Holiday Blues

Starting weight: 9 stone 1.6 pounds

Previous weight: 8 stone 5.6 pounds

Current weight: 8 stone 5.6 pounds

Well it is official I am back to reality and currently have the holiday blues. I have been struck down with a kidney infection and have just finished a course of antibiotics. I have literally been house bound with not an ounce of energy. I am shocked that I have managed to maintain my weight. After being sick this week I have realised I am not a good patient and I am going to do everything in my power to stop it from happening again. That means I will have to take some sort of supplement to ensure my body can fight off any potential infections. This is going to be extremely difficult for me as I cannot stand supplements, I have a huge problem trying to stomach them, but if it stops me getting sick I am willing to give it a try.

Vitamins and minerals are an important part of a healthy diet and have a large effect on a person’s overall health and well being. Vitamins are an essential part of our diet as our body does not produce them naturally. I am going to run through a couple of vitamins and minerals which you should consume on a daily basis.

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Vitamin A: Maintains health of skin, bones and teeth, promotes immune function and vision. Food sources include fish, eggs, cheese and dark green vegetables.

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Vitamin B: Assists in the function of a healthy nervous system, necessary for the breakdown of carbohydrates, lipids and protein. Food sources include whole grain and nuts.

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Vitamin C: An antioxidant, aids iron absorption and wound healing. Food sources include citrus fruit.

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Vitamin D: Assists in bone and teeth formation, aids the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Food sources include fish, cheese and milk.

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Calcium: Play a vital role in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth, essential for normal blood clotting and muscle, heart and nerve function. Food sources include milk, cheese, eggs and wholemeal.

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  Iron:  Necessary for haemoglobin formation. Food sources include red meat, fish, corn and beans.

Sometimes you will require an extra boost of vitamins and that is where multivitamin products come into play. The vitamin market is enormous in Ireland and September is a busy month for sales with children heading back to school. There is so many to choose from and it can be quite overwhelming if you don’t know what you are looking for. I would advise you to go to a health store as the staff are trained on all products, they are very helpful and will give you a supplement to suit you and your lifestyle.

Here is an example of a vitamin which may be what you are looking for, this is a pretty mainstream one and a health store will more than likely offer an alternative to the branded products.

Centrum Advance 

Centrum Advance is a complete daily multivitamin and multimineral supplement with specially balanced nutrient combinations to help support your health needs and busy lifestyle. It supplements your diet and lifestyle by containing all the essential vitamins and minerals recommended on a daily basis. You can benefit from taking Centrum in the following ways:

Energy: Vitamins B1, B2, pantothenic acid, B6 and the minerals phosphorus and magnesium help release energy from food to contribute to your overall health and well-being.

Immunity: Antioxidant vitamin C and the mineral zinc help to maintain a healthy immune system.

Looking Healthy: Vitamins A, C, E and the B vitamins help maintain healthy-looking hair and skin.

Try a multivitamin for yourself and see does it have an effect, if there is a chance it reduces the likelihood of getting sick, I'm game!