by Gladys Kublik
Neighbors Vitamin Shop
The New Year brings with it a sense of new beginnings, a fresh start and in the depths of January’s dark days a respite from the excitement of Christmas and time to plan for the future and also to reflect on the past year.
The most gratifying thing about the past year has been the support of our customers. We appreciate the confidence you have shown in us and hope to meet your expectations in the coming year. We also appreciate all the positive comments and compliments we have received both from our regular customers and our new customers regarding the selection and quality of our vitamin and supplement brands. Many new customers tell us they are impressed with the large variety we carry, and we tell them that we often carry a product because just one of our customers requested it and buys it regularly. If we have a supplier, we try to bring in what people need.
It is also affirming to have customers recognize the brands we carry as some of the best in the industry. These brands have been in the top levels of performance for many years. Most have won Canadian Health Food Association Industry Achievement Awards which celebrate excellence in the natural health and organic products industry. These awards recognize the companies that exemplify the best of this dynamic industry. We are proud to be able to say we carry many of the best.
The reason these brands reach this level as in the case of New Roots, Natural Factors, Platinum, Prairie Naturals, and Preferred Nutrition is that they rigorously test all ingredients before manufacture to ensure that organic materials are non-GMO, that all ingredients are natural (non-synthetic), free of all toxins and contaminants and are potent. The finished products are submitted to rigorous third party testing at an agency such as ISURA or similar facility to ensure the ingredients inside the capsule or tablet match the list and strengths on the label. It also ensures that they are also allergen free, and devoid of binding agents, artificial colouring, flavouring or preservatives.
It is important to know when you are buying vitamins and supplements that you can trust the brand’s integrity. You need to be assured of the product’s purity, the potency of the ingredients, and that the recommended dosage is a therapeutic amount for that particular product. Sometimes customers compare strengths by the milligrams shown, this is a start, but quite often not the whole story. Read the fine print to see if you are buying 1000 mg of bulk herb compared to 500 mg of standardized extract. With minerals, it is necessary to find the form most easily assimilated by the body, which means that more is not necessarily better if the body cannot use it.
When looking for supplements it is also important to think of how the body utilizes nutrients. While it seems efficient to take a high strength capsule once a day, it isn’t always in the body’s best interest. Often there are limiting factors to how much of a nutrient can be utilized at a time and to how much can be stored in the system for later use. If the excess is excreted because it isn’t being used, you are throwing it away. Just as with food, it is better to take smaller doses several times a day to obtain the best results.
Your good health is your most valuable asset, as important to your family as it is to you. When looking at vitamins and supplements to improve and maintain that good health, look at the cost effectiveness of what you buy. Will it provide your body with what it needs, when it needs it or as is the case with so many bargain products, will it simply pass through not providing the active ingredient in an absorbable form in a therapeutic dosage. Will the product you buy provide clean, tested ingredients free of contaminants such as toxic chemicals or heavy metals?
We are proud to offer such high-quality products that provide the most bioavailable forms of the elements necessary for optimum health. Talk to our knowledgeable staff about our brands that provide noticeable results. Your health is worth the world to you, don’t wait until it is fading before you support it.
