Kevin’s Corner on Exercise and Nutrition

Man, this is a complex, completely confusing, controversial, and diluted topic.  There are so many sides to this one that I do not think it can be measured in a three dimensional world. It is multi dimensional.

I will start off by saying that I think the best source for devising a good supplement program for yourself is with Dr Cass and Supplementing Your Prescription, regardless if you are on a prescription or not. This is a phenomenal read and the cornerstone of my nutrition plan. 

I am a big advocate for supplementing, even if you have a diet that is based in fruits, vegetables and whole foods that are supposed to be rich in vitamins and essential minerals. You would think that with a diet that makes others think you are the example of health you would not need to take a multivitamin or supplement with additional vitamins and essential minerals. However, there is more to eating well than simply eating great foods. Do you know the source of your food? Is it organic? Is it fresh? If it isn’t all of these things, how do you know that the soil that this food was grown in wasn’t enriched with petroleum based fertilizers and sprayed with petroleum based pesticides? I am reading a book called, The Omnivore’s Delemma right now and it has made me really think about where my food comes from.

So, onto my recommendations. I would recommend that you take at least the following supplements and seriously think about the source of your supplements. You get what you pay for in this category. Look for brands that carry certifications of their quality. Dr. Mercola has some really great guidance on what to look for in terms of certifications.

A good MultiVitamin
B complex with Niacin
Vitamin C - 2000 mg
Vitamin D - 1000 iu
Calcium Magnesium Zinc
Folic Acid or Folate
Omega - 3 Supplement - Krill Oil, Fish Oil, Flax Seed Oil
Vitamin E
Probiotic - Acidophilous

My personal belief is that supplements are an insurance policy. While I have heard a lot of arguments that you are wasting your money because any vitamin that you take too much of you ends up passing in your urine, I would rather be safe than sorry. 

I will follow up with more posts on each specific supplement and why I think each are important to your overall well being.

Thanks for reading,

Kevin