Fabulous 5
“I'd say I'm a pretty healthy person. I feel good, I work out a few days a week, I eat pretty clean. My lifestyle is busy and I'm always moving. I'm not really one of “those people” that need a lot of help with the fitness portion of my life. I've got it largely under control.”
Does that sound like you? If so, then great! I'm ecstatic that you're doing so well nutritionally and physically! Good health is a major asset, and it sounds like you've got it in the bank! The investment in your health seems to be really paying off. Occasionally I get to tell people to keep doing what they're doing, and by all means, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. If you feel good, stress is manageable, energy is consistent, your workouts are satisfying and your day-to-day diet is meeting all your nutritional needs, then I have nothing but congratulations to offer you. Job well done!
I'd like to do a quick assessment with you to help make sure you're getting the best returns possible on the investment you've made into your health. Sometimes, it's easier to really figure out where you stand if you have a little checklist to go through. I use what I call, “The Fab 5” to ensure that all areas of health are operating at peak performance.
Everyone and their dog takes a multi, right? Like, sometimes dogs literally take multivitamins. Joking aside, we have gaps in our American diets that generally require supplementation from a multi. If you're not currently taking one, I suggest PhytoMulti. This is a high-quality multivitamin that actually contains the ingredients and doses listed. No fillers here.
We've been harassed since childhood to eat our fruits and veggies. We still try to. The wonderful thing about fruits and veggies is that they're pretty convenient and easy to incorporate into every diet. The bad thing, is that it takes A LOT of them to meet our nutritional needs. Using a supplement to ensure you're getting them all in is just as easy. I recommend NutriDyn Fruits and Greens.
I know we've covered probiotics already, but I have to say it again. Gut health is pivotal. Your gut health can affect everything from your mood to your immune system. Let's keep that puppy running smoothly. HERE is the gut health article. For a general probiotic, I recommend Ultraflora Balance.
Unless your diet consists of a lot of fatty fish, you're like not getting enough Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. These acids are essential for managing inflammation, and can help prevent depression, memory loss, and even brain fog. Since most people don't consume nearly enough sources of these necessary acids, supplementation is vital. I suggest Omegagenics EPA-DHA 720. Not only are the fish carefully monitored for mercury and other issues, but it's the purest formula on the market today.
Lack of vitamin D is a serious epidemic in our country. Deficiency of this crucial vitamin has been linked to various cancers, heart disease, weight gain, and chronic pain. It's known best for it's necessity for solid bone health and it's relationship to the sun. Because most people are sadly deficient in this big time vitamin, I always point them to D3 5000.
I know that this may appear to be an overwhelming list. “That's a lot of stuff to buy”, you might say. And I would agree. But I can't advise otherwise, and here's why: The North American diet (everything from how food is grown, to how it's processed) and general lifestyle, is just not what it used to be. One would have to live by the ocean (which isn't what it used to be, either), grow their own fruits and veggies, raise their own chickens and beef, and have no life other than tending to their dietary needs to make life work without supplementation. Even then, they'd STILL probably need to supplement their probiotic and wolf down all those fruits and veggies every day to achieve the same results.
So this is my blanket suggestion: These 5. These fabulous 5 allow you to be proactive with your health and utilize quality supplementation with little to no side effects. The other option is to be reactive with your health and use pharmaceutical medicine with awful potential side effects when those days come. To be at your very best, I suggest nothing but the best to you. Always.
Thank you for investing in your health.
Joseph Champa, RD, CSCS