Friday, May 28, 2010

Vitamin Smoothies to Beat the Summer Heat

Vitamin smoothies are a great way to enjoy a cold beverage and relax on a hot summer day. Smoothies are not only delicious, but they are good for you as well, providing many nutritional benefits which will improve your dietary habits. These refreshments are perfect for long car rides, picnics or to make at home to enjoy in front of the television. Some of the most popular types of smoothies include protein smoothies, energy drinks and vitamin smoothies, but it is important to know the ingredients in these drinks in order to determine which type of drink suits your lifestyle.

Protein Smoothies Protein is known as the building block for muscles and insufficient amounts of protein will make it difficult to obtain muscle mass and grow larger muscles. Protein supplements are available in powder forms and can easily be added to smoothies in order to build your muscles faster. A large container of protein will cost about $30.00.

Who Drinks Them?
Protein smoothies are great for individuals looking to build larger muscles in a short amount of time. Protein is also used for individuals looking to lose weight while maintaining strong and healthy muscles. Body-builders and weight lifters often use protein supplements.

Energy Drinks Energy drinks include stimulants, vitamins and minerals such as caffeine, guarana, taurine, ginseng and creatine. The caffeine and stimulants are the ingredients which give you the energy boost you desire. The amount of caffeine in one energy drink is usually equal to the amount used to make one cup of coffee.

Who Drinks Them?
Individuals, with busy schedules who require and extra "kick" to help them get through the day, will often use energy drinks for the uplift they need.

Vitamin Smoothies Vitamin smoothies which use pure fruit with no added sugar can have great nutritional value. Beverages such as these provide the individual with a significant amount of Vitamin B and C as well as fibers and minerals. For the healthiest form of smoothie, do not use cream, ice cream whole milk or peanut butter. For best results, used crushed ice and pure fruit juice.

Who Drinks Them?
Anyone looking to maintain a healthy diet is most likely to drink these beverages. They are a great alternative to ice cream, pop or iced tea and provide vitamins and minerals which are great for healthy living.

Now that you have become familiar with the different types of smoothies, maybe you would like to try making your own at home. Making your own smoothie is as easy as 1-2-3, literally! Read the directions below to find out at to make great-tasting smoothies in the comfort of your own home:

1. Choose the kind of fruit you want to use (strawberries, blueberries, oranges, bananas etc)
2. Blend the fruits that you chose with crushed ice (or fruit juice or yogurt) in a blender.
3. Pour into a cup and serve.

Whether you purchase them from a store or make them yourself, smoothies are an easy, healthy way to beat the summer heat and cool off on a hot summer day.

Copyright Jeff Matson - http://www.vitamin-insight.com

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Benefits

Extensive research studies show that taking vitamin and mineral supplements can potentially improve your health, protect against disease and provide you with the energy you need to live a healthy life. Although each contribute differently to your needs, vitamins and minerals work together in order to give you a balanced amount of all the components needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some of the vitamins and minerals that are essential to your overall health and why they are important:

Vitamin Supplements

Vitamin A- Vitamin A helps to maintain healthy vision, keep your skin healthy and boost your immune system. In simpler terms, this vitamin keeps your skin healthy, protects against wrinkles and acne and helps fight off infections and other unwanted diseases.

Vitamin B12- This vitamin enhances muscle strength, provides energy and helps your nerves function properly. Insufficient amounts of vitamin B12 can lead to health complications such as fatigue, weak muscles and severe depression.

Vitamin C- Vitamin C serves a number of purposes including healing wounds, boosting your immune system, protecting artery linings and preventing cataracts.

Vitamin D- Vitamin D supplements are helpful for babies who are breastfed since breastfeeding does not provide adequate amounts of this vitamin. Vitamin D has also been known to help fight osteoporosis.

Vitamin E- This vitamin is known to help protect against heart disease and some forms of cancer. It also boosts the immune system and helps in healing injuries and wounds. Some studies prove that this vitamin also helps boost the immune system of elderly people.

Vitamin K- Vitamin K strengthens bones and is known to help fight osteoporosis.

Mineral Supplements

Calcium- Calcium is known to protect bones and make them stronger, but it also helps in lowering blood pressure and preventing colon cancer and PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome). Make sure you only take the recommended amount of calcium per day. Too much calcium can increase the risk of prostate cancer in men.

Chromium- This mineral assists the hormone insulin and helps it to operate more efficiently. When the insulin is functioning at the appropriate level, your blood sugar levels are lower, which is helpful to individuals with type 2 diabetes. This mineral has also been proven to help with weight loss.

Iron- Lack of iron can cause fatigue and low energy levels. Iron deficiency is usually found in pre-menopausal women, athletes and vegetarians. Although iron helps boost your energy levels, too much of this mineral may cause heart disease and can place you at higher risks for cancer.

If you feel as though your daily diet does not provide you with adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, taking supplements can greatly improve your lifestyle and can give you the energy and the boost you need to get you through the day. Always remember that vitamin and mineral supplements are to be used in combination with food and are in no way meant as a replacement for a healthy diet.

Health-related information changes frequently and while every attempt has been made to ensure the content in this article is accurate, you should always check with a doctor or nutritional expert before undertaking any substantial changes in diet or lifestyle.

AUTHOR BIO:
Jeff Matson is an avid health enthusiast who owned and operated his own natural health food store. Now retired, Jeff spends his time keeping fit, walking marathons and writing articles as a contributing editor for http://www.vitamin-insight.com - a site that offers information on vitamins (http://www.vitamin-insight.com/), minerals (http://www.vitamin-insight.com/minerals/minerals.aspx) and other dietary supplements (http://www.vitamin-insight.com/supplements/supplements.aspx).

Copyright Jeff Matson - http://www.vitamin-insight.com

Sunday, May 16, 2010

How to Know if You Need Vitamin Supplements

Taking vitamin and mineral supplements is perhaps one of the most controversial issues regarding healthy living. The lack of vitamins in your diet can be unhealthy, but too many vitamins can also put your health in danger. So, how do you know if taking vitamin and mineral supplements is necessary for you? Ask yourself the following questions in order to determine if you may need vitamin supplementation for a healthier lifestyle:

1. Am I Stressed? If you are constantly stressed-out due to work, relationships, family or any other situation, your adrenal glands may be working overtime. This can potentially cause fatigue and headaches.

Treatment: Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin E and Vitamin C supplements can help with this problem.

2. Is My Immune System Up to Par? Do you constantly find yourself catching colds and the flu more frequently than others? You may need to boost your immune system with vitamins and minerals which provide the nutrients needed to fight these viruses.

Treatment: Vitamin C supplement, Zinc and Manganese will do the trick.

3. Do I smoke? I'm sure you're aware that this habit is unhealthy but smoking uses up vitamin C and puts you at higher risk of osteoporosis.

Treatment: Vitamin C supplements and calcium supplements will help reduce your chances of osteoporosis and provide you with the adequate amount of vitamin C.

4. Am I Pregnant? Pregnant and hormonal women often lack in vitamin B-6. If you do not receive enough of this vitamin it can be harmful to you and your baby.

Treatment: Take a vitamin B-6 supplement, but make sure not to take doses of more than 500mg per day without a Doctors recommendation.

5. Am I on a Diet? If you are on a low-carb, low-fat or any form of diet you are probably not receiving the vitamins necessary for healthy living. Individuals on diets very rarely eat foods from all the major food groups and if they do, they usually do not eat the required amounts.

Treatment: Depending on the type of diet and the foods you eat, you may require a multi-vitamin supplement or specific supplements of Vitamin A, B, C, D, E or K.

Answering yes to any of the questions above does not necessarily mean that vitamin or mineral supplements are crucial to healthy living. The situations listed above are merely a guideline to help individuals who already feel as though they are lacking the vitamins and minerals in their diets. It is important to remember that vitamin supplements are meant to accompany food and are in no way meant as a replacement for a healthy diet.

Health-related information changes frequently, and while every attempt has been made to ensure the content in this article is up to date and accurate, you should always check with a doctor or nutritional expert before undertaking any substantial change in diet or lifestyle.

Copyright Jeff Matson - http://www.vitamin-insight.com

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Multivitamins - Do I Need A Daily Complete Vitamin? How Do I Choose The Best Multivitamins?

Vitamins A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E. Should you take one of each or a one-a-day multivitamin? That?s a question which causes much confusion for the average consumer. Most people should be taking a multivitamin each and every day to ensure optimum health and to strengthen the immune system against colds, viruses, and various other common ailments. Some studies show that vitamins may help prevent certain diseases including heart disease, osteoporosis, and maybe even certain cancers. There have also been published reports showing that people who lack certain vitamins and minerals in their diets tend to age faster. More and more evidence suggests that multivitamins are a good bet for most people. You should check with your doctor first if you have any pre-existing conditions or any specific needs.
Ideally, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients should come from a well balanced diet. However, the reality is that most of us aren?t eating enough of the right foods. The American Cancer Society suggests eating five or more servings of fruit and vegetables every day to help prevent cancer over a lifetime. To prevent diabetes, the American Diabetes Association suggests including fish in your diet 2-3 times a week. Most people are falling way short of these nutritional goals due to hectic lifestyles, poor eating habits, weight loss diets, and junk food. If you are one of those people who might not eat right every single day, a multivitamin should be included in your diet as insurance and can help you get the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Who else should take a multivitamin?
Most people will benefit from a daily multivitamin, particularly pregnant women, people over the age of 50, dieters, vegetarians, and smokers. Smokers especially need their antioxidants. Cigarette smoke contain dangerous compounds called ?free radicals?. These ?free radicals? react with cells causing problems and abnormalities. Antioxidants can reduce their negative effects and greatly decrease the damage already caused by them. A good multivitamin should contain as many of the following vitamins and minerals as possible: vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and vitamin B6, zinc, selenium, and copper.
Which multivitamin should you choose?
When choosing a multivitamin, look at the label and choose one that has nutrient levels at or close to 100% of the (RDA) Recommended Daily Allowance. For most people, a typical multivitamin is sufficient. Reputable manufacturers of multivitamin supplements include Twinlab, Solgar, Country Life, Nature?s Best, and Natrol to name just a few. There are also specialty formulas out there specifically tailored for men, women, children, seniors, athletes and bodybuilders. Bodybuilders and athletes deplete the vitamin and mineral stores in their body?s through strenuous exercise and weight lifting. These vital nutrients need to be replaced for peak optimal performance.
Additional Tips:
- Not all multivitamins are created equal. If you?re unhappy with your current multi, find a formula you truly like.
- Multivitamins come in capsules, tabs, and even liquid formulas. If you have trouble swallowing capsules or tablets, you may want to give the liquid formulas a try.

- If a multivitamin upsets your stomach, try taking it with food. This usually helps.

- Do not take more than is recommended on the package. Most formulas call for ?one-a-day?.

- Calcium is especially important for women. Try and choose a formula with 100% of the RDA
Recommended Daily Allowance of calcium in each serving.

- While iron is essential to the human body, too much iron for men can be toxic and can potentially lead to heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, and liver disease. Most vitamin manufacturers make an ?iron free? formula specifically for men. Try and find a formula that contains less than 9 milligrams of iron which is the amount experts suggest should not be exceeded.

- Try not to buy ?cheap? vitamins from close-out or dollar stores. They tend to be of less quality than more trusted brands and may even be past their expiration dates.
Precautions:
- Pregnant women should always consult their primary physician before undertaking any vitamin or supplement program.
- Severe vitamin deficiencies require medical attention and should not be treated with dietary supplements.
- Various medications have the potential of interacting with your multivitamins. Again, please consult your doctor if you are taking any medication for a pre existing condition.
Remember, a multivitamin is no substitute for a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. Find a good multivitamin that is right for you, eat right, exercise often, don?t smoke, visit the doctor at least once a year and stay well.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Multivitamins With Minerals

Multivitamins with minerals can help your body function better. Find out why.
What are multivitamins with minerals and why do I need them?
These multivitamins contain minerals, which are natural-occurring substances that cannot be produced by our own bodies, and which you have to get from your (a) diet and/or (b) supplements. You may have shortage of the necessary vitamins and minerals because of a disease, poor nutrition, pregnancy, or because your body cannot absorb such substances properly. That is why you need multivitamins that have increased their potency by combining several vitamins and minerals together in one dosage.
Multivitamins with minerals are available in the forms of capsules, tablets, injections, and liquids. But, like other prescription drugs, improper use of multivitamins with minerals can also lead to ailments. Keep these pointers in mind to protect yourself:
1. DO NOT OVERDOSE. Even though supplements can be bought over-the-counter, professional advice from your doctor or an experienced herbalist is needed to determine the appropriate dose. Remember that your body requires only small amounts of these substances, especially minerals, so going overboard in its ingestion can be harmful.
2. DO NOT CHOKE. If the multivitamins with minerals you are taking is not of the chewy variety, it is imperative for you to drink a glass of water for every dose that you take.
3. MEASURE CORRECTLY. If you will be taking your supplement in its liquid state, do not guess how much you will take without the aid of proper measuring devices. Use a spoon that can measure doses, or cups that have the same function.
4. TAKE MULTIVITAMINS DURING OR AFTER EATING. Food helps absorb and transport the multivitamins you take to the cells in your body that need it most. That is why you should avoid taking such substances on an empty stomach. Better eat before you take any kind of medication or supplement.
5. INFORM YOURSELF. Keep yourself updated to the latest researches about vitamins and minerals. Some manufacturers recall their products because of side effects and other such problems, so you need to constantly update yourself. Know if the supplement you are taking is bringing you more harm than good.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

A Practical Guide on Complete Multivitamins

Many of us have a hard time deciding what the best multivitamin is for us. This is completely confusing and difficult especially when there are so many bottles to scan in the various aisles of the health food store or the supermarket. One must consider every variable ? the vitamins and minerals listed, potency, purity, safety, storage, freshness and of course, cost. How then could one take the risk of making an uninformed choice? It is always wise to have some help.
Therefore this article will serve as a guide for selecting the complete multivitamins you need. This will assist in the decisions you make when you are looking for that multivitamin for you and your family.
Remember that the daily recommended allowance for the intake of vitamins and minerals is somehow insufficient. Over the years, Americans relied on the US RDS or the Recommended Dietary Allowance to come up with a chart of how much nutritional multivitamin supplement they should intake. Generally, this can be answered by the individual who is taking the vitamins and minerals because he or she alone knows how much dosage is intended for him or her.
Standards by the RDA may have been updated throughout the years but there has been an establishment of the minimum level of the required vitamins, minerals and nutrients which an adult must take in a daily basis. This is for him to enjoy a long life because of his health.
Nutritionists and scientist believe that the recommended dosages from the RDA may not be sufficient enough in order to prevent the diseases that could combat a person?s health. In addition to this, various conducted researches have shown that the medical industry has become resistant to the recommended supplements.
It is interesting to note that the best multivitamins are those meeting the pharmaceutical standards. At the moment, there are no FDA regulations which require supplement manufacturers to comply on the standard practices while the manufacturing of the vitamins is taking place. The FDA is responsible in correcting this but ironically, there is no guarantee that the label on the bottle is what exactly is in the bottle.
The next question one must consider is whether the vitamin supplements are safe to take. Well, for one a vast majority of the ingredients in multi vitamins are safe to begin with. The case will be different if these are taken at once. The main concern though is the impact of these components when taken together.
For example, pure Vitamin A or what is known as Retinol is an essential nutrient which can become toxic once taken in large amounts. Research shows that Vitamin A is a leading cause in birth defects. But there is good news to this. A benefit of Vitamin A is realized through its alternative which is Beta Carotene. It may not have as much toxic properties but is transforms Vitamin A when needed.
Iron is another essential nutrient which most multivitamin has. However, it must also be regarded with caution despite its importance on the human body. For one, iron deficiency results to problems in the immune system like heart disease and lack of cognitive ability.
There are optimal daily intake lists that can be acquired from your doctor so you can know how much vitamins and minerals should be taken every day. Remember, the dosage varies from one person to another so it?s best that you ask for your doctor's opinion.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Multivitamins - A Quick Guide

The reason for taking a vitamin pill is because it makes up for the nutrients that are lacking in the foods we eat. Multivitamin supplements are so called because they contain several different vitamins or minerals instead of just the one. Furthermore, a multivitamin and mineral combination can provide some extra coverage in case of possible deficiencies.
The liquid multivitamin variety consists of a unique multivitamins formula which is suspended in liquid. This can be useful for people who can't or won't swallow the pills in the conventional way, maybe children or seniors.
Apparently more than 50% of Americans take a multivitamin of some sort, in the belief that it will help protect them against serious disease and other health problems. The experts in the health world are in disagreement over the usefulness of these supplements. A number of doctors and nutritionists say that a multivitamin a day is absolutely vital to maintain a healthy body, while some say that with the correct diet and exercise, there is no need for extra vitamins.
For a long time, consumers have been subjected to media advertising which asks them to believe that there is a perfect multivitamin which will suffice for all their health
supplementation needs. The expert view is that the daily amount of a good multivitamin consists of more than one pill. Research has been done which suggests that a good supplement routine includes a multivitamin supplement, extra vitamin C, flax seed oil, and also an antioxidant.
The good news is there is a lot you can do to avoid illness with the right nutrition and vitamins and this is a good place to start if you want to change your lifestyle for the better. In my opinion the best plan will always be to try and get your vitamins from your food. If this is not possible for some reason, {maybe your lifestyle or circumstances won't allow it} then I would definitely go ahead and take a daily multivitamin.
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