Optimizing Your Health With Vitamins

When you are busy you probably don’t think too much about vitamins. You might pop in a daily multi vitamin supplement as you rush out of the house on your way to work but that’s probably as far as your thoughts on vitamins go.

Unfortunately, getting your vitamins in this way is not that good for your health and can be quite dangerous. In this article I discuss why vitamin supplements are not the way to go and explain how you can optimize your health by incorporating fresh, natural vitamins into your diet even when you are super busy.

The Benefits Of Vitamins

Natural vitamins support every single area of your body. They keep your vision healthy, help you break down food and more. The list below outlines the main benefits of each of the 13 vitamins:

Vitamin A:- Supports healthy vision and night vision.
Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6& B7:-Collectively help your body break down food.
Vitamins B9 and B12:-Collectively help your body produce the genetic information carriers DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).
Vitamin C:– Supports the production of the connective tissue collagen.
Vitamin D:-Helps the body absorb and regulate calcium and phosphorus which in turn keeps your bones strong and healthy.
Vitamin E:-Protects your body’s cells from free radicals.
Vitamin K:- Helps the blood to clot.

Vitamin Supplements

You probably think vitamin supplements are the best of both worlds. They allow you to enjoy all the benefits of vitamins without having to take time out of your day to select vitamin rich foods. However, like many things in life, there are no magic bullets when it comes to health. There are three main reasons why you shouldn’t be taking vitamin supplements:

1) Vitamin Supplements Are Not As Effective As The Real Thing:- The main reason you shouldn’t be taking vitamin supplements is that they’re simply not as effective as the real thing. Your body struggles to absorb synthetic versions of vitamins and as a result these supplements can never provide the same benefits as naturally vitamin rich foods.

2) Vitamin Supplements Can Be Toxic:- Another reason to avoid vitamin supplements is that they often contain toxic doses. Many brands contain more than ten times the recommended dosage for certain vitamins and this can lead to serious side effects. For example, getting too much vitamin A has a negative impact on your bones and makes them much more likely to break.

3) Vitamin Supplements Can Contain Dangerous Contaminants:- A final reason to avoid vitamin supplements is that they often contain dangerous contaminants. For example, this May 2010 article from the New York Times found that almost every supplement they tested contained trace amounts of contaminants and 16 of the 40 supplements contained illegally high levels of pesticide residue.

Quick & Easy Ways To Add Natural Vitamins To Your Diet

Now that you can see just how dangerous vitamin supplements are, you are probably worried about how much extra time it is going to take to incorporate natural vitamins into your diet. However, eating natural vitamins does not have to be time consuming. The list below contains a few quick and easy ways that you can add natural vitamins to your diet:

1) Smoothies:-Smoothies are an excellent way to get your vitamins when you are on the go. Simply choose a few vitamin rich fruits, blend them up in your blender and then take the vitamin rich smoothie with you so you can drink your vitamins whilst you are on the move.

2) Fruit Salads:- Fruit salads are another quick and easy way to add vitamins to your day. Simply chop up a few fruits before you go to bed, place them in a bowl, add a little fruit juice and then place them in the fridge overnight. The next morning you will have a vitamin rich fruit salad waiting for you that takes less than five minutes to eat.

3) Regular Salads:-Regular salads are just as quick and easy to prepare as fruit salads and contain similar amounts of vitamins. To make a regular salad you just need to chop up a selection of fresh vegetables, add some fresh eggs, fish or meat and then enjoy.

4) Fresh Fish & Meat:-Fresh fish and meat are another fantastic source of vitamins. So if you normally cook with processed varieties such as burgers, fish fingers, fried chicken or sausages, try cooking with fresh foods instead. They’re just as quick and easy to prepare and are a much better choice nutritionally.

5) Nuts:-Nuts are one of the quickest and easiest ways to add extra vitamins to your day. Simply keep a big bag of nuts close by and dig in whenever you feel a little peckish.

Summary

Vitamins are an essential nutrient that your body needs to survive. They have countless health benefits and ensure that your body functions properly. However, vitamin supplements are the way forward.

Even if your time is at a premium, there are still plenty of quick and easy ways to add natural vitamins to your diet. Drinking a smoothie or eating a handful of nuts takes less than a minute of your time. Eating a salad takes no longer than it would to eat your regular lunch. So stop trying to take shortcuts when it comes to your health and start including fresh, natural vitamin rich foods in your diet.

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