If we took a proper well balanced diet which contained all the nutrition then we would never be deficient of any vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants. We would get them from our food resources and would never have to complain.
Unfortunately diets are imperfect and women are not as healthy as they could be. That’s the reason why doctors recommend multivitamin supplements as fundamental to overall health and wellness. If everything was perfect we would all eat a balanced diet consisting of at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, whole grains, low-fat dairy and high quality, lean meat, poultry, or fish.
Ideally we should eat fresh from the farm, preferably organic foods that are rich in nutrients, coming from soil not contaminated by harmful pesticides and toxins. Fresh foods should not be further depleted by preservatives and long-transit times.
The question is how women should choose the right kinds of health products for optimum wellness from the wide variety of vitamin products and supplements available today.
Of course we all know that vitamins, minerals, herbals and other health supplements are not a substitute for any medication and the doctor’s guidance. They can still be very helpful in certain health issues.
One of the simplest things you can do today is taking top quality supplements each day. But you should be careful not to overdo it for the simple reason that there are possible risks associated with taking higher than recommended doses of some vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements. The best thing is read and follow label directions.
Women should go for a multivitamin that is specially formulated to support their specific nutritional needs. Choose a multivitamin that is highly absorbent nutritional supplement specially formulated to offer a potent and effective alternative to traditional mass manufactured multivitamins.
Look for these things in a Multivitamin:
High Nutritional Value-Look for a multivitamin with good nutrition content because that will good health. There are formulated multivitamins that fill our nutritional gaps using the most nutritionally dense and beneficial foods.
Ultra Potent-The multivitamin should use only high quality naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that are absorbed easily by the body. For example Super Green Foods like Spirulina, Chlorella and Green Barley.
Easy Absorption-They should be easily absorbed by the body. For instance natural enzymes like Bromelain and Papain aid absorption.
Natural-Ensure the multivitamins contain nothing else but only the highest quality natural ingredients. No unnecessary additives, fillers, colors, or dyes. It should also be free of food allergens like wheat, dairy, corn, soy etc.
Safe-Last but not the least, the products should be safe.
While selecting vitamins check for a balanced daily formula, especially one that is blended so that all the ingredients work together in harmony. It would also be beneficial to include a a protein shake and a fish oil capsule in your daily diet.
However if you are you expecting a baby or lactating, use caution when taking any kind of womens health supplements. It is always better to consult your physician first. He might probably prescribe a prenatal vitamin that is specially formulated for pregnancy.
Similarly if you are going through any medication it is good to talk to your doctor before you try any women’s health supplements. Your doctor may not want you taking both at once. So go ahead and choose good multivitamins to maintain your body´s overall health.
By: Andrew Stratton
Posts Tagged ‘Health And Wellness’
Women Health Supplements – How to Choose the Right Supplements
June 22nd, 2010Intuitive Intelligence For Health and Wellness
December 24th, 2009
Times are tough, money is tight, uncertainty reigns and here’s the kicker. Things can get worse. Not because the economy tanks, or the 401K seems to be circling the drain, or we won’t see the inside of a shopping mall until housing prices level out. When the news is bad, what makes things worse is allowing the world around us to dominate the world within us. When our sense of well-being goes up and down with the Dow Jones. We may not have control over the success of the latest stimulus package or the fate of our brothers and sisters in the military facing multiple deployments, but we do have choices about how to think about these and any other sources of psychological stress. This is important not only because stress-resilient thinking and practices energize and strengthen us to successfully deal with out struggles, but because attitudes and mental habits create real-time, long-term changes in our physical health.
“Stress is the major predictor of illness because it stimulates the production of cortisol and epinephrine from the adrenal glands,” states Beth Moran, ARNP, Nurse Practitioner and author of Intuitive Healing: A Woman’s Guide To Finding The Healer Within (currently under revision). Both cortisol and adrenaline are life-saving in the short bursts of intensity for which nature installed them. Cortisol triggers the “fight-or-flight” survival response when we sense a physical threat. It boosts muscle strength, heightens perceptions and memory, and lowers sensitivity to pain, while adrenaline keeps us hyper aware and alert as we engage in whatever response is necessary to get away from danger. But they must be followed by the body’s natural relaxation response once the danger has passed because what makes us stronger and better survivors also exacts a price. Prolonged exposure to this same heady rush of brain chemicals has serious health effects such as significantly lowered immunity, a heightened inflammatory response, slower wound healing, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, and blood sugar imbalances.
And here’s the thing. Our brains and bodies experience a psychological threat as a physical one, with the same rush of cortisol and adrenaline. That is how the angry thoughts that never get resolved, the oppressive relationship that saps self-confidence, relentless self-criticism, fearful projections about the future or any other persistent negative attitudes playing over and over in our consciousness have a direct effect on our health.
In her book, her teaching and her practice – Integrated Wellness in East Hampton – Beth Moran encourages forging a connection with the inner voice we all possess that knows what we need to change about our thinking or our lives, and finding the strength and resources to respond. “When I had a melanoma,” she reveals, “I was very frightened. But my inner voice, my intuition, told me that I needed to change my life and leave my marriage or I would die. Now that I understand psychoneuroimmunology – the science behind the mind/body connection – I see that I was ‘jumping out of my skin.’ I knew it was a spiritual awakening to get me to look at my life.”
A pioneer in the field of holistic health and co-founder of the Guild of Holistic Practitioners, Beth practices and teaches nation-wide from a philosophy that views a person’s entire life and being as related to one’s health.
“I used to work for a cancer specialist who treated patients with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation,” she relates. “Although he was able to cure some, I became interested in the bigger picture of why some people got sick and some got better and began to read books on nutrition and psychology to understand the relationship to illness and wellness. From that I went to school at the Margaret Sanger center to study Holistic Women’s health care, and for the past 25 years have continued to study natural medicine. My practice emphasizes women taking responsibility for themselves after receiving a lot of information. I endeavor to empower women to make decisions based on facts and their own inner truth and philosophy.” She works extensively with BioIdentical Hormones, Thyroid imbalance, Adrenal fatigue and the mind/body relationship, combining appropriate medical treatment, testing and tools with information and a range of resources relevant to an individual’s needs.
“The world today has a great many stressors,” Beth states, “and humans are ingesting many toxic substances as a coping mechanism, e.g. alcohol, sugar, caffeine, refined flours flours, cigarettes, pot, drugs, all of which weaken the vital force.” A study published in the journal Neurology and reported in Discover magazine showed that chronic psychological stress causes memory loss and other serious cognitive impairments that interfere with quality of life in older people. But the good news is that we can protect ourselves against this kind of decline through the kind of awareness Beth supports for overall health.
Nutrition, meditation, exercise, self-knowledge, changing the negative situations we can control and learning to think differently about the ones we cannot, are some essential tools for integrated health. In a world with so many stresses coming at us 24/7 from so many directions, intuitive intelligence is a vital renewable resource that strengthens resilience to the stresses and pressures of ever-changing 21st century life.
By: Jude Treder-Wolff
Women Caregivers Need Online Resources to Promote Personal Health and Wellness
November 5th, 2009
The National Women’s Health Information Center tells us that most Americans will be unpaid caregivers at some point in their lives. Over 20% of the U.S. population today offers caregiving support to a loved one. About 65% of these unpaid caregivers are women.
Women are the backbone of family caregiving in the United States. Many struggle under the burden of caregiving responsibilities. As informal caregivers, often with full-time jobs, they are impacted emotionally, physically, and financially. The strain is compounded by not knowing where to turn for personal support and assistance.
Check with the neighbors on your block. You will probably find at least one unpaid caregiver providing long-term support for a loved one. More than likely, the caregiver will be female. She may be caring for a child, spouse, relative, friend, or neighbor. Many will be caring for a parent focused on aging in place (staying in the home versus an assisted living facility).
Women caregivers provide key resources for maintaining quality of life for loved ones in their care. For many aging parents, staying in their home is considered priceless. When a daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, wife, or friend is the caregiver, aging in place remains a viable option. The cost of assisted care is greatly reduced or nonexistent when family resources are utilized.
The impact of caregiving is both from a health and financial perspective. Statistics show that unpaid caregivers have higher stress levels and more chronic health conditions. Personal health can be impacted especially when caregiving responsibilities are not shared among family or supplemented with professional (paid) caregiving.
Women typically experience caregiving stress more often than their male counterparts. Almost three fourths reported feeling emotionally and physically impacted by caregiving responsibilities. They express guilt, isolation, and exhaustion from juggling career, family, and caring for a loved one.
As unpaid caregivers, women often pay a financial price. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance website, about one-third of working women decrease their work hours to accommodate caregiving demands. Others take a leave of absence, work part-time work, resign, or retire early. The long-term financial impact may be severe. These women may have fewer retirement funds and smaller social security payouts as a result.
It is important that resources are made available to women caregivers to share the workload. Technologies are emerging that can offer new ways of connecting to family and friends for distance caregiving and support. These include websites that track personal health, Internet forums that connect caregivers to each other, online tools for finding local resources, downloadable tip sheets, and much more. Here are some examples:
The National Women’s Health Information Center at womenshealth.gov offers information and resources for female caregivers. It is a federal clearinghouse providing a wealth of information and resources related to women’s health.
The Family Caregiver Alliance offers on its site a public forum for caregivers. It posts a variety of resources for caregivers. The organization plays an advocacy role that is key to gaining local, state, and federal support.
The National Family Caregivers Association website posts that it, “Educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age.” The site connects family caregivers with others through its Pen Pal program. It also has an online story bank with stories from caregivers across the nation.
No woman should feel alone or overwhelmed in shouldering the burden of caregiving responsibilities. Individuals and organizations are joining forces to address this issue.
By: S. A. Becker