Do you Need Supplements?

A common question I am being asked these days is "do I need supplements?"  I figured it was time to put it a small overview of those demographics that really should be taking vitamin/mineral supplements, to ease the decision. 

Most of society today require supplementation unless you are perfectly healthy and consuming a complete organic foods diet.  Non organic foods come to us today genetically modified, sprayed with pesticides and most are subject to radiation.  Those foods are void of many of the vitamins and minerals that their organic counterparts have.  The sad part is, calorie for calorie, they are no different.  As a result, you can eat in a lifestyle that you believe to be healthy but still be undernourished :(  Sad isn't it?

As much as I would love to say the answer is eating only organic foods, I understand that this is not an affordable suggestion for everyone.  As a result, most people today require good vitamin and mineral supplements.

In addition, if you fall into one of these categories, it is crucial that you take supplements, regardless of the foods you eat.

• Do you consume a diet of mostly fried, processed, refined and take-out foods?
• Do you diet or avoid certain foods and food groups?
• Do you have many allergies to food that limit your eating options?
• Are you frequently under emotional, psychological or environmental stress?
• Are you an elderly individual?
• Are you a smoker or drinker?
• Are you recovering from an injury or illness?

So now you know you need supplements, and you are going to head off to the store to grab a bottle.  You are going to look at the shelf and see brand after brand labelled multi-mineral/ multi-vitamin.  But which one is the right one for you.  The best thing to do is speak with a Holistic Nutritionist, or ask someone at your local healthfood store for a recommended brand.  If you would like, shoot me off an email (deanne@coachdeanne.ca) for a free multi vitamin consult.  In the meantime, here are some ideas for the best practices for Vitamin Supplementation:

     

    * Choose whole foods products over synthetic substances

    * Choose easy to absorb supplements

    * Take vitamins with food   

    * In order to digest fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K) you need to take them with a fat

       * Review your supplementation program frequently

There is a huge cost difference of brands on the market, but remember, You can Pay for your Health now, or you can pay for it later!  It's your choice!!!


All the best in Health,

Deanne