Calcium Stored calcium is leached from your bones to ensure adequate function of your heart, muscles, nerves and blood. If you don’t replenish it, bone mass eventually decreases and weakens. You Need: 1,000 mg per day. Good food sources include low-fat dairy products, fortified soy products or orange juice, dark leafy greens and canned salmon.

Vitamin D When skin is exposed to sunlight, a chemical reaction occurs producing vitamin D, which helps the body to absorb calcium. Without it, bones and teeth weaken and your body becomes susceptible to osteoporosis, cancer, arthritis and depression. That’s why the Canadian Cancer Society recommends five minutes of unprotected exposure to sunlight daily. And since it’s difficult to get enough from food, pop a supplement. You Need: up to 400 IU daily. Good food sources include liver, and fortified soy and milk products.

Iron Due to heavy periods and vegetarian diets, many women are iron deficient. Insufficient iron prevents oxygen travel, leading to inability to concentrate, overall fatigue, memory loss and anemia. You Need: 15 mg per day. Good food sources include beans and spinach, and, of course, red meat.

Omega-3s Our bodies do not naturally produce this essential fatty acid, which helps lower cholesterol, prevent cardiovascular disease and alleviate depression, so you need to get it through diet or supplements. You Need: 1.1 g daily. Good food sources include ground flaxseed, fatty fish (eat it two or three times a week to get your quota) including salmon and anchovies, canola oil and walnuts.

Fibre Fibre is the ultimate multitasker: adequate intake can help you maintain or lose weight, control cholesterol levels and potentially lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and certain types of cancer. You Need: 25-30 g daily. Good food sources include whole-grain breads, pastas, cereals, brown rice, and fresh vegetables and fruit.

B Vitamins The Bs (Thiamine, Niacin, B6, B12) help maintain energy levels, boost the immune and nervous system and potentially protect your heart. Folate (known as folic acid in synthetic form), another B vitamin, is also necessary for reproductive health, and it can be depleted by taking the pill. You Need: 1.1 mg; 14 mg; 1.3 mg; 2.4 mcg, respectively, and 400 mcg of folate daily. Good B-vitamin food sources include whole grains, cereals, lean meat, tuna and chick peas. Folate sources include orange juice from concentrate and asparagus, broccoli and cantaloupe.

Read the next The Healthy Eating Guide article, A Fresh Start: Making the Perfect Breakfast.

First published in Wish Winter 2006