What are the best Supplements?

With all of the supplement choices out there, how are you supposed to know what to choose?  Do you go for the most expensive?  Least expensive?

Do you choose a brand you are familiar with?  Or something your doctor recommends?

Do you buy them from the grocery store?  Or a specialty health store?  Organic?  Natural?  Etc.

You may have all these questions and a lot more.  So, how do you know what the answers are?  How do you know what the best supplements are?  There isn’t any one answer to this, but here is my favorite brand.

Nutrilite

About 5 years ago, I was introduced to the Nutrilite brand of supplements.  They are a premium, high quality supplement company that has been around since1934.  The founder is Carl Rehnborg, who first became curious about the connection between health and foods in the 1920′s when he was living in China.  The rest is history, as they say.  The Nutrilite site has a wealth of information about the history and other aspects of the business.

Nutrilite Farming

What I love about Nutrilite is the way that the supplements are made.  Nutrilite actually have their own chemical-free farms, where they grow and harvest plants from which they produce supplements.  This means that the amount of time between when the plants are harvested and when they are dehydrated and turned into the final product is very short, showing us the freshness of what goes in to the final product.  No other supplements are grown, harvested, processed, and shipped in the way that Nutrilite does it.

Here is an excerpt from their website:

Nutrilite – We Never Compromise on Quality

At the NUTRILITE™ manufacturing facility, our standards of quality in manufacturing are as much a part of our company culture as our natural farming practices. Clean rooms and well-cared-for equipment are one measure of excellence; another is the level of expertise demonstrated by Nutrilite staff throughout the manufacturing process.

• Plants are harvested at their nutritional peak and transported as quickly as possible to our dehydration facility.
• The concentration process uses specialized equipment in a state-of-the-art facility to dehydrate, mill, and extract nature’s richest nutrients from the plants – creating the world’s finest nutritional concentrates.
• Each batch of concentrate powder is tested to ensure it is free of contaminants and of proper potency.
• Computer-controlled scales measure the exact weight and amount of each concentrate powder.
• The various powders are then blended into a single, uniform mixture.
• The powder blend is compressed into tablets, coated with a special solution for easier swallowing, and inspected closely for cracks or chips.
• Finished tablets are sealed in specially-designed containers to maintain freshness.

Another unique thing about Nutrilite is the use of Acerola cherries.   These cherries are one of the richest sources of vitamin C and I doubt many other supplement companies can boast the use of this fruit in their products.

Now, Nutrilite is definitely not the cheapest supplement brand, but I have stayed loyal since being introduced to it because of the quality.  I love the fact that the products are made from FOOD rather than chemicals.  That is awesome!  And while lots of other supplement brands fail consumer quality checks (to make sure the products contain the levels of nutrients that they claim to contain – see www.consumerlab.com), Nutrilite stands strong.  So, you are getting what they tell you you’re getting.

I could say a hundred more great things about Nutrilite, but I’ll leave it at that.   If you’re ready to give them a try, click here for prices and ordering information.

To your health,

Kimberly

How can CLA help your weight loss?

CLA, which is conjugated linoleic acid, is something you may or may not have heard of before.  It is a slightly altered form of linoleic acid, which is an essential fatty acid.  CLA is naturally occurring in dairy products, beef, and eggs.

Why am I mentioning it?  CLA has been shown to help you lose a little bit more body fat that you would without it.    Here is an article from Prevention magazine talking about a study done on CLA.  I don’t like the fact that it refers to it as a “diet pill” because it isn’t, but the study is interesting.   Read here.

I have been a CLA user for a few years now.  I really recommend it because I’ve seen the results.  Alongside a healthy diet and some exercise, CLA did help me lose more body fat with it than without it.  It won’t be as much extra fat loss as you will get taking crazy heart racing diet pills, but this is actually something that is natural!  It just provides that extra help to keep you motivated and keep you fitting in those skinny jeans (or whatever the man equivalent might be.)

If you do decide to use it, be patient.  It will not make you lose weight in 2 weeks, but rather over a number of months.

To your health,

Kimberly

Top 3 benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is the supplement that I make sure never to run out of.  I depend on it everyday to keep myself healthy and free of all the nasty colds/flus that are going around.  I think most people out there know that vitamin C is good for us, but what exactly are the benefits?

1. Antioxidant – Vit C acts as an antioxidant. It fights free radicals in the body.  This helps protect our cells from damage, both internally and externally, which in turn helps protect against cancer or other diseases.

2. Boosts the immune system – Vit C helps the body fight off anything that tries to attack the system.  It can help stop colds/flus, or if you’ve already got a bug, it helps make the symptoms go away much more quickly.  I’ve even heard that by taking vitamin C before being exposed to smoke,  you can help your body fight off whatever damage the smoke might cause.

3. Collagen – Vit C is an important part of collagen production (you know, the stuff that we lose as we get older which makes us look years beyond our real age!)  Therefore, by taking vitamin c, we are helping our skin stay plump and young looking. We also help our skin heal faster after wounds or surgery.

Where do we get Vitamin C?

Humans do not produce vitamin C (unlike other mammals) so we need to get it both through diet and supplements.  We all know citrus fruits, like oranges, have vitamin C, but where else can we get it?

In fact, many fruits and vegetables have vitamin C, but some of the top choices are:

Strawberries, Red Peppers, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Spinach, Kiwi, and the number 1 choice is Acerola Cherries

How much Vitamin C should I take?

I know the recommended daily allowance (RDA) in the US is 60mg per day, but I don’t think that is nearly enough!  I take 250mg per day in a supplement, plus whatever I’m getting from my food.  If I’m feeling a cold coming on, I take about 1000mg per day.   The thing about vitamin C is that whatever your body doesn’t use, it gets rid of.

I actually met a nutritionist once who said that he takes 1000mg every hour if he is feeling a cold coming on!  And he did that every hour until he knew the germs were flushed from his body.

It is important to keep up your water intake, as I’ve found vitamin C to be dehydrating in large doses.

Should I supplement?

I think supplementation is a decision for each individual person, however, with many of our fruits and vegetables traveling long distances before they actually reach our plates, you just can’t depend on your diet to give you all of the essential vitamins and minerals.  I’ve been a vitamin taker forever, so I highly recommend it.

With vitamin C, it does deteriorate fairly quickly after a fruit/vegetable has been harvested.  So…I say, yes, supplement!  As always, though, make sure to find a good quality, natural supplement.  There are many out there that are purely chemical based, so try to avoid this.

Check out a few brands here:  www.nutritionsupplements4u.com.

To your health,

Kimberly

Top 5 Reasons to consume Wheat Grass

Wheat and/or Barley Grass have so many benefits, the list could go on for awhile.  Here are the Top 5 reasons you should make it a part of your daily life.

1) Natural detox and healer – Wheat grass and barley grass have high contents of chlorophyll.  This is the basis of all plant life and can stop the growth of bad bacteria.  It actually neutralises toxins, thus acting as a natural detoxification tool.  Because of this, it is touted as a great healer.

b) Vitamins and Minerals – There is a very high concentration of vitamins and minerals in these grasses.  I’ve heard statistics saying that wheat/barley grass contains a level of nutrients up to 30 times higher than that you would get from eating a normal day’s worth of vegetables.  That is pretty high!  In fact, it is probably physically impossible to consume enough vegetables in a day to match this.

c) Energy like you wouldn’t believe – Because of the great nutrients that your body absorbs from these grasses, your energy levels will sore.

d) Natural (and naturally gluten free) – Wheat and barley grass are a 100% natural way to get nutrients, and they are naturally gluten free.  These days, we all have enough unnatural temptations around us.  Isn’t it great to have something simple that is totally natural, easy to consume, and natural?  I think so.  Just make sure to check labels when you buy it – sometimes manufacturers try to sneak things in.

e)  Fountain of youth – These grasses have essential enzymes, which help repair damage to your body.  Effectively, this helps prevent and possibly reverse premature aging!  Isn’t this what many of us strive for? Including wheat or barley grass in your diet can be a huge help.

Why not give it a try?  It does take a bit of getting used to, but you do feel amazing after only a couple of days.

To your health,

Kimberly

Mighty Magnesium

This is just a quick post following the theme of my detox diet post that I did earlier today.

Another way to help yourself from feeling sluggish is to ensure you are getting enough Magnesium.  One of the powers of Magnesium is to keep your muscles strong and according to an article on www.realage.com, most people do not get enough of it.

Here are some foods rich in magnesium:

broccoli, spinach (in fact many green vegetables), peanuts, avocado and halibut.

Or, alternatively, you can always take a supplement to up your intake of magnesium…and lots of other vitamins and minerals.  I’m a huge fan of good quality supplements taken along side a healthy diet.

Check out a few brands here:  www.nutritionsupplements4u.com

Here’s to your health.

Kimberly

Maximuscle Promax protein powder – should I use it?

I started using this product about a year ago and really like it.  I chose it based on a recommendation from my partner, but didn’t know anything about it.

It is an excellent source of protein in your diet (not just for people wanting to bulk up their muscles) and tastes delicious!  It has even helped me to grow fingernails – something I’ve never been able to do.  If you get a free shaker with your order it makes it super easy to mix a drink at home and take it on the go with you. Great for a mid morning pick me up!  And it is one of the few protein powders that does not upset my stomach.

It is available at quite a few places now, but I have found the best deal on the Maximuscle site itself because they offer a buy 3 get 1 free deal.   You will need to think about storage for the three spare containers before you open them, but I think it is worth the price difference!

I’ve tried all the flavours except Banana and have enjoyed all.  Chocolate is still my favourite though