any advice on what vitamins to take and where to buy?
I want to put my family on a daily multi-vitamin. I am looking for something that supports overall health, vision, brain development, immunity, stree/depression, weigh control/loss, skin, etc.
I realize that these are a lot of different issues to be treated with just one pill but I am open to any advice on starting my family on a daily vitamin regement.
I dont believe in the flu vaccine either so I would like advice on a vitamin to really boost your immune system.
Also, where can I purchase these supplements that are of good quality and not overly expensive? I prefere as natural as possible!
My family consists of myself, 26, husband, 26 and 2 children, 4 and 7.
Thank you for your advice!!!
thank you for all of the advice!!!
and for the skeptics...I do feed my family mostly whole and organic foods but this is almost an impossible thing to do for every single item we consume and I do "treat" my kids on occasion....I dont deprive them of things that most other children get to eat but of corse it is done in moderation and I certainly wouldnt give them something that would hurt them.
The vitamin regiment idea was specifically for the purpose of keeping a healthy immune system during the flu season, any season really but especially the flu since vaccinations will not be an option for us. I am very fortunate to have children that love eating fresh raw foods but even so, it is very hard to get as much servings in everyday with work ,school etc!
thanks again!!
I think the juicing idea is great and will look into a good juicer this weekend!
July 24th, 2010 - 11:40
A good resource that has helped me is the local health food store (not GNC!). A good vitamin that has worked for me has been a whole foods vitamin. I would personally stay away from some of the vitamins, even in the health food store that has a lot of unidentifiable herbal "stuff". I paid $30 for a vitamin one time, and whatever herbal stuff was in there gave me severe headaches. So, I immediately stopped taking them. Always remember that herbal supplements act as medication and can and do impact the brain.
I recommend looking at products with less herbal stuff and things you can’t recognize in the ingredients. One a Day Vitamin even adds caffeine in some of their vitamins!
Keep in mind that any vitamin or pill that claims to "supports overall health, vision, brain development, immunity, stress/depression, weigh control/loss, skin, etc." is lying to you! I wish there was a magic pill!
Also, juicing is a good way of building the immunity of your family. The one thing about juicing though is that you should drink the juice as soon as it is made, because that is when the juice will have the most nutrients. Juicing apple and carrots is very healthy. Pineapple and carrots taste great as well. The sweetness of the apple or pineapple really makes the juice taste sweet. This may sound gross……..but you can juice broccoli, zucchini and most juicers come with recipe books. I will typically juice a small amount of a green vegetable, and add carrot and pineapple or an apple to sweeten the juice. This is an easy way to get your 5 servings in as well. It really tastes great and is one of the best forms of natural nutrients. Since you have small children, they would not need to drink the same amount as you and your husband.
The best way your body builds immunity is from fruits and vegetables……especially leafy green veges. I noticed a significant difference in my body after starting to juice.
The below website has some free online magazines and provides good information on vitamins.
Good luck!
July 24th, 2010 - 11:40
if you could you should try to get the kids on something like flintstones…or gummie vites, it really doesn’t make TOO much of a difference as long as they will eat them. :) (but not too much, obviously)
for immunity (so as not to overload the kiddies with vitamins) a good idea would be to get them in the sunlight for at least 20 minutes a day (i take my kids out without sunscreen so their bodies make some vitamin D) then after the 20 minutes i either take em in, cover em up or slather on a bit of the sunscreen. :)
for you and your hubby…vitamin C, the chewable tablets are really good. and make sure you get a full dose of vitamin D or some sunscreen-free sunshine.
i buy the juicy juice that is fortified with vitamins…DHA/Omega 3′s are good for brain and eye development…
they have immunity juice too (it tastes great and its berry!)
another easy way to slip in omega 3s is coconut oil…use it when you are making pancakes or cookies or something and it will add nutritive qualities…oil scares people but nut oils are fabulous for you inside and out!
multivitamins for you and your hubby could be tailored…so just choose what best fits your needs…you could get one and he could get one.
B vitamins are really important…especially good for the wonderful moodiness that comes with being a woman! :)
if i had to choose the most important elements here it would be the omegas/DHA…the Vitamin D/C (and of course iron and calcium would be in the kids multivitamin) and the B vitamins for depression/moods.
i don’t use vaccines either…esp. not this vaccine coming up!
a good alternative if you do come down with the flu is to use some star anise…as that is the active ingredient in the anti-flu medicines nowadays.
abovetopsecret.com has a flu and pandemic forum where there is tons of info on what to do if you come down with the flu, how to prevent it naturally and why no one should take this Swine flu vaccine (especially if its MANDATORY)
July 24th, 2010 - 11:40
Baring disease or other similar issue:
Multi-vitamins will only be of use if diet is seriously inadequate. Consuming vitamins beyond the RDA can have adverse effects, including increased mortality rate.
http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/are-vitamins-really-that-good-for-you-/article46647.html
No vitamin supplement will do anything at all to protect from virus infection.
You can’t "boost" you immune system. That is marketing hype only. The immune system is way to complex to make that kind of statement, and technically any boost to any part of your immune system would have similar effects to autoimmune disease. Read:
http://quackfiles.blogspot.com/2005/06/horror-autotoxicus-boosting-immune.html
Just stick to a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. If you prefer "as natural as possible", this is the way to go.
And really, its best to get the flu vaccination – for the sake of your family, other families, those who are too young to be vaccinated, or those for medical reasons are not able to be vaccinated. Anti-vaccination promoters are dangerous and now have a death toll associated with themselves.
http://www.jennymccarthybodycount.com/Jenny_McCarthy_Body_Count/Home.html
July 24th, 2010 - 11:40
It’s not always a good idea to supplement. Reason being, you don’t know if any one has any true deficiencies. Iron and Calcium are 2 minerals that you shouldn’t supplement without a proven deficiency, they can have ill effects.
Also, manufacturers are smarter and use inferior products in their vitamins.
The first place to start would be to have a better food intake, get a physical to show any lack.
My suggestion if you want to be proactive would be to take accidophillus, you can get them at any health food store. It helps with overall digestive health and immunity.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
July 24th, 2010 - 11:40
You should concentrate on giving your family a healthy diet rather than trying to prop up a poor diet with vitamins.
If you’re eating plenty of fruit and veg, then there’s no need to take extra vitamins and in some cases you can actually do harm.
July 24th, 2010 - 11:40
Be sure, first and foremost, that you are feeding your family a diet rich of fresh fruits and veggies. That is going to give you the most nutrition on a daily basis – great for vision, heart health, mental health, digestive health, weight maintenance, etc…
If you are concerned you and your family might be lacking in the fruits and veggies, then you can look into high quality multi-vitamins – No supplement can compare to the benefits associated with consuming RAW foods. Having said that, I highly recommend the Garden Of Life RAW vitamins – this particular vitamin embraces the concept of using all RAW whole-food based ingredients (from fruits and vegetables) to provide nutrients to the body. It is a vegan product, also is gluten free – and does not have any binders or fillers (empty, pointless items included to bulk it up). The RAW vitamins have a line catered to the family, just women, or just men – so you can really identify what needs you each have individually and decide which blend you like best. No supplement can compare to the benefits associated with consuming RAW foods, so be sure to still feed the family as many fruits and veggies as you can.
Juicing is a great way to get vitamins and nutrients – and there is a lot of easy ways to get a lot of variety of flavors with juicing – and that would be an easy approach, especially for the kids — but it is not as quick and convenient as a multi-vitamin….
Here is a site that sells the Garden of Life RAW vitamins – this site has them on sale, and has a lot more information for you to look into so that you can decide what is best. Some vitamins can do more harm than they do help, so be sure to find a pure, whole-food based vitamin to enhance you and your family’s health.
http://www.healthfoodemporium.com/garden-of-life/vitamin-code.php