My Top Ten Supplements of 2015

Is it weird that I love supplements so much??

I took me about 2 minutes to gather up a bunch of my fav supplements.  Which didn't surprise me too much as I'm a connoisseur of supplements!  If I learn about something new, I like to try it. There is rarely a supplement I recommend to clients that I do not have personal experience in taking. 

What I find interesting about this collection of ten favorites, is that only 3 are in pill form.  So many people complain about not liking to take a lot of pills.  You don't have to take pills!  Most everything comes in a topical form or a liquid form.  

Also many people tell me that they want to eat to get their vitamins.  That's all well and good, but as Mira and Jayson Calton point out, of the handful of most popular diets, including paleo, none delivered 100% of our daily micronutrient needs.  However, with some of the above supplements, you can drink your nutrition in a tasty beverage.  

The following products are in no particular order.  They are all fabulous.  They cannot all be found over-the-counter. Some are available only through providers.  

If a product is meant to be sold only through providers, DO NOT attempt to buy it on the internet.  You do not know what you are really getting in these cases.  I will detail more about how to get each below.

1.  Aloe Vera Juice, whole leaf by Lily of the Desert

The one picture above is not whole leaf, but I later learned whole leaf is best (although inner filet is closely comparable.)  The whole leaf contains more variety of beneficial compounds.

Aloe is an amazing tummy soother, gut lining healer, stem-cell stimulating miracle food, and a great wing-man to get your other herbs and supplements.  It's so powerful!

You can buy it at your local natural foods store.  Keep it in the fridge and drink it within a few weeks for best taste.  You can take an ounce or two twice daily.  As mentioned above, pair it with your supplements for better absorption.  Sometimes I like to put in shot in a glass of water.  You could also add it to a smoothie or green drink.  It has a bit of a sour taste.

2.  Natural Calm by Natural Vitality

This is a new magnesium I tried, and I don't 100% love the taste and effervescence, but it is a popular one, and it's a good example of a great way to get magnesium.  You mix it into water, and it is well absorbed. Magnesium is very good for women's hormones.  It helps us make progesterone and avoid cramps and PMS.  

You can buy this at your natural grocery store.  Take up to 600 mg/ day in divided doses.  Start will a smaller dose to watch for reactions.  As with all supplements, ask your doctor if on prescriptions or if dealing with a special health concern.

3.  Mega Spore Biotic

This probiotic is sweeping our Functional Diagnostic Nutrition community!  It is spore-based (picture those tiny bits of mold you see on rotting produce) which is better for colonizing the colon.  

I am unfortunately one of those people who doesn't necessarily feel a ton different on probiotics, but I do have a success story.  I had an irregular bacteria profile on my stool test, and took Mega Spore.  My bacteria was normalized on the re-test.

One thing I learned about probiotics this year is that taking it twice a day can have added benefit.  And taking it at night can help you have a nice BM the next day, as all that bacteria helps make for bulky stool.  

This product is not cheap and is sold only through providers.  Once you have a provider, you can re-order online.  See more here.

4.  GI Revive by Designs for Health

This formula was suggested to me by my mentor in the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition program. I love it.  It is so soothing for my gut.  I would imagine it would be very nice for those people who feel it's hard to push out their bowel movement.  And it's good for anyone healing leaky gut or Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

This product is only sold through practitioners.  I would suggest 1 scoop a day in water for maintenance, and twice daily for added therapeutic value.

5.  O.N.E. Multivitamin by Pure Encapsulations

I discovered this multi this year and I've been recommending it ever since.  It's a good price point on a well-formulated one-a-day.  The B vitamins are methylated / activated, there's lots of zinc, and bit of iodine.

My one problem with this formula is that the high amount of zinc can make me nauseous, so I have to take it with a large meal.  Unfortunately when I try to remember at dinner, I sometimes forget.  It's sold through practitioners.  Learn more here.

6.  Gelatin powder by Great Lakes

I'm really crazy about this easy-to-use gelatin powder.  You can use it to make jello treats with the kids, or make it into a cup of broth.  

This grass-fed collagen and gelatin powder is good for building the gut, calming the nerves and nourishing skin an nails.  I've have seen it only once locally at a co-op.  Mainly it is found online.

7.  Vitamin D3 + K2 by Thorne

Vitamin D is still a nutrient most people don't get enough of, even though we know more about it now.  If you are dealing with low immunity, Seasonal Affective Disorder, inflammation or an autoimmune disease, pay special attention. I like to see vitamin D in the 60-80 range on a blood test.

This vitamin D is in the right form, and is paired with K2 for best absorption.  It's in an easy dropper, so you don't need to take a pile of pills.  I like 5,000 IU a day for maintenance, but you can safely go up to 20,000 IU day temporarily if you are trying to correct a big depletion.

This product is sold through practitioners.  

8.  Omega Co3 by Apex Energetics

Apex has very well-formulated products, and this Omega Co3 has become the staple fish oil in our house.  It tastes delicious, and has lots of co-factors to help absorption.  My son takes it very well.  

Fish oil helps us burn fat, have a smart brain, and ward off colds.  It is very important for pregnant and breastfeeding women, to build baby's brain.  It is sold through practitioners.

9.  Adapt Align by Biomatrix

This is a diverse adrenal support, with adaptogens, key vitamins and glandulars.  When I was taking it more regularly, it really seemed to help.  I was taking two in the morning, and then another two at lunch before my afternoon slump.  This one is sold through practitioners as well.

10.  Resvero Active and Tumero Active by Apex Energetics

I snuck in a two for one on this last one!  These two are often paired together, as they are both natural anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories that seem to have a synergy when dosed together.

The first time I took Tumero Active, I couldn't believe that my body felt less achy within an hour. Taking it over the course of a month, some heightened brain fog I was experiencing went away.

The Tumero and Resvero together are often recommended for autoimmune conditions and runaway inflammatory conditions.  I recently had a client take them together for her stubborn plantar fasciitis.  She was very pleased with the outcome.

These products are sold through practitioners, especially functional medicine practitioners.  

I had a lot of fun writing up this list!  Hope it's helpful to you.  Feel free to share your questions or comments below.

When Natural Medicine Isn't Enough

Last week in the newsletter I mentioned I had ‘‘the Plague.” Later that day I found out I had a bacterial infection in my throat, and am now on antibiotics for the first time in over 20 years.

Since I was going to be on antibiotics anyway, I asked the doctor to prescribe me an additional formula to treat an H. pylori infection that I've had trouble getting rid of herbally.  So I’m on a very potent cocktail that leaves me feeling pretty miserable digestively!

The Backstory:

My new reality.

After being sick for nine days, taking tons of herbs, using a steam, and taking tons of supplements, I was not getting any better. My throat killed and I had chills. I learned in a seminar once that if you don't treat strep throat, the infection can affect an area of the brain and cause permanent obsessive-compulsive disorder.  In this case, I knew the antibiotics were best for me.

Getting on antibiotics brought up some feelings. Here I was, a major proponent of natural medicine, taking antibiotics. What would people think?

I thought this was a great opportunity to talk about when natural medicine isn't enough.

When I first began to work in the fertility field, I thought basically any case could be cured by natural medicine.  But after becoming more of a veteran in the field, I think in some cases high tech interventions give us our best opportunities for success.

Sometimes holding on too long to our values in natural medicine can cause more harm and heartache than good. Antibiotics have been overused for many years, but in some cases they are truly needed.

I am thankful I have not had to use antibiotics in so long, and I hope I can go another 20 years. But if I or my family is ever in an emergency, or are having a serious or urgent health condition, I will always consider all my options. I will choose more modern or conventional medicine if needed.

Several years ago, when my son was an infant, he had a cough that wouldn't go away. I was struggling new mom and tried some homeopathics and probiotics,  but the cough went on for a couple months. 

Finally I gave him antibiotics prescribed by his pediatrician. The cough went away, but as time went by I felt guilty. Why didn't I look into other options? Did I ruin my son’s gut, and that’s why he tends towards constipation now?

After my own recent incident with illness, I started to forgive myself that I once gave antibiotics to my son. Perhaps it really was the best or only option. Perhaps he's just constipated because I just can't get that kid to drink water!

Luckily with my natural medicine knowledge, I know I will restore my gut. I am also very thankful that my painful throat is gone, and I’m hopeful the H Pylori infection will be eradicated. 

If you too struggle with some of these choices, I hope this article was helpful.  You're welcome to share your thoughts below on this topic.

How to Choose the Right Work Out with Zlata Sushchik

You can almost guess by her name that Zlata Sushchik has an interesting story.  Immigrating from Russia to Alaska as a teen, and new to the English language, she stumbled into a saving grace when a friend convinced her to join a bodybuilding competition.

She went on the win many titles, and learned a lot about nutrition, fitness and motivation along the way.  She now runs an online coaching business called SexyFit which has helped many women lose weight and feel great in a healthy way.

You can also check out her podcast, where I was a guest on episode #30.

I consider myself a half-way fit person, but I know very little about the best ways to work out in comparison to Zlata.  She shares in this interview a comparison of different work out methods, and some advanced ways to approach your gym work out.

She also shares her views on food, which include not being too rigid, eating whole foods, and avoiding scammy weight loss products.  She has also learned that in order to really get fit and lose weight, you need to identify your 'big why' to keep yourself motivated.

Having burned out her adrenals in the early years of her competition days, she had to cut back on exercise a lot to recover.  So she is well versed in meeting women where they are, and choosing the right exercise for each stage.

I really enjoyed this interview with Zlata, and I know you will too!  Hey, if you aren't yet subscribed, check it out on iTunes or most podcast players.

Have Sex Like a Cave Woman! with Dr. Lauren Noel, ND

In this fun interview, I talk with Dr. Lauren Noel of Shine Natural Medicine in Solana Beach, CA. Dr. Noel, who also goes by Dr. Lo, on how to use a primal lifestyle and diet to boost libido.

In our busy modern lives, stress can inhibit our hormone production. Learn how the attributes of a primal / ancestral lifestyle can be brought into your life, and increase your natural sex drive.

Here's a preview:

• What Dr. Lo considers to be the #1 killer of sex drive

• How many hours a week cavemen worked (hint: you probably work at least double)

• What is the best kind of exercise to feel good and increase your libido

• How the good stuff like sleep and community helps our sex drive

• Is coffee helping or hindering your sex drive?

• How common is low libido?

Here are some of Lauren's favorite aphrodisiac foods:

• Liver

• Oysters

• Figs

• Avocado

• Dark chocolate

You can find out more about Dr. Lo at drlaurennoel.com and pick up her free Tired but Wired ebook.  You can also look find her popular podcast, the Dr. Lo Radio Show, on iTunes or other podcast players.

Hey!  Are you subscribed to our podcast yet?  If not, do so on iTunes or other podcast players.

Have you taken our Hidden Health Stressors quiz?  Check it out here!

Please leave any notes or comments below.

Finding Balance While Feeding Your Family Well with Holly Morello

Holly Morello is a mother of three boys, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and a certified GAPS diet practitioner.  She is also a project manager for author and health coach Diane San Filippo. 

As she tried to help her youngest son's health through nutrition, she began to blame herself when outcomes were not as good as expected.  She struggled with how much her family got involved, with public eating settings, and with isolating herself.

She comes clean on this episode about all she went through, and how she came out on the other side.  

She also shares how simply being on a wrong type of diet (a low-fat diet) contributed to the lack of results for her son's health.

In the end she re-connected with her family, her kids actually chose to get on board with dietary changes (more in the healthy fats/ whole foods camp), and her kids' health improved.

She now has a much healthier attitude about food and family and has "ditched the perfectionism."

If you are a parent struggling with how to feed your kids, or being hard on yourself because of your kids' health, please listen in and you won't feel alone.

Learn more about Holly's services at NourishingExcellence.com.