We all know that we should eat a healthy and well-balanced diet each day filled with fruits and vegetables, and not too many calories or processed goods.
However, with our busy and stress-filled lives, our diets tend to be filled with grab-and-go items, and too many pre-packaged foods.
Fortunately, there are ways to supplement your diet to ensure that you are getting the optimal amount of nutrients important to staying healthy.
The 5 Must-Haves:
1. Multivitamin
All women should take a multivitamin. Unless your diet is filled with at least 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, you are likely missing out on some nutrients. A multivitamin is an easy, simple and cheap health insurance. Aim to pick a multivitamin with minerals that has approximately 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most nutrients.
2. Folic Acid
This vitamin is essential for women trying to get pregnant, or is pregnant since it has shown to prevent neural tube defects. However, folic acid is also less known, but well studied in reducing the risk of breast cancer in women who drink alcohol. 400 micrograms of folic acid is recommended and is generally what’s provided in a multivitamin.
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D has been dubbed the “sunshine vitamin” because our body can make it from exposure to the sun. Vitamin D was originally thought to be primarily important for bone health. Now, more research is coming out that vitamin D is not only essential to reducing risk of fractures but may also be important in reducing risk for heart disease and certain cancers. In addition, this is one case where the current RDA requirements of 200 to 400 IU each day are much lower than what might be an optimal and healthy dose of 1,000 to 2,000 IU of Vitamin D3 (the most potent form of vitamin D).
4. Omega-3 fatty acids
Our body is unable to make omega-3 fatty acids, so we MUST get these essential fats from diet or supplements. The two major types of omega 3, ALA and DHA, are important inheart health. In addition, DHA is critical for children’s brain development; it’s also important for pregnant women to take adequate amounts of DHA, and to provide it to infants and children. The recommended adult dosage is 500mg of omega 3 fatty acids each day. People eating large amounts of fatty fish, nuts and soybean or flaxseed oil may be able to get the recommended amount through diet. However, most of us will need a supplement, typically derived from fish oils. People concerned with possible toxins and heavy metals found in fish sources of omega 3 fatty acids, as well as vegetarians, can obtain all the health benefits from vegetarian supplements made from algae such as Neuromins DHA.
5. Vitamin K
This vitamin has known to be important in blood clotting. However, the latest research also found that vitamin K also plays a critical role in building bone. Women deficient in vitamin K have been linked with more fractures and lower bone density. Leafy green vegetables such as Swiss chard, kale, and spinach are good sources of vitamin K. A half-cup to 1 cup of cooked vegetables will give you all the vitamin K that you need (90 micrograms for women). However, if your daily diet doesn’t include these vegetables, you may benefit from a supplement. Most multivitamins do not include or provide adequate amounts of Vitamin K in their formulation, so make sure to check and switch to a different brand or supplement with additional vitamin K.
NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, it’s generally good to take your vitamins and other supplements with a meal. Your body is meant to recognize, digest and absorb foods and therefore by taking your supplements with meals will ensure optimal absorption of those nutrients.