In today’s environment, our food is void of the essential nutrients we need to help our bodies thrive. They are either loaded down with chemicals or the nutritional properties have been destroyed or altered during the heating process, especially if the heating source is a microwave. We are eating to feel satiated, but our cells are being robbed of nutrition.

What is a good solution?

I am a firm believer that we need to supplement our diet with vitamins,  minerals, and sometimes herbs. I know, most of you are probably saying which supplement is right for me, there are too many to choose from?  It’s true our market is saturated with supplements claiming to meet our needs. Contrary to popular belief, all supplements are not the same.

Many supplements are filled with synthetic materials and fillers that are not easily absorbed by our bodies, therefore defeating the purpose of taking the product. Low quality supplements use poor sources to extract the vitamin or mineral which could end up doing more harm than good. If you’re going to go through the regimen of taking something daily to improve or maintain your health, doesn’t it make more sense to take something of value? After all, it is an investment into one of life’s most important assets: health.

Which Supplements should I take?

That would of course depend on your situation. Start off with some basic vitamins and of course if you have other ailments or conditions that require more attention, a qualified health professional can assist you with making the appropriate selections. Generally speaking, we should all be supplementing with at least two products.

1.  A multi-vitamin- preferably from a whole food source or powder form will help ensure we get the required daily dosage of each essential vitamin and mineral.  A multi-vitamin that comes from a whole food source means the vitamins and minerals were extracted from an actual food source like: spinach, carrots, blueberries, kelp, etc,. Also, taking the vitamin in powder form helps to ensure our bodies are able to recognize and absorb the maximum amount of nutrients.
2. The second supplement we should take daily is a quality source of Omega 3’s.  This is extremely important to our well-being because our bodies do not make this on its own.  It is essential to brain, heart, and joint health, as well as a host of other benefits. It is important that a fish oil supplement come from cold water, such as Norway or Alaska because warmer bodies of water generally have higher levels of mercury which could be dangerous. Omega 3’s can also be consumed from plant based sources such as flax seed.

Which Brand to choose?

1. Purchase your supplements from a health food, vitamin, or reputable online store. Most big name retailers or grocery stores do not specialize in this area, therefore the type of products they carry are not carefully selected with the health conscious individual in mind. You will likely find the lowest quality supplements from this channel.
2. Another important rule of thumb is to consult with a nutritionist or health and wellness professional. A skilled professional will understand what key words to look for on the back label that are red flags indicative of poor quality products. They will also know which company’s are reputable and will know what to look for when researching a company.

These are just a few tips regarding supplementation.  If you want to improve your health or want more specifics regarding supplements and nutrition, don’t hesitate to reach out to me and sign up for a free 30- minute wellness consultation. Just visit the services link on my website and sign-up today.

Until next time, Be healthy, Be whole, Be you!

Kay Davis