Check with your doctor and get your blood work up to see if you are in need of extra nutrients that you could receive by adding a daily pill.
Keep in mind that as we age, our body needs different or more of certain nutrients. Doctors usually recommend that women increase their intake of calcium for example. Doing a complete blood work-up and physical with your doctor should always be the first step.
Multi-vitamins are a good starting point. Do not exceed the recommended dosage. Make sure that you choose a multi-vitamin that is age appropriate. We have to face the fact that as we age, our bodies need different, or more of certain vitamins.
I am a firm believer that healthy supplements need to be included in every woman’s diet plan. As we get older our schedule becomes more complicated and we need to deal with stress, busy life demands, and various other problems that can appear. Taking a vitamin is just another part of our journey to stay healthy.
So what vitamins should we take? Again, besides your normal multi-vitamin, start with your personal doctor. A blood work-up with give you the starting platform to run from. How would you know what to take if you didn't have any idea of what your are lacking? Be sure that the multi-vitamin you choose is specific for women, they are different!
So what are some general needs that you may need:
Let's start with Folic Acid, one vitamin that is highly important, especially in pre-natal care and 3 months after getting pregnant. Women should take somewhere around 500 mcg of folic acid daily in order to reduce the risk of heart disease, depression, cancer and memory loss.
Next is Vitamin D (Calcium) This is a must for women! Women lose calcium every day and need to replace it regularly. If you are not good about making sure to include calcium rich foods in your diet, then be sure to supplement with this vitamin. If you exercise, you use up even more calcium and put more stress on your bones, so it’s especially important to watch your calcium intake. As we age, our doctors will warn us about Osteoporosis which is especially common during the pre- and post-menopausal years. This is a bone disease that causes our bones to become extremely weak and break easily. If you start now and take in the correct amounts of calcium your body needs, you won't need to worry about this problem. Studies recommend that women under the age of 50 need at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day to protect their bones. Women over the age of 50 need to increase their intake to 1,200 milligrams daily. Did you know that one hour of sunlight can give you your daily recommended allowance of vitamin D, since the skin manufactures vitamin D from the rays of the sun. Good reason to get out when the weather is nice!
Next lets talk about Vitamin E. Did you know that vitamin E helps fight cancer and disease? This important nutrient is found naturally in all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you are like me, and realize you don't get enough of these food groups, then make sure this is part of your supplement programs. Research from Harvard University has also suggested that taking vitamin E supplements may reduce your risk of developing heart disease – the #1 killer of women in America. Women need at least 8 milligrams or 12 IUs of vitamin E every day to meet their base nutritional requirements.
Next suggestion is Iron. Always, always, always check your multi vitamin to make sure it has Iron. You will be suprised to notice how many don't. Women can lose up to 1 milligram of iron for each day of bleeding during their period, which makes supplementation essential! Too little iron inyour diet can cause iron-deficiency anemia, which can zap your energy. This does not help you feel energized to keep up with your workouts! You can get tons of Iron from liver...(ugh), as for me I will stick with my Iron supplement, hahaha. Iron is a mineral that can be very dangerous when taken in toxic amounts, and it isn’t that difficult to take too much if you take a variety of supplements. So be sure to talk with your doctor about what your dosage should be. If you regularly eat red meat, you may not need an iron supplement since it could raise your already plentiful iron levels to a dangerous level.If you don’t want to take an iron supplement, eat iron-rich foods, like red meat, legumes, dark leafy greens, and iron-fortified cereals. Women under the age of 50 need 15 mg of iron per day. Women over the age of 50 need 10 mg of iron per day. Women who are pregnant require 30 mg of iron per day.
Nutrition in Pregnancy: Folate & Vitamin B12Your caloric and nutrient needs both increase during pregnancy. Women need an extra 300 calories per day to support their growing fetus. And these calories should come from nutrient-rich foods, not Twinkies and cupcakes. Proper nutrition is extremely important during pregnancy, and the #1 nutrient you should be concerned about is folate. Folate is a b-vitamin found in foods and is called folic acid when found in supplement form. Folate plays a central role in the development of the fetus, and deficiencies can result in neural tube defects that threaten the life and well-being of the baby.
These are just a few of the supplements I personally use with my doctors recommendation. Along with eating healthy, this is a daily routine for me. Again, start with your basic multi vitamin. Take a look at that label. Does it have calcium, vitamin D, vitamin E, folic acid, vitamin B12, and maybe even iron, listed in the correct amounts? Or is your supplement lacking in one or more areas?
The primary reason that I often suggest supplements is because sometimes, you can’t get everything from your food.
When you're cutting calories (as we do when we diet), experts recommend a multivitamin.
I take a multivitamin because I am the first to admit that I do not get all my needed nutrition from meals. I am also at an age, in which extra vitamins are helpful. It helps with keeping healthy and feeling less tired.
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