Be Mindful of Getting Your Essential B12!
As more of us focus on creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle including exercise, relaxation techniques (meditation, mindfulness, etc.) and eating a nutritious, balanced diet, we must also pay attention to our Vitamin B12 levels.
Vitamin B12 is an essential (meaning you need B12 to stay alive and remain healthy!) vitamin that our bodies cannot make. We need to get it from eating certain foods. B Vitamins are water-soluble and our bodies need us to “refuel” every day.
Natural food sources for B12 are red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, and foods that have been fortified with B12. Vitamin B12 can be found in fortified plant milks, fortified breakfast cereals and fortified meat substitutes. Plants do not make Vitamin B12, so a purely plant-based diet would be severely lacking in B12. Eating vegetarian foods that have been fortified with Vitamin B12 is also probably not enough for ensuring that your Vitamin B12 levels are consistently balanced.
Vegans and vegetarians should supplement their diet with a daily Vitamin B12 oral supplement and/or a Vitamin B12 shot from B12 LOVE. The Naturopathic doctors and nurses at B12 LOVE can answer your questions about keeping your Vitamin B12 levels in a healthy, balanced range. You also might want to get your Vitamin B12 levels tested. Yearly testing is a good idea for making sure you are maintaining the essential balance of B12 while eating a vegetarian or vegan diet. Especially if you are eating a vegan or solely plant-based diet, you must remember about supplementing your diet with the mighty Vitamin B12! For more information about the continued search for B12 in Plant Foods, read here.
If you do find out you are Vitamin B12 deficient or your B12 levels are borderline normal, or you are experiencing low energy, brain fatigue, forgetfulness, dizziness, etc., you know what to do! Come visit a B12 LOVE location! A Vitamin B12 injection will help you keep the balanced vegan or vegetarian lifestyle you are dedicated to achieving.
Happy healthy eating, with grilled portobellos and veggie burgers!
All the best,
B12 LOVE Team
