What to look for in a supplement?
Our bodies are incredible machines, the greatest gift we will ever receive, but they require a bit of help from us to operate optimally. Lifestyle is everything, but looks can be deceiving. Appearing healthy on the outside does not necessarily mean we are healthy on the inside, where it really matters.
For women, avoiding nutrient deficiencies is a key part of being healthy. Recent studies found that 40% of all women are deficient in folate while 84% of post menopausal women have a magnesium deficiency.
We do our best to eat right, but with busy lifestyles, all round hectic days and limited amounts of time, that can be very difficult. The importance of nutrition and an active lifestyle has long been recognized, but why do we only focus on the nutrition of a select few, like athletes?
"40% of all women are deficient in folate and 84% of post menopausal women are deficient in magnesium."
Most Common Female Nutrient Deficiencies
- Vitamin A - Essential for reproductive health, eye function and skin health
- Folate - Important for growth and development, the creation of red blood cells and DNA
- Vitamin B12 - Key for energy generation, cardiovascular health and brain function
- Magnesium - Essential for over 300 different biochemical functions in the body
- Iodine - Important for enzyme generation, thyroid function and metabolism
- Vitamin D - Crucial for metabolism, bone health, muscle function and recovery
As mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, we are active every single day, running around with a million things to do. It’s very easy to forget that to have the energy to get through that never ending to-do list, you need to fuel the body properly. So what can we do?
Natural, quality supplementation is a great way to fill the gaps in our diet to ensure any nutrient deficiencies are addressed before they become an issue, particularly where one deficiency can lead to more. Here are a few tips to help you select a quality supplement.
Things to Look for in a Supplement
- Nutrient Form - Select only the best, natural forms of nutrients over cheap synthetic versions (e.g. look for folate as opposed to folic acid, the synthetic form).
- Nutrient Dosage - Make sure there is an adequate dose of each nutrient and don't be afraid to compare labels.
- Delivery - Find the delivery form that works best. Powders allow for quick and easy absorption without having to digest hard to swallow tablets.
- No Nasties - Keep it as clean as possible and avoid sugars, artificial anything as well as binders, fillers and bulking agents. Read the full ingredient list rather than just the nutrient table to see what you are actually consuming.
Love,
SISTERLY
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