Live Healthy Abroad: Dietary Supplements

Who am I?

Throughout my life I have traveled with family, volunteered abroad, studied abroad, worked abroad and lived abroad for varying amounts of time. Throughout my various adventures abroad I have struggled to maintain physical and emotional well being while away from home. At times I have felt so emotionally and physically depleted that I no longer wished to travel. Rather than letting my struggle to maintain health abroad stop me from living the life I desire, I have decided to dedicate more time and energy to finding strategies to alleviate the struggle.

In this blog I will share my experience finding strategies to create and/or maintain health while abroad. Not every tip will work for everyone or in every context. Always bear in mind that I am writing from the perspective of a vegan living in Santo Domingo. However, it is my hope that anyone who reads this will be able to take away bits and pieces to implement in their own unique context. If you find one piece of advice in my blog that increases your quality of life while abroad, then I have accomplished my mission!

This blog is a journal of my efforts to learn more and, as such, I welcome and encourage comments and suggestions and for you to share your own experiences.

In health,

Katie

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Dietary Supplements

While traveling or living abroad it can be difficult to get all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Regardless of travel, it is wise to talk to a doctor or nutritionist about your diet and what, if any, supplements would support you. In addition to wanting to ensure you get enough of the right vitamins and minerals you also want to be sure you don't get too much. Not being a doctor myself I will refrain from getting too specific and simply to encourage you to find out what your body needs and to bring those supplements with you when you travel.

If you don't have time to check in with a doctor here are three basic supplements I recommend based on my experience.

Juice Plus: If you aren't getting enough fruits and vegetables, Juice Plus supplements are a great way to give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs. When I am on the road and am not sure I will have access to an adequate supply of fruits and veggies, I take Juice Plus. Actually, my entire family takes Juice Plus and we have noticed, particularly with my younger brother, that taking the supplements helps his mood and results in his craving healthier food.

Daily Vitamin: A daily vitamin supplement can rarely do harm. Again, it's good to talk to a doctor about your specific needs, but daily vitamins are composed in such a way to avoid overdosing yourself with vitamins and minerals. One daily vitamin a day can do wonders to keep your immune system strong and your energy high.

B12: If you are a vegetarian and especially if you are a vegan, you should consider taking a B12 supplement. If you are doing vegetarianism/veganism the right way, you should be getting the majority of all of the vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy. B12, however, is more difficult to get from a plant-based diet. Inadequate consumption of B12 can result in anemia and nervous system damage. You can find more information on B12 here.