What are healthy supplements? What does healthy supplementation imply? Let's answer these and other questions about taking supplements below!
Healthy supplements can help complete a fit and healthy lifestyle. Now, the word ‘supplement’ is quite deliberate here, as they are not substitutes, and will never be so. It’s not as if a terrible diet with great supplementation is going to be on the same level as a balanced, healthy diet with no supplementation.
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That said, a balanced, healthy diet with supplementation can be an optimized approach to take. In addition, supplements can help you with a range of aims. For instance, during winter, a lack of sunlight will mean that Vitamin D is important to take, so our levels of this essential hormone are properly met and regulated.
Supplements can also be taken for temporary pursuits. Think of the weightlifter bringing in whey protein isolate into their diet so they can easily enjoy protein while exercising and building muscle over the years. They may also take BCAA’s, also known as branch-chain amino acids, known to provide the building blocks of muscle growth.
If you hope to supplement, it’s important to do so healthily and effectively. Here’s how to do so:
Make Sure Your Needs Are Properly Considered
Don’t just take a supplement because it seems like a healthy measure of a fit and healthy lifestyle. It’s important to make sure that each product you use has a purpose, even if you take fairly basic items.
For example, it might be that you’re getting older, so taking Omega 3 tablets can help you improve your heart, skin, and joint health. Vitamin D can serve the previously discussed purpose. It might be that you’re looking for a means to relax even, and so valerian root, with its light anti-anxiety effects, can be a nice herbal remedy, or Delta 8 THC Vape carts may serve a similar purpose.
Be Careful Of Big Box Stores
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with big-box retailers selling own-brand supplements, as many are stringently inspected during federal review, especially if they’re a well-known chain. That said, the individuals working for these companies, while only trying to do their jobs, have been specifically instructed to upsell as much as possible. Furthermore, supplements aren’t cheap.
As such, it’s good to do your research beforehand to know exactly what you wish to buy, and then go to buy it, rather than coming away with four bottles of tablets to be taken daily. Many people often supplement in order to help gain more nutrients than their daily diet provides, but supplements aren’t cheap, so spending that money on healthy and nutritious food should always be the first port of call.
Do Research
It’s very easy to claim that certain ingredients are great for everything, but there is no panacea. Of course, certain plants most definitely do have helpful properties - for instance, no one is going to suggest that aloe vera isn’t helpful for overall skin health and even in treating certain skin conditions.
That said, you need to be careful of who is making certain claims, if it’s backed by science, or if the jury is currently out on it. For instance, it seems as though CBD products can be very valuable in helping with anxiety and certainly with issues like epilepsy, but some retailers suggest that it can cure almost any ill you have, which of course, is not true.
It’s utterly understandable as to why someone may wish to look to alternative medicines in order to avoid pharmaceutical drugs, but it’s important that you’re not neglecting vital care because of that, or allowing bold and questionable claims to pivot your entire thinking about a potential intake.
The Right Dosage
It’s important to consider the right dosage measures for each supplement you have. Of course, following the manufacturer's guidelines are important. But it’s also important to consider if those are actually accurate. For instance, a ‘super high strength’ zinc supplement may actually suggest you take more than you need when half a tablet gives you the correct mg intake you may be looking for.
In some cases, your personal dietary needs can differ. Vitamin D is known to be fat-soluble, which is why it’s often recommended that those who are overweight or obese take more than recommended in order to make use of this vital hormone. So for instance, instead of 2,000 IU, they might take 3,000 or 3,500. Make sure to have your levels checked and always get the opinion of a medical professional before you apply anything we’ve suggested. Also, be careful about the advice you read online in general because it’s not always validated or verified by experts.
Your Diet May Require Further Supplementation
Depending on what diet you follow, supplements may be a core component you need to get right. For instance, vegans are known to supplement B12 in order to gain the nutrients that they may miss out on from animal products, and that doesn’t invalidate their diet at all, it just means a better, animal-free means of acquiring that is how they choose to go about it.
Luckily, many supplements are entirely vegan and will be listed as such, so you don’t have to worry if this is a sticking point.
Never Use Supplements As A Crutch
Supplements are optional. Unless specifically directed by a nutritionist or your general doctor, it’s important to realize that you don’t ‘have’ to enjoy supplements, nor should you abuse them. After all, they’re not always cheap. It’s best to take only a few well-sourced basics, like a fiber supplement, an iron supplement, or a multivitamin than it is to take on too many at once.
Also, remember that over-supplementation is more than possible, so make sure not to overdo it. Too much Vitamin D can lead to kidney problems, for example, and the last thing you need is to suffer from kidney stones.
With this advice, we hope you can understand how healthy supplementation is a worthwhile benefit to healthy living, and how to keep up with it over time!
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