Many people are looking for shortcuts to a healthier lifestyle that are easy to implement into their daily lives. At Oriflame, we believe in preventive health with a holistic approach. One that focuses on every single aspect of healthy living – nutrition, exercise, sleep and emotional wellbeing. We also believe that in order to have consistency in your life, you need routines. Routines that you can keep. With Oriflame Wellness routines, you can conveniently stick to the right kind of healthy lifestyle that suits your needs.
Benefits of regular supplementation
Regular supplementation is the perfect solution to help bridge the gap of any nutrient shortfalls, based on our individual needs, and making sure we get everything we need for our bodies to function at its best.
Food supplements are not medicinal products and as such cannot exert a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action. Therefore, their use is not intended to treat disease or to modify physiological functions.
Supplements are used for many purposes such as;
• to help support over-all health and energy
• to provide immune system support and reduce the risks of age-related conditions
• to improve performance in athletics and mental activities
• to assist in nutrient intake during times of reduced food intake
• to assist with regularity
Supplements cannot replace food
Supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied diet but instead as a complement to ensure healthy levels of nutrients over a longer period of time. If you look at the compiled nutrition recommendations from the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2014) and the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) a healthy diet should contain:
Healthy protein:
• chicken, fish, legumes, nuts & seeds
• <500 g of red meat a week
• avoid processed meat (sausage, ham, beef jerky)
Healthy carbohydrates:
• wholegrains, potatoes, brown rice, grain bread
• 25-35 g of dietary fibre a day
• <10% of energy from sugar, for additional health benefits <5% (<6 tsp) a day
Healthy fats:
• oils, nuts, seeds, avocado etc
• fish 2-3 times a week (whereof 2 times oily fish)
Fruits & Vegetables:
• > 500 g (5 portions) of fruits, berries & vegetables a day
• preferably from all the colours of the rainbow (indicates different types of antioxidants)
Limit salt:
• <5 g of salt (1 tsp) a day
This is not unattainable but takes a bit of planning. And even though you plan your food intake, life might come in between sometimes, and you end up eating less nutritious food than you would have wanted. To bridge the nutritional gaps, it could be a good idea to support your food intake with supplements to ensure healthy levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and omega 3 for instance to support your overall health and wellbeing.
Who needs supplements?
If you’re a healthy individual who eats a variety of foods, including fruits, berries, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low-fat dairy products, eggs, lean meats and fish, you likely don’t need supplements. But supplements, or fortified foods, may be appropriate at certain occasions. Let’s look into when it could be appropriate to supplement!
Different life stages
Children and teenagers that are growing need calcium for strong bones. It’s quite common they have a poor diet since they might be picky eaters, so a multivitamin and mineral supplement could be beneficial.
When you’re getting older your nutritional requirements shift slightly. Since your bone mineral density decline with age you need more calcium and vitamin D to support your bone health and therefore a supplement including these nutrients can be necessary. (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2014)
Geographical differences
In certain parts of the world you might have an increased need of certain nutrients. For instance, there are countries where it’s hard to find enough fruits and vegetables to ensure your vitamin, mineral and antioxidants requirements. In that case a multivitamin antioxidant supplement could come handy.
Another geographical aspect could be if you live in the northern part of the globe, like Sweden, the rays of the sun are not effective enough during the winter season to stimulate our body’s own vitamin D production. That’s why it could be a good idea to supplement with vitamin D during that time of the year (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2014).
Pollution is unfortunately a reality in some parts of the world nowadays.
Pollutants, as well as excessive sun exposure, can cause oxidative damage on our cells and since antioxidants have the ability to protect healthy cells from oxidative damage it could be helpful to complement your diet with additional antioxidants (Pham-Huy et al., 2008).
Different diets
Nowadays there are many different types of diets circulating. Despite what kind of diet you adhere to, if you exclude entire food groups, like carbohydrates for instance, you would need to supplement with e.g. dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals.
If you’re on a weight loss regime with reduced food intake, you probably need a multivitamin and mineral supplement as well.
Excluding certain types of food could also be due to an allergy like fish allergy. In that case it could be a good idea to supplement with healthy essential omega 3 fatty acids.
Poor nutrient intake
If you feel you don’t always eat a well-balanced diet due to lack of e.g. time, knowledge or simply have an appetite for more unhealthy food every once in a while. Then a vitamin, mineral or antioxidant supplement could be a great way to bridge the gap of any micronutrient shortfalls and support your wellbeing.
Are there any risks?
Depending on where in the world you live, supplements might be strictly regulated or not regulated that well.
In the European Union (EU) food supplements are regulated as foods. Harmonised legislation regulates the vitamins and minerals, and the substances used as their sources, which can be used in the manufacturing of food supplements. For ingredients other than vitamins and minerals, the European Commission has established harmonised rules to protect consumers against potential health risks and maintains a list of substances which are known or suspected to have adverse effects on health and the use of which is therefore controlled.
Because food supplements are considered as food, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer, importer, supplier or distributor to ensure that a food supplement is safe to use. (EFSA, 2020) To ensure you consume a safe amount of a supplement it’s vital you read and follow the recommended daily amount, written on pack.
Taking more than the recommended daily amount of a supplement could potentially do more harm than good since the risk of side effects is impendent.
If you have any type of health condition or if you’re simply wondering whether you need a supplement or not, talk to your doctor or dietitian prior to usage of supplements.
Be sure to ask about dosage, side effects and possible interactions with any medications you take. Your doctor has your full medical history, hence why he/she can guide you properly.
Wellness by Oriflame supplements
Wellness by Oriflame’s products are based on the strictest EU safety standards. Our philosophy is that we don’t believe in mega dosing, so we have up to 100% of the NRV (Nutrient Reference Value). That’s how we have a safe product that can be used long term, every day, alongside a healthy and balanced diet.
The Wellness by Oriflame product portfolio offers something for most; we offer daily supplements and food products to support healthy skin and overall health.
One of our best sellers is the WellnessPack that provides a valuable spectrum of nutrients – for both men and women – that helps bridge the gap of any micronutrient shortfalls in the diet.
The WellnessPack is a convenient one-a-day sachet containing:
• Multivitamin & Mineral – gives valuable nutrients daily for men and women, respectively. It provides 12 essential vitamins and 10 essential minerals that helps bridge the gap of anymicronutrient shortfalls in the diet and helps support skin health.
• Astaxanthin & Bilberry Extract – provides a combination of antioxidants that includes nature’s most powerful antioxidant astaxanthin from microalgae (Haematococcus pluvialis L.) and exttract from bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.). In addition, it contains vitamin C and E that contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
• Omega 3 – ensures a convenient daily intake of the essential omega 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are vital parts of all cell membranes in the body, including the skin, and have important roles in a lot of organs and tissues, including maintenance of the normal function of the heart*, vision** and brain**.
These individual components are also available as single products.
*The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 250 mg of EPA and DHA.
**The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 250 mg of DHA.
Sometimes it can be hard to stick to a healthy lifestyle. Implementing healthy routines with supplements to support and enrich your diet can be a starting point of gaining a healthier lifestyle.
With Oriflame Wellness routines, you can conveniently stick to the right kind of healthy lifestyle that suits your needs.
