Do you perhaps take a One-A-Day?
Or do you possibly go from A to Zinc?
Or do you go totally generic, pinch your pennies, and get this?
I'd like to commend you for taking your daily vitamin....most people don't take that 2 seconds to swallow a pill and as a result many are deficient in many vitamins and minerals. While I believe that a nutritious diet filled with clean nutrient dense foods can give you the adequate nutrition your body needs...I say it's best to cover our bases and get our daily values just to play it safe. What harm can be done, really?
However, I'd like to ask if you have any clue what else is going on with that Mutivitamin of yours? Let's take the time to look at the ingredients in your One A Day.
You can get your jaw off of the floor now. If you're curious about what the ingredients are, just google any one of them and you'll quickly find that most of them are totally pointless and may actually be causing your body harm.
When you take a traditional vitamin, the fillers can actually cause massive free radical activity during digestion thus causing more harm than good.
What is a free radical?
Free radicals, also known simply as radicals, are organic molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some diseases. These molecules are very unstable, therefore they look to bond with other molecules, destroying their health and further continuing the damaging process.
If you want to know the science of a free radical just go to you tube and search "What is a free radical"
Or...Here's a picture for you....
Or if you are as simple minded as myself when learning...here it is in layman's terms
Without going into too much detail, what we can gather is that free radicals are BAD for you! They speed up the aging process, they weaken your cells, and damage your DNA which leads to a whole host of other problems.
How do we combat the damage of free radicals to our cells? Well, one good place to start is to avoid putting them in our bodies to begin with. We've spent the last several week talking about what is toxic to our bodies. Removing those things will ensure a significant reduction in the accumulation of free radicals. If you are just now starting to read my blog, skim through previous posts. You'll find all kinds of info on toxic habits you probably have no idea you're engaging in.
For the sake of time...let's move on.
We combat free radicals with antioxidants!!! Free radicals cause damage to our cells. Antioxidants defend our cells against these free radicals. So where do we get these antioxidants?!!! Well, remember our green tea challenge? Are you sticking to that? If so, then you have created a habit that ensures you are getting a healthy dose of daily antioxidants. YAY! Other significant sources of antioxidants...
Here's another good reference for some the best antioxidants and their food sources.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF ANTIOXIDANTS AND THEIR FOOD SOURCES
| Antioxidant | Health benefits | Food sources |
| Selenium | Helps maintain healthy hair and nails, enhances immunity, works with vitamin E to protect cells from damage. Reduces the risk of cancer, particularly lung, prostate, and colorectal. | Garlic, seeds, Brazil nuts, meat, eggs, poultry, seafood, whole grains. The amount in plant sources varies according to the content of the soil. |
| Beta-carotene | Keeps skin healthy, helps prevent night blindness and infections, promotes growth and bone development. | Red, yellow-orange, and leafy green vegetables and fruits, including carrots, apricots, cantaloupe, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. |
| Vitamin E | Acts as the protector of essential fats in cell membranes and red blood cells. Reduces risk of cancer, heart disease, and other age-associated diseases. | Peanut butter, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and margarine, wheat germ, avocado, whole grains, salad dressings. |
| Vitamin C | Destroys free radicals inside and outside cells. Helps in the formation of connective tissue, the healing of wounds, and iron absorption, and also helps to prevent bruising and keep gums healthy. May reduce risk of cataracts, heart disease, and cancer. | Peppers, tomatoes, citrus fruits and juices, berries, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, potatoes, mango, papaya. |
| SOURCE : The American Dietetic Association And WebMD. | ||
ANYWAY, let me go back to the beginning since we are focusing on supplements and in particular, your multivitamin.
You need to be taking a vitamin that is GOOD for you and does not cause free radical damage to your cells. Whole food multivitamins are an excellent choice. Here are some examples.
I take Vitality 4 from Melaleuca, a company for which I'm actually a consultant. I am obsessed with these vitamins. They are amazing and my vitality pack actually includes a broad spectrum antioxidant as well.
Here's a side note...Melaleauca is an online store where you can shop for everything from supplements to ecofriendly cleaning supplies, to beauty products. Check out this website www.melaleuca.com and click on "Get to know Melaleuca". If you're interested in learning more, I'll hook you up. I LOVE their products. They are amazing and they are all natural.
Anyway, find a multivitamin supplement that will supply your body with the daily vitamins and minerals it needs in a safe and EFFECTIVE way.
Your local health food store with have plenty to offer.
And remember....fill up on foods that fight free radicals!
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