Mom's Fitness Tips for Women

If you have ever needed something to read at 4 in the morning here it is. I only woke up a few minutes ago with my normal recurring insomnia. It’s a kind of half life. You’re not sure if you are awake or asleep.

You’re not sure if it is day or night. You’re not sure if you are alive or dead. All you know is you don’t sleep. You wake up and you’re not sure it it’s dawn or dusk. You reach for cigarettes. You reach for pills. You reach for coffee. You drive to work. You come home from work. You hit the computer. You sleeep.

If this sounds anything like the lifestyle you have been leading then welcome. You are not alone. Insomnia affects lots of people. Its the new silent life stress. Like me now you know you have a bizzy day in a few hours and you know you should sleep but you just cannot.

So whats the answer? More coffe? More cigarrettes? NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. The answer is to write articles on the internet for a while.

Try to get through to other insomniacs. Try to get through to other people who cannot sleep either. Try and get through to you. The real you. The real me.
Not the people who can’t sleep. But the people who can.

That other side of life. The calm quiet relaxed side of people who just find life easy without any problems. The kind of poeple who we all really are. We are the sleepers. The people who can sleep. The people who just lie down hit the pillow and just sleep.

We can sleep whenever we want. We are not really insomniacs. We are happy. We are relaxed. We are sleepy. We are the mental wellbeings.

So now its the morning. Everything is sweet. Everything is allright. You have slept well. You have rested. And you can face life again. Like me now for instance. I can face life.

Half way through writing this article I went to sleep. Now it’s the following morning and I have had some of the best sleep I have had in a long time. Seriously. It’s like writing the first half of the article last night drained out all of my energy. So when it was time to sleep it was just like switching out a light.

In fact I slept so well that I think I am going to try and write an article every night from now on. The sleep was so good.

Mentalwellbeing is something we take for granted until we lose it. Did you know that by the year 2020 depression is expected to be the world’s second most common illness? Maybe that would include depression about insomnia. Who knows? But what I do know is that if in any small way I have helped you with getting some sleep then I will be happy to release this article.

I don’t get much for it. But it should keep me at peace with myself. And should mean I can get to sleep at night. So I wonder what I am going to write tonight? Maybe something about my day. Maybe something about mentalwellbeing.

I know that I have been short of sleep for several weeks now and this morning is the most refreshed I have felt for a long time. But I needed to write this article. I needed to publish it. And it worked. I can’t get over this. It’s amazing. Whenever I can’t get to sleep I just write an article on the web. Maybe this is the answer. Well I know it is. It worked. Sleep well.

Have you ever been talking to someone—and know they’re not listening? It’s upsetting, especially if you have something important to say. Even more so if you are paying good money for that person to listen. Here’s the thing, I’ll lay good money that your trainer at the big chain gym—-isn’t listening. Why? Nothing personal. It’s their job.

Speaking from experience here: they aren’t paid to listen to you, to consider you as an individual—because as far as their employer is concerned: you’re not. To the big chain gym you are just a consumer of services and products, that’s it. And as such, they have a formula for your consumption.

It’s simple really. Most chain gyms hire off the exercise floor. You have to fit “the look” though. Beautiful, fit people only. Experience not an issue. Qualifications? Don’t need em’. Look the part and they’ll promise to certify. The certification process is pretty straightforward. Cost: three hundred bucks. Time: two weeks.

When you’re done, you’ll have mastered the fundamentals of being a trainer at the big chain gyms.

Big Chain Fundamentals
One: Sell the company’s supplements.
Two: Use the company’s pre-formulated “dialogue” to sell personal training.
Three: Sell more supplements!
Four: The golden rule is: “Keep em’ moving”

Any questions refer to rules one and four, period. Just remember the company motto: “Fake it till’ you make it”.

Q: How do I get someone with an ACL tear to walk straight again?
A: Keep em’ Moving!
Q: How do I train someone who has recently been injured in a car accident—so they don’t re-injure themselves?
A: Keep em’ moving!
Q: If someone has type 2 diabetes, and they’ve tried everything and they’re knees are still killing them, but they want to stay active—how do I train them?
A: Keep em’ Moving!

I’m not over exaggerating here. These are real conversations, and real bad advice to young inexperienced trainers. And it’s pretty much the norm at the big-chain gyms.
What the big-chain gyms aren’t telling you is exactly what you feared: nobody is listening. It’s just a bunch of cookie cutter regurgitation, designed to sell you on more training and more supplements, even if you don’t need it, even if it might hurt you. ————-

So don’t give up on finding a trainer that’s right for you. In my experience there are three golden rules to what makes a good trainer.
Rule One: they listen and make your goals the priority, Two: the trainer is competent in their craft (for example: if you have an ACL tear, your trainer should know how to train you so you don’t re-injure yourself, in a way that your body is fully supported), Three: That they have experience in achievement, not just in their own life, but more importantly—in helping their clients meet their goals. If the trainer you’re thinking about working with has these three things going for them, and you feel a positive connection—go for it! Just remember: when it comes down to it—you are in control of your health, your trainer is just a guide. So make sure your trainer knows the path that works for you.

[For more information about personal training, or goal setting contact us at: www.survivalseattle.com]

Choosing a good vitamin supplement can be a frustrating ordeal. There are 1000′s of supplements to choose from – some are good, but many are total rip-offs.

Many vitamin companies depend on the average consumer not being very well informed and they’ll take billions of dollars from them this year.

In this article, you’ll learn vital facts 90% of vitamin buyers do not know. Plus – 5 sure-fire ways you can use to judge every new vitamin supplement that comes along. Once you’re armed with the information revealed here, you’ll be “bullet-proof” against vitamin supplement hype.

HOW DOES THE SUPPLEMENT DISSOLVE IN THE STOMACH?

Not too long ago a TV news program showed a couple vitamin supplements found in hospital bed-pans. They were completely whole. You could even see the brand name on one of them. It was one of the most popular drug store vitamin supplements sold in America today. The hospital staff finds these often and call them “bed-pan bullets”.

There are basically 3 types of supplement delivery systems. Liquid, tablets, and capsules.

Liquid, of course, is ready to go but there’s not currently many choices. Liquid supplements are a bit inconvenient and taste like cough syrup. But, they’re perfect for those having trouble swallowing pills – and for youngsters.

Tablets are the most common vitamin supplement. They are formed by mixing in an organic or inorganic cement and compressing into shape. To dissolve properly, an organic cement should be used – but it’s more costly for the company. Also, there are coated tablets, as mentioned above, that look like little candy-coated M&M’s. These are quite common with the one or two per day cheap drug store vitamins.

Capsules are loosely packed gelatin containers that dissolve quickly. My first choice. Because they’re not compressed like tablets, you will usually have to take two of these to equal one tablet.

HOW WELL ARE THE VITAMINS AND MINERALS ABSORBED?

Fact is – studies have shown individual vitamin isolates in supplements are about 10% absorbed. Compare this to vitamins directly from a fresh plant source which are 77% to 93% absorbed. Minerals in a supplement are even worse – 1% to 5%. But, from a plant source like raw broccoli, the minerals are 63% to 78% absorbable.

The reason for this difference is, in nature, each vitamin and mineral molecule is attached to a protein molecule.

Dr. Gunter Blobel, in 1999, received a Nobel Prize for proving this attached protein molecule acted as a “chaperone”. It’s the chaperone that tells the body the vitamin or mineral is food, not just another chemical. He discovered this was the KEY to getting the vitamin or mineral into the blood-stream – and, most importantly, into the cells.

Vitamins in supplements are the very basic isolated form of each vitamin – completely stripped of any proteins. Like a Christmas tree with all the limbs cut off.

That’s why vitamin supplements MUST be taken with meals – unless stated otherwise on the label.

In the digestion process, only about 10% of the vitamin and mineral molecules, with the aid of enzymes, will attach to protein molecules in your food. This allows them to be absorbed and used by the cells. Without these protein chaperones, the body sees the vitamin isolates as foreign chemicals. The body actually will absorb some of these too, but they’re quickly filtered out through the kidneys.

Have you noticed a bright yellow urine soon after taking a vitamin supplement? Excess riboflavin causes the yellow color and it shows the body is getting rid of what it feels are foreign chemicals.

HERE ARE 5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A SUPPLEMENT THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU!

1. Does the supplement provide sufficient quantities of each vitamin? For example – 50mg. to 100mg. of the B vitamins, 500mg. of vitamin C, 1000mg. of calcium. Remember, 100mg. of a B vitamin is needed to provide your body with about 10mg. of actual, useable nutrition. This is usually plenty. Use the 10% rule to know exactly what you’re getting. The one or two per day supplements only start with about 3mg. or less of the B vitamins. 10% of this amount is like taking nothing at all.

2. Look for the USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) or BP (British Pharmacopoeia) designation on the label. This means that the vitamin isolates are the highest quality you can buy, and are the most easily dissolved in the digestion process. Each vitamin that is USP or BP will have those initials next to that vitamin.

3. Look for “chelate” or “chelated” in relation to the minerals. This means the minerals are attached to protein before they are added to the supplement. This increases absorption both in the bloodstream and cells by an amazing 400% to 800%.

4. Look for enzymes in the formulation. These are, among other things, essential for attaching protein molecules to the vitamins in digestion. Cooking food destroys these enzymes.

5. Look for a supplement that has a “food base”. A food base is concentrated plant material to which the vitamins and minerals are added. These will contain the enzymes and nutrients to greatly boost the absorption and utilization of the vitamins and minerals. This makes a GREAT supplement package. But it does make them more bulky. Expect larger tablets, and more quantity needed per day.

All in all, keep in mind that nutritional supplements are not food and do not take the place of real food. They only provide an additional boost to our current food choices.

Most importantly, listen to your body! What’s right for others may not be right for you. You definitely should FEEL a measurable difference in your health and energy within a few days with the right supplement. If you don’t, try a different vitamin supplement.

Fruit and vegetables whether this is fresh, tinned, frozen or dried is of no matter as long as you are aiming to get you 5 a day this is important because you are making sure that you body is getting a good healthy amount of vitamins and minerals.

Eat foods which are high in fibre such as Wholemeal foods – varieties of bread Jacket potatoes, new potatoes and baked potato skins Wholegrain breakfast cereals, e.g. Weetabix, branflakes, muesli (unsweetened) and porridge. Wholemeal pasta and brown rice, Beans, lentils and peas, nuts and seeds, also when baking try using Wholemeal flour just to name a few. This is important because it reduces the chances of women developing gestational diabetes and other health problems.

Foods high in protein such as lean cuts of meat, low fat dairy products, nuts and seeds. Food high in protein makes sure that you have the right level of iron in your diet which is important because studies show that low levels of iron can effect the fertility of both men and women. Low levels of iron in the women’s diet can also increase the risk of postpartum anaemia, as well as other health issues both during and after pregnancy.

Another food which has been scientifically proven to reduce the fertility in both men and women is oysters. This is because oysters are high in Zinc which is what increases the fertility in both men and women. Zinc is important for the chromosomes and genetic build up of your baby, it helps the body make the best use of the reproductive hormones and it partially makes the sperm.

This is just a small brief list of the foods that you should be trying to intake whilst trying to conceive. To find out more about the food that you should be eating when trying to increase your fertility find out more at http://hubpages.com/hub/why-am-I-still-not-pregnant

You and I are facing a critical vitamin and mineral shortage. This health crisis has been growing at an alarming rate since the early 1900′s. Of particular concern are folks on weight loss diets – especially low carb diets.

As a partial result, nutritionally driven chronic diseases have reached epidemic proportions. About 95% of people over 40 will suffer from one or more of these chronic diseases by the time they reach retirement. Diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, vision loss – to name a few. That’s 95 people out of every 100.

For decades the medical community poo-poo’d the nutrition “fanatics” when they mentioned the importance of vitamins and minerals as a basis of our vital health.

Then, a real shocker.

In the June 19, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association they announced: “Suboptimal intake of vitamins should be seen as a risk factor for chronic disease, especially in the elderly.”

This tells us that today our food contains MUCH LESS nutrition and yet our needs for vitamins and minerals are MUCH GREATER than ever before in human history.

You’ll discover, in this article, how this can be possible. And some simple steps you must take to protect yourself and your loved ones.

PLANTS ARE THE SOLE SOURCE OF ALL VITAMINS AND MINERALS FOR EVERY LIVING CREATURE. Even animals that eat nothing but meat – the vitamins came from somewhere down the food-chain – from an animal or fish that eats plants.

PLANTS CREATE BODY-READY VITAMINS AND MINERALS FROM NUTRIENTS IN THE SOIL. The richer the soil, the more vitamins and minerals are packed into the plants. On the other hand, vegetables grown in poor soil will have far lower levels of vitamins and minerals.

AND THE SOILS ARE BECOMING SAND – DEPLETING AT A VERY RAPID RATE. Commercial farming really started to expand as the ability to transport the produce to new markets increased – trains, then trucks. This was a boon for consumers. Now they didn’t have to grow their own vegetables. And they could enjoy produce that was either out-of-season or wasn’t able to grow in their area.

As commercial growers keep using the same fields year after year, the soils keep losing their rich nutrients. And, as soils deplete, so does the vitamin and mineral content of the vegetables grown in that soil.

Chemical companies have come to their aid by providing chemicals that will force the plants to grow in poor soil.

A couple problems with this.

The vegetables look great but contain far less vitamins and minerals they once did. They also absorb some of these chemicals. Now our body needs even more vitamins to deactivate these toxins.

The vegetables we consume today give us far less nutrients than 100 years ago – yet create the need for more. A double whammy.

Genetic engineers have created vegetables that are more disease resistant, that grow faster, are more visually attractive, and are easier to harvest. For example: a new tomato was developed for growers primarily to take a 5-mile-per-hour impact from the faster picking machines. Tough skin tomatoes – you’ve probably had some. Nothing is being done to increase the nutrient levels of the plants – or to enrich the soil.

Some vegetables and most fruits you buy in the store are picked before they’re ripe, and often chemically treated so they ripen on the way to the grocer’s shelf. This gives the produce a lot longer shelf life – less waste. As you probably know, produce picked at it’s ripe peak contain maximum nutrients – but spoil quickly. Vine ripened, fresh produce can be quite unprofitable for the grower and grocer.

On top of all this, consider the higher levels of air and water pollution, lower oxygen levels in the air we breath, and our fast paced, fast food societies of today. You can easily see that our wonderfully created bodies are being taxed to the max – and need more protection than ever before.

WHAT DO WE DO TODAY?

1. Make fresh, whole fruits, vegetables, and grains a larger part of your daily diet. These are the absolute best quality vitamins and minerals you can buy. Eat them raw, uncooked as much as possible. If necessary, cook slowly at low heat to keep the nutrients at the highest possible levels. Simply put – the less processing the better. Most people do not eat even the minimum recommended amounts, yet we all need much more than that today.

2. Look for organically grown produce at your grocery store or health food store. Generally this produce will contain the much higher levels of nutrients – as they did a century ago – without the chemicals. They cost more but you get a LOT MORE nutrients and much more succulent flavor than commercially grown produce.

3. Grow some of your own produce – in a yard garden, patio pots, or inside the home in window pots. It’s fun, very easy, decorative, puts oxygen in the air and the taste and nutrition is just tons better than store-bought.

4. No matter how perfect our diet, we ALL need to invest in a GOOD vitamin supplement today. Even nutrition experts, who eat an “ideal” diet, take vitamin supplements. A good vitamin will require you to take 3 large tablets or six medium size tablets or capsules per day minimum. Anything less is a waste of money.

You’ll find good quality vitamin supplements at most reputable vitamin or health food stores. Best bet – buy online for the best price and selection of high quality vitamin supplements.

Financially speaking, this is a critical part of our retirement program. If we don’t have good health at retirement, nothing else will matter. Vitamin supplements are, by far, the cheapest health insurance and wisest retirement plan we can invest in.

Eating healthy will help you feel great and have lots of energy so you can enjoy life more and have a strong immune system. Many people often tend to doubt and question the importance of eating healthy because they seemed to be ok with eating unhealthy their whole lives. But eating healthy is always great for your body especially when it comes to the prevention of heart disease by maintaining good heart health. If you are serious about eating healthy, then you need to become more educated about the foods you eat and the nutrients they contain.
When it comes to eating healthy, many people tend to make poor decisions such as having some ice cream and a slice of piece on an occasion. But these bad habits tend to add up those calories while also leading to not so good health. There are ways to keep watch over what we actually put into our mouths, and with some hard work, your job of eating healthy can become much easier. Eating healthy in your home will eventually rub off on those loved ones who may be harder to convince.
Healthy eating is an opportunity to try many new and wonderful foods or different vegetables, fruits, and other grains that you would not normally eat. Research has shown that following a healthy eating plan can do two things: lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing it. Having a well balanced diet will help your kids grow up strong and healthy too. Children that sit down with their families for meals are also more likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains with less likelihood of snacking on unhealthy foods.
The most obvious health threat of eating too much fast food is excessive weight gain. Eating healthy does not have to mean that you can’t enjoy the food you love and simply having to eat foods that are unappealing. Eating healthy does mean to stay away from such foods as candy, cookies, pastries, and cakes. Results of many studies have shown that by eating fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy will help to reduce elevated blood pressure.
Making healthy meals is easy and can be done by using more raw foods such as salads, vegetable juices, choosing sandwiches with whole grain bread, and using low-fat products. You can easily reduce the amount of fat you eat by choosing fewer high-fat foods while cooking with less fat. Make that health choice today and your body and family will thank you for it!

The world is advancing at a growing rate today and every entity connected with the world is making wholesome progress. The rate of progress has picked up over the last few decades and this progress shows no sign of stopping. People all over the world have changed and become something different. The lifestyle of people across the globe has changed and lifestyles are becoming more and more health and fitness oriented. With lifestyle changes there are also changes in the way people think.

 People are more concerned by the way they look and external appearance has assumed a lot of importance in today’s world. People have also taken highly to the concept of working out and exercising regularly to remain fit and trim. The world is placing a lot of emphasis on the physical appearance and that’s the reason why people these days strive to look good and feel better.

 Importance of right nutrition

 As the world makes progress the rate of pollution goes up and people become more and more susceptible to diseases. There are a lot of diseases doing the rounds today and most of them are caused due to pollution and also due to the weak nervous systems of people. One of the reasons for the weakened nervous system is the decreasing quality of nutrition today. Nutrition levels are going down by the day and this is one of the principle reasons for the rise in diseases.

 The right nutrition can take a person to the pinnacle of good health but at the same time a poor nutritional plan can leave a person right at the doorstep of a disease. The right nutrition is surely one of the best ways of remaining healthy but at times the body needs something more and this is the time when something like a mineral or a vitamin supplement comes in handy.

 What a supplement is and mineral supplements

 A supplement is something which is extra and something which is not provided in an individual’s primary diet and this supplement can be anything from a supplement of sugar to a mineral supplement. A mineral supplement can be basically defined as an entity which is necessary as a chemical for a human body.

A mineral supplement can be of different types and one of the most common mineral supplements is iodine which is ingested into the human body through common salt. For the optimum functioning of a body a required mineral is necessary and this is the reason why minerals should be consumed by every individual looking to maintain his health.

 Types of mineral supplements

 Some of the most essential mineral supplements are calcium which is very useful for bone growth and reinforcing muscle and bone growth and is easily found in dairy products and green leafy vegetables. Another important supplement is chloride which is very useful for production of various acids and is also found in common salt.  One other mineral supplement which is quite useful is iron. Iron facilitates the production of hemoglobin and is found in a lot of foodstuffs. One important mineral supplement is Zinc and this mineral is used for the production of enzymes.

How many of you ever have thought about this: What do I do for my health? –Why, I’m not sick. Do I have

to do anything? Can I do anything about my health?

Maybe these questions are not related to you, but you will be surprised how many people never care

about this.

Most people start thinking about their health when it’s almost gone. The problem is that we’ve been

brainwashed from our childhood that only thing we can do is treat what ever disease we have. So eat

well (meaning, tasty food), drink (what ever you want), and be merry while you still have your health.

Because after you loose it, all these things won’t be available for you. So many young people are

living by these rules. Thinking I have to seize the moment, before I get sick.

And this attitude, this philosophy is responsible for many diseases and early deaths.

Most people don’t realize that there are preventive methods which won’t be a hindrance for good food or

a happy fulfilling life. In fact, really good, tasty food is usually unprocessed real food, as apposed

to junk food. But preventive issues are not in the food itself, but in what is missing in most food we

consume today.

So, what we can do to prevent many diseases and illnesses, and prolong our life expectancy is beyond

what our parents had? It’s all comes down to our diet. I use this word loosely. By diet I mean

nutrition supplements we all need. We can eat almost anything if our food contains minerals and

vitamins in optimal amounts. But the truth is our food today is deficient in almost all of the required

minerals and vitamins. With today’s methods of growing vegetables and grains and other agriculture

products we are not getting all necessary nutrients we’re supposed to get. And that’s why we have so

many diseases.

Almost all major diseases we have in today’s society could be traced to deficiency of minerals and

vitamins. And if we would only take them daily most of diseases would disappear. And this is not what

your doctor wants you to know. You see, he is benefiting from your sickness. He wants to see you in his

office often. And drug companies, like drug dealers, want you to be hooked on those drugs, because this

is how they get their profits. But you don’t have to be sick, and you don’t have to contribute to their

wealth.

Just take the necessary nutrients and you’ll have a long, healthy and happy life.

Many people think that good supplements cost a lot of money and don’t consider taking them. But think

about this as a cheap health insurance. It is wise to invest in your health about buck a day, because

if you won’t, you will invest in lives of doctors and drug companies. So, my advice is find good

supplements. Take them religiously every day.

And enjoy a good, healthy, long life with out aches and pains.

It’s true that we are what we eat and more important, what we absorb. A person who fills up on junk food each day is probably going to age faster and get sick more often than the person who eats a balanced diet and exercises daily.
Importance of Protein in Our Diets
Protein is not just important for building up mass and muscle. A lack of protein can cause obesity and other health problems. A diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates and sugar will leave you feeling full for a longer amount of time and actually aid in losing weight.
A lack of protein in your diet causes the white bands across the nails. For shiny, healthy hair you need to consume a diet high in nutrients, mainly protein, beta-carotene, and iodine.
Fruits
New studies suggest once again that citric fruits including oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits help fight cancer, high cholesterol, and obesity. Studies both at Texas A&M and University of Kanasawa Medical University in Japan show that compounds in citric fruits can help reduce the risk of colon cancer.
One of the best ways to ensure good health is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Once you get in the habit, it is easy to add more of these items to your daily diet. It is also a great way to lose weight.
Vegetables
Eating your daily requirement of vegetables will help a lot in fighting off illness and disease. Juicing the vegetables is even better since it allows your body to absorb more of the nutrients.
How Nutrition Benefits Our Immune System
Eating well gives us energy and bolsters our immune system. Our immune system is weakened as our cells age. How do you aid your cells in staying healthy? Eat right, keep a healthy weight, and exercise daily. Keeping a positive attitude is important, too.
Supplements
Sometimes supplements are necessary. Even the person who eats nine or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day probably needs supplements. After years of growing our food, the soil is so depleted of nutrients that the fruits and vegetables grown on it fall far short of containing all the vitamins and all the minerals we need each day.
Balance is the Key to Good Health
It is important for everyone to eat a variety of healthy foods, balance the food they eat with regular physical activity, and choose a diet with the right nutrients. If you have health challenges, are over- weight, chances are you are not in balance at all.
Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you eat has to provide your body with the nourishment to properly balance your body’s chemistry. Eating healthy enables your cells to stay strong, improving your overall health.
Eating healthy, combined with plenty of water and some exercise, is the key to long live and a strong immune system. There’s no way around it: If you want a healthy body you have to feed it right?

Most of us are aware that taking a vitamin supplement could be good for our health. But if you’ve ever checked out the supplement counter at your local health shop, you might think it’s all just too hard to figure out. There’s a huge range of choices, and it’s hard to fight that little voice you’ve heard that says if you eat three balanced meals a day, you’re already getting all the vitamins and minerals you require. The problem is, most of us don’t eat a healthy diet. We spend long hours at work, have family commitments, other things we have to do, maybe throw in some time for fun – and it seems like planning and preparing a healthy meal just doesn’t happen.
The truth is, a good nutritional intake is always a better option than taking supplements. Fresh foods are full of vitamins and minerals, and they’re easily absorbed into the body. Eating plenty of calcium, proteins, fats, fiber, and carbohydrates, sourced from a variety of healthy foods, is definitely the best option. But as most of us already know we’re falling short in that department, or perhaps we specifically want to address a health concern, taking vitamin supplements can be a good choice to make.
Many foods are enhanced with extra vitamins and minerals today. The packaging of breads, pastas and cereals generally contains nutritional information, including the recommended daily allowance of the various vitamins and minerals contained in the food, and what percentage of that is contained in a standard serving. As an example, let’s take calcium. Women in particular need to make sure they get their recommended daily allowance of calcium, partially for good health now, but also to avoid osteoporosis in later life. It’s recommended women consume between 1200-1500mcg of calcium each day. This should come from a variety of sources, including cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream (yum!) and if required, supplements. Most supplements only contain around 30-50% of the daily calcium requirement, so you do still need to source it from other foods.
Another interesting example is Vitamin D. When you’re out in the sun, you absorb Vitamin D though your skin. That’s pretty simple, but the problem is that most of us don’t spend enough time outdoors every day. It can be difficult if you live a long way north, where days can be very short, or in a hot climate where damage from the sun’s rays is a major concern. That’s when a Vitamin D supplement can be beneficial.
It’s not as simple as just grabbing a bunch of supplements off the shelf and hoping that will do the trick. You need to understand what vitamins and minerals your body needs, and determine whether or not you’re likely to be getting sufficient amounts from your current diet. Read up on what effect certain vitamin deficiencies can have on your health, and methods for identifying a possible deficiency. Lots of information is available on the Internet, but it’s also good to visit your local health shop, or consult a nutritionist or naturopath. Take the time to improve your intake of vitamins and minerals, and you’ll be glad you did.