Throw Away Your Vitamins!!!

Angelism: “A healthier you doesn’t come in an over the counter bottle. Stop being fooled by the media, if you are concerned about your health, go to the doctors & have your blood drawn. There, you will find answers.”

I rarely discuss health topics but vitamins and over the counter weight loss pills are crap! Much like many of you, I believed in bottled nutrients and thought they were the key to good health. In my early 20’s I used to take anti-oxidants for immunity, papaya and garlic for good digestion, and fat burners to boost my metabolism. I assumed I’d be healthier, trimmer, and lose weight, all while maintaining energy. What a waste! Now that I work in the medical field I have learned more about nutrition and how the body works. If there is one thing that has been drilled into my head, it is that vitamins are a waste of money and that taking them may do more harm than good.

Now don’t assume all vitamins are bad. Over the counter vitamins do have a purpose. They exist to replenish a nutrient in your body that you are deficient in. How do you know if you are deficient? Go to the doctor’s office and have your labs drawn. If your lab work proves you are deficient then you can take a supplement per the doctor’s orders; if not don’t waste your money. Never diagnose yourself. Your answers to better health will likely not be found in an expensive bottle at the local health food store.

Marketing thrives on informing us that certain vitamins are healthy and will enhance our life. Yes, getting your daily vitamins is important, but this does not mean you need to physically take supplements. In today’s society, food is easily accessible and nutrients are sprinkled into even the unhealthiest of foods. Many of us are nowhere near a deficiency in any one vitamin. The crappiest of breakfast cereals have powdered nutrients in it, and those high fructose corn syrup beverages many Americans drink are doused in vitamin C. Why would you need to take more vitamins? When is the last time you have known of someone having scurvy? Deficiencies are rare. If you eat enough food daily and have a variety of foods in your diet, you are not going to need supplements. If you are concerned, get your blood drawn at your doctor’s office and verify that you are OK.

As for all the other supplements available like Acai Berry pills, Green Tea Extract pills, and other fat burners and over the counter diet pills; I think they are not healthy and a waste of money. There is no answer or quick fix to health and weight loss. If you want to be healthier, look and feel better, then guess what? You will have to work hard to achieve it. Diet and exercise on a regular basis throughout your ENTIRE LIFE is key. Every day it has to be an awareness and a choice. Every day you have to want to be good to your body and take care of it. Health is not something you can buy, it is something you have to earn all on your own!

Disconnected

Angelism: “When you are out spending time with someone you have that moment to be present with your company. Human interaction is a real thing so put your cell phone down & experience it!”

Before cell phones and laptops, I used to get offended when couples sat at dinner together reading the newspaper or a book. I never understood why they were not engaging with one another or even enjoying the moment they were in. That was back in the 90’s. Today, ignoring the people you are with is common. Tables of 2-10 people, get together to hang out and eat, all while using their cell phones the entire time. Am I the only person who thinks this is awful? If you want to go out to dinner with someone, go out to dinner with them and only them. Engage with that person and experience a meaningful exchange in that moment. If you want to go to dinner with your phone then do so alone and simply text the people you thought you wanted to dine with in person.

Another thing lately that makes me crazy is the constant use of cell phones at work. Last time I checked when I was growing up, jobs did not allow us to bring TVs, cameras, video games, phones, and boom boxes to our 8 hour shift. A cell phone is now all of these things. How is it that we have evolved to a time where employees think it’s OK to Youtube videos for instant entertainment and chat all day via text with friends, while employers sit back and allow it? The attention span and awareness of people in our new fast past, technology driven world, is almost non-existent. We have had technology long enough that now people can’t remember life without it. Cell phones are our most prized possession and our most used accessory. Sadly it keeps people distracted from work, socializing, being productive in life, and most importantly – time with family.

I do not think the obsession with technology will ever change. We have been transformed and I believe it will only get worse. People will feel connected through being disconnected. Human interaction will no longer be valued and the importance of our existence will be placed on how many likes a picture gets and how many emoji’s a friend sends to express their love. People will not have the patience to sit through a movie at home without playing on their laptop and checking their cells.

Technology will slowly turn our brains to mush. We won’t engage for hours verbally nor appreciate quality time because our brains will be on constant overload surfing through the Internet for what to do next. We will become data entry specialists, simply loading details in our phones and using it as a tool to tell us where to go, what to do, and what birthday wish to send. Needing to know a phone number or address other than your own is now unnecessary. Paying attention to where you are going or memorizing places that a decade ago was important, is no longer needed thanks to Google maps and navigation systems. Our future with technology means that we will be turned on and off like a switch, and our brain’s memory function will all be stored for us in our smart phone.

As much as I love technology and am guilty of doing some of the things above that I think are ridiculous, I am curious to see how our lives evolve a decade from now. I doubt technology will enhance our intelligence or our social skills. I assume the future generations will not be able to comprehend life without a cell phone alerting them where to be, how to live, and what days are special. It breaks my heart to think that my nieces and nephews will be asked out on dates and told, “I love you,” for the first time over text or social media. Time will tell how much technology will advance or damage our humanity…. #veryscared