Saturday, January 12, 2013

Choosing a Daily Supplement



Unless you eat all organic or maintain a Mediterranean/Okinawan Diet you are probably not getting the same nutrient value from your food that Americans did 4 decades ago.  Soil has lost it's mineral content, pesticides have been added to mass agriculture, antibiotics have altered fish and beef health and science has bypassed gene replication that can place increased stress to your immune system.  So yes, the average American on a standard American diet should be adding supplement to daily diet.  Don't have to go broke with high end, member only vitamin lines (no matter what your distributor says) starting out can be with simple daily over the counter choices.  Personally, I take above the grade supplements depending on what is important during the time of year.  For example, turmeric for when I start a new exercise routine, vit D3 and astragalus for flu season, probiotics and magnesium with detox spring and fall.  But overall, a daily multipak supplement, omega 3 fish oil and vitamin D3 (the fish oil I research the company due to mercury worries). 

Some people stop after 30 days when they don't feel any results.  This is the wrong way, in going with nutrition and exercise to heal, changes are always slow.  We're talking months to years.  When using prescription medicines, you can expect a change in your life quickly since science has researched how to change your body and mind quickly with powerful chemicals.  The caveat is with powerful chemicals, you will have powerful side effects.  You can make the choice but Andy Weil has taught me the intensity of the treatment plan depends on the intensity of the disease presentation.  In life threatening situations you may have to tolerate the potential side effects to survive. 

click to see my tutorials on vitamins, omega 3 fish oil and vit d3 on youtube

Ultimately, proper nutrition is always the base to a healthy lifestyle change.  Speaking from my heart, I can't afford to go total organic so for now, I feel supplements are important while I get to my ultimate level of health.  This includes exercise, meditation, community, family as well as nutrition.  For my average patient who comes in suffering from imbalance/disease manifestation/on medications-I definitely will be putting together a homework shopping list to bring to the local herbal store, Whole Foods Market or Fruitful Yield.