this transition, we will encounter less intense cravings for carbohydrates, whether in the form of cookies, pastries, candies, bread, or pasta.
Note that just because dietary supplements have an aura of health doesn't mean that they are perfect in every way. There are some, typically those in liquid or powder form (less in the form of a tablet or soft gel), that may contain significant sources of sugar. A popular one to pay attention to is liquid multi-vitamins, which are often loaded with sugar to mask the off taste of vitamins and minerals. Even children's chewable multivitamins have sugar to make them taste good, supplying another source of sugar in the typically already-high-sugar diet of kids.
Here are some hidden names of sugar to be on the lookout for: sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice (commonly found in “healthy” products), honey, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, dextrose, corn syrup, maltose. Artificial sweeteners have questionable effects because they are not “natural.” Although there have been studies to show they are safe in animals, I do not believe that significant research has been done to support their use in humans. We simply do not know what the potential consequences are for consuming these artificial sweeteners over a lifetime.
There have been a plethora of anecdotes from people claiming to experience side effects like headaches, skin rashes, nausea, or behavior changes like not being able to concentrate and feeling more agitated. I have observed that people who consistently eat artificial sweeteners tend to be prone to more sugar cravings. Because of all the unknowns of how these synthetic ingredients can affect your health, I would recommend avoiding or limiting your intake of all of them: aspartame, Equal®, NutraSweet®, sucralose (Splenda®), and acesulfame potassium. See how much better you feel when you omit them!
MICRONUTRIENTS
Micronutrients are the opposite of macronutrients: they are required in relatively small (micro) amounts compared with the macronutrients. Instead of grams, only 1/1000th of a gram (known as a microgram) of micronutrients is required to meet our bodily needs. Vitamins and minerals fall into this category of nutrients. They can serve as the helpers for the macronutrients and as catalysts for a number of processes. For example, protein provides amino acids like tryptophan, which can be transformed into the neurotransmitter serotonin if vitamin B6 is present in adequate quantities. Similarly, zinc is needed for certain enzymes to convert small-chain essential fats into longchain fats needed for the brain and eyes.
Historically, vitamin and mineral deficiencies tended to be more common under times of stress, war, or impoverishment. Ironically, even though nowadays in the Western world people eat plenty of food, they are starving for adequate amounts of quality nutrients, particularly micronutrients—indeed, we are paradoxically overfed and undernourished. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established recommendations for intakes of micronutrients to prevent deficiencies, and these recommendations are tailored for a person's gender and age. Bear in mind that these recommendations do not take into account those who have special needs, such as those on limited diets, on prescription medications, or who smoke or drink alcohol.
Supplements containing vitamins and minerals are easy to locate in a number of stores. They can come in the form of a single ingredient, like calcium tablets with nothing else added, or a nutrient at a high dose, as in a high-potency vitamin C tablet, or as a combination of nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D for bone health. It is important to recognize that high doses of a single vitamin or mineral may offset levels of another vitamin or mineral and could potentially create an imbalance or relative deficiency. For example, taking too much supplementary zinc can offset copper levels in the body. Along similar lines, some micronutrients work better as a team, such as the family of B vitamins, which act together in the process of extracting energy from macronutrients like carbohydrates.
VITAMINS
Vitamins are required in small amounts to assist overall body processes, like helping the body to digest and metabolize macronutrients. Vitamins are divided into two classes: fat soluble and water soluble. For the most part, in order for the body to optimally take in fat-soluble vitamins, the vitamins need to be accompanied by a source of fat. So, if you are taking a vitamin E supplement, you would improve its absorption if you took it with a meal containing even a small amount of fat, like a salad with some olive oil dressing. Due to their ability to sink into the fat tissue after ingestion, fat-soluble vitamins are retained in the body for a longer period of time compared with water-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins include the following:
Vitamin A (ready-made vitamin A is known as retinol; carotenoids like beta-carotene convert to retinol in the body once ingested)
Vitamin D (plant-derived, vitamin D2 [ergocalciferol], or the form commonly found in animal foods, vitamin D3 [cholecalciferol])
Vitamin E (refers to a whole family of eight compounds, [alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol and alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocotrienol] but dietary recommendations focus on alpha-tocopherol, which comes in natural [d-alpha-tocopherol] and synthetic [dl-alpha-tocopherol] forms).
Vitamin K (common supplement forms include vitamin K1 [phylloquinone], vitamin K2 [menaquinone])
On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins are absorbed readily, without fat, but also leave the body quickly through conduits of water like sweat and urine. These vitamins include the B vitamins (thiamin [vitamin B1], riboflavin [vitamin B2], niacin [vitamin B3], pantothenic acid [vitamin B5], pyridoxine [vitamin B6], folic acid [vitamin B9], cyanocobalamin [vitamin B12]) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
MINERALS
Minerals are similar to vitamins in that only minute amounts are needed. Their roles in the body include: maintenance of body pH (the amount of acidity and alkalinity in body compartments, which is very tightly controlled), the formation of bone and blood, nervous system function, muscular contraction and release, and normal enzyme activity.
There is a natural division among the minerals: we require some of them, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus, in larger amounts (several hundred milligrams, or even slightly more than a gram), whereas we only require tiny, trace amounts of others, like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium, and zinc. Vitamins and minerals can both be obtained from foods; however, the difference with minerals is that they usually come from within the earth's crust. Plants take in these minerals from the soil, and the minerals are ultimately eaten by humans or by animals.
HERBS
Herbs have been used since ancient times to cure a host of diseases. Available scientific research suggests that the inner workings of plants may be more complex than those of human beings. They are able to manufacture hundreds of compounds that help them survive in harsh environments, and these compounds have been proposed to be beneficial to the health of humans. Some constituents within a plant may be tied to its healing qualities, such as hypericin in St. John's wort for depression, or silymarin in milk thistle for liver disorders. You will notice that herbal dietary supplements are typically standardized to a certain percentage or amount of a particular compound that has known effects. In some cases, if you don't see this information on the label, you won't know how much of the active compounds you are taking, and, as a result, you could be getting a supplement that may not have the health benefit it is intended to have.
Many of us believe that since herbs have healing properties and are “natural,” they can be used indiscriminately. Let me caution you that this is not the case. Herbs are very potent substances and can deliver health benefits. In fact, several drugs are derived from plants. We must use herbs wisely and exercise caution when taking them, the same as we do when we use pharmaceuticals.
There are many methods of preparation to use herbs internally, in supplement form. Here are a few common ways: