How to Boost Your Health with Supplements

The Value of Supplements

Vitamins and minerals are essential for our bodies. We can get a lot of them through the food we eat, but getting enough of them all the time can be hard—especially when we’re often eating in a hurry or on the go. If you aren't eating a wide variety that includes all the necessary vitamins and minerals, you could benefit from a supplement. Dietary supplements are helpful to fill in the gaps where the food you eat isn't providing the nutrients you need.

In some cases supplements are not just recommended but necessary. If you have dietary restrictions (due to a food allergy or a strict dietary choice such as being vegan), supplements can help you ensure your body gets the nutrients you may be missing by not eating certain foods.

Tips for Supplement Success

If you walk down the supplement aisle of a store or do a quick internet search for supplements, you can easily become overwhelmed at the options. Once you have made your choice on supplements, you might find yourself becoming distracted and failing to take them on time. Life happens!

Here are some tips that can help you choose the right supplements, remember to take your supplements every day, and take the supplements safely.

Tips on how to choose a supplement:

• Talk to your doc. If you have a health condition, bring up the topic of supplements with your healthcare provider. Certain supplements can interfere with medications you are taking. Your healthcare provider will be able to give you personalized medical advice that will help you fill your dietary needs while ensuring you are staying safe.
• Look at the percentage of daily value. It is possible to have too much of a good thing. Having too much of a particular vitamin can be just as dangerous as not getting enough. Supplements will list the percentage of the daily value of the different vitamins and minerals they contain. It could also be beneficial to look at the recommended upper limit of vitamins and minerals you are supplementing with, so you can be conscious of how much you should be taking. Remember that these supplements are in addition to the food you consume.
• Take your supplements in a fun way. You are more likely to sneak in those extra vitamins if you enjoy taking them. A gummy is a great option to make taking your supplement a treat instead of a chore. At Lux we offer a broad selection of gummies including Plump it Up Collagen and Biotin Gummies.

Tips on how to remember to take your supplement daily:

• Set a reminder on your phone. An alarm at the same time each day can help you develop a habit of taking your supplements.
• Use a sticky note. Write a little love note to yourself to remind future you to take care of herself by taking her supplements. Place the note somewhere you will see it every day.
• Have an accountability partner. Whether it's someone you live with or someone you can contact digitally when you're apart, having someone who has the same health goals as you to be accountable to can help you get in the habit of taking your supplements.
• Take your supplement with another essential activity. If you link your supplement taking with another daily activity you already do (like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast), you can form a habit more easily.

Tips on how to take your supplement safely:

• Take as directed. Some supplements should be taken with food, others are best when taken on an empty stomach. Follow the instructions on the label for best results.
• Keep eating. While it is, in theory, possible to make a cocktail of supplements that reaches your vitamin and mineral intake goals for the day, you would be drastically short on your caloric needs, which could be dangerous and harmful to your body. Supplements are meant to do just that: supplement. Don't let them replace your food intake.
• Eat healthy. Taking supplements to meet nutritional needs while having a diet full of unhealthy choices will not balance out. Again, supplements are meant to supplement, not replace, a healthy diet.
• Store supplements safely. Keep your supplements in the proper temperature to keep them safe. Make sure their storage place is out of reach of children and pets, too, to prevent accidental ingestion.

By following these tips, you can create a healthy habit of reaching your nutritional intake needs and giving your body the love it deserves.