Nutritional Supplements – A Necessary Evil?

I just read an interesting article about all the so-called “Super Foods” that are supposed to help keep you healthy. And I don’t disagree. It makes sense that these great foods provide vitamins, antioxidants and other important nutrients.

If you are unfamiliar with these foods, they comprise of blueberries, wild salmon, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, beans, sweet potatoes, soy, oats, walnuts.

They’ve added some novel foods to the tally: indigo berry, goji berry, cocoa (hence the latest dark chocolate craze), acai berry and I’m sure there are plenty of others.

As I was reading through this tally of 12 super foods you should eat every day, I decided to get out my pen and write down precisely what “they” thought I should eat everyday. Here’s the tally:

Remember – this is EVERY DAY

2 1/2 cups of beans (by the way, I hear black beans have the better nutrition, with chickpeas following a close second)

1/2 c. fresh blueberries

1 cup cooked broccoli (or 1/2 cup raw)

3 servings of whole grain

1 serving soy

1 cup cooked spinach

1/2 c. beta-carotene product (sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin)

1 whole tomato

1 1/2 oz. nuts

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 oz dark chocolate (okay, that shouldn’t be too hard)

Wild salmon – 4 times a week

Wouldn’t it be great if I could actually EAT like that everyday? If I didn’t have to worry about feeding anyone else in my family? Kudos to those of you that do.

Has anyone else been reading about the fruits and vegetables NOT providing the source of nutrients they once did? With all the pesticides and processing problems going on, it sometimes gets a little scary. I’m not sure going all organic will correct that, but not all of us live near markets that make nutritious sources of fresh produce and not all of us can afford that.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for nutritious eating. I regard my diet pretty nutritious and I do eat all of the foods on that tally on a fairly regular basis -maybe not in those quantities and not every day.

There have also been several compounds researched lately that have shown to have anti-aging attributes. Ginko, DMAE, resveratrol to name a few. In order to get the amount needed to promote good health, we would have to overeat even if it was all “super” food – and that’s definitely not nutritious.

So I think I’ll continue taking my nutritional supplements and KNOW that I’m getting the proper amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, greens and what not.

Remember: no amount of supplementation can substitute a nutritious lifestyle: proper diet and plenty of exercise.

I’ve done some examination – there’s no reason to spend a small fortune on nutritional supplements. You can still get good quality for a reasonable price. See the website below for sources.

Author Bio
Are you over 40? It’s not too late to turn back the clock. Learn about nutritional supplements at Nutritional Supplements For Younger Living

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

Related Health Supplement Articles

The effect of fish oil on fat burning
Evidence that fish oil can reduce belly fat and aid in fat burning as part of a solid diet and exercise program.
The Importance of the B12 Vitamin
This article will tell you everything you need to know about the B12 Vitamin. It will also discuss the benefits you can receive by taking Vitamin B12.

Why do you need a good supplement during a Juice Fast?
Juice fasting is a great way to cleanse your system and is a wonderful way to revitalize your body. Juice fasting consists of not eating solid foods for 3, 5,7,10 or even more days in a row.

Suplements and Your Health
If you are looking to improve your health, you’ll need to at many different vitamin supplements to find which ones are the best for you.

Flaxseed Oil – Another Great Antioxidant
Flaxseed oil with its high antioxidant properties is a nutritional supplement that should be added to your anti aging program.

What is Anadrol Steroid ?
Anadrol is the strongest and also the most effective oral steroid. Anadrol has an extremely high androgenic effect which goes hand in hand with an extremely intense anabolic component.

Are Vitamin Supplements Beneficial For Your Health?

When it comes to all the hype about vitamins, you have probably wondered “Are vitamin supplements beneficial?” Despite the numerous nutritional studies conducted over the past few years, there is still much controversy surrounding the issue of daily vitamin supplements.

The question is not whether taking a daily multivitamin is safe – a daily regimen including a multivitamin has been proven both safe and effective. The question really boils down to whether an individual can get all of the required vitamins and minerals from their diet.

As you probably know well, today’s hectic lifestyle makes it very difficult to plan, prepare, and serve a nutritionally well-balanced diet. With people spending more time at work, or shuttling the kids to their extracurricular activities, eating out has become a standard practice for most individuals and families. Therein lies a major dietary problem!

Eating fast foods, or over-sized portions from the local diner, leaves a lot to be desired from a nutritional standpoint. These foods are often prepared with artery clogging oils, saturated fats, and nutritionally deficient ingredients.

When was the last time that you felt you ate a well-balanced meal at your local fast food restaurant?

Worse yet, many people skimp on meals, or miss them altogether, as their busy schedules take precedent over supplying their bodies with needed nutrition, including vitamins and minerals.

Another common “symptom” of today’s fast-paced lifestyle, stress is known to have a debilitating effect on an individual’s body and reduces its ability to process food efficiently. Unfortunately, stress has become a way of life for all of us. Our busy lives, and the methods we employ to cope with the resulting stress, almost ensures us of experiencing deficiencies in many essential vitamins and minerals.

If the above example even remotely resembles the way you live, it is very likely that you would benefit from a recommended daily vitamin supplement. On the other hand, experiencing a vitamin deficiency can result in serious physical issues. Symptoms can range from fatigue and listlessness to circulatory problems and nervous system damage.

So, in answer to the question “Are vitamin supplements beneficial?”, the answer is a definite YES. Both children and adults can benefit from taking vitamin and mineral supplements on a regular basis. A high quality multivitamin supplement taken daily can be viewed as a nutritional “insurance” policy.

Glyconutrition and Anti Aging The Real Fountain of Youth

Fountain of Youth and Glyconutrition

Students of American history are introduced each year to the intriguing stories of the “conquistadors”. You remember them don’t you? They were the “rough and tumble” Spanish explorers and conquerors of the sixteenth century. They roamed the Americas looking for gold. They roamed the Americas looking for silver. They roamed the Americas looking for glyconutrition… uh… no… I can’t say they were smart enough to be looking for glyconutrition. In fact, I can’t really say they were all that… well… smart.

I mean, these Spanish “conquerors” wandered all over the Americas “discovering” anything promising quick wealth. They include men like Vasco de Balboa who, we’re told,” discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513″… after the locals showed him where it was. Brain surgeon, he wasn’t. So, for money, the local Native Americans took him to the beach on the other side of Panama and there he stood – on the beach- discovering the Pacific Ocean.

Of course, he just had to plant his flag and claim the ocean for Spain. The whole thing. It apparently didn’t dawn on him that others may have been using the ocean before he saw it. Nope. Didn’t discourage him one bit. Just went ahead and claimed it all for the “glory of God and Spain”. You’ll understand of course why the media didn’t cover it.

Another case in point, Juan Ponce de Leon. This genius wanted to live forever (his own “anti-aging” plan). He thought, of course, that was a unique insight. Don’t you think if there was a place where you could’ve gone to drink a glass of magic water – and it gave you eternal life – the buzz would have long since put skyscrapers and interstate highways all around it? Do you think the world would’ve waited for – of all people -a conquistador to find a drink like that? Everyone was still reeling in gut-busting laughter over Balboa.

So, Ponce just happened to hear about the fantastic “Fountain of Youth” And he paid some locals to take him there. (Have you noticed who is making all the money on these “discoveries”?). Of course, the real issue was that the locals were the ones who made sure that Ponce de Leon would hear “about this amazing discovery” which led to eternal youth (their version of anti-aging). He came. He saw. He aged.

Actually, the real money “discoveries” were these conquistadors. The locals had discovered them. Word had gotten around North America. These guys aren’t that well endowed, mentally. But, they have money. So the stories flew. A new industry flourished. I’m sure there were myriads of Native Americans lining the streets of the future Havana calling every Spanish conquistador they could find, hoping to lead him to the next “discovery”.

So, the forests, rivers and mountains were just crawling with these conquistadors who were looking for Cities of Gold (Coronado), Cities of Gold (Cabeza de Vac), Cities of Gold (Hernando de Soto) and many others (Cities of Gold). And, of course, Fountains of Youth (de Leon)…and many others (Fountains of Youth))

Of course, no one found a Fountain of Youth (no magical anti-aging elixir there). Ponce de Leon did get credit for “discovering” Florida. But, the locals pocketed his cash.

Glyconutrition: Is there a real “Fountain of Youth”?

I wish I could tell you that glyconutrition did “reverse aging” (“anti-aging” does not mean “reversing” the aging process). I wish I could promise you that glyconutrition was a health drink which stops aging (anti-aging does not mean you stop aging). And I wish I could tell you there was nutrition, albeit glyconutrition, which produced some anti-aging miracle in your body. Nope. Glyconutrition isn’t a miracle.

Glyconutrition is the specific nutrient you and I need for a strong immune system. And that immune system, if kept strong by glyconutrition, is the essence of anti-aging.

Glyconutrition is involved in the anti-aging process. Until recently, people commonly believed the passing of years was the key to understanding aging (or anti-aging). So, we tended to believe nothing could be done about the aging process. No real anti-aging process, in other words. “Growing to a ripe ole’ age” was simply the way we were thought to age…by chronological years. That was the case until the advent of glyconutrition and the anti-aging sciences.
Free Radical Damage: The Real Aging Process of the Body

Free radicals are those chemical substances which contain one or more unpaired electrons. They can maintain independent existence and they form in the body as toxic offshoots of cellular activity or as toxic products introduced to the body from outside.
As an analogy, compare the running of a car engine to a cellular production.

Think of car emissions as the production of free radicals. The engine produces by-products which cannot stay inside the engine without damaging it. Then they must be expelled. Free radicals form causing damage by reacting with different substances in your body. Upwards of 200,000 free radical attacks occur in our bodies every day. As free radical damage occurs, the body removes the compounds formed by its cellular repair system (glyconutrition response). But, if the body is overwhelmed by the free radicals, or cannot remove the compounds… then chronic disease results and the aging process sets in.

Wherever free radicals form, they damage the surrounding areas, unless stopped by the body’s defense systems. That is aging of the body. This is the real issue involved in anti-aging. Helping the body to quench the free radical processes must now become the real focus of the “anti-aging” sciences (involving glyconutrition).

That’s the reason glyconutrition and its response to free radicals must remain strong. But, glyconutrition goes far beyond that:
Glyconutrition keeps cells healthy and lets antibodies know where there is viral or bacterial attack.
Glyconutrition is now known to stimulate massive numbers of stem cells, for tissue and organ repair.
Glyconutrition aids cellular communication, letting the body know what the cells need and how to get resources to them.
Glyconutrition strengthens the immune system.
Glyconutrition is now known to be the factor which the body uses to locate tumors, weak tissues, or old dying cells.
Glyconutrition is the body’s immediate response system for deterring chronic disease development.
Glyconutrition is the key to dealing with diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart diseases, and a host of other aging conditions…
From all of the above, glyconutrition is the basis for the anti-aging processes of the body.
Often, the damage from free radicals can change cell structure. Glyconutrition is needed by the body to hinder or stop that process. That keeps the cells healthy. That contributes directly to longer living (anti-aging).
I wish it where as simply as finding a Fountain of Youth. But, we have found glyconutrition. With four Nobel Prizes involved in this discovery, that’s not bad. In fact, it’s unprecedented.

Suplements and Your Health

A lot of people these days are trying to make their health better. No matter where you turn, from TV to newspapers, you’ll see stories about people and how bad their health actually is. Even though there are many different companies out there that offer vitamins and supplements and claim that they will change your healthy, you’ll need to research what they offer and sure that you aren’t just wasting your money.

If you are looking to improve your health, you’ll need to look at many different vitamin supplements to find which ones are the best for you. You should look at everything available, and not just try a few to see what happens. Dieting is the ideal place to start, as it can make the most improvements on your health. Dieting can change your body, and make you feel a lot better as well.

These days, a lot of people eat way too much sweets and sugar, choosing refined products over healthy food. Even though it isn’t a bad thing to enjoy sweets and chocolate, you should never make a habit out of it. You can still enjoy your favorite foods as well, although you should be looking at the healthy benefits of food as well and think of everything as a whole.

If you include healthy foods such as salads, vegetables, and fruit into your diet, you’ll be eating healthy. Protein is also beneficial to your health, as it promotes the growth of your muscle. Those of you, who are serious about eating healthy but are unsure where to start, should contact a nutritionist. They will be able to tell you where to start, and how to achieve a healthy diet that will chance your life.

Even though you may be eating healthy or trying to eat healthy, you’ll probably find yourself wondering about vitamins and supplements and how much of an impact they have on your diet. Dieticians are ideal to consult with these types of questions, as they can answer any questions relating to vitamins that you have. They can also tell you which supplements are ideal to your health, and which ones you should include in your diet.

Different people will have different needs and requirements, making it essential to get advice from a qualified professional. If you get the advice from a professional, you’ll know what you can add to your diet. If you try to do it all yourself without the advice of a professional, you can end up not getting enough in your diet, or you could end up taking something that you shouldn’t be taken.

Exercise is also important to your diet and your health. Although supplements and vitamins will go a long way, exercise will do a lot for your body. If you exercise on a regular basis, and take the right supplements and vitamins with your diet, you’ll notice that you have more energy and you feel better than you ever have in your life.

Before you start with your new diet or rush out and buy your new vitamin supplements, you should always check with your doctor first to see if he has any recommendations. You should also tell him what type of exercise you are planning on doing, and see if there are any complications with your health. Getting a healthy lifestyle is always a great thing, although you should always consult with your doctor. This way, you’ll know the best way to start and how to go about getting in the best shape of your life.

Why do you need a good supplement during a Juice Fast?

Juice fasting is a great way to cleanse your system and is a wonderful way to revitalize your body. Juice fasting consists of not eating solid foods for 3, 5,7,10 or even more days in a row. I like to start with the 3 day juice fast for those of you that have never done a juice fast.

Juice fasting has been proven to cure diseases, cleanse the colon, heal sore muscles, cure back problems, and make the human body heal itself. It was actually prescribed before modern medicine. Why do you think we drink so many fluids and avoid solid food when we are sick? This allows our body to use the energies that it usually uses for digestion to concentrate on healing parts of the body that need healing. A juice fast does the same thing.

Now it isn’t as easy as going out and buying juice at the store and only drinking it. Juices bought at your local grocery store are processed and usually from concentrate. This means they contain a lot on toxins that will not help the body. You will need to buy fresh fruits and vegetables to be juiced. You don’t necessarily need to own a juicer, but it is definitely a helpful tool. The first juice fast I ever did I just used a blender because I didn’t have enough extra money to afford a juicer. It worked, but I would never give up my juicer now.

While doing a juice fast it is very important to get the nutrients you need into your body. It is very unhealthy if you don’t. You will want to get the following things before you try a juice fast:

1. A juicer or blender
2. A good whole food vitamin supplement (I recommend The Greatest Vitamin in the World)
3. Plenty of green vegetables
4. Plenty of fresh fruits
5. A list of juice recipes (can be found online just do a search)
6. Plenty of spring water
7. A lot of will power

These things are vital to your success. You will want to avoid the typically multi-vitamin as your supplement because they are not made from whole foods and most contain things that don’t support the body. I recommend The Greatest Vitamin in the World. It is a very complete whole vitamin and it isn’t very expensive for what you get.

Some of the side effects you may experience at the beginning of your juice fast are: headaches, diarrhea, hunger pangs, slight dizziness, and fatigue. These will pass. You should make time for an hour nap during the day and make sure to get regular sleep at night. The first and second days are the toughest, but once you get to the third day you will start to experience an energy boost and a great feeling of refreshment.

If you get too hungry to where you think you might give in eat a small piece of fruit and make sure to chew really well. This will cure your craving for food and won’t take away from your fast too much.

Make sure that when you break your fast you don’t go out and just eat a huge greasy meal. Break it slowly over two days and start working your body back into solid foods. Continue to drink your daily juices, but add in some fruits and vegetables along with whole wheat or spinach pasta with fresh vegetables cooked in extra virgin olive oil. This will allow your body to adjust slowly. Make sure to chew really well so that your digestive system can handle it.

Juice fasting is a very safe way to change your health and begin replacing bad eating habits with good eating habits. After your fast you will begin to have less cravings for bad foods and you will be able to eat better. This will make you feel better each day and you will be able to move on with a healthier, happier life.