By Joanne Levanway//
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is essential to keep your body running at its best. It is important to design a balanced diet that meets your Recommended Daily Intakes for vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
RDAs vary by one’s age and gender. Ideally, we should get everything we need from what we eat, but unfortunately 90 percent of us don’t get the basic vitamins, minerals or nutrients daily needed to thrive. Our super busy lifestyles drive us to make compromises of convenience with regard to what we eat, when we eat, and how much we eat. Many products that are marketed as “healthy” foods are filled with sugar, fat and artificial ingredients.
Fast-food sales have increased 2,000 percent over the past 30 years. One third of our total calories come from fast food, which usually is lacking in good nutrition. Your body can’t manufacture all the nutrients it needs, and since your body cannot manufacture most of these vitamins on its own, nutrients can only come from the food you eat and the supplements you take every day.
Dietary supplements help ensure that you get adequate amounts of essential nutrients and help promote optimal health if you do not consume a variety of foods. Supplements are not intended to replace a healthy diet, but work with our diet to obtain optimal health and nutrition. They work synergistically together!
The good news is that the latest research suggests you can positively influence your health every day through the lifestyle changes you make through the quality of your nutritional intake. The combination of healthy eating along with supplementation ensures you are getting the daily requirements of antioxidants, vitamins, mineral and nutrients.
When buying a brand of supplements:
- Look for the strongest scientific clinical studies on the ingredients or products.
- Look for natural ingredients on the label and avoid artificial sweeteners, flavors and preservatives.
- Look for supplements that are best absorbed for maximum benefit.
- Look for a company that focuses on safety and quality.
- Look for an unconditional money back guarantee.
In other words, how you look, feel and perform is directly affected by your daily nutritional intake. Proper nutrition and supplementation can help prevent health issues in the future. Start today and make an investment in yourself!
Joanne Levanway, R.D., L.D., is a Gulfport dietitian and wellness coach. Reach her at rightdirections@att.net.