Hammer Nutrition Original Daily Essentials Kit | Daily Sports Nutrition Supplement Set

Why do I need to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement?Q: Why do I need to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement if I’m eating a balanced diet?A: The reason why we highly recommend supplementing with a multivitamin/mineral supplement—Premium Insurance Caps is an outstanding product—is because you cannot obtain all the nutrients your body requires solely from your diet. Here's why:There has never been a single clinical study that documents what comprises a balanced diet nor one that has demonstrated one's ability to meet basic nutrient requirements through whole foods alone.Studies show that food alone does not supply all the micronutrients we need to prevent deficiency, let alone achieve optimal health. Nutritional scientist, Bruce Ames, bluntly states, “Inadequate dietary intakes of vitamins and minerals are widespread, most likely due to excessive consumption of energy-rich, micronutrient-poor, refined food. Inadequate intakes may result in chronic metabolic disruption, including mitochondrial decay.” Another study concluded: "Nearly the entire U.S. population consumes a diet that is not on par with recommendations.”Very few of us have routine access to fresh, locally grown foods. Much of our diet comes from foods grown far away, picked when unripe, and then sent packing. Nutritional content is questionable and usually depleted.Even if we could obtain all the nutrients we need from our diet, it's highly unlikely that any of us eats an ideal diet as consistently as we think we do. The USDA states: “To promote your health, eat a variety of fruits and vegetables—at least 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables—each day” but really, how many of us do that with any kind of consistency? And that figure may be on the low side, thanks to research from Dr. Dagfinn Aune, who concludes, “Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, ten a day is even better.” That said, please understand that we’re not suggesting that you can neglect your diet, take scads of pills, and have all of your nutrient needs covered. Supplements should never take priority over the consumption of a healthy diet. At Hammer Nutrition we emphasize both quality nutrition and supplementation. First and foremost, your primary nutritional goal is to consistently consume a healthy diet, which means:Eating whole grains and locally grown organic fruits and vegetables as much as possible.Avoiding packaged, processed foods and junk foods, and foods containing artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, and preservativesMinimal sodium and low-to-no simple sugars The main reason to try and eat the healthiest diet possible—primarily a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables—is NOT so much for their vitamin and mineral content, which is minimal, at best, but instead for the nearly countless health-benefiting phytochemicals that are only found in fruits and vegetables. For example, research has shown that a naturally occurring flavonoid found in various fruits (mainly strawberries) called fisetin has strong antioxidant, neuroprotective, and cardio-protective properties. Eating lots of strawberries will help you get sufficient amounts of this amazing phytonutrient.Bottom line: If you want to look, feel, and perform your best, the first step is always a diet dominated by nutrient-dense whole foods. But that alone will no longer suffice—supplementation has become a part of modern life. To augment the minimal amounts of vitamins and minerals supplied in the daily diet, and to obtain ideal amounts of these vitally important nutrients, you must supplement. If you want to achieve your best performances in your exercise sessions and events—and, even more importantly, enjoy optimal health (not minimal, optimal!)—then daily supplementation is a necessity, not an option.​​