Sunday, April 3, 2011

What Daily Supplements Are You Taking?


Since the beginning of my slow-carb diet, which I started back in December of 2010, people have repeatedly expressed an interest in the type of supplements I take. In this article, I'd like to provide an answer to the question.

Multivitamins
Ever since I was a kid, I can remember taking some form of multivitamin for daily health. One of the easiest forms to swallow came in a chewable tablet. The most memorable characters of my day were the Flintstone's.

As I grew older, my mother introduced the horse pill, which was formally known as Amway Nutrilite. I recall sitting at the breakfast table with my head turned toward the ceiling trying to trick my throat into swallowing.

Today, I follow my parent's lead and continue to supplement my meals with a good multivitamin. My favorite is GNC's Mega Man Sport, but when I can't part with $50, I'll go with a much cheaper solution, One-A-Day Men's Health Formula.

The reason I take multivitamins is to fill in the nutritional gaps, especially while dieting. As of late, I eat protein (chicken, eggs, beef, or fish), slow-carb veggie (mainly broccoli), and fat (butter, olive oil, etc.). While this is great for losing weight, I recognize that I'm not eating a wide variety of foods, which would help provide essential vitamins and nutrients.

Omega Fatty Acid
When I hear "Omega Fatty Acid," I immediately think of salmon. However, to my surprise, Omega 3, 6, and 9 are actually much more valuable to my health than I originally thought.

It was during a doctor's visit a few years ago that I learned of my elevated cholesterol. The numbers were not horrible, but they could have been better. To help correct the issue, my doctor advised that I take fish oil pills daily. As a result of taking Spring Valley's Fish, Flaxseed, and Borage Oil - Omega 3, 6, 9, my cholesterol numbers fell back into the normal range.

Additional benefits of Omega Fatty Acids include healthier skin, hair, and nails. For someone with a mild case of eczema, it helps keep my skin from drying out.

Supplements and Weight Loss
As of this article, I'm not sure if there is a relationship between the aforementioned supplements and my recent weight loss. With a conscious effort to take my supplements daily, I found that I have lost a surprising amount of inches from around my stomach, waist, hips, and thighs in the past 7 days.

Dr. Liz Miller offers this explanation, "Omega-3 fatty acids in the fish oil activates the enzymes responsible for burning fat, and combined with exercise and increased oxygen intake, they increase the metabolic rate, which has an effect of burning more fat and losing weight."

Feedback
Well, there you have it. Now you know what I'm taking, but what about you? What supplements are you taking, and why? What benefits are you receiving? How has it helped you during your slow-carb or low-carb diet? What recommendations would you give? Please, leave me a comment in the section below.

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Damond L. Nollan, M.B.A.

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