Vitamins 101

I wanted to begin a series of articles that will build step-by-step on the foundations of what I call the “3-D Living Program." I won’t go into great detail, but I’ll give you an overview. So, let’s begin with vitamins.

Vitamins are micronutrients (you only need small amounts compared to the macronutrients – protein, fat and carbohydrates). Although you don’t need huge amounts, they are essential to life! They help regulate your metabolism and cause the release of energy from the food you digest.

Some vitamins are water soluble and some are fat soluble. The water soluble vitamins, like the B vitamins, cannot be stored in your body. So once they do their job they pass through, usually within one day. Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in your body’s fatty tissue and in the liver for longer periods of time. Fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. Both water and fat soluble vitamins are essential in order for your body to function properly.

The proper balance of vitamins and minerals is very important. Too much of a particular vitamin can actually produce the same symptoms a deficiency would. This is why mega-doses are not recommended unless supervised by a health professional. Also, vitamins work synergistically - in concert with each other. For example, just taking one of the B vitamins can deplete the others. It’s always best to take a whole food B complex that has all the B vitamins.

In a perfect world our foods would provide all the vitamins and minerals we need for optimal health. But we don’t live in a perfect world (anymore!) and our foods are grown in depleted soils so they are nutrient-depleted as well. Therefore, using high quality supplements wisely is a very important part of good health.

I always recommend using the highest quality, whole food supplements you can afford. The reason for that is your body recognizes natural, food source supplements as food and absorbs, uses and retains them better than synthetic ones. Synthetic supplements are just that - synthetic! They are chemicals created in labs. Here’s an example: Synthetic vitamin E was used in some studies that “proved” vitamin E did not improve heart health. That study just proved they used the wrong type of vitamin!

Natural vitamin E always has a “d” before the particular form, such as d-alpha, d-beta, d-delta and d-gamma Tocopherol. The synthetic version is always listed as “dl.” Despite the results of that flawed study, natural vitamin E is very important for cardiovascular health among many other things!

There are some supplements that are best taken on an empty stomach, some should be taken with a meal containing fat and certain ones are best taken separately from others. However, in general, taking your vitamins with your meals increases the absorption and you avoid upsetting your stomach as well.

The bottom line is this: we can all benefit from wise supplementation. However, remember that the word “supplement” means “in addition to.” They are to supplement a nutrient-dense, whole food diet. If you need help deciding what supplements might be best for you, I would be honored to help you with that. Next time we will discuss minerals.

Take a Step:

If you want to begin taking supplements, but don’t know what you need or where to begin, the first step is to find a knowledgeable nutritionist or coach. Feel free to contact me – I would be happy to work with you.

The next important step is to find high quality, whole food supplements. I work with some extremely reputable companies. I suggest you read label information very carefully before you spend your hard-earned dollars.

Once you know what to take and find the best quality supplements, create a habit. Taking them consistently will make the difference in your health. A small pill box with compartments works well, especially if you divide them up over each meal.

Until next time I wish you vibrant health!

Ann