Supplements...The Good, The Bad, The Essential

Why do we take supplements? When looking at your diet, I would like you to ask yourself some questions: Am I getting all essential nutrients from the food that I eat on a daily basis? Is it possible that with the quality of food that I am eating, I am receiving enough nutrients to allow all chemical, hormonal and structural processes to take place within my body? Does my body need extra nutrients in order to give me the energy that I need to get through my day and handle all of my stresses?

Although eating a well balanced diet is necessary, in today’s world it is rare that we are getting everything that we need from the foods we eat. That is where supplements come in. It is imperative that we take a HIGH QUALITY supplement on a daily basis to ensure that our body gets the proper nutrients. High quality supplements are those that contain bio-available nutrients, meaning that our body can break them down and use them. This is not true with most supplement companies because they are not regulated. What that means is although the label states that each pill contains a specific amount of vitamins, those vitamins aren’t necessarily in each tablet and may not even be recognizable forms for your body to use.

So, how do you find the right supplement for you? There are many great brands out there as a general rule, but everyone is different. What’s right for you may not be right for anyone else. The best way to find out is through muscle testing conducted by your chiropractor. As a rule, EVERYONE needs to be on a multivitamin and an omega-3 supplement. Even children! Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid. Essential means that your body cannot make it on its own. You must either eat a diet high in omega-3’s or take supplements.

The brand of vitamin varies from person to person. Most often, the vitamins that are over-sold and over-advertised are not the best quality. When shopping for an omega-3 supplement, keep in mind that you should not have an aftertaste or burp up the flavoring of the supplement. If you do, that supplement is not right for you. Also, thoroughly read the label on children’s vitamins. Make sure that it does not contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and dyes or contain wheat, soy, corn or dairy. There are plenty of supplements out there that you and your kids will love and will probably line up to take them each morning!