Should I avoid canned fruit?
(and taste!) choose local produce that is in season. This is a great way to support your local farmers and minimise food miles, too.
I also like to encourage people to think about the packaging. A tin can – and most are lined with plastic – can take anywhere from 20 to 200 years to break down. So fresh is always best.
If you love tinned fruit and it nourishes you, it’s best to drain the juice and be sure to amp up your intake of vitamin C-rich vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, capsicum and kale) to ensure you are meeting your vitamin C requirements. pimple, and its role in protecting against damage from free radicals also makes zinc an essential nutrient for anyone who wants to prevent premature ageing of the skin.
The best food sources of zinc are oysters from clean waters, liver, beef, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, and smaller amounts are also found in other seeds, nuts, lentils, chickpeas and eggs.
There are, however, some substances that can interfere with the absorption of zinc in the body. Other nutrients such as copper and calcium can negatively affect absorption, so having calciumrich foods at a different time to your zinc food sources may help to maximise your zinc absorption. Fibre can also inhibit absorption, so if you take a zinc supplement it’s best to take this away from food. Just before bed is a good time.
Tannins in tea and coffee bind
zinc which can prevent it from being absorbed in the body, so it’s important to avoid drinking tea and coffee with your meals. Adopting a habit of drinking any beverages or water between meals rather than with your meals also helps to support optimal stomach pH.
The stomach is supposed to be extremely acidic – we need the pH to sit at around 2. Water has a pH of 7 (neutral pH) or greater so drinking water with meals may potentially dilute your stomach acid. Supporting optimal stomach pH is important for overall digestive function, and it also benefits zinc absorption as this is known to be enhanced in an acidic environment.