More and more as time passes I am dumbfounded at how many people I know are on a minimum of two or more medications under the age of 40 and up. This country has such an eager push to have everyone on some form of medication due to the overzealousness of the pharmaceutical companies to make bank. I am here to tell you to take your vitamins – ditch your meds. It’s obviously a bit more loaded than that, but that is a start. This society thrives too much on immediacy that everyone wants a quick fix to their diets, exercise, and health overall. I’m here to be the bearer of such bad news, it DOES NOT WORK. Nothing fast, cheap, and easy is worth it.
Doctors who actually care about your health will tell you that you need to lose weight first by increasing your exercise time / adding on an exercise regiment and making modifications to your diet by lessening your higher sugar and sodium foods consumption and increasing whole foods via adding the things people ditch most, fruits and vegetables. They are not wrong here. That’s the segway to improving health and diminishing the need to rely on medications. I’ve been criticized many times for taking too many supplements, exercising too much, and being seemingly obsessed with the foods I cook and consume with my family. If that’s an obsession then yes, I am all here for that and not the over-glorification of consuming processed garbage and in excess at that.
Here’s a concise list I recommend as far as taking vitamins to keep your body well oiled alongside a healthy diet and daily exercise. Please talk to your doctor, if they are someone you trust and is all about helping you live a healthier life, before taking on any supplements and exercise regiment.
Synbiotic
This means that the prebiotics and probiotics have been combined together. They increase good bacterial strains and production of bioactive compounds since our digestive system is a hostile environment on their own with modern day foods and diets. They decrease inflammation in the digestive tracts, promote weight loss and healthier bowel movements, reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance, and improve overall immune system function.
Multivitamin
Men and women alike should take a daily multivitamin. This changes as your grown and experience new things such as pregnancy and aging so multivitamins should not be a one-size fits all. These give you what your foods don’t to make up for the lack.
Super B
B Vitamins have a direct impact on your energy levels. Now I don’t mean a caffeinated induced jolt, but yet a more subtle, even keel leveling of your energy. It also helps with brain function and cell metabolism in aiding in fighting infections and promoting growth of red blood cells.
Vitamin C
This one is a big deal. Vitamin C helps protect your body against free radicals that are trying to invade your body and make you sick from simple colds to radiation from exams, second hand smoke, and other exposures to heart disease. They also aid in helping your body repair damaged tissues.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D aids absorption of calcium. Calcium should be taken intermittently. It is highly recommended for marathoners during high impact training as marathoners, specifically females, experience more bone breakage due to dips in hormonal production thus impacting bone production.
Chromium Picolinate
Chromium picolinate aids your body in improving the body’s response to insulin and lowering blood sugar in those with diabetes. It also helps lower blood pressure.
Magnesium
Magnesium has a long list of improvements it can help with in your body from regulating blood sugar levels, maintaining healthy bones, improves sleep, aids in combating headaches, muscle function, and aids in nervous system function, energy production, and improved sleep.
Iron
One shouldn’t remain constantly on Iron without the consent from a doctor. In small doses intermittent from time to time, month to month, iron will help keep your blood oxygen rich and I turn keeping you from feeling fatigued and run down thus supporting good energy levels. This only keeps giving in the way of improving mental and physical performance. This helps keep ideal oxygen transportation to your muscles. Marathoners are recommended to consume additional iron in times of high stress / training on the body to help increase strength, power, and stamina in muscles.