| Issue #33, November 10, 2006 |
Catching Up On Your C’s
This time of year is a really important time to start thinking about where your nutrition is coming from. The reason is because the flu season is upon us and vitamins, vitamins and more vitamins are what your body needs to help protect you from getting sick. Everyone can benefit from taking vitamins, even youngsters, who are exposed to more viruses and bacteria in a school day then a parent would want to admit.
The most important letter that you need to think about when it comes to keeping a healthy immune system is Vitamin C. This classic vitamin is found in almost all fruit and is especially high in oranges and orange juice. However, many times adults miss out on their shot of Vitamin C because they choose to have coffee over orange juice. This is not such a bad idea because drinking so much acidic liquids is not good for your body. However, as an adult, you should keep in mind that you need to supplement Vitamin C if you don’t get enough through natural means. Atkin’s dieters need to take note especially because almost nothing in this diet contains Vitamin C.
Okay, so we’ve convinced you that you need to start taking some vitamins this fall and winter for your body, but you may not be sure what to get and or where to get them. Well don’t worry, there are a lot of places in the Hamptons where you can get vitamins. You can head down to Naturally Good Foods in Montauk, Second Nature Market in East Hampton and Southampton, Provisions in Sag Harbor, Wild By Nature in Hampton Bays, The Vitamin Shoppe in Wainscott, and the Hamptons Vitamin Company in Westhampton. These stores specifically sell vitamins and have very knowledgeable staffs who have a lot of experience. All of these stores are great places to pick up all-natural supplements that both you and your body will benefit from.
I stopped into Second Nature Market in East Hampton and learned that the store has been there for over 35 years! So this is a great place to get information on what vitamins are best for you and what will do your body right. The owners of the store, Lisa and Cliff Blinderman, really know their stuff. I got to meet Lisa, who is in the store almost all the time, and found out that there is a lot to know. She is very helpful at explaining the differences between all of the products that they sell and is also very passionate about her products. One thing she stresses is purchasing vitamins that come from food sources and are naturally made. Although the label may say that there are physically less vitamins in the supplement, the body absorbs more of the vitamins then those that are made chemically. A large portion of chemically made vitamins are processed right through your body as waste, where as vitamins from food sources are more readily absorbed. These vitamins are also much easier on your stomach, however, they are a little bit more costly.
Liquid vitamins are also absorbed more readily, however, they do not taste so good going down.
You should also keep in mind that taking vitamins, not just in the colder months, but year round as well. Having antioxidants in your system will make you heal faster if you sustain an injury, give you more energy and have even shown to help prevent cancer.
It is also important to know that taking vitamins is not an excuse to eat poorly. Vitamins should be viewed as a way to get the nutrients that maximize your body’s potential when you are unable to find the necessary vitamins in your diet. Take the coffee problem, for example: if you want to get more Vitamin C in your diet but you don’t want to drink orange juice because of the sugar content, or because it is too acidic a drink, then you should pick yourself up some Vitamin C pills. If you need some help in deciding which brand to get, ask anybody at a local vitamin store and they will steer you in the right direction.
–David Lion Rattiner
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