Supplements

We’ve been discussing healthy mornings this week. We talked about what to eat and what to drink. One of the other things people do in the mornings is take supplements of various sorts. There a wide variety of supplements such as vitamins, calcium, protein and others. There’s also a lot of confusion about who should take what and the benefits of each type. So I’m going to try and clear some of that up using my own experience and research.

First, a little disclaimer. If you’re on some medically prescribed supplement regime, you should talk to your doctor before making any changes. There are many reasons why your doctor has you adding something to your diet and they’re usually good reasons. So if you are taking something by doctor’s orders, keep taking it and talk to your doctor before adding anything else.

In the meantime, take a quick look through any supermarket and you’ll find a whole bunch of small (and not so small) bottles offering you “a whole day’s worth of minerals!” “Vitamin C to fight off that cold!” or “everything an athlete needs!” and other such slogans. Are they really necessary and what happens if you do or don’t take them?

Vitamins – Vitamins are indeed necessary for your body. If you don’t get them, your body will be less efficient. Your metabolism will be slower. In fact, your body might tell you that it’s hungry if you’re suffering from a vitamin deficiency. that’s because your body is a very poor communicator. It can’t tell you “Hey Gal, I need more vitamin C!” It can just communicate through vague cravings. So for example, if you are low on certain vitamins you might get cravings for some foods. That’s one reason for the odd cravings during pregnancy. You need certain vitamins plus your body chemistry is a bit out of whack and so you end up thinking “wow, that peanut butter and pickles sandwich really sounds good!”

Unfortunately, most people don’t listen to their bodies very well. You have a craving for vitamins, most of which come from things like fruit and vegetables, but you end up eating a bowl of ice cream instead. Well, that orange sunday might taste like oranges but it doesn’t have what oranges have. So you just end up with more cravings. So that’s lesson #1, listen to your body a bit better. Lesson #2 is, your body NEVER craves ice cream or chocolate or anything like that. That’s you misinterpreting your body because it’s more fun to eat ice cream than it is to eat a piece of fruit or a salad. Finally, lesson #3 is, eat a healthy and balanced diet so you get all your vitamins and minerals and you won’t have to worry about all this.

The good news is that most food we get here in the US is fortified with a variety of vitamins already. So odds are you’re doing pretty well in this department. The even better news is that it’s very easy be absolutely sure you’re getting enough vitamins. Just take one vitamin supplement a day along with your breakfast and you’re fine. I do this and I eat a very balanced diet. So why do I do it? Well, because even a very balanced diet is not perfectly balanced and I don’t want to spend my means thinking “oh no! did I get enough b12 today?!?!” A vitamin supplement is cheap, easy and has no negative side effects. Don’t go for the complex supplements that have multiple pills for you to take every day. Get something simple like Centrum (Centrum Advanced Formula Multivitamin)or One A Day (One-A-Day Men’s Health Formula Dietary Supplement, 100-Count Bottles (Pack of 2)). You’ll have an easier time remembering to take it and spend less money.

Calcium – I’m separating this out from the vitamin supplements due to its popularity. You see ads for calcium everywhere. The TV tells you that calcium is good for aging bones. Magazines say it’s good for women. All this information makes it a bit hard to tell what’s right and what’s not. I’m a bit ambivalent about this. I tend to think most people get enough calcium in their diets already so I don’t take calcium supplements myself, but then again, I’m young and male. All the research shows that calcium supplements won’t hurt you, so I can’t see any harm in taking them, except to the wallet I suppose, but I would still consult with a doctor before adding calcium supplements to your diet.

Protein – This is the other big supplement, especially for people trying to get in shape. If you’ve ever visited a gym, you’ll see a wall full of protein supplements. All of them will tell you that you’ll gain muscles and lose weight if you consume them. Ignore the hype, most people get more than enough protein in their diets. In fact, most Americans get way too much protein in their diets due to our preference for meat. The only reason to add a protein supplement to your diet is if you’re a vegetarian like me. When I first started eating vegetarian I tried to measure my protein intake and I found out that it was a bit low. So I added a protein supplement to my morning routine. However, even vegetarians don’t have to do this. You could easily get enough protein in your diet through various legumes or eggs. I just choose to use the supplement for the same reason I take the vitamins, because I don’t want to have to worry about my protein intake during the day.

So there you have it. Most of you can add a healthy start to your day by simply adding a vitamin supplement. It’s a great addition to the healthy foods and drinks we discussed over the last two days. Enjoy!