I advocate receiving as much nutrition as possible from our intended sources of vegetables, fruits, meats, fish and grains. I would actively encourage anybody who through eating varied, organic, seasonal produce attempted to maximise his or her nutritional intake and receive a balanced and plentiful delivery of essential fats, vitamins and minerals.
The problem is that because of modern lifestyle, medicine, farming and diet we face real challenges in getting exactly what we need from food sources to keep our bodies in homeostasis and an anabolic state. Supplementation can help us shortcut our route to health.
Wise supplementation is in no way a replacement for good food choices. However, a great diet with strategic supplementation can offer optimum health benefits to someone striving for increased health and vitality.
Here are a few fundamental suggestions for effective supplementation:
1. Daily Multivitamins- Core Nutrient Assurance
Our problem in the 21st century is stress. We layer far too much stress on ourselves with our workloads, our worrying, our medicines, and our less-than-optimum diets. This means that our stress "load" is far greater and puts a great burden on our natural antioxidant coping systems. Low levels of antioxidants, or inhibition of the antioxidant enzymes, cause oxidative stress and may damage or kill cells leading to sickness and rapid ageing.
When you take a good broad-spectrum multivitamin and antioxidant formula, all these antioxidants can work synergistically to mitigate oxidative damage and then help each other recycle back to their potent antioxidant form. For that reason, I recommend a high-potency multi-vitamin loaded with extra antioxidants to be taken every day.
A word on quality
The difference in quality from one "multivitamin" to another can be massive. Unfortunately, there's a lot of confusion and junk out there – incomplete, impure, inconsistent "formulas". It is important to select a multivitamin from a trusted source to ensure the products purity and offers accurate dosages of nutrients. Paul uses BioCare's range as its valued for its emphasis on presenting nutrients in their most bio-available forms and using unique manufacturing processes that mean they are suitable for people who are highly sensitive or have food allergies and intolerances. Also, the addition of unnecessary artificial colours, sweeteners and flavorings is avoided wherever possible.
Some vitamins and minerals work synergistically with others. Taking a B-6, a calcium
chew and a vitamin C tablet in isolation may cause more harm than good. Not only is this approach incomplete; you risk a lack of absorption of key nutrients. BioCare's multinutrient products provide a balanced profile.
2. Probiotics- Digestive and Immune Function
Within our gut we have several billion living bacteria helping us to stay healthy. Most are "friendly" bacteria that actually help us better digest food and ward off infections. In fact, much of our immune system has evolved to depend on these healthy "flora" living in us symbiotically. We also have some transitional "flora" that live within our gut that balance with the good bacteria. Much of your health depends on which of the two is winning the flora war.
Farming has changed in the last few decades, foods are grown faster than ever before and pesticides are used extensively to ensure crops are not spoilt. These developments in agriculture have affected the amount of good bacteria we ingest from the healthy soils that cultivated our vegetables. It is harder now to ingest the healthy bacteria that our bodies expect us to.
In most healthy people this doesn't usually present a problem. As long as there are some healthy gut bacteria present, as long as we don't get too stressed out (stress hormones can kill off healthy flora), too sick (diarrhea and vomiting are ways the body purges bad bacteria – but it purges good bacteria with them), or take antibiotics (antibiotics tend to kill most bacteria – that's their job), and as long as we are eating well, those healthy bacteria can flourish and keep us well.
Unfortunately, we live in a time when stress is everywhere, where we do tend to get sick or take antibiotics, where certain processed foods support the growth of unhealthy bacteria and yeast forms while choking out the healthy flora.
For these reasons, I think it's wise to take probiotic supplements. Planting good bacteria within the gut can help to aid healthy digestive processes and immune function. I'd certainly take extra probiotics under times of great stress or when you've been sick or are using a course of antibiotics. The reversal of fortune from a few days of taking probiotics can be dramatic.
3. Fish Oil- Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are fats that our bodies are unable to manufacture. We must therefore acquire these from dietary sources. Omega 6 fatty acids are present in grain products, meats and sunflower oil. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in green leafy vegetables and oily fish; we also attain small amounts from walnuts, eggs and animal meats.
As you can see, the types of foods that provide with us Omega 6 fatty acids are far more prevalent in the modern diet than the sources of Omega 3's. This leads to the ratio of these two fats being way out from the desired ratio of omega-3:omega 6 fatty acids of 1:4.
An omega-3 deficiency has been linked to the following conditions; heart attack, stroke, cancer, obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, lupus, depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, postpartum depression, alzheimer's and chronic inflammatory disorders. This essential nutrient is lacking in our diets and for this reason I recommend using an omega-3 fish oil supplement.
Paul Roberts PT Supplement Mixes
Paul has put together these mixes to help you take control of your vitality. Call or mail Paul to place your order:
Advanced Mix £115.00
Probiotic- Bio Acidophilus Forte 60 Caps (1 a day) £52.00- More healthy bacteria per capsule
Fish Oil- Mega EPA Omega 3 Fatty Acids 90 Caps (2 a day) £22.95
Multi-nutrient- One A Day Plus Multivitamin and Mineral 90 Caps (1 a day) £42.95- Extra antioxidants
Basic Mix £85.00
Probiotic- Bio Acidophilus 120 Caps (2 a day) £39.10
Fish Oil- Mega EPA Omega 3 Fatty Acids 90 Caps (2 a day) £22.95
Multi-nutrient- One A Day Adult Multivitamins and Minerals 90 Caps (1 a day) £25.00
