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Are You Taking the Right Vitamins and Nutrients?
Special to The Truth
If you eat a healthful
diet, you may think you’re in the clear when it comes to
supplying your body with vital nutrients. But some experts
say that even the most well-rounded meal plans fall short.
“To get the amount of
nutrients you need to thrive, you can’t rely on food alone.
You really have to turn to dietary supplements,” says
Michael A. Smith M.D., host of “Healthy Talk” on RadioMD.com
and senior health scientist with Life Extension in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida.
If you’ve ever walked
through the supplement section of a natural foods store or
done a quick search online, you know it can be easy to
become overwhelmed by the choices. Making matters more
confusing, everyone has different nutritional needs.
“With the exception of a
few foundational nutrients, there’s no such thing as a
one-size-fits-all supplement regimen,” says Smith, whose new
book and educational tool, “The Supplement Pyramid,” seeks
to help readers design a nutritional regimen that meets
their unique needs. “Like food, it’s helpful to think of
your supplement needs in a tiered pyramid structure: the
foundational supplements we all need, personalized
supplements based on your needs and optimal supplements for
living healthier, longer.”
Smith is offering
guidelines for getting started:
• Bootleg products on the
market can do more harm than good. Invest in high-quality
nutritional supplements. Stick with a company that has an
established track record of using only pure, potent raw
materials.
• There are essential
foundational supplements that should build the base of most
people’s plans, no matter what their unique needs are, Smith
says. These include an ideally dosed multivitamin/mineral,
omega-3 fatty acids, coenzyme Q10 (as ubiquinol) and
probiotics. Check with your doctor before starting a
supplement regimen.
• Everybody has their own
personal medical history and health needs. With
do-it-yourself detective work, you can arm yourself with the
facts you need to personalize your supplement plan for
disease prevention.
Beyond taking a personal
and family medical inventory, certain laboratory tests can
help you discover out what’s going on inside your body.
Additionally, “The Supplement Pyramid” contains a series of
medical quizzes based on clinical risk assessments in
different areas including heart health, cognitive function
and immune strength.
• After providing your
body with core, foundational nutrients for survival and
custom-tailored supplements to help prevent disease,
consider optimizing your supplemental regimen with
“anti-aging supplements” such as antioxidants, proteins and
amino acids. These supplements form the top of your pyramid,
and if you need to cut back on expenses, should be the first
to go.
Getting started is simple.
And the sooner you do, the faster you can begin properly
nourishing and protecting your body from health risks.
For free tools to build
your personal supplement regimen and for more information
about Smith’s new book, visit www.MySupplementPyramid.com
or call 1-855-870-0687.
Even if you juice every
morning and hit the salad bar at lunch every afternoon,
don’t be lulled into nutritional complacency. By learning
more about your body’s needs, you can live a longer,
healthier, happier life.
Courtesy StatePoint
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