Should you be taking a multi?

Hi again followers,

Sorry for the short hiatus. I guess we've been trying to savour the last of the summer which, unfortunately has come to a close all to fast AGAIN. How have you been progressing since the last post? Have you been able to stick to your workout plan? Are you seeing results? Feeling better?

Today's quick post is about multivitamins. If you're currently taking a multivitamin, great! If not, hopefully by the end of this post I will have convinced you to at least take a look through our selection of products.

This may start to sound repetitive, but in previous posts I have mentioned that anyone increasing their level of activity also increases their nutritional requirements. This principle holds true for multivitamins. If you're not getting enough vitamins and minerals following a workout, your body is not going to be able to repair itself optimally. Plain and simple.

Multivitamins are recommended by nutrition specialists for everyday use, even in those who aren't increasing their level of physical activity. Folks at Harvard have concluded that the folic acid and vitamin D found in multivitamins can help with cardiovascular health, and lower the risk of several cancers. Folic acid is also incredibly important for young women and pregnant women, as it lowers the risk of developmental defects in newborns. Also recommended by Harvard, are these 5 tips for selecting a multivitamin:

1. Maintain a healthy diet
2. Choose a daily multivitamin
3. Think about vitamin D (aim for 1000-2000 IU per day)
4. Don't need "megas" (unless you're doing intense resistance exercise)
5. Avoid "super foods"

Check out this link for more details http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vitamins/.

Essentially, the average person should be on a multivitamin in addition to consuming a healthy diet. A multivitamin fills in the potential holes in your diet. For example, adult women require a lot more iron than adult men and many women fall short of their daily requirement. Look for a vitamin containing iron (for example http://completenutritioncanada.vitahub.com/Multi-For-Active-Women-120-Vegetable-Capsules.html) to help supplement your diet.

Men should try Opti-Men, its a great way to improve your diet and provide an energy boost to get you through the day. http://completenutritioncanada.vitahub.com/Opti-Men-Multivitamin-90-or-180-Tablets.html.

Again, for those with higher nutritional needs (you know who you are) we also carry vitamins that go above and beyond the daily dose that regular multivitamins get you. For example, Orange Triad is a best seller http://completenutritioncanada.vitahub.com/Orange-Triad-270-Tablets.html.

Hopefully this helps clarify what to look for when selecting a multivitamin. If you're still unsure, feel free to post questions to this blog, or talk to your healthcare practitioner.

Until next time, keep healthy.

The Complete Nutrition Canada Team

Changing Beverage Habits

Hi followers,

First, I'd like to thank you for sticking with us during our developmental stages. We've been trying hard to get our name out there in the health supplement industry, and know that our readers are a big part of that. Feel free to refer your friends to this site. With a larger community, our content will only get better. Thanks again for your support so far!

Now, lets get down to the beverage talk. I was inspired to write this post because of a recent article I read from Men's Health. The fact is, most North American's have significantly changed their beverage consumption over the past half century.

I've checked the literature, and some researchers have found that we consume nearly double the number of calories from beverages than our relatives did mere decades ago. That's a few hundred extra calories a day! Now, we haven't evolved an increasing need for fluids over the years, so what's up? Well, the main reason is the increasing popularity of soft (sweetened) drinks.

Soft drinks are mainly composed of high fructose corn syrup, which is sweet tasting, but is also a top source of empty calories. Empty calories refer to calories consumed that have little or no nutritional value. Cutting down on empty calories is one of the simplest modifications to your diet, because you're not depriving your body of any real nutrition.

So what can you substitute your soft drinks for? ANYTHING else. Have a glass a day of any of the following (no huge tricks here). Milk is an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals that are crucial to bone health, and is also shown to decrease your risk of some cancers. Juice that is NOT FROM CONCENTRATE and that has no added sugars, is usually a good source of vitamins, especially vitamin C (don't go drinking a litre of this a day). Tea/coffee can provide antioxidants and caffeine to your diet. Antioxidants, as I'm sure you've heard, are important for overall health and can reduce your risk of several cancers. Caffeine can provide a mental and physical boost for athletes in an armchair or on a field. Last but not least, water. I shouldn't have to explain this one to you.

Cut soft drinks from your diet and save having to work off the thousands of extra calories you consume in a year. I recommend substituting any of the above in place of that can of pop. Why not combine a few with a scoop of protein and make a shake?!?! Keeps you fuller for longer, and won't make you crash like that high fructose corn syrup does.

Until next time, keep striving for that healthier you!

Cheers,

Complete Nutrition Canada Team