Week 4 Challenge - 12 Steps to Fitness

Photo credit: © Philip Ruder | Dreamstime.com

Did you realize that most of us don't even come close to the recommended daily allowances of the vitamins and minerals we need? Even those of us that are carefully following our nutrition guides with our programs or that are trying to eat a very clean and healthy diet may fall short of the requirements. So this week our challenge is going to simply consist of finding a good daily multivitamin. For some of you, this may already be a good habit in progress and will just be a reminder of the benefits good habits bring to your fitness. But some of you may just be beginning your journey and this could prove a very important tip to helping you live a healthier lifestyle.

Of course, it is also very important to take in as many of the daily required nutrients by eating a very clean diet with the proper recommendations from the food groups. Making certain your daily intake consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins is a very effective way of getting you well on your way. But even doing all of this, we may fall short of our daily requirements. So a daily multivitamin is just the right preventative. And you know what that say about prevention...an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Taking a good daily multivitamin will help ensure:

• You get the daily recommended allowance of nutrients.
• You have a consistent nutrient intake.
• You give your body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
• It may lower the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
• It reduces the possibility of infection and many illnesses.

Multivitamins are the single most supplement you can take to enhance your daily fitness regimen. But remember not all multivitamins are alike. Be careful to read the label and buy from a trusted manufacturer. Sometimes the ones you pick up in the local grocery store may seem like a real bargain, but may lack in quality. Not saying all inexpensive vitamins are bad...just reminding you that we live in the day and age where quite frankly, "you get what you pay for."

For a complete list of the daily recommended allowances I would suggest you visit the USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center. The allowances will very depending on variables such as age and sex. There are great guides and tables available to help you make the right choice for you.

One of the things to help me get my daily dose of the recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals is a Shakeology ® a day! One Chocolate Shakeology ® gives me 100% or more of my RDA of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, and Manganese. It also provides me with at least half of what I need in Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Folic Acid, Calcium, Pantothenic Acid, and Chromium. Not to mention all the other nutrients it is packed with to help me feel energized and stay on track with my fitness.

So by eating a healthy balanced diet and having a Shakeology ® a day, I'm pretty confident I get my daily allowances. But I do take a daily multivitamin just for good measure. It is just one of the simplest and most important things I do for myself.

That puts us well on our way to developing some pretty important steps we can take daily to ensure we are getting the best from our daily fitness and nutrition regimens.

• Step #1 - Drink at least 64 oz. of water daily.
• Step #2 - Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
• Step #3 - Ingest at least 25 grams per day of fiber.
• Step #4 - Take a good quality multivitamin each day.

Good habits for lifelong success!

Let's Do This!