Hey All!
I have always had some kind health issue as I was growing up, but when you’re young you don’t take the best care of yourself. I didn’t do much to prevent any further health issues from occurring either, which I now know wasn’t the best thing to do. In my early twenties I was told I had IBS then Crohn’s Disease, which if you’ve never heard of it, is a form of inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn’s affects the intestines and it frankly affects every part of my body in some way.
Crohn’s disease symptoms can range from mild to severe and can include everything from abdominal pain and cramping to serious weight loss and memory loss. And if that’s not all, I found out at the same time that also have low vitamin D which contributes to the effects of my Crohn’s Disease, and a thyroid with nodules. I know…I’m a mess!
Once I found out about all of these health issues in my body, which could potentially get worse with age, I knew I would have to really be serious about keeping myself healthy. I needed to start taking my health seriously if I was going to be there for my family and if I ever wanted to live old enough to see my grand kids some day in the future. I took to the library and internet to research tons of natural ways to keep myself healthy so that I wouldn’t have to take pills and medicines for the rest of my life.Ā The thought of being on pills for the rest of my life was incentive enough for me to want to get healthy!
The first thing I knew I needed to do was get on a strict vitamin regimen. If I was ever going to be symptom free vitamins and supplements were going to be the answer.
I immediately started taking Nature Made Vitamin D.Ā If you didn’t know Vitamin D is an anti-inflammatory and is also known the “sunshine vitamin.” Your body produces Vitamin D when your outside in the sun. I also found out that Vitamin D can possibly fight Crohn’s disease. Vitamin D can also be found in in supplements like fish oil and cod liver oil. I had to be careful as to what fish oil I could use since I am allergic to shell fish. I found that Nature Made vitamins and my regimen of vitamins that I take work the best for me and my body.
Needless to say, since I started taking my Nature Made Vitamin D and Fish Oil capsules together back then my Crohn’s symptoms have virtually gone away. This is not a cure by any means as I still have flair ups and what works for me will not work for everyone. I simply know that taking my vitamins has surely made me feel a heck of a lot healthier! Taking my vitamins every day has also gotten rid of my low Vitamin D.Ā I also think living in Sunny California has helped me with my low Vitamin D as well.
I’m not saying I’m 100% healthy, but I’m pretty darn close to it. There is only one real symptom that has been the hardest to help which is my memory loss.
My short term memory is horrific. I know it’s horrific in part to the Crohn’s, but I hate it the most since I’ll forget peoples names quickly or I’ll forget what I did five minutes ago. I added Nature Made Ginkgo to my vitamin regimen to help me with maintaining my mental health and memory. It was one of the best decisions I’ve every made since it has made a huge difference in my memory. I don’t forget things as quickly as I did before. I’ve been on my vitamins diligently for almost 7 years now and I have never felt healthier than I have at this moment and I have to say it’s because of my vitamins and my commitment to keeping myself healthy in a natural way.
My vitamins truly do make me healthier and they help me to lead the best life I can possibly lead as I live with Crohn’s disease. My vitamins make me a better me and I don’t know what I would do with out them.Ā I honestly don’t know how I lived with out them before I was diagnosed and I know that taking my vitamins will help keep me healthy for the rest of my life.
About Supplements:
Many Americans often fall short on getting the nutrients their bodies need. Dietary supplements are intended to supplement the diet where there may be nutrient shortfalls. Vitamins and minerals work together to keep the body growing and functioning normally. They help convert food into energy, keep cells healthy, and support the immune system.
Selecting Vitamins and Supplements:
Shopping for vitamins and supplements can be overwhelming. So hereās a quick list to make you a bit more comfortable the next time you’re shopping for your vitamins and supplements:
- Talk to your physician or pharmacist.Ā Yes, your pharmacist and other health care professionals are well versed in vitamins and other supplements. Ask your health care professional about recommend vitamins, dosage values for your individual needs and more!
- Do your research. There are a number of resources for consumers. Start by taking Nature Madeās vitamin assessment tool. Visit FamilyDoctor.org for credible, physician-reviewed information on health and wellness topics, including the role vitamins and supplements can play in a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle.
- Look for the qualified third-party endorsements. When searching for supplements, look for verification from qualified third-party organizations, such as the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Finding this mark on a dietary supplement label helps to assure consumers that the supplements they buy meet the quality standards they expect.
A little about Nature Made Vitamins:
Nature MadeĀ® provides top quality vitamins, supplements, minerals and herbs that meet the highest industry-wide standards of purity and potency for consumersā individual nutritional needs. Nature Made is the #1 Pharmacist Recommended Brand for Letter Vitamins, Fish Oil, and CoQ10.
Key Vitamin and Supplement Resources:
Naturemade.com – The site provides information on our products including label and dosage information. The Nature Made Health Center contains articles and videos on a range of topics related to vitamins and health. There are also Wellness Tools to help consumers create their own personalized vitamin assessment, take quizzes, and customize their wellness plans.
VitaminHerbUniversity.com – A resource for health care professionals for up-to-date evidence-based information on dietary supplements.
For more information on Nature Made brand vitamins, supplements, minerals and herbs visit NatureMade.com.
***Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Nature Made and received promotional items to thank me for taking the time to participate. Vote for my entry at www.facebook.com/naturemade between 9/20/11 and noon (PT) 9/26/11.***
Welcome!
Comments
I came over from the blog hop and now following your blog thru RSS Reader and Facebook. I was already following you thru GFC. I would really love a follow back on both when you get a chance. Thanks so much for your help and have a wonderful day!
Mary@http://www.mmbearcupoftea.com
I love nature made products! It’s great that you’ve found a combination that work for you!
Wow, that’s fantastic that you are managing Crohn’s with supplements!
Great and inspiring post!
Thanks so much for posting this. It’s made me learn about shopping for vitamins that I need!
So great that you found something to keep you healthy!
Love nature made. They keep me healthy too!
Great post and thanks so much for a great blog!
Thanks so much for the comments!
I took Nature Made prenatals – I really liked them.
Our household loves Nature Made vitamins! Finding a vitamin regimen is so important for everyone out there!
Youth really is wasted on the young isn’t it?
I can recall so many times think of “yeah, that’s so far off for me and by then it won’t even matter”….It’s hard to comprehend what the furture holds and how our behavior matters later in life. I see it in my son now and can only shake my head because I know he’s not listening when I tellhim about taking care of his body now.
We had this same conversation the other day about his multivitamin and I thinkthe other thing was lotion.
We also love Nature Made. We actually gave the cranberry supplements to our Black Lab or had bad urinary tract problems.