What is a good supplement?

As some of you will know, that for the last 8 months or so I’ve been sharing with you a range of new supplement products I have had the benefit of using. I often get asked about what is the best form of supplementation and as an exercise coach what do I recommend. I was not always a big fan of supplementation. My mind set was, if your eating correctly, then why do you need to supplement your diet? Well I’ve since grown to understand that even if you are eating your healthiest best, supplementation is still beneficial.

Because of the way the majority of our foods or produced now, by the time they reach our tables to eat, they do not hold the same nutritional value as they did 20 or 30 years ago. You would need to eat about 15 of todays tomatoes to get the same lycopene as tomatoes 20 years ago because of the mineral depleted soils that many tomatoes are grown in today. One of the richest source of lycopene in the diet is tomato and tomato derived products (purees and real sauces) Lycopene is a antioxidant strongly associated with helping to reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer.

Since I started using some of the Touchstone essential products, I’ve noticed a big improvement in my health. My skin texture has improved, my mental clarity is much more consistent and my energy levels have been boosted. I’ve even got my girlfriend using them and she has felt the benefits too!

I’m not writing this post try give you the hard or soft sell, but I am writing it to share with you what I believe to be a good product and what you should look for when choosing a multivitamin or any form of supplementation.

Weather you are a marathon runner or a new mum, if you are trying to shed some weight or build muscle, the use of a good supplement will offer you huge benefit and will often make the difference between you reaching your particular health goals and not.

Here’s what to look for when choosing a good supplement…..    

1. A good Multivitamin or supplement should have a complete complex of vitamin E (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-), not just alpha tocopherol.  (a class of chemical compounds of which many have vitamin E activity)

2. Multi-vitamins & supplement’s should not contain any form of sugar. This is often used to fill out the tablet or tastes a certain way.

3. Contain a full complement of B-vitamins.

4. It should not have binders, artificial colours, or fillers try to always use capsules instead of tablets. This will help make it easier for your body to actual absorb and use the supplement contents

5. They should contain some real vitamin A instead of just beta-carotene. Too much beta carotene can have adverse effects.

When choosing a source of supplement, try the to avoid the vitamins that have lots of extra ingredients that sound like industrial chemicals or contain different forms of sugar.  The following ingredients are found in many over the counter multivitamins & supplements:   sodium aluminosilicate, maltodextrin, sucrose, BHT, cupric sulfate, crospovidone, FD&C yellow no.6 aluminum lake, gelatin, folic acid, hypromellose and hydrogenated palm oil, propylene glycol (PG), polyethylene glycol PEG, high fructose corn syrup, which are ingredient that are not the best for your health.

If you’d like to find a good source of supplementation just have a look here.

Committed to your health

Mike