3 Tips To Help You Choose The Right Supplements

Through the media in its many guises, the health industry feeds us a lot of misleading and conflicting information, particularly when it comes to supplements.

Any online search will show you dozens of different opinions from hundreds of different sources about why you should or shouldn’t be taking this or that vitamin supplement. You can buy pills and capsules supposedly containing carefully measured doses of all the nutrients you need, and your health will miraculously improve.

We’re told that by popping a couple of laboratory manufactured pills every day, you won’t need to worry about the tedious process of getting your nutrients from the food you eat.

This is not only rubbish, it’s part of the reason that the health of most nations in the western world is on the decline.

Let’s talk about why people take supplements in the first place.

· Self-diagnosis. For example, you’re feeling run down, and you’ve heard somewhere that you’re probably iron deficient, so you buy iron tablets. Problem solved!

· You’re too busy to shop for healthy food, never mind cook with fresh ingredients, so a quick takeaway and a couple of multi-vitamins will do the trick.

· You’re taking prescription medication for pre-existing condition but you’ve heard that if you add Vitamin B (or was that Vitamin E?) your pre-existing condition will improve.

The fact is, there is no substitute for a healthy diet. Real food, sourced naturally the way nature intended is the best way to nurture a healthy body. There is no way to substitute the benefits of eating real food. And the less your food is processed the better it will be for you.

But (and there’s always a but) that doesn’t mean that all supplements are bad, or that you should avoid them. In fact, some supplements can be very beneficial – you just need to make an informed decision about which ones you take.

TIP #1: DON’T BUY SUPPLEMENTS STUFFED WITH FILLERS
A laboratory can’t replace mother nature, no matter what the behemoth supplement companies try to make you believe. Most of those pills and capsules that you see on the supermarket and store shelves are bulked out with binders, fillers, colourants and flow agents. Substances like titanium oxide, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, artificial colourings and hydrogenated oils are commonly added to supplements. These additives and filler compounds are purely to make the supplements look better, last longer and make them easier to swallow.

But did you know that those substances have no part in improving your health, and may in fact damage your health. Magnesium stearate for example has been found to block absorption of other nutrients, damage cell membranes and even depress your immune system. That’s not good, because your immune system is the very core of your wellbeing.

TIP #2: DON’T BUY SUPPLEMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO HIGH HEAT
Many vitamins and other supplements can degrade very quickly and lose effectiveness when exposed to excessive heat, light, oxygen in the air, or humidity. Poor storage and transportation can also degrade supplements. Not only will the nutrients in the products be rendered useless, but they could potentially set your immune system out of whack.

TIP #3: DON’T BUY SYNTHETIC SUPPLEMENTS
Nobody would argue that the best source of nutrition is always the fresh, healthy food that nature has created. However, sometimes your body needs a little boost, which is why we turn to supplements. Whole food supplements are the next best thing to eating the actual food. Synthetic, or man-made supplements will never come close.

The most important reason to use whole food based supplements is the ‘cofactors’. Natural nutrients come ‘pre-packaged’ with certain enzymes and phytochemicals. These substances help your body to recognise and absorb the nutrient. With synthetic supplements, your body is receiving isolated versions of these nutrients, which your body has trouble assimilating. So once again, this disrupts your body’s natural immunity.

Every nutrient isolated from its natural environment will cause an imbalance in your body. You may never realize the connection because your body tries to compensate.

Whole food supplements provide all the factors and co-factors necessary for your body to receive the right balance of nutrients.

One of the oldest natural whole food supplements in the world is bee pollen. Since the dawn of time, bee pollen has been used as a tonic, healer and energy enhancer. No other single food is thought to carry such an extensive range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, co-enzymes, trace elements and beneficial fats. Bee pollen is richer in proteins than any animal source.

Bee pollen is known for its health benefits to every organ in your body. It has powerful antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties that strengthen the capillaries, reduce inflammation, and lower cholesterol levels naturally. It promotes healthy digestion, supports your body’s immune system, and is commonly used as a prostate aid. Taking bee pollen can also treat allergies by reducing the presence of histamine in your body.

These are just a few of the benefits of taking bee pollen every day, but the best thing about bee pollen is that it’s a whole food supplement.

Not manufactured in a laboratory. Not stuffed with fillers. Not exposed to high temperatures, destroying all the nutrients.

Bee pollen is the genesis of all plant life – and by its very origin promotes increased wellbeing and a happier, healthier life.