Why You Should Take Vitamins and What to look for when choosing your brand:

I am often asked if I really believe its important to take vitamins.  My answer is yes and here is WHY.  First, do you eat healthy? 

If your answer is no then I think the reason is obvious, you are lacking in optimal nutrient levels.  Vitamins can help to balance what you are not getting from your diet. 

If your answer is Yes then the reason is obvious, you are still lacking in optimal nutrient levels.  Huh? you say?  Do you know with absolute certainty where your food came from? Did you talk with the farmer that grew your vegetables or slaughtered your meat?  When were the veggies picked? When was the animal killed?  Do you eat healthy ALL the time?  Do you every drink?  smoke?  Are you exposed to pollutants and toxins? 

All of these are reasons to add a quality vitamin to your diet to OPTIMIZE your health. 

Macronutrients: Protein

Nutrition doesn't have to be a guessing game.  You can learn to eat for YOUR body.  It just requires a little work and then a little preparation.  The first step is to write EVERYTHING down.  This includes when you eat, what you eat, macronutrient ratios in each meal (protein, carbs and fats) as well as emotional state and energy levels.  By taking note of these things you can literally have a map drawn out to why you feel the way you do.

The 3 macro nutrients are proteins, fats and carbs.  Fats and carbs are really easy to find and often piggy back along for the ride when you eat.  Proteins on the other hand require some effort to find.  So I always recommend deciding on protein source first when building meals for your meal plan.  I am a big believer that protein intake should be minimum 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.  This can vary from person to person but I use this as a baseline.  It can help with more energy and it can enhance recovery.  I hope this was of value for you.  Questions are always welcome.

Water

The human body is 70% water or more depending on who you ask.  It is the life fluid of our bodies.  We need it everyday and we need lots of it. 

How much water should I drink?  - Specific amounts can differ between individuals because we are all different shapes and sizes.  I recommend carrying a water bottle with you all day long, sipping consistently.  Treat it with the same level of importance that you do your cell phone!  This way you will never go thirsty and you will reap the benefits.

What king of water should I drink? - Water is a commodity in the modern world.  The typical trends of marketing have been applied to water just like other health and nutrition products.  I have even seen water that said FAT FREE!!  Of course its fat free its WATER!! (There is no fat in water...never has been and if it has fat its not water).  First and foremost there is no good and bad here its all depending on the level of your commitment and circumstance.  Tap water is the most accessible, but it is not the best you can find.  When choosing water always look for the source.  Since many of you probably drink bottled water check on the side of the bottle where it was sourced from.  You can also consider filtering and the type of bottle it has been stored in.  Filtering can benefit purity and help to eliminate any environmental poisons that can get into drinking water (man made or natural compounds).  Plastic bottles can leach chemicals into the water if the bottle has been subjected to heat.  Our world is full of pollutants and there are lots of ways for these pollutants to end up in the water.  Do the best you can for your current circumstances to get the highest quality water you can find.  It will help to optimize your health and that is what its all about!!