If you were going to get everything your body needed to function from the foods you eat, you’d make sure to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein from fish, meat and eggs, plenty of clean water and fiber.

But do you have any idea how much of these you’d need to eat to get the “minimumâ€? amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids?

You’re going to be suprised by this. And, I hope you’re good and hungry.

Here’s what’s on your daily menu:

5 to 9 optimal servings of colorful fruits and vegetables (apples and potatoes don’t count) to get the minimum amount of antioxidants to protect you from illnesses, cancer, heart disease, aging and much more.

One entire cow every day (hooves and all) to get all 22 amino acids, the building blocks of protein. They help you build strong healthy tissue, repair damaged tissue and provide the optimum amounts of hormones, antibodies, and enzymes.

A half pound of whole grains - brown rice, whole wheat or soy - to get the amount of essential fatty acids, or lipids, your body uses up daily. These lipids help to keep the body’s battery, the glandular system, functioning optimally.

124 slices of whole wheat bread to get 30 IU (the minimum daily requirement) of Vitamin E. That’s over 7,500 calories just to get enough Vitamin E! And whole wheat breat is one of the best food sources there is for Vitamin E. You need E for your heart, circulatory system, skin and many other things.

I could go on and on with the foods you need to get all the Vitamin C, calcium, minerals, etc. that your body needs every day, but I think you get the picture - it’s just not possible to get everything you need nutritionally from your food.

With our fast paced lives, on-the-go diets and constant health challenges, getting help from whole food nutritional supplements will go a long way towards keeping you healthy.