Nutrition Q & A

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Nutrition But Were Afraid to Ask.

Q:    What are nutrients?

A:    Nutrients are more than vitamins, though people often think they are the same thing.  The six essential nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins (which are made up of amino acids), fats, minerals, vitamins, and water.  All of these nutrients are absorbable components of foods and are necessary for good health.  Nutrients are necessary for energy, organ function, food utilization, and cell growth. 

Q:    Should everyone take supplements?

A:    "Everyone who has ever eaten sugar, white flour, or canned food has some nutritional deficiency".  Because most restaurants tend to reheat food or keep it warm under heat lamps, people who tend to eat out often run the risk of vitamin A, B1, and C deficiencies.  In today's supercharged society, eating out seems the easiest way to get your family fed...and FAST. There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating at a restaurant, as long as you supplement your diet with the right amounts of nutritional supplements.  

Q:    I cook almost all of my meals at home, and I try to buy "enriched" and "organic" products at the grocery store whenever available.  Do I still need supplements?

A:    "Enriched" foods means that the product has undergone a process where the original nutrients which have been depleted due to heat, storage, etc. are replaced and brought back to the natural levels found in the product before processing.  Unfortunately, "enriched" foods do not necessarily contain the same levels of nutrition as a natural, unprocessed product.  Cereals and flour, for example, are almost always labeled as being "enriched", but they are mostly high in nothing but carbohydrates.  Today's standard for enriching flour is to replace the 22 natural nutrients found in the raw product with only three vitamins:  vitamin B, vitamin D, calcium and iron salts.  

Q:    What is the best time of day to take my supplements?

A:    The best time to take vitamins and supplements is after meals to optimize absorption. Since the body operates on a 24-hour cycle, it is best to space out your supplements evenly throughout the day.  Water-soluble vitamins such as B complex and C are excreted fairly rapidly throughout the day, so a regimen of supplements taken 3 times a day after each meal gives optimal results.  If taking your supplements 3 times a day is not convenient (I'm sure most people would agree), then either take half in the morning after breakfast, and the other half after dinner.  And if you MUST take all your supplements at once, then do so after dinner, your last meal of the day, for best results.