New Year, New you. Can vitamins play a role in a healthier year?

The new year is a great time to refocus and get a fresh start with your health. After holiday indulgences many of us feel like we need to hit the reset button. A great way to jump start your health in 2017 should include the right vitamins.

Certain vitamins can play a key role in your healthy new year for a variety of reasons. What vitamins should you take to feel better? This is a time of year when many of us choose to start or increase our exercise regimen. The right vitamins can be important in supporting your efforts at fitness. Vitamins such as magnesium and certain B vitamins can support nerve and muscle function. They can make all the difference in feeling your best when you exercise!

Likewise vitamins can be an essential part of energy. Many of us lack energy because of deficiencies in iron, Vitamin D and essential B vitamins. Supplementing with adequate doses of these nutrients can help replenish the energy that often falls short this time of year. In fact, Vitamin D levels tend to plummet during winter months because of lack of natural sun exposure. Restoring the right nutrients can help build up energy. Taking supplements for energy can then lead to more motivation to exercise, eat a healthful diet and a proper sleep schedule.

In addition to struggling with fatigue, this time of year we are often fending off illness. Influenza has been epidemic as well as many other viruses and infections. It is important to put up your best defenses before being exposed to germs. The immune system can be supported with proper vitamins including Vitamins C, D and E. Should illness strike other nutrients including Zinc can be added to help shorten the duration of an infection. Avoiding and minimizing sickness during these months is key to work on other areas of your health. It’s hard to work out when you are sick in bed, hiding under the covers.

A good diet is the cornerstone of great health. However, it is challenging to get all we need from our food for many reasons. In part this is because today our food supply is lacking in many nutrients, due to soil demineralization. We are hopeful this will improve as better farming practices are widely employed. However, it will take decades for us to benefit. In the interim, we may need to look to other sources for some of our nutrition. Take our vitamin quiz to out what you might need.

Sometimes a diet that is healthy in most ways can still be lacking. For example, eating less red meat has resulted in many of us having iron deficiency. Striving for a healthful diet focused on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean protein is essential but sometimes a few things are needed to supplement even the best eater. Those who do not use table salt are at risk for iodine deficiency which then helps to support the thyroid gland (vital in regulating metabolism). Iodine deficiency is a huge issue world wide, but taking the right amount of a supplement is essential (too much can also cause harm).

Taking a custom vitamin regimen can make us feel better. We may crave less junk food, have more motivation to eat well and exercise. Weight loss may follow!

We are all different in our vitamin needs. We do not all eat the same, live the same or have the same health issues. Taking the right combination of vitamins can be an essential part of feeling your best. A custom all in one vitamin is a sensible way to start getting your health on track. Take our vitamin quiz now!

Romy Block specializes in Endocrinology and Metabolism and is mother to three active adolescent boys. Arielle Levitan is a Doctor of Internal Medicine with a special interest in Preventive Medicine and Women’s Health.  She is a mother of three teen agers. As professional women with active family lives, they recognize that people often neglect their own health needs and are uncertain about what vitamins to take. Each person is different in her diet, exercise and health history, and will benefit from different nutrients.  After years of advising their patients about the proper vitamins to take,  Drs. Block and Levitan created Vous Vitamin® to provide people everywhere with quality vitamins that are suited to their individual needs. They are authors of the award winning The Vitamin Solution: Two Doctors Clear Confusion About Vitamins and Your Health (She Writes Press, 2015). Take your vitamin survey now to get exactly the right vitamins for your needs.

The statements made in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products offered by Vous Vitamin® are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Nothing contained herein is intended to be a diagnosis or constitute medical advice. The symptoms described in this Blog may be a result of a serious medical condition which requires medical treatment. You should consult with your doctor if you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this Blog and before beginning any vitamin or supplement regimen.