vitamins

As a young Army brat in my tween years living in Germany, I have distinct memories of enjoying the original German Gummy Bears, known there as  Gummibär (rubber bear) or Gummibärchen (little rubber bear). I also enjoyed another German treat that made its way over to the States, Capri Sun, but that’s getting off subject a bit.

My wife and I have been giving my three-year-old daughter gummy bear vitamins for a year or so now. We’ve found it an easy way to get her to supplement her very finicky diet. And I even find myself occasionally dipping into her stash.

Everywhere we go, we are assaulted by claims of “Enriched with Vitamin C!”, “Added B vitamins!”, “More Vitamin A than the leading brand!”, and so on. We all know that vitamins and minerals are essential to the proper balance and function of our bodies, but which supplements are vital and necessary to our health and well being, and which might we avoid, lest we end up with an expensive bathroom trip? Here are my top five choices for essential supplements:

1. Calcium – According to the National Institute of Health, the recommended total calcium intake is 1,000 mg a day for women between 25 and 50 years of age, 1,200 – 1,500 for pregnant or lactating women, and 1,500 mg per day for postmenopausal women. The average calcium consumption among North American women is currently only 600 mg per day. I take a calcium magnesium supplement and find that it really helps me with nighttime leg cramps.
   

Experts are always finding new and interesting benefits that come with certain vitamins or minerals. This time around, it’s vitamin K and how it may help you avoid diabetes.

In a study, those subjects (older men and women) who took a vitamin K supplement for three years had lower blood levels of insulin. They also experienced an improvement with insulin resistance as compared to another group who did not take the supplement.

Here comes the catch…

Many corporations push and spend big bucks on advertising and marketing of multi-vitamins, mineral (or combo) supplements.  Besides the companies telling you to buy these products because your body needs them, how do you truly know if it’s something you should buy and start taking?

Do I need one?
Deciding to take a multi-vitamin and mineral really should be determined based off of your current diet. Do you eat a well balanced diet (including plenty of fruits and vegetables)?  If so, you’re honestly wasting your money on these supplements.

However, if you eat poorly (i.e. Eating out a lot, not having a lot of variety, eating little to no fresh fruits and vegetables) then you would probably benefit from taking a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. 

Dr. Oz and Oprah introduce the Ultimate Health Checklist (Oprah.com)

As Oprah’s Best Life week continues, she welcomed Dr. Oz, a.k.a. America’s doctor, to the show once again. In the second day of her campaign to get healthy alongside the rest of us, she asked Dr. Oz to share the most important things about our health that we need to be aware of and proactive in doing. He calls it the Ultimate Health Checklist, and says that as long as we’re able to keep to the list, which really isn’t that overwhelming, we can live long, happy lives.

Here are the 10 things on Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Health Checklist that all men and women should make a point of following.

1. Schedule a Check-Up. Dr. Oz told Oprah’s audience that people who have a family doctor are healthier, and pointed out that while many do not have health insurance, you can find free and government-funded access to quality health care providers.

2. Know the Five Ingredients to Avoid. Check food labels for this simple list of ingredients, and pass on foods that include them in the first five ingredients listed (meaning they are highest in concentration).