Here's some real food for thought, when it comes to giving your body everything it needs.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is the ideal way to make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need. However, even the best diet is bound to have some gaps in it – and there are some nutrients, especially vitamins D and E, that are difficult to get enough of through diet alone. That’s why so many health professionals continue to recommend vitamins, minerals and other supplements to their health conscious patients.

Of course, with so many products out there, you may be wondering exactly what you should be taking to give your body the right stuff. Here is a brief rundown of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs every day.   Remember, this is a general, basic list, so talk to your doctor or health professional to learn more about your own body’s specific needs.

• Vitamin A for eyes and skin (beta-carotene is a good substitute)
• The B vitamins – B6, B12, riboflavin, thiamine and niacin – for cell growth
• Vitamin C, a powerful anti-oxidant and immune-system booster. And yes, you need more even if you drink orange juice!
• folic acid helps your body form red and white blood cells – and prevents birth defects, if you’re a woman and happen to be pregnant
• Vitamin E, for healthy skin and more
• Iron for red blood cells – check with your doctor on this one
• Vitamin D, calcium and Vitamin K – all three work together to build your bones, which is especially important for women!
• Magnesium, a mineral that protects against heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes

Most people would rather not swallow eight or more individual pills every day, so it’s fine to take a multi-vitamin that combines most of these substances into a single dose. Just read the label to make sure you know that you’re getting everything you need!

After watching all the commercials designed to snare people drowning in credit card bills, it’s hard to believe that there could be such a thing as good debt. But here are three areas where that just might be the case.

Your Mortgage

Doing everything in your power to pay down a mortgage puts a strain on your cash reserves and might not be the best move. Usually, mortgages have lower interest rates than other kinds of debts – plus that interest is tax deductible on the first million dollars of a mortgage. So don’t fear debt on your home – just make sure you can afford a decent down payment and that the basic monthly payments won’t be a strain.

College loans

When it comes to paying for your children’s higher education, it makes a lot more sense for them to take out low-interest student loans than for you to decimate your savings or retirement funds to make it happen. And the worst thing you can do is borrow against your home – you don’t want to risk losing it as you get older. Your kids will have a lot more time to pay their loans back than you will – and, by the way, you having a big 401k doesn’t count against them when applying for financial aid. It’s not a part of your available assets.  

Buying a car

A car loan makes a lot of sense if you can’t afford to pay cash and you plan on continuing to drive the car long after the loan is paid off. Again, put as much down as you can. If, however, you’re the kind that likes a new car every three years or so, a lease might be a better option for you.

Happy borrowing.

If it seems like your kids are always hungry, it’s definitely not your imagination. Kids need a lot of calories to keep up with their needs – after all, running around playing all day takes a lot of energy! At the same time, children’s’ stomachs are still relatively small, making it so kids usually can’t consume all of the calories they need over the course of three square meals a day.

Which is why snacks were invented.

A lot of people think “snack” is a dirty word, thanks in part to the constant stream of bad news about things like trans-fats, sugar and the growing obesity epidemic. But just because a food is eaten at a time other than traditional mealtimes doesn’t mean it’s automatically unhealthy. Snack foods can be just as nutritious as those fabled three square meals a day – all it takes is a little pre-planning and a little imagination.

So when you shop for snack time, skip the chips and cookies and other pre-prepared “quick fixes” in favor of foods you already know your kids like and enjoy that will also give them the nutrients they need to grow and be healthy. Anything that gets the thumbs up from both of you is fair game, from whole wheat pasta sprinkled with parmesan cheese to breakfast cereal eaten with their fingers out of a bowl. You can keep cut-up fruit and cheese bites on hand for those moments when hunger strikes, or if you have the time and energy, make special snack treats using wholesome ingredients like whole grain crackers or small pieces of bread topped with nutrient-rich foods like peanut butter, cheddar cheese, slices of apple, banana and even cucumber -- whatever your child likes.

The best part is, when you serve your child healthy snacks like these, you don’t need to worry about your kids “spoiling their dinner” with snack foods. In fact, there’s no need to stress about dinner at all, because you know that – whenever they choose to eat -- your kids are getting all the nutrients they need.

And isn’t that what mealtime is supposed to be all about?