Why should we be Supplementing

Why should we be supplementing? There have been multivitamin and mineral supplements on the market for many years and some people claim all kinds of benefits from general well being to cures of certain medical conditions. However, there are many more adults that are unconvinced for the need to supplement and who can blame them because there is no scientific evidence to support the claims.

There have been many documents written over the last 20 years about the effects of free radicals and the need to maintain a high level of antioxidants to combat the free radicals from bombarding our bodies and causing significant damage to both our DNA and tissue cells. We are told to increase our intake of fresh fruit and vegetables to boost the level of antioxidants in our bodies, but with the increase of pollution, stress, travel, use of microwaves, mobile phones we are increasing the amount of free radicals, but our fruit and vegetables have less vitamins and minerals because of over used soil, pesticides, insecticides, storage and it is a fact that the nutrients received from eating them are a lot less than say 50 years ago.

Is it feasible then for anyone to obtain the right amount of antioxidants from the meals we eat alone, up until very recently the Medical profession were reluctant to state that vitamin and mineral supplementation were necessary but because of the over whelming evidence over the last few years especially regarding antioxidants, it has caused them to change their minds to the point that they now say that in order to maintain the right amount of nutrients to prevent chronic diseases later in life, we must supplement.

The question again is how do we know that the supplements we are taking are working in our bodies, unless we can measure in some way scientifically most people will not be convinced that they require a multi vitamin/mineral supplement.

Now for the first time ever with the work of Scientists at the University of Utah under Dr Gellerman we have the ability to measure how effective your supplements are in increasing your level of antioxidants. The Pharmanex Biophotonic scanner can in a matter of minutes measure non-invasively (meaning without blood or tissue samples) the level of carotenoid antioxidants in the tissue of your skin.

The first scan gives you the current level of antioxidants in your body the average American usually scores around the 20,000 mark which is still a very poor level of protection. Our levels should be 50,000+ to ensure maximum protection against free radicals allowing our bodies to help prevent chronic diseases later in life and to keep us looking younger for longer and generally maintain a better quality of life during our later years.

5 Most Broken New Year's Resolutions (And How to Make Them Work)

Each year, we ring in the New Year by making a resolution (or two or three). And every year, many of these resolutions are broken. Which are the most commonly-broken New Year's resolutions? And how can you take one on and make it work?

1. Becoming an organization queen or king. You'd be surprised how many people resolve to conquer the clutter during the New Year. But it seems that a lot of people that make this resolution may spend one day trying to get organized and then give up entirely. To make this resolution work for you, set specific goals. Week one, promise to organize the linen closet. Week two, focus on your closet. Week three, attack under your bed, and so on. By breaking this resolution down into manageable tasks, you'll be more likely to stick with it until the end.

2. Spending more time with your family, extended or otherwise. Life can get pretty hectic, and without meaning to, you may have found that you're putting spending time with your family on the backburner. So this tends to be one of the most common resolutions that people make. Unfortunately, due to extenuating circumstances and busy schedules, this resolution is often broken before it can even begin. In order to make this resolution work, your whole family must be in on it. Choose one day a week to get together for dinner; if that's difficult to do, choose to get together every other week. Committing to conquer this resolution together will help you and your family be successful.

3. Saving money. Financial goals make up some of the most common resolutions. You want to spend less money, make more money, open a savings account, or something along these lines. You may do well for the first week or even the first month of the year, but then regular life comes along, and it may seem impossible to stick to your financial resolutions. In order to reach your goal, you need to be specific. Instead of saying that you want to save more money, decide exactly how much money you'll put into your savings account each week. This will help your goal seem more attainable.

4. Quitting smoking. Most smokers have made this resolution year after year to no avail. They slip one time and smoke just one cigarette, and then give up. This year, keep in mind that even if you slip, you will not give up. You may find it helpful to quit with someone else. Have a friend or family member that wants to kick the habit? Convince him or her to make the resolution with you. Having a quitting buddy will help you when you're craving nicotine the most.

5. Losing weight. Probably the most popular resolution that's made—and broken—each year has to do with getting in shape and losing weight. People begin the year with hope in their hearts and a shiny new gym membership…and then they lose interest. Or they get the flu. Or they just have a blah day…and all that hard work slips away. This year, don't let your goal of losing weight slip away. Write your fitness-related resolution on several index cards and post them where you'll see them every day: in your car, on the fridge, on your mirror, on the ceiling above your bed. If you're constantly reminding yourself of your promise to lose weight and get healthy, you'll have a harder time giving in to the laziness and giving up.

Vitamin A - Benefits, Deficiency and Food Sources

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is essential to the formation of visual purple in the retina, which allows vision in dim light. It helps your eyes adjust to light changes when you come in from outside and also helps keep your eyes, skin and mucous membranes moist. Vitamin A mostly comes from animal foods, but some plant-based foods supply beta-carotene, which your body then converts into Vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is rare in the United States, but it can cause night blindness, eye inflammation, diarrhea and other problems. Overconsumption of vitamin A can cause nausea, irritability and blurred vision in its mild form. Vitamin A toxicity can cause growth retardation, hair loss and enlarged spleen and liver in its more severe form. Vitamin A overdose can also cause birth defects and has been linked to increased risk of bone fractures in some people. Like other vitamins, vitamin A does not replace food and in fact, it cannot be assimilated without food.

Benefits of vitamin A to us:-

1. Vitamin A improves our vision and prevents night blindness.

2. This vitamin promotes formation of strong bones.

3. Vitamin A supplements may help kids who have respiratory problem.

4. Act as anti-oxidant, helping to protect our cells against cancer and other disease.

5. It can improve skin condition like acne or psoriasis.

6. Vitamin A guards us against bacterial, viral, parasitic infections.

Deficiency Symptoms of vitamin A

1. Bitots spot.

2. Night blindness.

3. Conjunctival xerosis.

4. Corneal xerosis.

5. Keratomalacia.

Sources of vitamin A

1. Spinach and collard greens.

2. Egg yolk.

3. Fortified milk.

4. Sweet potato and Broccoli.    5. Pumpkin and carrots.

6. Cheddar cheese.