Dietary Supplements
What Exactly Do You Need?

Are Dietary Supplements necessary? Decide for yourself with this quick review of types of food you need for optimum health. Empower yourself and make an informed decision. My general understanding is that the closer your diet is to that of our hunter-gatherer ancestors the healthier it is for us.

The modern day so called 'diseases of civilization' such as obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes are a direct result of our diet. Watching the type of food you consume and supplementing your diet where necessary can improve your chances of living a longer, healthier life.

1.)Watch Your Sugar Intake (or Glycemic Load) Simply put, eat less sugary stuff as this gives you a fast high burst of energy and an equally fast low, which in turn gives you the desire for more sugar to increase your energy level and the vicious cycle repeats itself. The excess energy that your body doesn't use is converted into fat. Brown sugar, white sugar or honey - they all have the same effect. This is an exception to the general rule that the brown alternative is best. Sugar is sugar no matter the colour. When it comes to dietary supplementation, sugar is the killer even more so than fat.

2.)Watch your Fat Intake (or Fatty Acid Composition)Don't cut out fat altogether because that is what your brain functions on. But we need to eat monounsaturatedand Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. This should be eaten in a ratio of two Omega 6 fat molecules to every one Omega 3 molecule.The best source of Omega 3 is of course fish. But if you are not a fish fan then an Omega 3 dietary supplement is a good alternative.

3.)Watch your Protein Intake (or Macronutrient Composition) Protein is an appetite suppressant and a natural fat burner and can therfore promote weight loss. It helps you feel fuller and burns more calories thus increasing your metabolism rate. The best sources of protein are fish,chicken, turkey, grass fed beef and eggs. Try and avoid fatty meats if possible like lamb and pork. You can eat them once in a while but make sure you cut off all the excess fat. You can also supplement your protein intakewith dietary helps like protein bars and powders. Be careful with these though.

4.)Watch Your Fruit and Vegetable Intake(or Micronutrient Density)At least one third of our calories should come from fruit and vegetables. The

fiber from them will help us feel full and satisfied without gaining weight Ideally we should eat them in this order: raw fresh vegetables, steamed vegetables then fruit. We should be cautious about the amount and types of fruits we eat because of the high sugar content of some fruits. Fruit juice should be low on your agenda because of the difficulty in quantifying the number of fruits that go into it. Supplementing your diet with vitamin and mineral tablets can add to your daily dietary supplement requirements.

6.)Watch Your Salt Intake (or Sodium Potassium-Ratio)Rule of thumb is don't add salt to your food. If you must make it the low sodium variety or better still be adventourous and rather add spices to flavour your cooking. You will then reduce your risk of developing hypertension, stroke, kidney stones etc. Eat fresh foods instead of packaged or processed ones especially fruits and vegetables. This will increase your potassium level.The ideal sodium to potassium ratio is less than 1 - and this electrolyte balance is critical for normal cell function.

7.)Watch Your Fiber Intake

Ideally we need about 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. It promotes the slow emptying of the stomach and reduces your appetite thus the total number of calories you consume will reduce. You can then avoid disorders connected to low dietary fiber like constipation, and hernia.The best source of fiber of course are fruits and vegetables.There are some good nutritional supplements fiber around as well.

8.)Watch Your Water Intake
It is absolutely essential that you drink sufficient liquid. Water of course is the best form of liquid as it doesn't come with additional calories. It's no good drinking loads of water in one go to make up your quota. That doesn't work. You need a regular intake spread throughout the day. Experts differ on the quantity you should drink but between 4 and 8 eight ounce glasses a day depending on your weight. Tea and coffee don't count towards your water intake because the caffeine in both cause your kidney to excrete more water than they contain. In other words you pee alot. Green tea however can be a great energy booster and studies show that it can stimulate your metabolism to burn more calories so it is an ideal dietary supplement.

Want to know more about the different types of diets out there? Why not check out my page on diets

Want to know more about Dieting in general? Then use this link

You can also try out my page on fiber and find out the many health benefits you can get from adding fiber to your diet

What is Healthy Weight Loss - Find Out Here

What is a good way of measuring if you are overweight? Use this link to find out

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