Step 5 of 7
Fill the gaps: a multivitamin and an omega-3.
Walk into a supplement store and you face a wall of promises. You do not need most of it. Two things earn a place for almost everyone: a complete multivitamin with antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, and an omega-3 fish oil.
Why supplement at all
Even a good diet has gaps. Processed food loses nutrients on the way to the shelf, produce is often picked early and shipped far, and few people eat the variety needed to hit every micronutrient every day. A multivitamin is inexpensive insurance against the gaps, not a replacement for real food.
The multi
Look for a complete formula: the B vitamins, C, D, E, zinc, selenium, magnesium, chromium, in absorbable forms, without fillers, colors or artificial flavors. EnergyONE is our one-tablet-a-day version: 25 vitamins and minerals plus a digestion blend and citrus bioflavonoids. The Men’s Mega Multi is a higher-potency three-tablet formula with saw palmetto and lutein.
The ACE in Multi + ACE
Vitamins A (as beta-carotene), C and E are the classic antioxidant trio. Antioxidants help your cells handle the oxidative stress that exercise, stress, pollution and ordinary metabolism produce every day, and they work better together than alone. Both EnergyFirst multis are built around them; the more you train, the more they matter.
Omega-3
EPA and DHA, the long-chain omega-3 fats in cold-water fish, are structural parts of every cell in your body and are the fats most modern diets are shortest on. Eat oily fish twice a week, or take OmegaEnergy: 1,080 mg EPA and 720 mg DHA in a three-softgel serving.
Keep it simple
- Take the multi with breakfast, since with the shake is easiest to remember.
- Take fish oil with a meal.
- Add anything else only when you have a specific reason and, ideally, a doctor or dietitian who agrees.
Supplements are not medicine. If you take prescription medication, are pregnant or nursing, check with your physician before adding anything.
