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Fueling your body with a balanced diet is crucial when it comes to feeling your best. However, hitting all of the food groups you need consistently can be a struggle, which is part of the reason so many people turn to supplements to act as additional support to their diet. And taking supplements is a smart idea, as long as you keep in mind that supplements are meant to supplement a balanced diet, not replace one.
One common supplement mistake is thinking that if you have your supplement routine down, you do not need to worry as much about your diet.
The truth is that diet--what you put into your body--will always be a crucial component of staying healthy. No amount of supplements can replace a well-balanced diet.
According to Michelle Pfennighaus, a health and nutrition coach in New York, thnking otherwise is one common mistake when it comes to taking supplements.
She explains to Shape, "The mistake is thinking that a multivitamin is covering your bases, so you don’t have to worry about food so much."
Pfennighaus adds, "People need to eat a varied diet of real food with lots of different colors in their fruits and vegetables."
Getting nutrients from your food is also more efficient than taking supplements, according to doctors.
Dr. Clifford Lo, an associate professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Dr. Howard Sesso, an epidemiologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, both suggest focusing your efforts on diet rather than supplements (though they admit things change on an individual basis).
Harvard Health explains, "Both Dr. Sesso and Dr. Lo advise that you try to improve your diet before you use supplements. That's because nutrients are most potent when they come from food."
Although consulting your own doctor and nutritionist is a good place to start when evaluating your own supplement needs (or lack thereof), it's smart to think of ways to improve your diet first when you're lacking nutrients rather than turning to supplements right away.
