A Word on Supplements

Okay, I’m not big on supplements, but there are two that I take every day and recommend to anyone who is on a calorie restricted diet. The first is a daily Multi-Vitamin and the second Essential Lipids, or Omega 3-6-9 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). Here are my thoughts on those, and what I’ve been taking.

A Daily Multi-Vitamin is Good Insurance

Consider this an insurance policy against vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Especially when you are on a calorie restrictive diet this is important. We tend to eat many of the same foods over and over from day to day, which may not provide us with all the vitamins and minerals we need. In addition, due to commercial farming, the depletion of the nutrients in our soil, and the distance that some of our fruits and vegetables travel before consumption, many of them do not have optimal nutrient quality.

I like the liquid supplements best because they begin being absorbed in your mouth and throughout you your system. If not a liquid, a chewable vitamin is my second choice for optimal absorption, followed by a tablet or capsule. For best results, always take your vitamin supplements with a meal. There are several good quality liquid mulit’s—the one I’ve been taking the past couple of months is pictured on the left & I order it from Amazon: Tropical Oasis Women’s Multi-Vitamin.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Okay, this is why you need a supplement for EFAs—Our bodies cannot produce these lipids on their own, they have to be ingested daily. So unless you are eating salmon, or flax seed in sufficient quantities on a daily basis, a daily dose of EFA’s just makes sense. Most adults need approximately 3,000 mg daily ideally from a supplement that contains 3-6-9 Fatty Acids from a combination of plant and fish oils.Studies have shown 80% of Americans to be deficient in at least one of these essential fatty acids. Further, nearly 100% of those deficient in EFA’s are overweight or obese. EFA’s are powerful anti-oxidants. These fatty acids are essential for cell metabolism and the health of our skin and hair In addition EFA’s have been shown to decrease cholesterol, support healthy hormone secretion, increase our energy levels and improve the efficiency of our immune system. Lack of sufficient EFA’s can trigger an increase in stored body fat, elevate cholesterol and lower energy levels. The Essential Lipids are essential fats our bodies need for a variety of functions.

How to Take Your Supplements

Okay, now that you have these two basics … here are my tips on the best way to take them, and what I do.

• Take your supplements with a meal and drink at least 8 ounces of water with them.
• Be consistent by taking your supplements at the same time each day to create a habit.
• When taking your EFA’s (or Omega 3 Fatty Acids), if you are using fish oil capsules and they happen to cause indigestion, switch to flax seed oil gel caps. For the highest quality, look for a gel-cap which contains a combination of both Fish & Plant Based Oils, such as Flax Seed and Evening Primrose Oils among others.
• For optimal absorption of your multi-vitamin supplement, a high quality tablet is superior to a capsule, and a liquid multi-vitamin is superior to a tablet for absorption. I’m currently taking a daily liquid multi-vitamin, and I order it from Amazon: Tropical Oasis Women’s Multi-Vitamin.
  
  Tropical Oasis also makes a Liquid Multi-Vitamin for men.