My Daily Supplements

Since recovering from over a dozen “mystery illnesses” that had me bedridden and largely dysfunctional for several years, I’ve continued to lead a healthy lifestyle and, most importantly, practice the mind-body tools that significantly changed the trajectory of my healing journey.

And, while I no longer feel shackled to the hamster wheel of daily (or more like hourly) medication and supplements requirements, I get asked about what I continue to take regularly for maintenance now.

Medications are a thing of the past for me, but I’ve come to realize that in spite of my best efforts to nourish my body with nutrient-dense food alone, it’s close to impossible without uprooting our lives, moving to a remote farm, and living off the land. Frequent visits to local farmer’s markets, carefully selected organic, non-GMO groceries, and a dedication to preparing our own meals as much as possible has certainly benefitted the health of my family for the better. However, each of us supplements our healthy food choices.

We all have vastly different biological make-ups with vastly different nutritional needs. With that said, here are a few of our favorites:

Magnesium
Magnesium deficiency is a VERY common problem and, since it’s responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, it’s something that most of us could stand to add to our supplement regimen. Depleted soil, fluoride and chlorine in our water, over consumption of caffeine and sugar—these are all contributing factors to a widespread need for magnesium.

Any of these sound familiar?
You love sugar.
You take calcium supplements.
You have Celiac disease or other digestive disorders like Crohn’s disease.
You city water or have a water softener (like many of us in Florida!)
You have Type 2 diabetes.
You have stress in your life (most of us have it in some form!)

Then you likely need magnesium.

There are LOTS of forms out there, but I take magnesium glycinate known for calming the mind and body, optimum bioavailability and, unlike some of the other forms, very little laxative properties.

My husband prefers magnesium malate for its muscle pain, stiffness, and headache relieving effects.

My kids get a teaspoon of CALM before bed each night.

And, since I like to obtain my nutrients from sources that are as close to nature as possible I don’t shy away from my daily dose of dark chocolate :)

Calcium
Bone health is very important to me as I come from a lineage of brittle-boned women. While calcium is known for its bone building benefits, it also helps our bodies to achieve optimal nerve transmission, blood clotting, hormone secretion, and muscle contraction.

Increasing evidence is showing that calcium supplements actually have a negative risk-benefit effect and is better obtained in one’s diet. When recent lab work indicated a slight deficiency I chose to take a whole foods supplement form. I highly recommend Premier Greens Caps.

“The nutrient content as well as its phytochemical properties can vary dramatically, depending on its growing and harvesting methods. We have found many plants are too poorly grown, too toxic or both and do not offer the full spectrum of benefits typically cited in the scientific literature that we are looking for. Therefore, how a plant is grown is of critical importance. Premier Greens is a live source, organic, gluten free, vegan friendly superfood. It’s the most powerful gluten free plant formula we have ever created. Our greens are not fumigated, irradiated, solvent extracted, or heat damaged. PRL’s quality guarantee ensures Premier Greens meets FDA requirements for identity, purity, strength, composition while testing for contaminates such as pesticides, non-organic materials, and heavy metals including arsenic, mercury, cadmium and lead.” - Premier Research Labs

Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays an important role in absorbing calcium and, even though I live in the sunshine state, I still tend to be deficient. Deficiency of vitamin D has been linked to cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and autism. These two forms are my favorites:
Rosita’s Extra-Virgin Cod Liver Oil
Premier Vitamin D3+K2 (vegan)

Selenium
I’m not gonna lie, any excuse to eat chocolate is a win for me (see magnesium above). So when my functional medicine practitioner recommended that I eat two brazil nuts per day to fill my selenium requirements (to fight oxidative stress and help defend the body from chronic diseases) I opted to go this route :) Dark Chocolate Covered Brazil Nuts

Olive Leaf Extract
For years I firmly believed that I was allergic to olive leaf extract. Every time I tried to take it I would experience nausea, chills, body aches. It wasn’t pleasant. I now know that unwanted pathogens in my body didn’t necessarily like being eradicated! Olive Leaf extract destroys viruses‚ fungi‚ bacteria‚ and disease-causing parasites by blocking the invaders' ability to reproduce without harming the 'good' bacteria in your body. I now take as many as 8-12 pills per day! Here are a few brands I trust:
Olive Leaf Immune
Olive Leaf Plus

Digestive Enzymes
Digestive enzymes taken before or with your meals enable your body to break down food more efficiently so that undigested foods and waste don’t end up where they shouldn’t and nutrients are better absorbed. I always carry a bottle around with me so that they’re accessible if I find myself eating out. Who wants to have to deal with unnecessary gas and bloating?

Probiotics
We’ve all heard about the benefits of probiotics and their role in helping establish and maintain a healthy gut flora. While there’s no one-size-fits-all here and, I’ve tried A LOT of them, one of my go-to formulas for myself, my family, and my clients is MegaSpore.

While these are a few of the supplements I tend to rate through my regimen based on by body's needs on any given day, they are not a substitute for conscious living, which includes mindfulness practice, quality food, and a non-toxic lifestyle.

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