What supplements should I take you ask? It can be very confusing right?!! There are so many to choose from, almost too many. Unless you have a nutrition background or do comprehensive research, it is hard understand which can help you.
During the month of February we are going to discuss whole food supplements from The Shaklee Corporation – the #1 Natural Nutrition Company in America – and the only brand we represent on this site. We have used this brand, personally, for over 38 years and get fantastic results.
If you want to learn more about how each supplement can help you either stay healthy or address a certain health challenge, visit the blog here at AntiAgingByDesign.com throughout the month.
We start with vitamin D for a few reasons:
- It’s winter
- 80% of Americans are either low or deficient
- There are so many benefits
- Shaklee makes a clinically proven Vitamin D3 supplement
This season can be hard on you in terms of vitamin D because it’s the sunshine vitamin and many of us don’t get it enough of the sun in the winter. That’s true from October until April if you live in the northern half of the United States.
Health challenges like SAD (Seasonal Affects Disorder) are tough to live with and Vitamin D can help. Other symptoms that can signal you may need more Vitamin D include: muscle weakness, fatigue, depression, allergies or asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, bone pain, obesity, and more (WebMD lists more).
Benefits of Taking Vitamin D
- promotes normal blood sugar
- healthy heart function
- bone health
- immune health
- positive mood
Questions About Vitamin D
- Which is better – Vitamin d2 or Vitamin d3? While the answer can be more complex, the easy answer is that Vitamin d3 is absorbed better in you body. Absorption is important because your body can’t use a nutrient if it doesn’t get absorbed. Also vitamin D2 can be toxic in large amounts and that is the reason why some doctors won’t recommend their patients taking it. Wouldn’t it be safer and more effective to use Vitamin d3?
- How much Vitamin d3 should I take? There are varying opinions about this, plus it is an individual thing. If you had a blood test and your doctor tells you that you have a deficiency, chances are you will need high doses in prescription form. Supplement use is more targeted at keeping healthy levels of Vitamin D so that you don’t get low or deficient. The Shaklee serving size is 1000 mg and many people supplement with that amount or take more, up to 5000 mg per day.
The way I have used Vitamin D3 so far is to take one 1000 mg tablet every day; and when I am exposed to some illness or feel tired like I am fighting off something, I take a couple extra per day. I know that I am getting 1000 mg in the Life Strip as well and some from my diet, and feel one tablet daily is the right choice.
Why Boost your vitamin D intake:
Ok final words. If you worshipped the sun in your younger years, you may be feeling different now because of the health risks to your skin. We do need to be smart about using sunscreen and decreasing time in the sun. And yes, those are good choices for skin cancer prevention, but then you might be missing out on Vitamin D that you need for your bones and your heart.
Since many Americans may have suboptimal levels of vitamin D and have a hard time getting enough without a supplement, you can help yourself by taking a supplement daily. Shaklee recommends to look for a multivitamin that contains at least 800-1000 IU Vitamin D. And since research confirms that many folks may even need more than 1000 IUs, especially if you are overweight, older than 60, spend a lot of time indoors, or are darker-skinned, consider taking a Vitamin D3 tablet every day.
It’s easy to take a whole food supplement that is safe and natural, and it removes the guesswork of knowing if you have enough vitamin D to stay healthy. Shaklee Vita D3 is made from the purest and safest of all natural sources.
The Shaklee Corporation is the #1 Natural Nutrition Company in America. All Shaklee products are 100% guaranteed to work for you. Money back guaranteed.
Other supplements we discuss this month: