It’s just amazing to me how powerful food is to directly affect not only how we look but how we feel and function.
From excess weight to poor sleep, low moods, inability to focus, energy level and even morning aches and pains, something as simple as what we put in our mouths each and every day has a profound and direct influence on all of these things.
HOW EMPOWERING!!
As you know, FOOD IS FIRST! We must be sure to get our diet dialed in for our biochemically unique and changing needs before we look to pills and supplements, however, in this day and age of mineral depleted soils, food manufacturing travel times, high toxins, chronic stress and lack of sleep and natural light, I do augment my healthy diet with select, extremely high-grade supplements. Please remember you need to talk to your doctor to determine what YOU need, but I thought I’d share with you some of my top supplements that I use to help round out my high-quality, natural diet.
1. Digestive Enzymes – Stress, exercise, eating cooked food and “busyness” depletes enzymes in the body. I take these to help my body process, assimilate and utilize all the high-quality food I eat.
2. Vitalzyme XE – is a systematic enzyme I take (about 4) every morning on an empty stomach to reduce inflammation, remove toxins and restore my body’s natural chemistry.
3. Emu Essence Naturals Ultra Emu Oil – LOVE THIS! I’m a BIG fan of Emu oil as it contains essential fatty acids, (like Omega 3, 6 and 9), Oleic acid and Linolenic acid, as well as Vitamin K2 which have important anti-inflammatory properties (to help with muscular and joint pain from inflammatory conditions caused by injury, arthritis, or degeneration) and are key for maintaining female hormone balance and beautiful hair, skin (really helps prevent dry skin and eyes) and nails as well as energy and nervous function.
4. Vitamin D3 – It is estimated that up to 85 percent of people have insufficient levels of vitamin D and don’t even know it! Vitamin D is so important, it’s actually considered a “hormone” by many.
Vit D3 is important for sleep, cancer-prevention, energy, bone-health, immune system function and to help ward off depression and anxiety. It helps regulate moods, blood pressure, glucose control, hormonal regulation and overall health. Low levels are associated with type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammation, age-related macular degeneration, moods problems/poor moods, high blood pressure, increased risk of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin D is also important to combat infections and control seizures, especially for epileptics. It is also important to note that, as with all things, too much is as detrimental as too little in that Vitamin D levels that are too high can cause sleep problems. (blood tests are essential if you are supplementing to determine appropriate levels)
The #1 source of Vitamin D is from the sun and it is recommended to get full-spectrum direct sunlight on your skin every day! Contrary to past belief, sun exposure is NOT bad for you and will not cause skin cancer, rather is associated with decreased risk of cancer. In fact, melanoma occurrence is found to decrease with greater exposure to direct sunlight. According to a study published in the European Journal of Cancer, melanoma was found to be more common in workers who spent time indoors, and in body parts that are not exposed to the sun.
I take supplements in the Winter months since I live in New England and don’t get adequate sunlight.*It is recommended to always take vitamin K if you take vitamin D and it is fat soluble so you need a fat to have it be absorbed. RX: 5000iu (see below)
5. Activated Food Complex Vitamin C – Like with enzymes, stress, exercise and busyness depletes Vitamin C. Since it’s involved in many body functions like the formation of collagen, absorption of iron, immune function, wound healing, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones and teeth I make sure I get about 5, 000mg/day and even more if I travel.
6. Alpha Liopic Acid – Considered a “universal anti-oxidant”, ALA is critical for maintaining blood sugar, controlling inflammation and helps protect the brain and cardiovascular system.
7. Krill Oil – Another important and powerful anti-inflammatory, krill oil contains the brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA and I prefer it to regular fish oil because it comes from small crustaceans, not fatty fish, and typically contains more EPA.
8. Turmeric – yet another powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and brain-booster, turmeric also is believed to help prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, dementia and depression.
9. **Jigsaw Time-Released Magnesium – **There are NINE types of magnesium and these are two of my favorites! Magnesium is a mineral that is critical for energy production and metabolism. It helps to relax muscles and is used in all muscle contraction, boost energy production, promote healthy and restful sleep, increase calmness and mitigate feelings of anxiety and stress, control blood pressure, reduce headaches/cravings/decrease PMS, maintain healthy blood sugar/glucose levels and encourage regularity, nerve impulse transmission, and bone mineralization and healthy digestion. Plus, it is a required cofactor for an estimated 300 enzymes. Whew…that’s a lot of good reasons to ensure you’re getting enough magnesium to me!
10. **Magnesium Glycinate – This is a very absorbable form of magnesium that helps relax blood vessels and won’t promote disaster pants! (unlike magnesium oxide!). RX: 800mg/day
11. Vitamin K2 – The K Vitamins (*K1 and K2) are a group of compounds largely obtained from meats, cheeses, and eggs, and synthesized by bacteria. Vitamin K2 has been shown to be helpful to treat osteoporosis and steroid-induced bone loss. Vitamin K2 is very important for depositing calcium into where you want it (the bones) and helps move it out of where you don’t want it (deposits in arteries, heel spurs, and other inappropriate calcifications). Also it can be cancer-preventative because can help control unwanted cell growth. RX: 180-200micrograms (at least). Also, it’s fat-soluble so consume with fat to increase absorption. Sources: in the fat of pasture-raised animals and in fermented foods. I like MK7 brand and take 1x/day (24-hour release) = 200 micrograms
*Vit K1 – from green leafy veggies and responsible for blood-clotting and is totally diff than K2
There you have it. I hope it helps you…let me know and ENJOY! 🙂
