KNOW YOUR HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS

To supplement, or not to supplement?  – That is the question

“Do I really need to take all these supplements?” is a question we are often asked. The answer is, “Yes.”  Unless of course you are growing your own organic vegetables and meat, eating mostly raw, unrefined food and living a stress free, chemical free life. (Or maybe you come from another planet!)

Nature has provided us with all our vitamin and mineral needs, everything we need for abundant health. It is mankind that has interfered with nature by trying to increase productivity and extend the shelf life of our foods.

We live in fast times with the intake of convenience and fast foods rising rapidly. Not only do we have less time to prepare our food, our dietary habits are very different from a few years ago. Our bodies are also facing the onslaught of more and more pollution, with the resultant increase of free radicals produced by our bodies. (These free radicals need to be neutralized by anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C and E.)

Not only are we making bad choices about what foods we should eat but the quality of food is also negatively affected in many ways:

·       Toxic chemicals are sprayed on plants and crops and animals are injected with hormones and antibiotics.

·       Food is processed and stripped of all its natural goodness before it even reaches our shelves.

·       Cooking and cooking at very high temperatures destroys nutrients in the food.

·       Foods are only as good as the soil they are grown in.

Other reasons to consider supplementing your diet are if:

·       You don’t eat the recommended five servings of fruits and/or vegetables every day.

·       You are following a low kilojoule diet.

·       You are a smoker (you will need more Vitamin C than a non-smoker).

·       You are ill or recovering from illness.

·       You follow a strict vegetarian diet - you may need to take certain B-vitamins and iron.

·       You are taking allopathic medicine (drugs/medication) as these may interfere with the absorption of

       certain nutrients.

·       You lead a very stressed lifestyle.

·       You are doing strenuous exercising.

Our bodies provide us with clues as to what we might be lacking or doing wrong long before chronic illness sets in. If we suffer from recurring mouth ulcers we know we need extra Vitamins B & C. Leg cramps means we are lacking Calcium and Magnesium and may also have poor circulation. If we feel tired all the time we need to find out why we feel this way. Check blood sugar levels, iron levels and sleep patterns. We need to pay attention!

..... this is an extract from the course