Multivitamin Supplements

Should you take a multivitamin supplement? If you eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein, you probably don't need one. But if you want to be sure you're getting the recommended daily amounts of important vitamins and minerals, a multivitamin pill can be a good way to do so.

Vitamins and minerals are nutrients found in foods that your body needs to function optimally. Because your body can't make these nutrients on its own, they must come from food or other sources. Some important ones include the following:

• Vitamin A: Needed for healthy vision and cell development; also acts as an antioxidant, protecting the body's cells from substances called free radicals. Food sources of vitamin A include liver, fish, fortified dairy products, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
• Folic acid: Helps the body make new cells. It's especially important that women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant get adequate amounts of folic acid. It's found in dark leafy greens, dried beans and peas, oranges, and fortified grain products.
• Vitamin C: Plays a role in building connective tissue and keeping the immune system healthy; also acts as an antioxidant. It's found in citrus fruits, broccoli, green peppers, spinach, and other fruits and vegetables.
• Vitamin D: Contributes to bone health, in part by helping the body to absorb calcium; also plays a role in the immune system. Your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, and it's also found in fortified dairy foods and cereals.
• Vitamin E: Helps to repair body tissues and acts as an antioxidant. Vitamin E is found in fish, milk, egg yolks, vegetable oils, nuts, and other foods.
• Calcium: A mineral used to build bone. It's found in dairy products and, in smaller amounts, in greens like broccoli and kale.
• Iron: Helps to carry oxygen to the body's cells. Food sources of iron include organ meats, beef, poultry, beans and lentils, and fortified cereals.

Before you purchase a multivitamin, read the label to see what percentage of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of each vitamin it contains. As you'll see, some brands contain much more than the RDA, while others contain less. It has not been proved that taking more than the RDA is beneficial, and taking very high doses of any vitamin can be harmful. Choose a multivitamin that covers the bases but stays at 100 percent of the RDA or less. In addition, check that the label carries the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) symbol. This will ensure that the supplement's manufacturer adheres to certain purity standards and that the supplement can be easily broken down in your digestive system and absorbed.

And remember, taking a multivitamin doesn't mean you can forgo eating well. No pill can replace the benefits of eating a healthy, balanced diet, but a multivitamin supplement can provide a little additional assurance that your body is getting the nutrition it needs.

How to Read Medical Headlines

Being able to separate the credible from the hype is key to understanding what the latest medical research means for your health. When you're reading, watching, or listening to a medical news story, look for the following criteria:

Original studies: A medical news story should tell you who did the research, when it was done, and where the research was published or presented. Stories that don't say where the research comes from should be questioned.

Rigorous research: Pay attention to the details of how the study was done. Were many people involved (hundreds or more) or just a few? Was it a human study or one done on animals? Was there a control or placebo group? How long was the study period? Who funded the research?

Balanced information: Oversimplified or one-sided stories often leave out key facts. There's often far more to the story than is presented in a short broadcast or news article.

Multiple sources: Count the number of experts quoted in the article. There should be several experts quoted, and ideally, ones with different perspectives on what the research means.

Related studies: One study taken alone does not provide the complete picture. Ideally, the article should mention past studies done on the topic and explain how the current study fits into the big picture.

Legitimate reporting: Who wrote the article, and where does it appear? Is it from a recognized news source or someone's personal Web page? Is it really an advertisement disguised as news? Question if the writer is pushing a hidden agenda.

Remember, you can't believe everything you hear or read. If something sounds too good to be true — such as a promise that you can lose weight without changing how you eat or how much you exercise, that one particular food is the answer to weight loss, or that a pill can replace a healthy lifestyle — it probably is.

Eating Healthfully While Traveling

When you're traveling for business or pleasure, it can be tempting to take a vacation from your eating plan. Even if your intentions are good, it can feel as if you're surrounded by nothing but fast food, junk food, and other unhealthy snacks in airports, hotels, convention centers, and tourist areas.

But wait — it's possible to travel and still eat well. Keep these ideas in mind when eating on the road:

Pack your snacks: You don't have to worry about healthy choices not being available if you plan ahead and bring your own. Some portable options include nuts, fresh or dried fruit, pretzels, low-fat granola bars, and mini carrots.

Fill up before you go: Don't travel on an empty stomach. If you have a healthy and sensible meal before you go, you'll be less tempted to reach for something to eat in desperation.

Search out your options: When you arrive at your destination, take a few minutes to locate some nearby restaurants and shops with healthy eating options. When it's time to eat, you won't have to worry about where to go.

Remember, vacation calories count: Don't fall into the mind-set that your trip can be a vacation from your goal to eat well. Remember to keep track of calories on the road, just as you do at home. If you're a Duke Diet & Fitness Online member, you can print blank copies of your Food Log to take with you.

Order on the side: Control portions of high-calorie extras by asking for salad dressings and condiments like mayonnaise on the side, or requesting that they be left off altogether. Most cooks use far too much of these fatty sides, adding calories and fat you don't need.

Indulge in moderation: Part of the joy of traveling is experiencing new cuisines. Don't deprive yourself of a taste of the local flavor — but do keep your portions in check and make healthy choices whenever you can.

Keep moving: Remember to squeeze some activity into your trip, too. Walk around the airport terminal while you're waiting for your flight, stroll along the sidewalks in your destination city, go for a swim in the hotel pool. Staying active will help keep you on track.

Building Your Network for Success

While much of the work to make your weight-loss program succeed is up to you, finding proper support can certainly improve your chances for success. Think about the following descriptions, and then for each one, name one or more people in your life who could play that role in your "support network":

• The Listener and Guide: Someone who will listen when you need it and can give advice when appropriate without being judgmental.
• The Kindred Spirit: Someone who is "on the same wavelength" as you and shares experiences similar to your own.
• The Helper: Someone who can lend a hand in practical ways, such as taking on a chore like shopping or watching the kids so you can have time to work out.
• The Partner: Someone who will exercise or make other lifestyle changes with you.
• The Motivator: Someone who will cheer on your successes and help you look on the bright side during rough patches.
• The Soul Mate: Someone who knows you, understands you, and has your physical and emotional well-being at heart.
• The Expert: A professional you can turn to for technical advice on exercise, nutrition, health concerns, and breaking old habits. Experts who may help include personal trainers (look for a trainer who has an exercise-related degree and certification from the American College of Sports Medicine or the American Council on Exercise), dietitians, and qualified health-care providers.

Remember, always be as clear and specific as possible when requesting help from your support network. Instead of a vague request like, "Can you help me lose weight?" try saying, "Can you watch the kids on Monday and Wednesday evenings from six to seven so I can join an exercise class?" or "Will you help me shop for and prepare healthy dinners three nights a week, so I can cut back on going out to eat?" The better you communicate exactly how the members of your network can help, the more supportive they can be.

Is Your Thyroid the Problem?

For some people who gain weight easily, a dysfunctional thyroid gland may be partly to blame — though only rarely is it a major cause of excess weight. The thyroid gland is located in your neck and is responsible for many complex regulatory functions within the body. Hormones produced by the thyroid play a role in regulating metabolism, or the rate at which the body uses calories.

When the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone (a condition called hypothyroidism), your body's metabolism slows, and burning fat becomes harder. If an underactive thyroid contributes to weight gain, treating the thyroid condition may help with weight loss. The thyroid glad can also be overactive (a condition called hyperthyroidism).

One reason thyroid problems are often overlooked is that the symptoms tend to be subtle or confused with those of other diseases. Symptoms of reduced thyroid function may include fatigue, sluggishness, trouble waking in the morning, depression, dry skin and hair, constipation, fluid retention, low sex drive, and muscle aches and cramps. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include nervousness, irritability, rapid heart rate, and tremors.

If you're struggling with your weight and you suspect your thyroid may not be working normally, ask your doctor to test your thyroid function. A simple physical exam and blood test is the only way to know for sure.

Six Exercise Myths

Chances are you've heard all kinds of advice when it comes to working out. But are these maxims fact — or fiction? Don't believe these common workout whoppers:

Myth #1: Exercise should hurt. Whether you've been told "No pain, no gain," or that you should "feel the burn," the reality is that exercise doesn't have to be painful to be effective. In fact, pushing yourself too hard, too fast will most likely lead to an injury — not a fit physique!

Myth #2: You can target specific areas. Don't buy into the myth of spot exercising to reduce fat in a particular area. While it's true that strengthening exercises will target specific muscles — for example, crunches strengthen your abdominal muscles — no exercise can burn fat in a specific area.

Myth #3: To benefit from cardio, you have to do it for at least an hour at a time. It's just not true that if you don't have an hour to exercise, you may as well not bother. For weight loss, it's just as effective to work out frequently for shorter periods (such as 10 or 15 minutes). Remember, it all adds up.

Myth #4: If you strength train, you'll get bulky. Many people avoid strength training because they're afraid it will cause them to bulk up. The truth is, while resistance training helps you maintain your lean muscle mass, building substantial amounts of muscle is very difficult, especially when you're losing weight. Unless you're a bodybuilder following a program designed to increase your muscle mass, odds are you won't bulk up.

Myth #5: If you exercise, you can eat whatever you want. While exercise does burn calories, what and how much you eat still matters. For example, a one-mile walk burns about 100 calories — so you'd have to walk for 12 miles to burn off the typical 1,200-calorie fast-food meal of a hamburger, fries, and a soft drink!

Myth #6: There's a quick fix. When it comes to fitness, slow and steady wins the race. Don't buy into advertisements that promise certain fitness equipment or activities will get you in shape quickly or with no effort.

Dealing With "High Risk" Situations

Do you ever feel as if you're in a situation in which your eating can easily get out of your control? Perhaps it's every time you go to a party, when you're at a buffet, while you're doing certain activities like shopping, or when you're feeling very hungry, bored, tired, or stressed out.

Whatever the reasons, it's a good idea to think back over situations that led you to overeat in the past — to learn about yourself and develop strategies for dealing with similar circumstances should they arise in the future. Take some time to write about a past situation, answering the following questions:

• What were the circumstances? Where were you? Who were you with? What were you doing? And so on.
• How were you feeling physically? Were you hungry? Sleepy? Feeling a little weak or run down?
• How were you feeling emotionally? Were you anxious or sad? Angry or tense? Happy or joyful?
• What thoughts were going through your mind?
• Were you aware of any specific cues to eat, such as the presence of trigger foods, or friends eating in front of you?

Be as specific as you can, and remember that the important thing is to recall the details of the situations that led you to overeat — to identify the triggers but not dwell excessively on "what went wrong." This is not an exercise in beating yourself up!

Once you've written about a high-risk situation, brainstorm some strategies you could have used to avoid overeating. Evaluate these options, and then choose a couple of helpful and realistic ones to keep in mind for the next time you find yourself in a similar situation.

If you give this exercise careful thought, then the next time you face a high-risk situation, things won't feel so out of control. Think of it as planning for success!