Jumpstart Your Fitness: With these must-have supplements
Categories: Nutrition & Supplements
Ugh, supplements. For a lot of people they're a "must have" for a healthy diet, and although I don't disagree, I'm also really bad at taking them because it's just so confusing determining what exactly I need -- the list of "recommended" supplements is at least a mile long it seems! But a nutritionally-complete diet is almost impossible to come by through food alone these days, and many supplements can give an extra boost of valuable disease and age-fighting properties to help fitness goals be that much easier to both achieve and maintain. But if you're like me and find yourself either overwhelmed or just generally intimidated by the prospect of taking regular supplements, this list of the 5 most valuable supplements compiled by experts for Natural Health magazine could be a big help! Here they are: 
Vitamin C
Esther C, 500 to 1,000mg twice a day, will help keep your blood vessels strong and will help your body fight off viruses and colds.
Multivitamin
Obviously this one gives you a nice daily dose of a variety of essentials that you might not always be getting enough of in your diet. Look for one that offers 20-30 different vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin B
Homocystiene is an amino acid that's been connected to a long laundry list of health issues and Vitamin B-1 can help reduce its levels in your body, and adding Folic Acid gives an extra boost also.
Vitamin E
Nicknamed by some as the "master antioxidant," Vitamin E can help prevent cholesterol from oxidizing (which is a big factor in heart disease). Look for a brand that has mixed vitamin E or d–alpha tocopherols on the label.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a major player in the normal and healthy function of nerve and muscle cells, plus it also helps to regulate blood pressure. 500 to 1,000 mg a day should do the trick.
Esther C, 500 to 1,000mg twice a day, will help keep your blood vessels strong and will help your body fight off viruses and colds.
Multivitamin
Obviously this one gives you a nice daily dose of a variety of essentials that you might not always be getting enough of in your diet. Look for one that offers 20-30 different vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin B
Homocystiene is an amino acid that's been connected to a long laundry list of health issues and Vitamin B-1 can help reduce its levels in your body, and adding Folic Acid gives an extra boost also.
Vitamin E
Nicknamed by some as the "master antioxidant," Vitamin E can help prevent cholesterol from oxidizing (which is a big factor in heart disease). Look for a brand that has mixed vitamin E or d–alpha tocopherols on the label.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a major player in the normal and healthy function of nerve and muscle cells, plus it also helps to regulate blood pressure. 500 to 1,000 mg a day should do the trick.
So what do you think, is this list manageable and realistic to take care of every day? With only five supplements to remember, I certainly think it's easier, but on the flip side taking five pills every day hardly sounds appealing. I realize that a multivitamin is already on the list, but does anybody know of an especially awesome multivitamin that still has some of these bases covered (to help cut down the pill count)?
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