Vitality: The state of being full of life and energy. A vital life equals energy, liveliness, empowerment, kind of like the energizer bunny. That bunny could go all day! As human beings, we are always searching. Searching for ways to get promoted, searching for ways to make more money, searching for ways to meet our goals, searching for ways to feel better, searching for ways to help our bodies PERFORM at a higher state each day. Acupressure mat, affirmations, astaxanthin, switching to clean, chemical-free products are some of the ideas I have searched, as well as wrote about in earlier posts, and my vitality of life has been strengthened. Now, I add B12 and folate to the mix to continue my journey of living a vital life.
Many people have said to take a multivitamin. I was raised taking a multivitamin as a child and I carried that belief on with me into adulthood. I never felt different after taking it and I never felt that my performance had changed. I thought if I take this multivitamin, obviously, I am healthy right? Without the desired effects, I decided to do some research. Why continue to take something I didn't feel was helping me? Why waste my money if I wasn't getting the desired results?
Why I Don't Take a Multivitamin
Multivitamins do not get the job done. They do not help me be in a state of high performance or help me live a vital life. First, multivitamins do not have the correct amounts of each vitamin. I mean, it would be really hard to get all those essential vitamins with correct amounts in them. Think of how big that pill would be if the correct amounts were in them! Some vitamin amounts are too high. You may be getting enough of that vitamin through the food you eat and then you take a multivitamin on top of that which also has a high amount in it. This could lead to vitamin poisoning which could potentially cause a lot of side effects. Other vitamins do not have enough. For example, D3. There is a very low amount of D3 in multivitamins. Many of us are working inside all day and not getting enough sun. The sun helps us produce vitamin D3 but we are not even close to getting enough of it at least not in Ohio. Floridians you may be okay ;). But if you are not getting enough sun throughout your day (and no I'm not talking about tanning, I'm talking about being outside in the sun for 30 minutes a day or longer), you need to be supplementing more of D3 rather than only getting a small dose from a multivitamin. Since the amounts of vitamins are not substantial you may be lacking in many of the essentials vitamins you need to live a vital life.
Another reason I don't take a multivitamin is because of its low quality and low quality equals low performance. A multivitamin is a way to save money. You get what you pay for. Many multivitamins are made with fillers that make it harder to absorb. Vitamins need to be released in a timely manner in order to be most effective. The many fillers in a multivitamin are not able to release vitamins in a timely manner because the fillers are aimed to make a bulk product stick together. Because the fillers are aimed to stick many essential vitamins together, it is not able to release the vitamins in a timely manner. It's like processed foods. There are many fillers and most of the time low-quality ingredients are added because it saves a buck. Those foods transfer to our bodies and hurt our guts, leading to low performance. Doesn't sound like a win-win to me... In other words, I'm running for the hills and looking for something better!
B12 Deficiencies
Many Americans are deficient in B12 because of the foods we eat. A few foods that offer a natural source of B12 include feta cheese, high-quality beef such as grass-fed, swiss cheese, and tuna. If you are not eating a healthy amount of these foods, you may not be getting enough B12 in your diet. B12 deficiency can cause balance problems, cognitive difficulties, fatigue, and weakness. A high-quality B12 supplement such as Jarrow Formulas Methyl B12 with Folate could up your B12 game and strengthen your vitality of life.
The Benefits of B12
B12 is known for helping our bodies produce energy and although this is true, there are a few other benefits from taking B12. B12 is also beneficial for your brain and your immune system. It helps keep your brain healthy and it helps improve your immune functions. It can protect you from dementia when you get older, it helps regenerate cells in your body and it boosts your immune functions. In other words, it helps keep your memory sharp for longer, it helps your cells regrow and it boosts your overall health by strengthening your immune functions that ward off infections.
Early Prevention
Start taking a high-quality B12 supplement now. The deficiency is mainly in older adults according to recent research. The deficiency can be reduced if we start taking B12 supplements earlier on in our lives. That way, as we age we will have the necessary B12 because we started taking it already and we will have started a good supplementation practice before it's too late. Another added benefit, is you don't have to worry about taking too much B12. Get a high-quality supplement like the Jarrow Formulas pictured above, take it, and your body gets rid of what it doesn't need when you use the bathroom! It's a win-win! Your body gets what it needs and then gets rid of what it doesn't need. Sounds like an all-natural process to me.
How I Take B12
You can take B12 either in capsule form or a lozenge. I personally like the lozenge the best. Jarrow Formulas B12 has a good flavor. I can pop it in my mouth and forget about it while easily soaking up the benefits of the supplement.
You can take it whenever. There is not a suggested time, however, I would not recommend taking it in the evening. You may have trouble falling asleep. I take my B12 in the afternoon, about 30 minutes before I eat my lunch. I take 6 other supplements in the morning so I make sure those have had enough time to settle in my body so I can get the full benefits. Then, I take the B12 by itself so I can get good benefits from it. I have also noticed a difference in my afternoon performance if I wait to take the B12 in the afternoon. Before, and sometimes still occasionally, I hit a wall at 2 pm. The dreaded brain fog. When I moved my B12 to the afternoon, the brain fog doesn't seem to happen as often. I want to perform my best all day long. So moving back when I take B12, proved to be beneficial for me. Check out the B12 on my page and find out when it will work best for you!
Your Certified Brain Health Coach,
Ashley, Owner of SustainaBRAIN
