Sooo where should you really start?
1) Multi-vitamins
Multi-vitamins are the very foundation of your health. No matter what your goal is, I recommend taking a high quality multi-vitamin every day. Emphasis on the high quality! They contain all the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to to reproduce, grow, and simply function. Raise your hand if you don't meet your daily fruit and vegetables goal 👋 It's extremely difficult! Especially getting the variety our body needs.
Why Quality Matters
Not all multi-vitamins are created equal. In order to ensure that you are taking the highest quality vitamin it must be GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) Certified. This simply means that all of it's ingredients are true to label. Look for this certification before making your purchase:
2) Essential Nutrients
These are those super tasty fish oil supplements that we all just love burping up! Not to worry, essential oils have come a long way. There are now varieties without the fishy aftertaste and even vegan options. Fish oils are the most common essential oil supplement due to their richness in omega-3 fatty acids. There are endless benefits to omega-3 fatty acids: from heart health to lowering blood pressure, cognitive function, fighting anxiety and depression, and even weight loss aid. It's recommended that you consume 250-500mg of these omega-3's daily. The most obvious source for omegas is fish so of course if you're not a fan, an omega supplement is especially important for you.
3) Protein Protein Protein
Did I mention protein? Protein is essential for the active body. How much protein do you actually need? There are varying numbers out there, but most studies agree that at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for a sedentary person. However, for those of us that are active on a daily basis, this number needs to be a lot higher. Why? Working out literally tears and breaks down your muscle so that it can rebuild stronger. Consuming protein, especially post workout, is essential for proper muscle repair, which will result in faster recovery, reduced soreness, and optimal results. If you have a tool to measure your lean body mass (weight minus body fat), the equivalent to this number in grams is usually the recommended protein intake for active individuals.
