Nutrition

Read Vitamin Supplements - Part 1 right here.

Vitamin A

Dietary deficiency of vitamin A is uncommon in healthy people, except in older age groups. A is needed to absorb calcium, effects intestinal flora, and synthesizes body proteins. Although vitamin A is important for the function of the immune system, concerns about birth defects and bone loss, people should not take over 10,000 IU of supplemental vitamin A in the form of retinol without consulting a doctor.

Beta-carotene

Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, and may have a separate role in human health. Controlled research has shown that beta-carotene supplements can increase the numbers of some white blood cells and enhance cancer-fighting immune functions in healthy people who take 25,000–100,000 IU per day.

If yours is an “on the go” lifestyle, perhaps you’ve skipped the occasional meal or felt that you didn’t have time to eat. If your goal is to change your physique, increase your energy level, and maintain health, missing meals is not a good idea. To keep your metabolism running in high gear, eating 4-6 times per day is a must.

In this article, you will find some helpful tips on staying well nourished, metabolically efficient, and energized throughout the day. Begin incorporating the idea of cooking in bulk, preparing your food ahead of time, and having healthy snacks handy when you are “on the go”.

Cooking in Bulk

Cooking large quantities of food once or twice a week saves time and makes meal preparation easy.

1. Cook large amounts of lean animal protein to refrigerate or freeze. Use zip-lock freezer bags for storage.

2. Hard boil your eggs ahead of time and refrigerate them. This is a quick way to get your protein in.

3. Cut your veggies up, rinse and store in a crisper. When you’re ready for a salad, it is right there, ready to eat.

4. Use canned legumes (kidney beans, black beans, corn). Rinse and re-heat in the microwave vs. preparing them from scratch.

5. When using a cookbook like the "Lean for Life Cookbook", make enough for two, four, or even six meals. Many of these meals can be frozen and used later.

6. When preparing your food, begin cooking the items that take the most amount of time first and finish with the easiest items, last. (i.e.: I bake a large salmon filet in the oven for 40 minutes, set the rice cooker at 20 minutes next, and finish off with cutting up my veggies for either a salad or to be nuked).

The term "nutrition" always, makes people think of vitamins, minerals, and one’s diet. If you’re health conscious, this is usually automatic but if you’re not so health conscious, you may say, "nah, I don't need them".

"Nah, I don't need them. I am too inconsistent anyway. I feel fine and my energy is good. I sleep well and my Doctor says if I eat good, there is no need."

Everyone and their brother’s, sister’s cousin pushes or sells vitamins. The plethora of vitamin houses and sales are enough to intimidate anyone from supplementing their diet with vitamins and minerals, even if they might have entertained the thought.

So do we need a vitamin or not? How much does one take and what kind? What are the better vitamins to take and how about manufacturers?