Supplements are used to enhance health or progress towards a goal. They help close the gap between what we get from our diet and what we actually need.
As I am sure you are aware, there are a TON of supplements available on the market. The ones listed below are the ones that I take on a daily basis, and I do almost all Life Time supplements. They are pharmaceutical grade supplements but at a reasonable price.
If you have any questions about the supplements listed or about any other ones, just let me know!
Multivitamin
Only 3% of Americans get the necessary fruits and veggies from their diet alone. So many people lack a variety of nutritious foods in their diet, and with the demands of modern day life, we definitely need a high quality multivitamin.
The main thing to look for when looking for a high quality vitamin is that it is in a capsule form - your body will absorb that best - and non synthetic form of ingredients. Some easy ingredients to look for include: folate instead of folic acid and methylcobalamin (B-12) instead of cyanocobalamin.
My top pick is Life Time for a men's, women's, prenatal and performance. Life Time's multivitamins are an AM and PM formula giving you what you need when you need it as well as an appropriate amount for optimizing your health. There are also no fillers or poor ingredients and it is third party tested for contaminants.
Life Time offers a prenatal and performance multivitamin for a specific population. The prenatal has everything an active woman that is wanting to conceive, is pregnant or breastfeeding. The performance multivitamin is perfect for a very active individual with high performance needs.
Fish oil
Depending on where you live, you probably do not have access to freshly caught omega rich fish, and if you're like me, you're not eating a lot of fish every single week. Most of us know we need fish oil for heart and brain health, but high quality fish oil also supports your immune system and keeps inflammation low. When looking for a good quality fish oil, you want one to have 4000 mg of both EPA and DHA.
Life Time's is one of the best you can get for the price. Their fish oil, which uses sustainable and fully-traceable fishing fleets as well as a state-of-the-art omega-3 processing facility in Arica, Chile, uses an anchovy species for the fish oil source which naturally low in mercury and other environmental contaminants.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is so crucial to so many processes in our bodies. We need vitamin D to absorb calcium for bone health, regulate our neuromuscular system and support our immune system. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to so many health issues such as breast cancer and autoimmune diseases. Most people are not getting enough sun exposure - yes sun exposure is good for you; so, it can be necessary to supplement, especially in the winter months. You'll want to look for a lactose free vitamin D as it is often used to dilute vitamin D. You'll also want one with the addition of vitamin K as this enhances absorption. Again, my top choice is Life Time's for it's purity and potency.
Probiotics
The phrase "you are what you eat" is wrong.. more like "you are what you absorb." You can have a perfect diet, but if you're not absorbing everything properly, you're not getting the benefits. Digestive enzymes fall into 3 categories: proteases break down proteins and peptides into amino acids; carbohydrases to convert carbohydrates to glucose and fructose; and lipases to convert fat to fatty acids. You need all of these to effectively break down and absorb food.
Magnesium
Magnesium plays a role in over 300 functions in our body but most people are deficient. From bones to nerves to muscles, magnesium supports nearly every part of the body. The RDA for magnesium is 420 mg for men, 360 mg for women, 400 mg for pregnant or breastfeeding women, and active individuals need more than sedentary individuals. Malate, glycinate and citrate are all good forms of magnesium. Chelated form is recommended as it enhances absorption. Magnesium takes up a lot of space. So, multivitamins will not be able to hold the amount needed.
For pill form, I recommend Life Time's, but for a powder form, I recommend Mighty Magnesium from Dr. Green Mom. My code MADISON10 will save you 10%.
Collagen Protein
Modern diets tend to exclude many of the natural sources of the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline (naturally found in organ meats, skin, and connective tissue of animals). These specific amino acids are the main structural building blocks of connective tissue in our bodies. Collagen supports healthy connective tissue and can help the body recover. Look for collagen that comes from grass fed, pasture raised cows.
Life Time's collagen comes from pasture raised cows in South America and contains no artificial ingredients. It is also tested for purity, heavy metals, and contaminents.
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