While I always say that it's better to get your nutrients from food first, sometimes supplements are necessary.

Unfortunately, there are just some all-too-common nutrients that we women simply don't get enough of. And they're absolutely critical to optimal health and wellness.  Especially as we age.

Here, I sifted through the supplements that are available on the market and boiled them down to three that can have the best effect for us.

Supplement #1: Vitamin D

If you live in North America chances are you are low in vitamin D. It's the “sunshine vitamin” and we just aren't able to hang out in shorts every day of the year (well, most of us!). Even if we did, we'd wisely use a bit of sun protection too.

Vitamin D is very important for everyone - but especially women over 45. It helps to protect our bones, and Vitamin D helps our body absorb and keep the calcium we get from our food and drinks. We all know that calcium is one of the main things our bones are made of.

Want to know something even better about vitamin D? People who get enough vitamin D tend to fall less frequently. Especially as we get older.

Seriously! Vitamin D can help your bones stay strong and help you fall less. Win-win!

Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral needed for over 300 reactions in your body. Yes, 300!

As with vitamin D, it's common for us to simply not get enough. Not even the 320 mg per day that's recommended. Low levels of magnesium have been linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, low bone density, and even migraines.

Magnesium is found in so many healthy whole foods, like beans, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables. In fact, the magnesium element is central to a plant's chlorophyll – it's actually what causes green plants to be green! And most of us just don't get enough green plants into our bodies on a regular basis.  

Luckily, magnesium is a common supplement, and is often added to multivitamins.

Omega-3s

We've all heard that we need to get more omega-3 essential fatty acids, right? They're good for our hearts, brains, and help to reduce inflammation. These are all good things when it comes to our health and wellness.

But, not all of us are ready, willing, and able to eat fish three times per week.

While fish oil supplements contain the “brain healthy” fats called EPA and DHA, those two are not technically the “essential” fats. The plant omega-3 known as ALA is essential, and that is because our bodies can convert ALA into EPA and DHA when necessary.

Omega-3 supplements can be found in forms of flax oil (for my veggies out there), algae oil, fish oil, or even fish liver oil.

Fish liver oil (e.g. cod liver oil) also contains vitamin D, so check your labels and add the amounts together to know how much vitamin D you're actually getting.

Always read the supplement labels to see if there are warnings that would make them inappropriate for you. Speak with your doctor to see if supplementation is for you, especially if you have any medical conditions or take medications or other supplements it's always a good idea to speak with your doctor before starting anything new.