Do you find it challenging to create a well-balanced meal every time you cook? Are you aware of the vitamins and minerals you consume with each meal? Do you force yourself to eat foods you dislike for the sake of nutrition? Do you know which nutrients your body requires more of when you’re stressed or taking certain medications? If you answered no to any of these questions, you may want to consider taking vitamins to supplement your diet and fortify your food.
We eat food because of how it tastes not the nutritional value
Let’s face it, most of us choose our food based on taste rather than nutritional value. We all have our favorite foods and those we avoid, but this means we’re missing out on essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need.
The convenience of fast food
We’re all guilty of opting for fast food when we’re too tired or busy to cook. It’s convenient, but it doesn’t provide our bodies with the nutrients they require to function optimally. The convenience of fast food is causing us to be overfed and undernourished.
Your body needs different vitamins during different phases of life
The nutrients your body requires vary depending on your age, gender, lifestyle, medications, diet, health concerns, and personal health goals. It’s important to understand that what works for your best friend or mom may not work for you. To create a personalized supplement plan, click here. For instance, pregnant women require more folic acid and iron for their baby’s development, while individuals over 50 need more B vitamins as their bodies have a harder time absorbing them from food.1
Stress uses up nutrients faster
Stress can also impact your nutrient needs. Cortisol, a hormone released during stress, can cause you to eat more. Eating more is your body’s way of obtaining energy to fight stress. Research shows that high energy demands placed on your body can lead to a faster turnover of protein, fat, and carbs, causing your body to use up more nutrients like Vitamin C and B vitamins.2
Food processing has reduced the nutrient contents of many foods
Food processing has reduced the nutrient content of many foods. The way we grow and harvest our food can also impact its nutrient value. Whether you eat your veggies raw or cooked can alter their nutrient value, making it challenging to determine if you’re getting all the nutrients your body needs.
Some medications may deplete certain nutrients in the body faster
Lastly, certain medications can deplete your body of essential nutrients. Birth control, for example, can deplete your body of B vitamins, Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Zinc.3 If you’re on medication that depletes your body of nutrients, you may need to adjust your diet or take supplements to restore the nutrients your body needs.
Don’t get me wrong we still need to eat a healthy diet and stick to foods that we recognize rather than man-made products. But sometimes getting all the nutrients our bodies need from only our food is difficult and hard to track. By taking vitamins, we can fill the gaps in our diet and ensure that our bodies receive the nutrients they need to thrive.
Each of us has different nutritional needs. We need to learn to listen to what our bodies are telling us they need to succeed.
Want to discover specifically what YOUR body needs based on your goals, diet, and lifestyle check out this Free Health Assessment. Click the button below…
*The information in this article is for educational use, and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
1. https://go.shaklee.com/new-to-vitamins-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-supplementation/
3. Why Supplementation is Necessary – Dr. Bruce Miller
