The best ways to keep your energy levels up are to eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get adequate sleep ☝🏻.

However, these things aren't always doable, especially when you're juggling life's commitments...

When this happens, 📍 vitamins play a critical role in our lives.

You've most likely heard of them, or maybe even used them, and perhaps you've even recommended them to friends or relatives. But before making decisions about whether to take a supplement, you need to know exactly what they are.

What are dietary supplements? 🤔

Dietary supplements are products that are designed to complement your diet with nutrients you may be lacking.

These include ingredients like vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, and enzymes. Dietary supplements are available in forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, powders, and liquids 💊.

Dietary supplements are not medicines, and they do not cure disease, but they are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 👮🏻.

What are the benefits of dietary supplements?

Supplements can help you acquire enough of the essential nutrients ✨ your body needs to operate, while others can help you avoid sickness. However, supplements should not be used to replace the entire meals that are required for a healthy diet, so eat a variety of foods as well.

Dietary supplements are used for a variety of reasons, including:

• Maintaining general health
• Supporting mental and sports-related performance
• Providing immune system support

Why use food supplements? 🤷🏻

If your diet lacks a particular nutrient, you might need a food supplement to fill that gap 💪🏻.

Typically, you will only need to take a supplement for a short period of time. If you're pregnant 🤰🏻, for example, you may need to take supplements until your baby is delivered or once you've finished breastfeeding.

However, in some situations, such as if you have a chronic health problem, you may need to take a supplement for a longer period of time 📅.

Multivitamins may be beneficial to the following people:

• Women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• Women who are breastfeeding
• Women who have heavy menstrual periods
• Women who have gone through menopause
• People who do not eat animal products (vegans/vegetarians)
• People who have undergone gastric bypass surgery for weight loss
• People who have diseases of the stomach, liver, pancreas, or gallbladder
• People who have digestive health conditions
• If you have a health condition that means your body cannot absorb the nutrients it needs
• If you have a strong need for a particular nutrient (for example, if you are at risk of osteoporosis and need more calcium)
  

As you can see, supplements have many health benefits, but that doesn't mean we should or can take them...

Keep in mind

• Talk to your doctor or nutritionist if you think you're not getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet. They can help you decide which micronutrients you need.
• Get approval from your doctor or nutritionist before taking dietary supplements instead of or in combination with prescription drugs.
• If you are scheduled for any type of surgical procedure, talk to your health care provider about the supplements you take.
• Drug companies follow FDA regulations. These supplements display additional credentials on their labels. Look for "USP Verified" or "ConsumerLab.com Approved Quality."
  

The best way to get all the nutrients you need is to eat a balanced diet. You can do that with your Eative plan! And, if you're interested in trying some supplements for yourself, check out the Eative shop.

If you're concerned that you're not getting all the nutrients you need, talk to your doctor or see a nutritionist.