“Leslie, you need to take some vitamins!”
I‘ve heard my mother shouting this at me for years and like most of us do, I ignored her. Last year after my scheduled physical, which you should all be getting if you can, I realized I needed to heed her advice. Since then I have been struggling with narrowing down vitamins that I feel work for my body and I can remember to take. Now that I’m working on a routine I figured there may be some people out there who could use the same help I did. Keep scrolling to tap into my list of vitamins that I take to keep me healthy and how I remember take them!
After a series of routine tests my doctor informed me that I was severely vitamin D deficient and it would behoove me to begin a multi vitamin. Of course I was ashamed that I hadn’t just listened to my mom years prior, but hey we can’t change the past now can we? Having been pregnant twice in the past four years I had no issue taking prenatal vitamins and the other medication I needed but once that fourth trimester had passed – so did they. Oddly enough I hadn’t been able to translate that habit into something I kept up and I certainly paid the price. If you weren’t aware being vitamin D deficient can lead to bone issues, joint problems, and can aid in your body not being able to lose weight. You mean to tell me vitamin D is the culprit behind my lack of abs?!?
And all this time I was blaming the tacos…
Turns out it wasn’t them, it was me. Now that I have received the message loud and clear about taking care of my body from the inside, I’m focusing on making taking my vitamins a daily habit. One of the ways I’ve been able to do that is to keep all of my pills in one place. It may seem like common sense but having your vitamins in the cabinet where you don’t seee them can deter you from taking them. In order to not have that be an excuse, I went full grandma and bought a pill box. Laugh if you must but it works! Now instead of forgetting something I have the four pills I need in a pretty rose gold box that reminds me, “Leslie, the vitamins.”
Now that we’ve got that tip out of the way, I must say here all vitamins are not created equal. Some cause constipation, others may cause skin reactions, some may irritate your stomach. I’ve tried out a few brands and the following is what I’ve landed on.
Rainbow Light Multi-Vitamin has been my go to brand since I was searching out a prenatal vitamin. It is plant based and you can take it on an empty stomach. Be advised I have made the mistake of taking my vitamins first thing in the morning prior to having breakfast and it was not pretty. I was shaking hard enough to register on the Richter scale I’m sure of it. With Rainbow Light vitamins I’ve not experienced the pain in my stomach or the shaking if I haven’t eaten first. This brand of vitamins has been the best I’ve tried thus far as far as multi-vitamins go.
Echinacea is one of the herbs I take fairly regularly. Again I grew up with a mother who was big on herbs and other holistic health aids. Some of this is probably because she couldn’t afford to take us to the doctor at the sign of every sniffle and cough. So she did her best to ensure our immune systems stayed in tip top shape. When I feel the slightest tickle in my throat or nose I up the dosage on this to two capsules a day. I have to admit I am rarely sick and that’s saying something as a mother with two school aged kids and a toddler. Y’all know kids and germs love each other. I usually grab this from Sprouts.
Vitamin C obviously is something I keep in my arsenal because of the aforementioned children, but also because it’s just good for you. Keeping my vitamin C up I also believe helps me keep the sickies at bay. Be advised I didn’t say this before, I am obviously not a medical professional so please don’t take this advice over that of your doctor. Nonetheless I’ve found that the standard Up & Up Target brand has proven quality enough for this.
Finally vitamin D, now I had been taking an over the counter version but recently I was prescribed a different version from my doctor. I haven’t begun taking it yet so I can’t elaborate. However the Up & Up Target brand was also a good go to for this. I had been using Nature’s Best, which wasn’t bad but I’m not always a fan of the way Nature’s Best brand made me feel.
There are so many companies now that provide options for vitamins like ritual, Care Of, Baze, Paragon and more. I haven’t personally tried any of these companies and would be open to seeing what they offer. However I can say I am enjoying that we’re seeing the importance and necessity of giving our bodies what they need to function well. Many of these companies are offering personalized vitamins because it has been said that the multi-vitamin can result in you absorbing minerals in excess and could cause problems. This is why I do aim for a plant-based option.
photography: Kaye McCoy
Turns out mama was right as usual, but better late than never! Are you taking vitamins already, if so – what kind? If not, will you start? Let’s get healthy y’all!
be well,
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