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Vitamins, Health & Nutrition
The Best Source for Vitamins
While it is true that a multi-vitamin supplement taken daily can augment a healthy lifestyle, the best source for good nutrition and vitamins comes from the food that you eat. For years physicians have been recommending the following suggestions for good health:
1. Exercise – In addition to a proper diet, a healthy lifestyle includes exercise to help keep your body in balance with the food that you eat. Exercise helps keep the mind sharp, the heart strong and the body toned. A multi-vitamin supplement is also a good way to insure that you receive all of the nutrients necessary to maintain good health.
2. Food – Leafy vegetables, fruit, whole grains and nuts are a good start. Eating a diet high in fiber and low in bad fats is combination with an exercise program is highly recommended. If this sounds boring or unpalatable, throw in a healthy treat like low-fat ice cream or yogurt with fruit and nuts each day to help keep your snack cravings at bay.
3. Meat and Potatoes – Grandpa may have grown up on meat and potatoes, but health experts now know that too much red meat and refined grains are unhealthy. Limit these to a once or twice a week instead of making these foods a daily habit. If you want more meat mix it up a little by eating fish, chicken or other types of poultry.
4. Sugar – There is sugar in condiments, breakfast cereals, yogurt, soups, crackers and an untold number of other foods. In general refined sugar equals calories devoid of nutritional value. Physicians recommend limiting sugar intake for a number of reasons ranging from diabetes to tooth decay.
5. Vitamins – The multi-vitamin is a good way to supplement your dietary needs should you fall short on the recommended foods listed above. Choosing a multi-vitamin / multi-mineral supplement provides an individual with the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of most vitamins and minerals. For specific RDA amounts read the label of the vitamin bottle prior to purchasing.
Super Supplements
In general super supplements are a controversial subject and the studies that have been conducted on their effectiveness have shown mixed results. Be cautious if you are considering purchasing any type of super supplement, especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition. . One recommendation from the Harvard School of Public Health says to avoid the “Mega” vitamin formulas as the standard multi–vitamin is generally sufficient as a supplement
Some Super Supplements contain above average doses of caffeine and other stimulants that could raise your blood pressure or cause a number of undesired physical or mental side-effects. If you are sold on a Super Supplement, read the ingredients and check with your physician prior to ingesting. Remember there is no substitute for a healthy diet and exercise.
The Unhealthy and Healthy Fats
Experts now know that it is not necessarily the amount of fat you eat, but the type of fat that you eat. The bad fats, also known as saturated or trans-fats can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease and a number of other diseases. These types of fats are found in butter, fried foods and cooking oils such as vegetable shortening and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.
The unhealthy fats listed above can be replaced by healthy fats. Restaurants are moving to eliminate trans-fats from the menu to provide healthier fare for their customers. If you’re cooking at home use plant based cooking oils such as olive, corn or canola oil as they contain unsaturated fats and are considered heart healthy. You can also replace the sticks of butter in your kitchen with margarine that does not have any trans-fat if you check the nutritional information on the product prior to purchasing it.
The 3 Healthy Fats
Unsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated Fats
Foods with Healthy Fats
Nuts - Walnuts
Fish – Salmon and Mackerel
Olives
Avocados
Flax-Seeds
Oils with Healthy Fats
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
Peanut Oil
Corn Oil
Soy Based
While you don't need to eliminate all saturated and trans-fats from your diet replacing a large percentage of your unhealthy fats with the healthy fats listed above is highly recommended by health professionals.
The information provided on this website is not intended to be an alternative to medical advice from a professional physician, but rather supplementary information regarding dietary supplements and general nutrition. If you have a medical condition or symptoms of a medical condition please consult with a health professional prior to consuming any type of dietary supplement.
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