Growing and Getting Taller Naturally

Many of us want to grow and be as tall as we possibly can be. In fact, at one point in my own life I was sure I wasn’t growing to my full potential, so I did tons of research to find out how to get taller. People told me to take tons of vitamins and to sleep for 12 hours a day est… but what I found to be most helpful in promoting growth was just eating healthy, exercising daily, getting enough sleep (not 12 hours), and a few other tricks.

For those who really want to make sure they grow to their full potential though, further research really needs to be done to make sure you are getting the right vitamins, minerals, doing the right exercises, and so on. So what I have written below are the most important things you can do to make sure you will grow to your maximum height (these are most likely to work for those who are still growing, except for stretching and posture):

Nutrition

As far as nutrition goes, you should make sure you get several varieties of fruit, vegetables, protein, vitamins, and minerals every day. I have listed the most important vitamins, minerals, and food below:

The most important vitamins for growth are:

* Vitamin A
Function: Vital for growth and differentiation of the body’s cells as well as healthy vision.
Food Sources: Animal liver, milk, most yellow and green vegetables.

* Vitamin B6
Function: Assimilates protein and fat.
Food Sources: Animal liver and kidney, beef, green leafy vegetables .

* Vitamin B12
Function: Forms and makes red blood cells; increases your energy and promotes growth.
Food Sources: Cheese, animal liver and kidney, pork,  beef.

* Vitamin C
Function: Helps in the creation of collagen and other intercellular substances; Helps in formation of bone matrix and tooth dentin; Intercellular cement and metabolism of several amino acids.
Food Sources: Citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, cauliflower and green leafy vegetables.

* Vitamin D
Function: Helps calcium absorb from digestive tract; essential for healthy growth and upholding of bone.
Food Sources: Egg yolk, milk, fish oils, butter.

* Vitamin E
Function: Supplies oxygen to body cells; prevents cholesterol deposits in arteries.
Food Sources: Wheat germ, soy beans, eggs, green leafy vegetables.

* Vitamin K
Function: Helps promote proper blood clotting; helps in avoiding internal bleeding and hemorrhage.
Food Sources: Egg yolk, soybean, fish, animal liver, and green vegetables.

The most important minerals for growth are:

Minerals are important because help the growth of your bones.

* Calcium
Function: Important component of teeth and bones; needed for normal blood clotting; helps in normal muscle nerve function.
Food Sources: Dairy products, fish, green leafy vegetable.

* Chromium
Function: Aids in the growth process; prevents and lowers high blood pressure.
Food Sources: Meat, clams, shellfish.

* Iron
Function: Helps you grow; helps form hemoglobin in blood; aid for good skin tone.
Food Sources: Animal Liver, beef kidney, cereals, egg yolk, clams, and red meat.

* Phosphorus
Function: Structural component of the bone; performs many more functions; Needed for healthy bones and teeth; necessary for energy metabolism.
Food Sources: Meat, dairy products, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

* Magnesium
Function: Aids in bone growth and the function of nerves and muscles; Helps regulate blood pressure and water balance in cells.
Food Sources: Apples, lemons, grapefruits, seeds, yellow corn, and dark green vegetables.

* Manganese
Function: Aids in bone and cartilage arrangement, needed for energy metabolism.
Food Sources: Whole-grain cereals, egg yolks, green vegetables.

* Zinc
Function: Helps in the growth and repair process of tissues. Needed for proper performance of the immune system.
Food Sources: Milk, meat, yogurt, and pumpkin seeds.

* Iodine
Function: Helps in the regulation of thyroid hormones that aid in the process of growth and expansion.
Food Sources: Salt, seafood, kelp, onions, and vegetables grown in iodine rich soils.

The mineral that I advise you to make sure you have is calcium along with vitamin D to make sure you digest it.

Foods that can stun growth (if you have too much):

• Coffee
• Soft drinks
• Sweeteners
• Lots of salt

image courtesy of follow777

• Lots of fats
• Alcohol
• Cigarettes

Foods that help growth:

• Fish
• Meat
• Eggs
• Milk
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Animal liver (do not subject it)
• Dairy Products
• Seafood

The amount of sleep you should get to promote growth is?

The amount of sleep each person needs depends upon the person. You can never really be sure how much sleep you really need. The general 8 hours is always a good answer, but teenagers for example need up to 10 hours of sleep according to some people while others function on 6 hours of sleep just fine. This is a good question to ask your doctor or you can try the test below. Also, try to sleep with as little light as possible, it helps you sleep better.

Test how much sleep you need: Simply sleep without an alarm clock for 3 or 4 days and see how long you sleep. Make sure you go to sleep when you’re tired though.

Exercising and stretching every day:

Another great tip in making sure you grow to your full potential is exercising and stretching every day. Both of these activities promote healthy growth of the body’s bones and muscle as well as making you feels great. Stretching also takes care of many people’s slouches and even helps full grown adults in their 40’s of 50’s to grow an inch or two. Here is a great video I found for good stretches to promote growth:

Good Posture:

Good posture provides for us many of the same benefits stretching dose, but instead of correcting our slouches, it prevents it from ever happening. Here are some tips for keeping good posture:

• Hold your shoulders back (push chest up and out is the best way to do this at first)
• Try to keep your back straight
• Look straight ahead (at eye level) so your head is evenly positioned
• Try and sit straight with your back supported
• While sitting, keep your body in a natural position with you feet flat on the ground

These may seem odd and actually annoying to do at first, but it will come naturally for you later and will be well worth it.

A Few other tricks to make sure you get taller:

• Try not to stress out to often
• Make sure you are getting enough oxygen, breath regularly
• Get walk tall shoes (platform) shoes

Ultimately your height is not the most important thing in your life, so don’t worry about it if you only get up to 5’ 10’’, in fact that is the average height for a male in the United States (Women’s average height is about 5’ 4’). I really hope you enjoyed the post and feel free to comment if you have any questions.