Getting healthy can seem like hard work, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle long term even harder. Unfortunately, even with the healthiest lifestyle, you may still struggle to obtain optimal levels of nutrients for health. I frequently see patients who, despite the best lifestyle habits, struggle to feel their best. Why is this the case?
The 21st Century is a Tough Place to be
Healthy
• Food we eat today contains fewer nutrients than food that was available 20 years ago because:
o Our soils are low in nutrients,
o Foods are often picked before they are ripe,
o Many food processing techniques destroy or remove nutrients, and
o Cooking methods further destroy nutrients.
• This is compounded by the fact that we have an increased need for nutrients due to:
o Pollution being higher and more wide spread, and
o Our busy and stressful lifestyle.
When we don’t take in enough vitamins and minerals, we are more likely to feel tired. We may struggle to cope when stressful things happen and we become more susceptible to infection and other disease. For these reasons it is worth taking a bit of extra “health insurance” by taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement everyday. In fact, a recent Harvard University study recommends the daily use of multivitamin and mineral supplement for all adults.
Selecting the Best
There are three important considerations that I make when selecting a multivitamin and mineral for my patients:
• I ensure the formula contains vitamins and minerals in correctly balanced ratios.
A good multivitamin is more than a collection of ingredients all present in the same quantities.
There must be a balance of vitamins and minerals that match the ratio of nutrients that you as an individual require. This avoids wasting your money on nutrients you don’t need, and those that are not present in an effective dose.
• I ensure the constituents are biologically active and absorbable.
Vitamins and minerals are available in many different forms. For a supplement to be effective it is critical that it contains ingredients that are easy for the body to absorb.
• I ensure the ingredients are good quality and provide true value for money.
As with everything, you tend to get what you pay for. Cheap vitamin formulas tend to contain cheaper ingredients in an imbalanced ratio. While on the surface they may appear easier on the pocket, in the long run, they prove quite uneconomical. You may need to take up to four of a cheaper multi to get the same benefits as one of the superior quality, and taking a higher number increases your risk of unwelcome side-effects. Choosing the right multivitamin and mineral formula is not always simple and straightforward.
Fleur is skilled in assessing your vitamin and mineral needs, assuring that you will get the best value for money and the absolute best for your health.
Call Fleur today and let me help you feel your best!