Do You Need a Vitamin?

You may have noticed over time that I have become pretty attached to supplementation. Initially I thought there was no need, just eat food that is good for you. But as time went on and I did experimental trials on myself I began to see how that isn’t the way to be optimal. Here is just one example: my ideal daily vitamin D may be 3000 I.U. I could sit outside each afternoon with skin exposed for about 30 minutes and then I would be able to achieve optimal absorption. My cells could function with the exact amount that they need to do all of the processes they want to do (which is literally hundreds of thousands). But unfortunately, I have to work indoors. All day. Then what? There is also research to show that when over weight or obese, your absorption of vitamin D from the sunshine is much reduced, and not to mention it's not always warm enough in Canada to sit outside in your swimmers each day! Vitamin D is a special case because it is near impossible to obtain from food, but if I supplement with my optimal dose I can at least ensure that my body has received what it needs to processes as much as possible until my next chance to go outside. Same story for all of the ESSENTIAL (which means necessary to ingest) vitamins and minerals. Sadly vitamins are becoming more difficult to extract from food, partially because the mass production of food is becoming more and more deficient compared to what it was even in the 50’s and partially because the pesticides and toxins are preventing our bodies from absorbing them. It is also important to consider that our food is so clean that there are hardly any of the essential minerals and good bacteria left on them (but of course we need to clean them thoroughly because we don't know where most of our food has been, and who's hands have touched it). If you have your own organic garden I highly recommend rinsing your fruits and veggies (spiders are not essential) but no need to scrub them down with harsh soaps or chemicals! So why supplement? To ensure you reach minimum standards. No, it’s not necessary, you CAN live without. A tree can also live on pavement. But it does so much better in lush nutrient rich soil. Humans have the same story. Give your body what it needs to be optimal and that’s what you will be. Give it what it needs to survive and that’s what will happen, you will survive. You may not sleep well, you may not feel energetic daily, and you will eventually be faced with illness- whether it be a cold, or a real disease. I will not say that disease is 100% preventable, but there is surely a role that our nutrition plays in it. Really, it’s up to you. You can decide how you want to live and feel. You can use the best of food, or the ultimate in supplements, but when you blend both you see optimal results. If you believe that food is the answer, I love that you feel that way, and I am sad that I feel it isn’t completely that way any more. But you CAN attempt that with proper meats, veggies, fruits, and nuts & seeds. You need to be sure you eat liver from healthy animals and fats from both plant and animals sources frequently, and you should make sure you are eating plenty of food each day to cover your minimum requirements. Otherwise grab your high quality independently assessed vitamins and at least feel some assurance that you have taken one step closer to being optimal.

I have linked here my page for Usana Health Sciences. I know and trust their products and am comfortable offering them to you. I do make a commission so you should know that, and I appreciate your purchase greatly! I also have access to Douglas Labs and Thorne Research which I use for more specific things at times and we can look at what you might need in an in-office visit if interested.

Of course this topic is controversial and some believe strongly one way or the other! This is just my knowledge of the subject and everyone has the right to their opinion. Thank you for listening and I hope I have helped in some way :)
Erica

---