Supplements To Improve Your Body That ACTUALLY Work

When I was in high school and college, I took my daily multivitamin but never gave supplements another thought. I have always made a conscious effort to eat my greens and colorful veggies, thinking I would get my nutrients through my meals.

I was seeing one of my Lyme Disease specialists yesterday and she dropped a mind blowing fact: you would need to eat 75 oranges to get the nutrients of an original orange that was grown many, many years ago. Our soil is so depleted that we no longer get the nutrients our bodies need: giving us low energy and brittle hair, skin and nails.

When I started taking my ten million supplements to help my body fight my disease, I noticed a major unexpected benefit: my hair started growing rapidly, my nails were longer and stronger than ever and my skin was no longer constantly broken out. I have friends and my Insta-friends send me messages asking me what supplements I take because they want to follow along, and while my intensive routine cannot be followed by everyone, there are some general vitamins and supplements that might help you kick that 3pm fatigue or help your hair to be a little bit more shiny!

*Obviously- I am not a doctor! I have a team of FOUR doctors AND a nutritionist telling me what to take, eat, do…etc! This is not meant to cure, treat, etc anything! But if you want to live a little bit healthier or understand what vitamins are great for your body, this is for you! If you are wondering why I am not linking to direct supplement brands here, it is because I take special supplements that are stronger than the normal “healthy” person should. Here is an interesting article on what vitamin/supplement brands actually do the job they claim to on the bottle, and which to avoid.


Turmeric: Turmeric is a “trendy” health supplement right now- and with all of the benefits it reaps, it should be here to stay. Turmeric is comprised of curcumin- a chemical that is mostly known for being anti-inflammatory. Studies have shown that turmeric is very effective in fighting pain and inflammation- better than Motrin or Tylenol. In addition to being anti-inflammatory (this is the reason I take turmeric- it has massively helped the inflammation in my joints) Turmeric is known to fend off heart attacks, delay diabetes, and protect the brain. If you are curious, here are two (1, 2) good references.


Vitamin D: Essentially, vitamin D keeps our bones healthy and regulates our immune system! While vitamin C tends to steal all the spotlight, vitamin D should not be neglected due to it’s help in absorbing calcium and phosphorous (this keeps our bones stronger.) Vitamin D also helps fight risk of disease and is a serious mood booster. Believe it or not, a vitamin D deficiency can cause serious headaches. Learn more here.


Vitamin B-12: Personally I take vitamin B-12 in two forms for energy: a tablet every morning and a B-12 shot once a week. After I get a B-12 shot I am noticeably perkier for 4-5 days after. B-12 is an amazing source of energy due to it’s ability to break down  carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and use them more efficiently in your body throughout the day. While this is not the main benefit of taking B-12, it is also linked to aiding in speeding up your metabolism, healthier hair, skin and nails. Read more, here.


Magnesium: Magnesium is not a supplement we typically run to the grocery store to buy. I was introduced to magnesium after my doctors found that my heart was not pumping blood properly, and I began taking magnesium to strengthen my heart and help my blood flow easier. So needless to say, magnesium is great for your heart, but also has many added benefits! Magnesium aids in keeping your energeti, as well as in enzyme production AKA helping your body digest your food with ease. If you are an avid gym goer, magnesium helps build muscle safely. Read more, here.


 

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments!

 

<3 Al

StreetStyleChi does Nike Yoga, Alex Gets a Wall. Wut?

April 23rd 2013

Last week, I was lucky enough to decorate the Nike stylist wall at NTC Lincoln Park on Armitage. I had a great time pulling pieces with Nike stylist, Sarah. Nike has a lot of great transitional pieces coming out soon that I am very excited about. So, with this being said, go pop by my stylist wall and let me know what you think of my picks for this season!

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Also, NTC Lincoln Park was nice enough to host StreetStyleChi and our readers for a private yoga class. We had a ton of fun, Willy sang along with the music, and my abs are now burning. It was a well rounded 45 minutes of challenging postures, stretching, and meditation. Over all, it was a fabulous time and hopefully they will let us come back sometime in the future. You can check out my previous post on NTC Lincoln park HERE where the schedule of classes is included.

*Photos by Nicole Cash

Nike…is a Girl’s Best Friend?

NTC Lincoln Park | April 8th 2013

Photos by Joseph Kerins

As a DePaul student, I frequent the street Armitage quite often. Between going there to stop at my favorite boutiques and visiting Glazed and Infused more times then I would like to admit, I discovered my new favorite place to not only shop, but to get whipped into shape. NTC Lincoln Park, which is a Nike shop, but also a Nike Training Club, opened a few short months ago on my favorite street, and I haven’t stopped going since.

Now, you might find yourself asking what a Nike Training Club is, just like I was when I first heard the name. NTC Lincoln Park is a community to train with, which personally I love because I prefer training in a group. They offer complimentary workout classes and also have a run club. I cannot stress how nice the women at NTC Lincoln Park are, so if you’re around, you should pop in and say hi. While I probably cannot answer all of your questions about NTC Lincoln Park, they can. For about a month now, I’ve been wanting to take up running, but am slightly terrified at the thought of starting. Unfortunately for myself, I now do not have an excuse because NTC offers a DePaul Fun Run which is every Thursday at 6:30PM. I’m going to start this coming Thursday, the 11th, so if you want to come laugh at me gasping in air for one-three miles, this is your time!

While I do profile many stores and places around Chicago, this is one that I truly love and am 100% behind. I can honestly say that NTC Lincoln Park has one of the nicest groups of women I’ve met in a long time. They aren’t there to try to sell you something, they genuinely want to get to know you. It’s like having a super fit group of friends that all dress in awesome Nike outfits. Speaking of awesome Nike outfits…the Nike swag that is in store features work out clothes, and also old school Nike style…think high tops and graphic sweatshirts that can be incorporated into your already existing wardrobe.

My favorite class at NTC has to be the yoga class at 5PM on Sundays. This is why I asked Erica (who you should definitely say hi to if you stop in) if StreetStyleChi could have a private yoga class with our readers. Luckily for us, she agreed. If you want a good workout, then you should join myself and the StreetStyleChi team on April 23rd, at 6:30PM for a fun yoga session that will last about an hour. We can linger after and chat as I lust after all of the high top wedges. Tweet me ( https://twitter.com/StreetStyleChi ) or email me (alimoresco@msn.com ) or slip a note under my door (probably not your best idea) and let me know if I will see you there! The class has 25 spots so be speedy!

(click for slideshow) 

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