Nutrients are needed for the body to be healthy. And all can be obtained in the foods we eat, thus a healthy food diet is needed. But when we fail to consume some of the foods we need then vitamins and minerals may be substituted.
There are 13 vitamins, nine of which are water soluble, and four that are soluble in body fat. The fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. The water soluble vitamins are C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B12, biotin, folic acid, and pyridoxine.
A CAUTION: Vitamins can be toxic. For example, vitamin D can cause kidney damage, vitamin A may cause liver damage, and niacin can cause heart and liver problems. A further caution is that vitamin and mineral directions on bottles may be wrong for you and that could cause problems. Too much of one, or too many can also cause health problems. Also note that vitamin and mineral supplements are not regulated by the government. Thus care is needed when starting or continuing a vitamin and mineral regimen.
There are vitamins for depression, to prevent disease, for athletes and hard exercise, men and women, and children and older adults. One can find a vitamin or mineral for about any condition or situation, and though this is good in general, uncontrolled use can be dangerous for you. Thus some tips.
#1: Check with your doctor first. He may want to see what your food diet is like, so take that along. Tell him any changes in your diet, such as a deficiency in vitamin A, D, E, or K. He can then refer you to a holistic doctor or herbalist to find out what vitamins and minerals you need for your particular condition or health problem.
#2: Purchase your supplements from reputable suppliers and sources.
#3: Depending on what your doctor or nutritionist says, start or stop your supplementation at that point. You can continue to eat the foods you always have, and do well, or you may wish to do the following to avoid a deficiency:
-Stop taking large doses of the big vitamin/mineral supplement you are taking, or are allergic to. Remember, your body’s health is in your hands. -Supplement with a small amount at a time for several months to see what happens. -If you are taking thyroid hormone, do not take a thyroid pill or injection for two months straight, or a thyroid hormone supplement for six months straight or longer. If you do, your body will go into hiding the symptoms, which can become a self-perpetuating cycle and lead to a reduction in the amount of thyroid hormone you have in your bloodstream.
-If you are on a blood pressure medication or diuretics, check with your doctor to see if either one could be reducing your absorption of the nutrients you are taking.
-My dose of vitamin E was low, so I supplement with natural (d-alpha) Psyllium- fibers in my diet will also help with that, also. And I drank water with them – lots of them. Water is best, but if you can’t drink it, the next best things are diluted juices, mineral water, or half fresh grapefruit juice – juice the pulp and water in a blender, then drink up!
#4: If you REALLY want to keep healthy, start an exercise program. That means 3-5 days per week. I started at three, then five, then nine, and yes, now I’ve reached 12, at the very least. That might seem like a lot, but I’ve done it for less than ten minutes a day. And doing it this way I’ve cut out the stress of keeping up with work, getting up at 4:30, going to bed at 11:00, and coming up with new little ways to keep myself healthy that don’t involve constant mental chatter.
As for my day, it feels like forums or comment boards now. I read what people are saying, and most of the time, I agree. I haven’t felt this good in a long time. I rarely read magazines, I rarely watch TV (not a binge, I promise), and I’ve got the habit of stopping after I have something to drink. I rarely ever have cravings, and when I do, I last about a week.
In about four months, I will be completely free of all the foods that I was once dependent on. I will begin doing some deep research on myself to see what I’m doing wrong, and fix those things. And deep down, I’m pretty sure I’m not the guy that created all this crap.
