Hey POPsters!!!
So I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding multivitamins, dietary supplements, and whether I take them or whether or not you should take them.
As you know, my philosophy on diet is this: the nutrients you need to sustain a healthy lifestyle and well-nourished, balanced diet should come from whole, natural foods. It is obviously the best to eat less processed things – local, organic, and fresh is the finest you can do for your body.
However, the reason why the health food business is booming right now is because a lot of people just don’t have the time to grow and cook their own food. In fact, MOST people will end up being deficient in certain vitamins and minerals because the average American does not eat clean. At all. Think hamburgers, fries, ice cream, pasta, cookies, soda, muffins, etc…on the daily! Eek. So multivitamins are not a bad idea. Just don’t think it cancels out bad food by any means. It is a SUPPLEMENT not a SUBSTITUTION.
I think you POPsters are quite superior in your knowledge of health and fitness (the fact that you’re following this blog indicates that), so I don’t need to preach clean eating – however, I do want you to be aware of the value that these vitamins provide.
- Vitamin A: You need it for healthy bones, vision and cell function. It makes white blood cells that helps your body ward off infections and promotes nice hair and skin.
- Source: Organ meats, milk, fortified cereals, cheese, eggs, carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes.
- B Vitamins: You need it to convert food to energy, make healthy red blood cell, reduce the heart disease risk, reduce or even eliminate PMS symptoms, reduce or eliminate anemia, minimize or even eliminate depression, and to prevent birth defects.
- Source: Whole grains, fortified cereals, milk, yogurt, meat, fish, poultry, fruits, nuts, peanut butter, eggs and green vegetables.
- Vitamin C: You need it to protect against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even wrinkly skin!
- Source: Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, broccoli, oranges and cantaloupe.
- Vitamin D: You need it to absorb calcium and phosphorus!
- Source: You can get some from the foods you eat but most is made by your body after sun exposure.
- Vitamin E: You need it to neutralize free radicals in the body that cause tissue and cellular damage. Meaning…you want to have this to stay young-looking!
- Source: Nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and fortified cereals
- Vitamin K: You need this for blood clotting. Without it, a small cut would cause continuous bleeding in the body.
- Source: Green veggies like broccoli, spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts and cabbage.
- Calcium: If you don’t enough, you could develop osteoporosis or weak bones.
- Source: Cheese, yogurt, milk, sardines, dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, turnips, and collard greens, soybeans.
- Fish Oil: Omega-3 fatty acids help to prevent cardiovascular disease.
- Source: Fatty fish like salmon, flax seeds.
If you’re interested in knowing exactly how much you need, you can check out the USDA’s chart broken down by age group and gender right here.
Are you getting all of these vitamins in your diet right now? If you’re eating whole and clean, you should be! But if not, it’s ok to take a multivitamin to make sure. When I was on my bikini diet for my bikini comp, my coach actually advised me to take vitamins because I was missing out on a lot of food groups. I barely had any carbs and fats. Like I said during my recap of the whole thing, dieting down for that competition was not exactly the HEALTHIEST and most SUSTAINABLE way to lose weight. It was fast and it worked, but I definitely felt a slowing-down in my cognitive processes sometimes…lol. NOT GOOD! You need carbs for energy and to make those neurons fire!
I actually took gummy vitamins because I COULDN’T STAND swallowing pills. It’s like the worst thing ever. Also, the gummies were like candy so it was a nice treat to have that was good for me. Make sure that when you choose a gummy vitamin choose something that uses organic sweeteners and NOT high fructose corn syrup.
One brand I am honestly obsessing over right now is SmartyPants. Their gummies taste like sour punch candy straws! OMG that was and still is my fave candy! Ooh, that and watermelon belts. OMG dying, LOVE!!!!
This is what the nutrition label looks like:
I think 6 gummies for 50 calories and 11g of carbs and 8g of sugar daily is not bad at all. When I take these, I do it right before a run or workout to boost my energy. If I use those carbs right away, they won’t store as fat. So it’s nothing to really worry about. My favorite is the red one :)
I asked SmartyPants if they’d be willing to treat you POPsters to some of the goods and was soooooo happy to hear that they said yes!!! Ahh can’t wait to share these with you guys. They are honestly TOOO GOOD. I can easily overdose on them :P
We are giving away FIVE 1-month supply bottles of the adult vitamin gummies to FIVE lucky POPsters who can tell me in the comments below…
“WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CANDY!!???”
I’ll be picking randomly picking winners on Monday July 2nd, 2012! This is an international contest, so go bozonkers people!!! And if you simply cannot wait, the peeps made a generous coupon code for us to use. “BLOGILATES20″ for a 20% discount. Woot woot. Love saving $. You can get em here.
GOOOOOOO!!!!!
Resources:
- http://www.livestrong.com/article/273341-the-recommended-daily-intake-of-vitamins-for-adults/#ixzz1z77jhBOI
- http://nutrition.about.com/od/vitaminssupplements/f/whyvitamins.htm
- http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/multivitamins.aspx
It’s a tie between Hi-Chews and Haribo Gummy Bears :)
Reeses!! Chocolate and Peanut butter anything makes me weak in the knees!
My all time favorite candy is a Kit Kat Bar. The snap when you bite it the light crunchie texture. It just melts in my mouth. I just can’t wait for that Kit Kat Bar. Yum…………
m&ms but only the red ones!
I looooooove reese’s peanut butter cups, especially FROZEN! So yum!
On the fruity candy side, Wild Berry Skittles (purple bag) are hands down my favorite!
So many good ones though, it’s hard to choose!
Oh, and I’m with you on gummy vitamins – sooo much yummier :D
Sour Patch kids are my fav! And Jr. mints are not far behind. Oh and caramel apple pops. Why did I read this before my work out? Now i want to munch not tone my back. I guess this will be a test of my will power.
My all time favorite candy is a Snickers Bar.
Reeses cups and kit kats!! <3
I die for anything chocolate and peanut butter! My faves will always be Peanut Butter M & M’s and Reese’s cups!
Oh chocolate… my love for thee is uncanny. And once it is met with my other passionate love for caramel, I am just unstoppable.
I’m gonna go with a Milky Way… it’s so good and horribly bad for you at the same time. hahhaha
Sour gummy worms, YUMMMM!
My fave candy are gummy bears :)
That is really tricky, I like sourpatch kids! And sweettarts. And starburst.
One note about the vitamins:
If you have heavy periods (or hypothyroidism) you might need additional iron. Mine is generally low, eating plenty of iron isn’t enough for me to keep my iron levels up, since I am hypothyroid and it does impact vitamin absorption.
And vitamin D? If you are darker, you need to supplement. Since melanin basically acts like a natural SPF, it is very difficult to get enough sun to capture the vitamin D you need. Someone of my complexion needs about 3-4 hours (during the summer) in order to get the minimum daily requirements — and this is too much unprotected sun exposure. (And being hypothyroid can also impact vitamin D levels as well.)
BOUNTY!!!!! Yummmmmmmm
LAKRITZE…. has to be german.. that’s what i can’t live without!
I loveeee Hi-Chews!
My favorite candy are Nerds!
SOUR PATCH KIDS!&SOUR FLAVORED STRAWS! (:
ohh, at the moment I’d have to say peach rings.
Double Decker!! nom nom :-)
Anything sour and gummi!
My all time favorite candy has to be Sour Patch Kids… Or Haribo Gummy Bears (those are classic)! I always feel like I’m missing something when I go to the theaters without them. It just completes the experience :)
Starbursts!
Kit kat bars!
That is such a hard question! :P
I LOVE the caramel apple suckers! It kills me that I only eat them around Halloween and the rest of the year I anticipate for it to be Halloween! Recently i could eat like 50 3 Musketeers. :o I used to hate them but now i have to be strong when passing by the candy aisle!
I have two favorite candies:
Jujyfruits and that Laffy Taffy with the sparkles in it. YUMM :)
Gummy Worms :)
Obviously gummy worms are the best candy! Thank you for the info :)
I loveeee M&M’s. For a while I would get a jar full of them & I would grab a handful at random times throughout the day. That’s a habit I’m trying to kick now! Lol!
I’d love a hershey cookies and cream bar…right now! but i won’t lol
Jube Jubes!!!!!
My favorite candy is “White Rabbit” :D It’s a filipino candy. It tastes like milk and it’s so yummy. Even the wrapper inside is edible :D tehee.. ^^
I prefer baked goodies (cookies, cake) but my favorite candy hands down has to be Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups; even better are the Reese’s Peanut Butter Easter Eggs (more peanut butter!)
These seem great Cassey! I’m a sucker for any kind of gummy (bears, worms, sharks, belts, you name it!) so if they’re helping me get the nutrients I need then I have an excuse for a sweet treat!
REESE’S!!!
toffee- in a bar or ice cream or by itself or in my mouth (you get the picture)
My favorite candy is definitely dove chocolate. OMG so creamy smoootthhh.
But I also love nerds :D
Oh lord is it okay today I love candy in general? That’s why it’s share for me to blast fat I have an addiction to anything sweet! Butwhatim loving right now r choc covered blueberries nd pomegranates from Costco. Dark chocolate and partially healthy! Even though it’s not candy it’s chocolate :)
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I don’t really let myself eat them, but they’ve been my favorite since I was little!
Twix bars!
I love swedish fish!
I love Almond Joys. Coconut, dark chocolate, and almonds. What could be better than that?! :)
Sour patch kids mmm
I love starbursts!!
I love starbursts!!!
Hi
I was born and brought up in India and moved to the Uk only a few years back and was devastated by seeing the lack of variety of candies available here because OH MY GOD LET ME TELL YOU ONE THING .. IN INDIA every single confectionary shop .. small or big has atleast 50 or more varieties of candies… different flavours different brands different sizes different shapes… there is something for everyone …fav fruit ? oh they got one for everyone … u like the taste of coke but trying to avoid it ? why not try some coke flavored candies … or just feeling like trying something different .. you can find SO MANY different crazy combination sweets ..IT IS JUST ABSOLUTELY CRAZY… and the best part is THEY ARE ALL VEGETARIAN.. so don’t have to worry about gelatine if you are vegetarian :D
and the sweets are SO CHEAP.. only a penny for one .. yes u don’t have to buy it in grams or packets .. u cn buy it in numbers .. hehe
thats my story .. just felt like sharing it … this time i went india I bought so many different packets of my favourite varities… they are not the healthiest things but you can always grab one when feeling low and want something extra sugary without compromising with your health so much because the quantity is very small but enough to cheer your taste buds up :P
I loveeeeeeeeeee sour strawberry belts, can eat those all day .
I LOVE skittles!
GREEN APPLE JOLLY RANCHERS!!!!!!!!
My favourite candy has got to be sour keys…the sourness plus the sweetness kills me everytime :D