Taking nutrition supplements can often feel like an “all or nothing” commitment. Yet, the better approach is to focus on a few specific nutrients to reap the most benefits.
No matter how well we it, certain nutrients are hard to get from the diet alone. Nutritional supplements are here to fill in the nutrition gaps. This is especially important for days, weeks and often months when we fall into a food rut and eat the same set of foods over and over again (we've all been there!). If what we eat stays the same over a long period of time, the nutrients we get from food also stay the same and we might be missing important nutrients.
A nutrition supplements plan should work for you
A key factor that allows us to keep up with a routine is making sure that it fits our lifestyle. We’re less likely to keep up the activities that feels like a chore. So if taking a nutrition supplement is a crucial part in maintaining your health, then the way in which you take supplements needs to be cohesive with your life.
If taking two or three supplements per day is the most that you can commit to without going off track, then make that your plan. Or if taking pills isn’t for you, Shevolve’s M Bites offer vitamins, minerals and prebiotic fiber to fill in nutritional gaps in menopause in one delicious mini bar. The idea is to tailor your supplementation plan to your lifestyle.
Explore vitamins for menopause
Less is more when it comes to nutrition supplements
Although there aren’t right or wrong nutrients to supplement with (as long as you are doing so in consultation with your health care provider), there are several nutrients that most women going through menopause are not getting enough or especially benefit from.
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Vitamin B12
- Sources: Clams, Atlantic salmon, ground beef, nutritional yeast
- Importance: Maintains blood vessel health, improves the nervous system
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Vitamin D
- Sources: Cod liver oil, trout, salmon, the sun during spring and summer months
- Importance: Aids calcium absorption, upkeeps the immune system
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Omega-3 fatty acids
- Sources: Nuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, canola oil, many varieties of fish
- Importance: Decrease body inflammation, improve/maintain cognitive function, lower triglyceride levels
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Magnesium
- Sources: Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, spinach, varieties of nuts
- Importance: Bone structure, helps muscle contraction, regulates calcium
Many of these food sources have low amounts of the corresponding nutrients, making it quite demanding to reach the nutrient recommendations for each. Plus, for certain nutrients like B12 our needs go up with age while our ability to absorb these nutrients decreases. Nutrition supplements can play a key role in our health by allowing us to get the proper amounts of essential nutrients every day.
Check out our brief nutrition assessment to find the right nutrition supplement routine for you to make self-care easier through perimenopause and menopause.
