Beyond Macronutrients and the Importance of Vitamin SupplementsWritten by Protica Research
Most healthy eaters are familiar with three macronutrients that garner most media attention within diet world: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Indeed, some highly regarded eating programs, such as Isometric Diet®, are designed to deliver an optimal balance of these three macronutrients. Yet what is often overlooked in a nutrition vocabulary dominated by talk of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, is plain fact that vitamin supplements play a critical role in an overall healthy eating program. It is a neglect that, ironically, derives from scientific misunderstanding. Until recently, scientific community firmly maintained that vitamin supplements were unnecessary and potentially even dangerous. This claim was based on a position that body’s vitamin needs could be met through diet, and that vitamin supplements are largely created from synthetic, low quality ingredients. However, evidence to contrary has emerged; or to put things more accurately, scientific community is finally accepting a new view. Clinical studies clearly show that high quality vitamin supplements can be produced from all natural sources, and that taking them can prevent serious health ailments such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer [i]. It has also been accepted that vitamin supplements help body effectively regulate how energy is utilized. In this sense, they ensure that energy delivered by macronutrients – in form of calories – is directed properly to promote growth and development [ii]. However, despite scientifically proven importance of vitamin supplements, some key concerns have been raised. Specifically, nutrition community has raised questions with respect to potential toxicity of supplements that contain “fat-soluble” vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins are not easily and swiftly eliminated by body. Instead, they are stored in organs and tissues. Over time, there can be a build-up of fat-soluble vitamins [iii], which can lead to adverse health effects such as nausea, diarrhea, unhealthy weight loss, bone density loss, and digestive tract disorders [iv]. Fortunately, to avoid this potential damage, there are vitamin and nutritional supplement products on market that offer water-soluble vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins travel smoothly through body and excess is excreted through kidneys. As such, there is little to no risk of toxic build up [v]. At same time, these water-soluble vitamin and nutritional supplements can be derived from all-natural sources. This is important to note, because, synthetic vitamins can only replicate a fraction of beneficial nutrients found in natural sources. As such, holistic positive impact that can only come from several nutrients working together cannot be reproduced synthetically [vi]. These scientific acknowledgements of value of vitamin supplements -- and accessibility of water-soluble, all-natural products -- bode well for average consumer, and especially well for dieters.
| | Personal Wellness ProgramWritten by Libby
Having a personal wellness program has become a concern for more and more people. The problem is many people do not know where to begin a wellness program. Here are a few keys to maintaining a personal wellness program:Know and understand your current health situation. Do you have a proper assessment of your current state of health? Do you have a bad cholesterol problem? Or maybe you have good cholesterol? Do you gain weight easily? Or do you have a hard time keeping weight on? Has your overall health been getting worse, stayed same or has it been getting better? Taking time out for yourself is important to your (and your family’s) well being. Do you take out personal time for yourself everyday? If you fail to support your personal wellness program with alone time you may experience burnout. Burnout can affect your personal wellness and that of your family. The results of this can have a lasting residual effect on your families’ health and wellness. Getting proper rest and sleep should be a part of your personal wellness program. Do you know how many hours of sleep you need a night? Can your body function on four hours of sleep a night? Or maybe you need eight hours? Make sure you’re getting proper amount for your personal wellness. Not having enough rest can make you susceptible to illness, irritability and lack of concentration. There are many more problems that can arise if you neglect sleep. Managing stress affectively in your life will help you maintain your personal wellness program. Do you know what stresses you out? How can you avoid that stress? If you can’t avoid certain stresses how can you better cope with stress? Find healthy ways to channel your stress so you don’t internalize it. Internalizing stress is what affects your health negatively.
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