Mr. Inta-Fitness Talks Multivitamins , Do You Really Need Them?

Hi Everybody,

I'm always asking my customers & clients if they take a multi-vitamin and more often than not the response I get is 'NO'. Hmm, I think , so then I say 'ok, so you must be eating at least 5-7 serves of organic fruits & vegetables/salads everyday along with good quality wholegrains/lean proteins/raw nuts and wholesome carbohydrates which have hardly undergone any processing (think brown rice, lentils, sweet potatoes etc) - right? Well, I bet not but thats what it would take to ensure you are getting the right balance of vitamins & minerals on a daily basis!

So, in my opinion , everyman & everywoman should be taking a good multivitamin/mineral suppplement on a daily basis. Men should take a man's formula and women should take a women's formula as we have different micronutrient requirements. Why should you bother when you go to the toilet and pee it all out - right? Wrong! Think of it as nutritional insurance, providing your body with a back up system for times when you aren't eating the perfect balance of healthy nutritional foods everyday, which we are all guilty of :-( You will only pee out what you don't need and I gaurantee you that you will notice a difference in the way you feel - especially if you excercise regulary because regular exercise will deplete your personal stores of vitamins and minerals and if you don't put them back then you will feel flat or lethargic and even get sick easier as your immune system struggles to function optimally. I have many clients whom have added a decent multi to their routine and were amazed at the difference in how they feel and perform - much better that is!

What if I already eat a very healthy balanced diet full of fruits , vege's , good quality unprocessed carbs, salads, lean proteins , raw nuts etc? Well, that's great and keep up the good work but the truth of the matter is that even the best diet these days is probably lacking in key nutrients due to the fact that the food is being harvested from lands that have been leached of their nutrient content through decades of farming. Not to mention the chemical sprays that the foods have been drowned in! So, I am one of these people who eats this way and I still take a mult-ivitamin for piece of mind....

So, get a decent multi-vitamin into you daily and you'll be sure to be giving your body a boost in the battle against the evils of poor breakfasts, lunch's, dinners, pollution, alcohol, stress, lack of sleep & exercise and not enough fruits & vegetables. Oh, by the way I would prefer you ate the healthy balanced diet and took the vitamins for insurance - is that wishful thinking?

When I say a good multi-vitamin , I mean one that has sufficient levels of ingredients and comes from a trusted manufacturer. My personal favourites are the 'Swiss' brand and the one I use personally is Opti-Men for the guys or Opti-Women for the girls which we stock in our store. Other than that the general rule of thumb is don't buy from the supermarket - go to the health food store, they are better qaulity with more active ingredients and more mg's per serve.

Have a great week & eat a little less & move a little more :-)

Mr. Inta-Fitness