I’ll start by saying that this post is fairly long overdue, basically because looking after your health and upping your vitamin intake is something I feel quite passionate about. I get asked quite regularly from blog readers and my friends about supplements and vitamins, like which ones should they take, which certain vitamins do they need for certain health needs, what about vitamins for skin, hair and nail health… and so on and so on.
I’m definitely no health doctor, but I do love spending my spare time researching into vitamins, minerals, botanicals and extracts which all help to aid better health, better beauty, and general wellness. So which vitamins do I take? And which ones will I be ensuring I work into my 2017 health plans? Which ones do I overall recommend?
Take a read below to hear a few of my thoughts. And remember, it’s all just my opinion, but hopefully you’ll find it useful!
A Daily Multivitamin
If you lead a busy life, a ‘sometimes’ mixed up diet, and can often be prone to stress or tiredness, it’s worth investing in a good, all-round multivitamin to take daily. There are so many out there which are age and gender specific, developed to support overall body and health. For me personally, I like to take a daily Women’s multivitamin, because if you thin about it, our bodies have different needs than that of men.
Swisse’s Womens Multivitamin are packed with 39 key ingredients and botanical extracts, which offers health benefits on an ‘all over’ basis. So you know what I mean – all your key vitamins are included. There’s all the B vitamins packed in, along with C, Iron and Magnesium for energy and focus, Zinc and Vitamin D for body functions and the immune system, calcium for bones, and a whole lot more.
Don’t forget that Iron also doubles up as an essential for blood and circulation, and Zinc and Vitamin C are incredible for keeping skin, hair and nails at optimum health.
Immunity
I went through 2016 thinking I’d done extremely well to shield off any colds, bugs and nasty illnesses. Then December came, and I’d obviously spoken too soon! Well how was I to know I’d come down with the flu, get an ear infection, and generally become poorly for a whole four weeks? *shrugs shoulders*. I guess deep down I knew I’d let my immune system down a little. With all the pre-Christmas plans which involved bad food and drink, long hours in the office and the bitterly cold weather, I wasn’t getting much nutrition, sleep, or general TLC for my body. So it’s no wonder my immune system was non existent.
For 2017, I’m keeping these Swisse Immune and Elderberry Vitamins, which are high in Vitamin C, in my cupboard for the Winter months. Or whenever I’m feeling a little run down, or times are busy and I don’t put my health first. However, if you’re someone who always needs that bit of a boost because you seem to be prone to picking up germs or other people’s illnesses, this could be a great one to take daily, all year round. The high amounts of copper, zinc and magnesium combined with the Vitamin C also works well to prevent fatigue and tiredness, giving that energy lift every day.
Body and Beauty
An effective skin, hair and nails vitamin is key to keeping yourself beautiful – inside and out – on a long term basis. If you want to focus more on improving the condition, feel and appearance of your skin, hair and nails (and your general health isn’t too bad) then a more direct beautifying vitamin is probably the way you should go.
I spent the whole of 2015 taking a daily skin, hair and nail supplement, and noticed an improvement within hair growth, thickness, skin texture and nail strength within just 3 months. Nowadays, I tale my multivitamin as mentioned above, because I don’t feel I need to just focus on these areas anymore. But for anyone who does, and really wants to see a difference, I can’t rate this enough. For a little more help, check out the range of beauty and body supplements over at Swisse, which focus on Skin, Hair and Nails, Weight Loss and Grape Seed (great for collagen and skin function)
Here’s a little rundown of some of the key vitamins, botanical extracts and nutrients and what they are great for…
Zinc – Great for a clearer complexion, regulates the immune functions, assists with the mind and memory, a brilliant wound healer, assists with growth of the body and also fertility.
Vitamin C – A potent vitamin for so many health benefits. Protects cells, helps produce collagen (therefore great for skin concerns), brightens the complexion, important for the structure and support of tissue and organs, main antixident to protect against damage, helps prevent colds and flu.
B Vitamins – B1 straight through to B12, these health heroes create alertness and energy like no other vitamins. They also support healthy skin, hair, bones and help the body create new cells.
Vitamin D – otherwise known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, our bodies often lack this due to living in our cold climate (that’s for all my UK readers). Helps the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, protect against diseases, is the main player for calcium absorption, and is said to help protect against cancer.
Iron – Works with Vitamin C for maximum absorbance, prevents fatigue, prevents anemia, provides oxygen to blood cells, creates red blood cells.
Magnesium – One of the most recently talked about findings of magnesium is that it helps aid better sleep, although it’s not the main benefit. Magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, bones strong and blood sugar regulated.
Omega 3 – The inclusion of Omega 3 into your bodies helps immensely with lifting depression, curbing stiffness and arthritis, it helps with baby development, and aids with brain and eye health.
Although getting your key vitamins and nutrients is best through your diet, we all need a helping hand sometimes. This is why I always make sure I’m a true vitamin taker, through and through. Just remember to assess which part of your health really needs that boost, and focus on that. For example, if you need to take a multivitamin daily, don’t take a skin, hair and nails supplement alongside it. You really don’t need to multiple your intake (in fact, this can be really dangerous), so just cater for one need at a time.
I hope this guide has helped to shed some light a little on the kind of vitamins you may benefit from! And before I sign off, I’d like to thank Swisse for being my ultimate favourite when it comes to vitamins to chose from.