Do I Need a Dietary Supplement

Do you need to take a nutritional or dietary supplement?
It depends on your dietary choices, as well as, your current level of health, fitness and level of stress you are under.

As great as our medical system is, our nation struggles with chronic, degenerative health issues such as….arthritis, diabetes, fatigue, high blood pressure, irritable bowel, insomnia, depression, osteoporosis, hormonal and chemical imbalances, etcetera. These are all health conditions that can be vastly improved with better dietary choices and a good supplement plan.

I Get All the Vitamins In My Diet?
Dietary supplements are basically designed to support and assist your nutritional needs when your dietary choices aren’t as good as they could. The medical stance is that you don’t need supplements and your diet should supply all the nutrients you need, which I kind of agree with.

But wait! The medical recommendation is that you should get 6-8 servings of fruits and veggies a day. Are You? If NOT, you probably need to either change your diet or start adding some dietary supplements, based upon how good or bad your diet is and your lifestyle choices.

Think about it – if your dietary choice are mostly packaged, processed, fast or junk food, made with processed white flour and white sugar, as well as consuming your fair share of sugary drinks and juices – do you think you are getting all the nutritional support your body should be getting? I don’t think so! Let’s also remember that about two-third of our population is overweight or obese due to poor dietary choices. Therefore, the need for supplementation could be a good way of hedging your bet and protecting your health.

What Supplements Should I Take?
If your aren’t eating 6-8 servings of fruits and veggies a day, you could be deficient of various nutrients, which could hinder your immune, cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive system and keep them running at peak efficiency. If that’s the case, supplementing with a good green drink or multivitamin would be highly recommended.

If you’re not getting enough fiber in your diet due to all the processed white flour and white sugar, and you’re not moving your bowels at least once a day, I would recommend a good fiber supplement. Constipation is a huge problem for so many people and contributes to internal pollution from within.

Essential Fatty Acids, your omega-3s are called ‘essential’ because you only get them from your diet. If you’re eating too many saturated fats and not enough omega-3s, supplementing with a good omega-3 fatty acid could be very helpful.

Some supplements help with deficiencies and depletion, while others like digestive enzymes, fiber and probiotics are more helpful for function.

When you eat on the go, in a hurry, in the car and don’t allow your digestive system to literally turn on and produce the necessary digestive juices (enzymes and hydrochloric acid) needed to breakdown your food – supplement with a digestive enzyme so it can do the job you’re not letting your body do. Just because you ate it doesn’t mean your body absorbed. By using digestive enzymes when you don’t have time to Sit, Eat and Relax – you reduce bloating, gas and other digestive problems and improve your body’s ability to absorb and utilize those nutrients..

What about Exercise and STRESS?
Exercise is another form of stress and if you’re physically tearing down your body with all the pounding and inflammation that comes from a good hard workout, you probably need to supplement your diet to replenish whatever nutrients you depleted from your body.

Electrolytes are great and we all know they need to be replenished, but what about the other nutrients that are depleted from a good hard workout? Another reason why supplementing is probably a must for anyone who exercises.

If we’re talking about exercise we also have to talk about STRESS, because stress depletes your body of various nutrients. If you’re under chronic stress, exercise, work, have kids, a spouse, a mortgage and the list goes on – stress could be depleting many of the nutrients your body needs to function properly, so supplement to stay ahead of any potential deficiency.

Food for Thought
Think of your health like as a game of plusses and minuses. A good diet consisting of 6-8 servings of fruits and veggies, with enough essential fatty acids (omega-3) and good quality protein is probably all you need. But, if that’s Not your diet I would think about adding a few supplements. And if you are under constant stress, exercise on a regular basis you more than likely need a few things to help deal with all the depletion you are developing.

FYI…Look to Your Tummy First, good health begins with good digestive function. How do you expect to nourish and strengthen your body, if you always struggle with irritation and inflammation in your tummy. Just because you are it doesn’t mean you absorbed it? If you fix that part of your body first, you will be amazed as to what else gets better.