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Vitamins & Diet-Supplements for Balanced Good Health
"Diet-supplements have been shown to: Increase energy, assist with weight loss, improve quality of sleep, decrease mood swings, increase mental clarity, improve learning ability, reduce or eliminate some affects of chronic disease, and to enhance the immune system."
The FDA Food Pyramid recommends the following:
Fats, Oils, Sweets - use sparingly. Milk, Yogurt, Cheese - 2-3 servings/day. Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry beans, Eggs, Nuts - 2-3 servings/day. Vegetable Group - 3-5 servings/day. Fruit Group - 2-4 servings/day. Most people simply don’t have the time or resources to insure they are eating this balanced. “A standard, store-brand, RDA-level multivitamin can supply you with enough of these vitamins for under $40 a year. It's about the least expensive insurance and diet-supplement you can buy” The Harvard School of Public Health recommends. “Vitamins provide a nutritional safety net, too!” Here is a complete list of vitamins with corresponding affects, recommended dosages, foods that naturally contain, deficiency symptoms, warnings, and research. Here is a Convenient Link to a free list of Vitamins and their Attributes. It is a sample of what you will read in the articles like: Are Vitamin and Diet-Supplements Really Necessary? This article provides some of the best reference materials from leading professionals. The NutriCounter site will be linked in the next sections of this web site called: “Replace Miserable Diets with a Healthy Meal Plan” and “Exercise” as it is considered a highly informative source for articles on health, nutrition and exercise. So be sure to get those vitamins, eat healthy foods, and moderate portions (always put snack food in a serving dish or bowl -- never eat from the bag or box -- so you can choose and really see how much you are eating). Diet sensibly to lose unwanted weight & Avoid harmful additives -- toss out those cigarettes! Moderate alcohol consumption! When taking vitamins and diet-supplements, do so wisely. Don’t overdo, but get enough. Remember foods today just don’t contain the same amount of vitamins that they used to because of land nutrient and chemical depletion, as well as food processings. And, today’s high paced lifestyles can rob your body of certain vitamins that should be replaced. Special conditions can make your body require more of some elements – find out what you need and listen to your body. (Remember, children have different needs than adults – consult a pediatrician before giving vitamin or diet-supplements to children. Some foods known for health benefits can even harm children when given too soon.) Unless you have dietary restrictions, consider a good multi-vitamin first. Choose one which is balanced for your gender or condition to be sure you are getting a little of everything considered balanced. Scheduling vitamins and other diet-supplements for a morning dose gives you plenty of chances to remember to take them. It is especially important to get enough Vitamin B to Spark Energy. Because stress (and alcohol) destroys or depletes Vitamin B, consider an additive. Vitamin B is extremely crucial for healthy function of the nervous system, it promotes energy metabolism, it helps depression disorders, it appears to be a natural anti-inflammatory, and it is listed as water-soluble (no harmful build up). B50 complex or B100 complex provide the most. If rough on stomach they make time released, too, and most of the time it is recommended that vitamins be taken inside a meal for better absorption and less stomach irritation. Most of the complex formulas may have other added ingredients that play important roles in cell growth and function, too. Carpal tunnel syndrome is sometimes improved with Vitamin B (for the natural anti-inflammatory benefits), but it also helps with Stress. Vitamin B along with a stretch exercise (described here - Wrist and Hand Excercise) have been known to returned feeling and improved mobility to the fingers affected. When it comes to Calcium – cheapest doesn’t always work – Coral Calcium is best absorbed. Vitamin World Triple Strength 1500 mg is a very good brand, but read cautions on bottle and consult a doctor. While not evaluated by the food and drug administration the bottle says, “Coral calcium promotes bone strength and supports heart, nerve and muscle functions.” Calcium has also been associated with weight loss and some people report having more energy after taking coral calcium as diet supplements; too. They actually felt their bodies were now functioning better as a result. Again, consider taking B and Calcium early in the day because while some people admit that the extra B or Calcium gave them the welcomed extra energy they sought, it also kept them from sleeping. If you are having trouble sleeping, look into a product called CALM. It is 615 mg of Magnesium Citrate. It reportedly helps regularity and improves sleep – ask your doctor. Consider, if chronic fatigue (or fibromyalgia) is a result of not sleeping well enough, could this help reduce or alleviate symptoms? Watch for side affects or dependency. Take the lowest dose. Research long-term affects – use common sense! Purchase from a source you can trust. Ask your doctor about it. Note: Estroven bone density with coral calcium 600 mg, magnesium, D, K, et al, is worth considering, too, because it contains both calcium and magnesium along with the D and K that are necessary for the calcium to work -- perhaps taking two a day if your doctor recommends it -- to equal the same mg. Remember also, that too much calcium can cause problems for some people, so consult doctor. Another interesting source of vitamin K is mayonnaise -- at 25% of the daily value of 2000 calories diet. Estroven also has some Natural HRTs, soy hormone replacement therapies, for women that relieve menopausal symptoms. If natural soy products are enough of a diet-supplement, why risk medications that have side affects that jeopardize your health? Likewise, if you can get a small dose of relief that keeps symptoms from spiraling or multiplying why not stop the snowball before it grows too big. PMS and menstrual relief can be found in many, safe over the counter products and diet-supplements, too. Your doctor may have some samples for you to try to find the best for you – ask! Glucosamine is another highly recommended diet-supplement for aches, pain, and joint health that you should ask your doctor about. Many people swear by it. Suggestion: Write down what is on the bottle or on the internet sales ad for any vitamin product that you are considering, research the ingredients on the internet or at the library, take what you find to your doctor’s office or fax a written list of questions and ask for recommendation or comments to help you better understand, then give the doctor time to read, consider, look up, check your charts, and finally get back with you. Some vitamins and diet-supplements do conflict with prescription medicines that your doctor may feel are more important for your health in the long run. Most doctors today ask their patients to bring with them everything they are taking in the way of vitamins and diet-supplements. Then, at their regular check ups, they can check to be sure there are no conflicts. It doesn’t hurt to ask. It also shows your doctor you are doing everything you can to improve your condition, while considering their guidance, and valuing their judgment. When you save doctors time, they usually do appreciate it. Certain foods, like grapefruit, for example, can interfere with some heart medications. So if you are considering a diet, like the 3-day diet included on this web site, get approval from your doctor first. It shouldn’t require the expense of an appointment – just mail a copy of it to your doctor (if fax or email is not available) and ask if a recommendation could be called to you or if an answer could be returned by mail within two weeks. Be patient. If the response is no, ask why, and ask for an alternative weight loss program and/or diet-supplements to help. Everyone wants to save money, however, your goal should be to balance savings with quality and to remember that when it comes to vitamins and diet-supplements, the "lowest price, isn't always best." Keep in Mind: Specialty vitamins, and diet-supplements required for unique situations, are better provided by: Companies actively concerned with those special needs - Companies that provide More! For example: Special Services, Better Education, and Most Current Research.
General Disclaimer
This and all contents of the MoreForYourHealth.com site is designed for educational and inspirational purposes only. The information provided through this site should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider.
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