How to Choose the Right Nutritional Supplements
Choosing the right nutritional supplements for yourself or someone else starts with an understanding of what the body needs to achieve natural health and tailoring a supplement regimen to each individual. These tips from holistic health schools will help guide your choices and ensure the supplements you choose are needed and effective.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Supplements
Of course, a balanced and varied diet is the first step to providing the widest array of vitamins, minerals, natural enzymes, antioxidants, and micro-nutrients. However, due to the depletion of minerals in the soil and over-processing of food products, nutritional deficiencies and body challenges can still happen.
Understanding What RDA Means
As part of the training in a natural health school, holistic nutritionists understand that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of a given nutrient is not necessarily the ideal amount of that nutrient that supports optimal body function. The standard RDAs are set at the level to prevent diseases like rickets, which is caused by a vitamin C deficiency. This RDA for vitamin C, for example, is not the optimal amount for immune system function, which may be much higher and vary by individual.
Determining Where Supplementation Would Be Beneficial
By both analyzing the regular diet and being fully aware of how the body is functioning, it is possible to determine which supplements would provide the holistic nutrition benefits necessary to achieve optimal wellness. Then, by continuing to be aware of and monitoring the individual’s response to those supplements, the ideal supplementation schedule can be created, maintained, and adjusted over time.
Supplement Choices Based on Gender and Reproductive Status
Your gender or sex plays an important role in selecting the best vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for natural health. With differing reproductive functions come different nutritional needs. Prenatal supplements are one example of a changing nutritional need based on gender and life events.
Supplement Choices Based on Age
Our bodies process nutrients differently through every phase of life. The dietary and supplement requirements of young children, growing teenagers, young adults in the reproductive phase of life, and older adults are different, due to different biological needs and different goals to support through wellness planning. Choosing the right supplements for each phase of life provides the right nutrients at the right time for growth, raising a family, and anti-aging.
Supplement Choices Based on Family History and Lifestyle
Exposure to substances like industrial chemicals, alcohol, tobacco, or other toxins changes the way the body functions. Genetics can also affect how the body absorbs certain nutrients. Understanding the history, environment, and genetic factors can bring a supplement program to the next level by reducing the risk of disease and helping the body excrete toxins.
Learning More About Holistic Healing
There is much more to learn about holistic nutrition and treatment with supplements and lifestyle change. If you are interested in knowing more about how to select the right supplements for yourself and your family, or you have always wanted to help others, enrolling in online nutrition courses is easy at the University of Natural Health.
Our students are empowered with the knowledge and tools needed to better understand their own health and have a unique opportunity to become a Holistic Natural Health or Holistic Nutrition Doctor through our popular degree programs. Call now to find out how to enroll or browse the wealth of free information on our website to learn more about holistic healing.