Nutritional Support
Every person is different in their needs, and those needs change over time. I’m all about figuring out what our bodies need on a daily basis, and sometimes that means adding a little support. Supplements become kind of scary with the whole“not being regulated” thing, many adding other chemicals or not putting in what they say is on the label. That being said, there are some basics I think many of us should be taking daily. These include:
A good multi-vitamin(based on your needs)
A good probiotic(though so many to choose from! basic help in a post coming up)
Any nutrients you are deficient in(Vitamin D and B’s are super commonly missing)
Omega 3 fish oil(in oil form, purchased monthly bc can turn rancid after that)
Turmeric oil (with pepper, but cooking with it is better)
So what does a“good” pill mean? One that gives you what you need, and not what you don’t, all In a form that can be absorbed by your body. We should be getting our vitamins from food ideally, but we all know that can be hard. Some things in oil forms are better absorbed in the body, including fish oil and circumin. Cost matters, as those selling for cheap most likely had to cut a corner somewhere. I prefer any pill in veggie-capsule form(thekind you can break apart into a powder) if available, rather than a pressed, hard pill, since the hard pill is shown to be harder for your body to break down.
For the multivitamin, I love taking GEM vitamins. They are a food-based item that contain a woman’s daily needs in a little bite.(half off first purchase through code:http://fbuy.me/mQfI8 ). I found them by overhearing them pitching as a startup, and loved their message of“Food is Medicine”, of how getting vitamins in the most natural form is the most beneficial for our bodies. Its founder, like so many of us, started her journey from her own health struggle and not being able to find what she needed in the marketplace. It has the key essentials we are most deficient in. I also like to swap in Thorne Prenatal vitamins as a woman, even if not trying to get PG. Diversity can be a good thing.
The best way to find out what you need vitamin-wise is to ask your doctor for a vitamin panel. Many times a mainstream doctor will need a reason to use insurance monies, so you can say you were deficient in them in the past, or your family member is, just so you can learn more about your body. There is also a great service called buildabump.com, that with a flat fee(no insurance required) the service mails you a sheet for you to walk into a nearby lab for blood tests of important nutrients. This helps you understand where your basic levels of certain vitamin levels are. I tried it, and was amazed at how simple the process was, and it gave lots of great info on where to start filling in the gaps!
There are also many other things we are typically low in, like magnesium, as a population. Tons of herbs show to be beneficial, like ashwaganda for stress management, oregano and dandelion for detox. Most of the herbs can be enjoyed in tea form.
My only advice for both Gem and Build-a-Bump would be to start providing the same products for men soon!
