When it comes to vitamins, the more you take the better off you are, right? Actually, that's not true and you can be wasting your time (and money) or even doing yourself harm by overloading on vitamins. To get the ultimate advantage from vitamins, be smart about what you're taking.

The first thing to remember about vitamins is that pills or supplements shouldn't be your only source of vitamins. Nothing - not even a daily vitamin regimen - is a substitute for eating right. Some people tend to eat less healthy because of their lifestyles. They're just too busy to stop for a real meal. Dieting is a common problem because those on a strict diet may not be getting nearly all the vitamins the body needs to stay healthy.

If those situations sound familiar, there are some things you can do.

Don't do crash diets or diets that require you to only eat a specific food. The grapefruit diet was popular a few years ago, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it's not a good idea from a health standpoint.

Talk to your doctor or to a dietician. Make a healthy plan and stick with it. Supplement your diet with regular exercise and be sure that you're eating the foods that will keep you healthy long enough to enjoy that slim new body you're working on.

If you think you're just too busy to eat healthy, think again. There are dozens of shortcuts toward healthy foods and healthy meals that will get you the daily recommended dose of most vitamins. Instead of eating chips or a candy bar for a snack, eat an apple, a banana, a handful of grapes, cherries or strawberries. These are completely portable, just like a candy bar. Many convenience stores are recognizing that customers want these healthier snacks and they're offering them at the counter.

Instead of stopping at a convenience store or fast food restaurant, allow yourself five extra minutes and make a quick stop at a grocer for your snack. Choose veggies - cooked are often an option if the grocery has a deli.

Make yourself a sandwich. Think sandwiches aren't healthy? Think again. If you choose wisely, you're getting meat, veggies (think bigger than just lettuce and tomato) and bread - and all the vitamins you'd get from most sit-down meals.

The next time you think that just popping a pill is the best way to get the vitamins your body needs, think again. It might be easier than taking time for a sandwich, but it's certainly not healthier. Vitamin pills and supplements should do just that - supplement your daily food intake.

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Vitamins Resources a website providing information on Vitamins

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