost immunity.
Where you get it: Citrus fruits, strawberries, green and red peppers, collard and mustard greens, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, kiwi, guava and parsley.
RDA: 75 mg for women, 90 mg for men.

Calcium
What it's good for: Supports bones, teeth, muscle tissue, regulates the heartbeat, muscle action, nerve function, blood clotting.
Where you get it: Dairy products, calcium-fortified orange juice or soy milk, salmon with bones, and green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and collards.
DRI: 1,000 mg for adults.

Carbohydrates
What they're good for: The sugars, fibers and starches found in various foods, carbohydrates provide fuel for the body and are an important part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Where you get them: The basic building blocks of a carbohydrate are sugar molecules. The digestive system breaks carbohydrates down into single sugar molecules so they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. It also converts most digestible carbohydrates into glucose (also known as blood sugar), which our cells use as a universal energy source. Simple or fast-acting carbohydrates include fruit juices and refined white bread and rice. Complex carbohydrates, which take longer to break down in the body, include whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
DRI: None.

Cholesterol
What it's good for: Makes cell membranes, hormones. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is often called "bad" cholesterol because too much in your blood can cause heart disease. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is often called "good" cholesterol because it helps remove LDL .
Where you get it: Meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs.
DRI or RDA: None.

Chromium
What it's good for: Acts cooperatively with other substances to control insulin and certain enzymes.
Where you get it: Cheese, whole grains, meat, peas, beans and blackstrap molasses.
DRI or RDA: None.

Copper
What it's good for: Formation of red blood cells, pigment, bone health.
Where you get it: Nuts, black pepper, blackstrap molasses and cocoa.
DRI or RDA: None.

Vitamin D
What it's good for: Calcium and phosphorus metabolism, aids bone growth and integrity, promotes strong teeth.
Where you get it: Fortified milk, egg yolks and fatty fish, like herring, kipper and mackerel.
DRI: 5-10 mcg for adults.

DRI
Dietary Reference Intakes: A joint collaboration with Canada and the US, DRIs are revised recommendations for vitamins and minerals from the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, which will gradually replace the Recommended Dietary Allowances or RDA guidelines. DRIs are being developed for vitamins and minerals that currently have no RDAs.

Vitamin E
What it's good for: Antioxidant powers protect cell membranes, essential for red blood cells, aids cellular respiration and protects lung tisse from pollution.
Where you get it: Vegetable oils, wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts, seafood, apples, carrots and celery.
RDA: 15 mg alpha-tocopherol for adults

Essential Fatty Acids (a.k.a. Omega-3 and Omega-6)
What they're good for: Make cell membranes, hormones, and prostaglandins.
Where you get them: Vegetable oils such as canola, flaxseed, walnut, corn, soybean, and safflower oils, fish, and fish oil supplements.
Tidbit: Flaxseed oil is a great source of omega-3s, but not for cooking because heat destroys them.
DRI or RDA: None.

Fiber
What it's good for: Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels, helps move waste through the intestines. Diets rich in plant fiber are related to a reduction of heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes.
Where you get it: Fruits, vegetables and whole-grains.
Tidbit: If you're upping your fiber intake, do it slowly to avoid stomach upset. Also, drink lots of water.
DRI or RDA: None.

Folate
What it's good for: Helps cells grow and divide, reduces risk of certain birth defects,important for red blood cells and crucial in creating amino acids.
Where you get it: Green leafy vegetables, dried beans, liver, poultry, fortified cereals, oranges and nuts.
Tidbit: Pregnant women or women trying to conceive are often told to take folate.
RDA: 400 mcg for adults.

Fluoride
What it's good for: Dental health.
Where you get it: Tea, fish eaten with their bones, processed foods, and treated drinking water.
DRI: Between 3.1 to 3.8 mg for adults.

Glucose
What it's good for: A simple sugar that is a major source of energy in the body.
Where you get it: All carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars and transported as glucose in the bloodstream. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables and grain and dairy products.
DRI or RDA: None.

Glycogen
What it's good for: As the storage form of glucose, it's used by the body for energy when needed. It's stored in the liver and muscle.
Where you get it: Carbohydrates. Natural sugars (fruit, vegetables, milk) and complex carbohydrates (grains, cereals, pasta) are the best choices.
DRI or RDA: None.

Iodine
What it's good for: Making thyroid hormones that control metabolism.
Where you get it: Lobster, shrimp, bread, milk and iodized salt.
RDA: 150 mcg for adults.

Iron
What it's good for: Making hemoglobin in blood and myoglobin in muscle, which supply oxygen to cells.
Where you get it: Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, whole and enriched grains, and green leafy vegetables.
RDA: Between 10 to 12 mg for men and 12 to 15 mg for women.
Watch out: Iron supplements even in small amounts can be toxic to young children. Keep iron and multis with iron out of reach.

Vitamin K
What it's good for: Helps blood clot.
Where you get it: Green beans, green leafy vegetables, dairy products, eggs, meats, cereals, fruits and vegetables.
RDA: Between 60 to 65 mcg for women and 70 to 80 mcg for men.

Lycopene
What it's good for: A carotenoid—a class of phytochemicals that gives fruit and vegetables their bright colors. This powerful antioxidant helps convert beta carotene into vitamin A.
Where you get it: Tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, apricots, papayas and watermelons.
DRI: None.

Magnesium
What it's good for: Enzyme activation, nerve and muscle function, and bone growth.
Where you get it: Nuts, meats, leafy vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes.
Tidbit: Magnesium supplements may help ward off migraine headaches.
DRI: Between 280 to 300 mg for women, 350 to 400 mg for men.

Manganese
What it's good for: Essential for reproductive function, physical growth, normal formation of bones and cartilage and normal brain function.
Where you get it: Whole grains and cereals, fruits, vegetables and tea.
DRI or RDA: None.

Molybdenum
What it's good for: As a component of three different enzymes, it's involved in the metabolism of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) iron and food converts food into energy. Helps breakdown toxic build ups of sulfites in the body. May help prevent cavities.
Where you get it: Milk, lima beans, spinach, breads, liver and cereals.
DRI or RDA: None.

Monounsaturated fats
What they're good for: A nutrient that provides dietary energy without raising cholesterol levels.
Where you get them: Olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil.
DRI or RDA: None.

Net carbohydrates
What they're good for: A term developed by manufacturers to describe the carbohydrates that have a significant impact on blood sugar levels.
Where you get them: While there is no regulatory definition of this term, it is generally calculated by subtracting the grams of "dietary fiber" from the "total carbohydrates" on the nutrition label. Although dietary fiber is a carbohydrate, it can't be broken down into sugar molecules, and so passes through the body mostly undigested.
DRI or RDA: None.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
What they're good for: Help protect the heart, help prevent stroke, lower cholesterol levels and alleviate arthritis.
Where you get them: Cold-water fatty fish like salmon and mackerel; vegetable oils, wheat germ, flax seeds, soybeans, tofu, leafy greens and walnuts.
DRI or RDA: None.

Phosphorus
What it's good for: Helps form bones and teeth, builds muscle and is involved in almost all metabolic actions in the body.
Where you get it: Milk, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, whole grains, seeds and nuts.
DRI or RDA: 800 mg to 1,200 mg for adults.

Phytonutrients/Phytochemicals (i.e., flavonoids and carotenoids)
What they're good for: Reducing risks of diseases of aging such as Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease.
Where you get them: Plant foods, including soy products and fruits and vegetables, cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, kale, bok choy and cauliflower.
DRI or RDA: None.

Polyunsaturated fats
What they're good for: A nutrient that provides dietary energy without raising cholesterol levels.
Where you get them: Corn oil, safflower seed oil, sunflower seed oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, fish oil and walnuts.
DRI or RDA: None.

Potassium
What it's good for: Helps keep blood pressure down and aids muscle contractions, aids healthy electrical activity in the heart and rapid transmission of nerve impulses throughout the body.
Where you get it: Dried fruits, bananas, potatoes, most raw vegetables, citrus fruits, molasses, and sunflower seeds.
DRI or RDA: None.

Proanthocyanidins
What they're good for: Powerful antioxidants that promote urinary tract health.
Where you get them: Cranberries.
DRI or RDA: None.

Protein
What it's good for: Keeps the body running, made from different combinations of amino acids.
Where you get it: Meat, eggs, dairy products, beans, whole grains, and vegetables.
RDA: Between 46 and 63 g for adults.

RDA
Recommended Dietary Allowances: Nutrient intake recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the American Academy of Sciences. RDAs are safe levels of intake for essential nutrients, based on current scientific knowledge. They are set to meet the known nutrient needs or practically all healthy people. RDAs have been around and updated regularly for more than 50 years. RDAs are gradually being replaced by revised guidelines called Dietary Reference Intakes or DRIs.

Resveratrol
What it's good for: Inhibits tumor formation and breaks down "bad," LDL cholesterol; lowers risk of atherosclerosis.
Where you get it: Found in grapes (particularly red) and wine, as well as peanuts, cranberries and mulberries
DRI or RDA: None.

Saturated fat
What it does: Shown to raise cholesterol, associated with a risk of heart disease.
Where you get it: Butter, lard, meat, poultry, whole-milk dairy foods, palm oil, and coconut oil.
DRI or RDA: None.

Selenium
What it's good for: Works with vitamin E as an antioxidant and binds with toxins in the body, rendering them harmless.
Where you get it: Lobster, clams, crabs, whole grains, Brazil nuts and oysters.
RDA: 55 mg for women and 70 mg for men.

Sodium
What it's good for: Regulates and balances the amount of fluids outside the cells in the body. Aids in muscle contractions and nerve function.
Where you get it: Processed foods and table salt.
DRI or RDA: None.

Thiamine (a.k.a. vitamin B-1)
What it's good for: Helps convert food into energy, nerve functions, growth and muscle tone.
Where you get it: Wheat germ, pork, whole and enriched grains, dried beans, seeds and nuts.
RDA: Between 1.1 to 1.5 mg for adults.

Zinc
What it's good for: Essential for normal growth, development and immunity. Helps maintain skin, hair and bones. Keeps reproductive organs functioning and helps in the perception of taste and the ability to see at night.
Where you get it: Beef, poultry, liver, oysters, eggs and dairy products.
RDA: Between 12 to 15 mg for women and 15 mg for men.