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Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

Whether you’re trying to have a baby, already pregnant, going through menopause or worried about osteoporosis, it’s worthwhile for you as a woman to consider the importance taking a multivitamin to create and maintain optimal health. But why would you want to take a supplement if you can get all your nutrients from your diet? Nutritionists say it is possible–and preferred–to get all your nutrients from the food you consume. And in a perfect world, this would be true for everybody.

But it’s not a perfect world. Today’s world finds people in fast-paced, hectic and stressed lifestyles. It has become harder for people to eat healthy, nutritionally balanced meals, and even more so to get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly every day.

This is especially true for women, who are often trying to juggle family, career, homeschooling, education, other relationships, housework and more. In order to achieve good health and to prevent stress, fatigue, infections and disease, women need to ensure they are getting all the nutrients they require. Yet for most women in most societies, a diet alone just won’t cut it. This is why taking a multivitamin or a combination of the most important vitamins and minerals is so beneficial for most women.

A multivitamin will ensure you’re getting all the recommended daily dosages of vitamins and minerals that are missing from your diet. While a general multivitamin is fine, you can actually find multivitamins specifically tailored to women’s needs at different stages in their life, such as pregnancy and the postmenopausal stage.

One particular time for all women to take a multivitamin is right before and during pregnancy. Even if you are confident in your healthy eating habits, it’s still recommended to take prenatal vitamins, as your body requires even more nutrients to grow a healthy baby–specifically folic acid. Folic acid, or folate, is required not only for healthy tissue growth and red cell formation, but also to prevent birth defects, especially in early pregnancy. Many women today don’t get enough folic acid from their diet, and taking a multivitamin with enough folic acid (400 micrograms) is recommended by most doctors.

Another important mineral for women is calcium. Calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth and to prevent osteoporosis later on in life, a condition that affects many postmenopausal women. Many women report not having enough dairy on a regular basis because of either allergies (lactose intolerance) or dietary restrictions. While calcium can be found in other foods such as salmon, green leafy vegetables and soy, it’s still difficult to get enough through food alone, which is why a multivitamin containing calcium is so beneficial.

Other important vitamins and minerals for all women include vitamin K, for blood clotting; vitamin C, for tissue growth and repair as well as adrenal function; and iron, for healthy cells and muscles. Another recommendation is the vitamin B complex, which is great for regulating certain bodily functions as well as reducing stress.

While you can certainly take all of these vitamins and minerals on their own, it’s much more convenient for women to take a multivitamin containing all the necessary nutrients in one little package. Make sure you do your research when considering a multivitamin, as not all are created equal. Quality varies, for one thing, as does the amounts of each vitamin and mineral. Further, make sure you select a multivitamin that is best suited to your needs and stage in life. Once you do, you are on your way to a healthier and stronger you.

Finding the best multivitamin is no easy task, but it is well worth your time, believe me on that. In this article I will cover 3 health benefits that have been proven by years of scientific research and clinical studies. In order to find the best multivitamin, you should look for only natural vitamins that are high quality and blended in the proper manner to work in synergy. This will enhance the health benefits even more and be safer for your body.

Many products today only use vitamins and minerals in their products, which is not as effective as using the more effective nutrients and substances, such as herbs, antioxidants, flavonoids and specialty nutrients. There are a lot of products out there, so it really pays to do your research and learn what works and what doesn’t. That said, here are the three health benefits.

1. Energy levels are often significantly increased when you take the best multivitamin. This is usually what people notice first when they start taking a high quality supplement. An increase in energy, was in fact, the first thing I noticed when I started using a natural multivitamin on a daily basis.

2. Sleep is affected by a lot of things, but if your brain does not have the nutrients it needs, you may suffer from insomnia, depression, anxiety and even worry. Some of the best nutrients for sleep are amino acids, 5-HTP and SAMe.

3. Performance can be significantly enhanced, which is one of the reasons why the best athletes use high quality supplements to give their body the nutrients that it requires to function at peak levels.

In order for the body to function appropriately, it is important for it to receive the right amount of vitamins and nutrients. It has been discovered that there are approximately thirteen vitamins that are considered to be “essential” when it comes to the proper functioning of the systems in the body. Without these essential nutrients, your body will suffer in one way or another. Vitamin and nutrient deficiencies account for a good majority of health problems that may people experience. In this article, I am going to share with you how a whole food multivitamin can benefit you. If you are looking to optimize your health, the information listed here can prove to be quite helpful.

When choosing an effective whole food multivitamin, it is essential to ensure that you are selecting products that are not cheaply made and contain synthetic materials. If you do purchase this kind of multivitamin, you will not reap much, if any health benefits. Basically, you are wasting your money by purchasing this type of whole food multivitamin. In addition to this, the body will work more diligently to identify the right amount of the vitamins that you are consuming when you take those that are created cheap and synthetically. When this occurs, you may suffer from uncomfortable side effects. These side effects may include:

o Individuals may suffer from toxicity

o Minerals in the body can become depleted and the bones and muscles may become weak

o Nausea and vomiting may occur

o Headaches

o Dizziness

o Gastrointestinal Problems

If you select the right whole food multivitamin, not only can you avoid these symptoms but you can also enjoy a higher level of health. Whole food vitamins have been found to be accountable for the following:

o Higher levels of energy

o Healthier skin, hair, and teeth

o Stronger Bones

o Stronger Muscles

o Healthier heart

o Improved memory and concentration levels

o The immune system is strengthened and more effective in general

o The enzymes that are responsible for various functions in the body, such as digestion, are increased and healthy

o The metabolism in the body is maximized to ensure that glucose levels are appropriate and cells are produced as appropriate.

o Items that are considered to be toxic or foreign to the body that results in various injuries and sicknesses are drastically reduced.

o The effectiveness and the health of the respiratory system is increased

o There are numerous other benefits as well!

In my search for a whole food multivitamin, I ran across many different products – and even tried a few of these. Most of them failed to yield the results that I expected. However, there was one product that I was especially happy with. This is Dr. Mercola’s Whole Food Multivitamin. Not only are all the essential vitamins in this product, but there are none in them that are considered synthetic. Once I took this multivitamin for about two weeks, I noticed an increase in my energy levels. I feel better, and I am able to do more with each day that passes. I am very impressed! If you are looking to optimize your health, you too, should consider a whole food multivitamin.

By now you have probably heard about the benefits of taking a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement. If not, the basic reasoning is that a multi will prevent and treat any nutrient deficiencies you may have. These deficiencies are a result of a less than optimal diet as well as some factors outside of our control (lower mineral levels in soil, higher stress levels of modern life, etc.).

While I wholeheartedly agree with the premise behind recommending a multi-vitamin/mineral as one of the top muscle building supplements, I believe that simply recommending that you take a multi isn’t enough.

This is because the recommendation of a daily multi simply leads most people to go the drug store and pick-up the cheapest brand they can find. You may be thinking, “Aren’t all multi-vitamins the same since most contain about 100% of the daily value of most nutrients?”

Unfortunately this is not the case. We have all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” Unfortunately this isn’t the truth with multi-vitamins. A more fitting saying for multi-vitamins is, “You are what you absorb.”

You see, there are three reasons why cheap, drug-store multis are inferior to higher-quality multi-vitamins, and all of them have to do with absorption of nutrients:

1. Compression The typical drug store vitamins are usually made so that you only have to take one pill per day. To fit all of the nutrients into one pill there is some serious and heating and compression that takes place during the manufacturing process. This not only damages some of the fragile vitamins and minerals, but it also creates a pill that is so hard and dense that your body can’t break it down and absorb it.

2. Mineral Forms If you look at the label of a multi-vitamin you will see various nutrients listed. For example, if you look at magnesium you will see that next to the word “magnesium” there are the specific forms of magnesium listed in parentheses. The problem is that not all forms of minerals are absorbed the same. In fact, the commonly used oxide form has the lowest absorption rate! Remember, it doesn’t matter if you are taking 100% of the recommended daily value if you’re only absorbing a fraction of that!

3. Vitamin Overload This is another problem with those one pill multis. Sure, they have 100% of the daily value of some nutrients, but you are getting all of these nutrients at one time! Remember that this is the DAILY value. This means that it should be taken throughout the day, not in one big dose. These big once-a-day mega-doses are ineffective for absorption and keeping nutrient levels high throughout the day.

The Solution

There are many good brands of multi-vitamins available. However, you are not likely to find them in the drug store. Instead, check with your medical practitioner. There are brands which sell their products only through medical professionals and these tend to be of a higher quality. If you can’t obtain one of these brands, simply look for a multi-vitamin that requires you take more than 1 pill per day (usually 4-8 is the norm). This is a good sign that the vitamin is of higher quality.

Most of all, you should feel a big difference within the first week of taking a high-quality multi-vitamin. If you don’t notice an increase in energy and well-being then you made need to switch.

If you take these steps then you will see why multi-vitamins/minerals are one of the top muscle building supplements.

For specific recommendations of which brands to use please refer to the No B.S. Supplement Guide from Athletic Muscle Building.

Herbs for cancer exist and they are powerful when used in the right way. Now, I am not saying that these can cure cancer or anything like that, but they have been proven to dramatically reduce the risk of cancer in scientific studies.

Herbs for cancer are showing tremendous benefits for the human body. Many herbal extracts used in multivitamins today have a powerful ability to improve your body’s immune system and ability to prevent disease and eliminate sickness.

With all that said, let’s look at a few cancer herbs that you might want to look for if you’re on the hunt for a good multivitamin.

Turmeric is also sometimes refered to as curcumin, because it is the therapeutic compound found in turmeric. It has been shown to fight off cancer and tumorous growths effectively. Turmeric has also proven to boost your immune system which can protect your from diseases.

Green Tea is a powerful plant. The best multivitamins use high-quality green tea extract because of a chemical it contains called ECGC. This simple chemical has the ability to neutralize free radicals and inhibit cell replication, which is the main feature of cancer. By stopping free radicals, it is also a powerful anti-aging substance.

Red Clover is derived from the flowers of a three-three leafed herb. It has been proven to stop tumors and free radicals. It contains tocopherol, which is one of the biggest reasons why it is such a powerful anti-oxidant and free radical destroyer.

You could buy all of these herbs separately, but that would most likely end up costing you quite a lot of money. There are also many multivitamins that use these three herbs and more blended together with other beneficial nutrients.

Buying a natural multivitamin like this is usually the most cost-effective alternative. I personally use a multivitamin with herbal extracts and the health benefits I have noticed have been very impressive.

I Love Natural Health

I’m a huge fan of natural health and am always looking for things that can improve my health naturally and without side-effects. I don’t like conventional drugs, although I do think they have their place, but very rarely.

Even mainstream science is now urging people to look at using a multi-vitamin on a daily basis, because our food supply has been depleted out of nutrition, so many of our bodies are deficient. This can be extremely dangerous.

How I Found the Best Multi-vitamin Brand

I actually used one multi-vitamin brand for years before I found what was right for me. There’s nothing wrong with using a product that you’re comfortable with.

I stumbled on the vitamin supplement I use now completely by accident, and I am glad I did. The things that differentiate this better multi-vitamin brand from my old one is that the ingredients are properly formulated and give more health benefits to your body.

It may sound strange, but when I started taking this multi-vitamin brand, I immediately noticed the difference in my sleep, energy and happiness. Even my mother started using it and is now recommending it to her friends.

The Characteristics of the Best Multi-vitamin

When you’re looking for the best vitamin supplement, look for completely natural ingredients, such as:

o Vitamins
o Minerals
o Antioxidants
o Anti-glycation agents
o Standardized herbal extracts
o Specialty nutrients

The list goes on and on, but the basics (vitamins and minerals) combined with the more advanced nutrients is what will make the difference in your health and happiness, it certainly did for me.

Finding the best multi-vitamin brand can sometimes happen through sheer luck, like it did for me, but I also had to do some research, because it wasn’t immediately apparent that I wanted to buy the product.

You can start taking control of your health by using a multivitamin. Prevent disease and become happier. Find a natural multi-vitamin online, where you can compare and research easily!