The 411 On Supplements

Sep 29

I’m sitting here, waking up, feeling a little off, and I ask myself “what does my body need?”

Fall 2013 I took on a new health adventure (read another new diet) that completely changed everything. While I thought I was embarking on yet another weight loss plan with hopes of keeping it off, what I was unaware of is I was signing up to completely change my life, my health, my reality and gain more knowledge than I knew was available ultimately providing me with my dream life, optimal health, and freedom.

In the last 11+ years since, a huge part of my journey has been a choice to supplement when it comes to my nutrition. Today I thought I’d dive in to why I choose to supplement in the hopes it may support you in accessing your best health and best for you choices.

With wellness and health and weight loss always a hot topic I find people to be very one way or another when it comes to the topic of supplementation. All I know is what’s worked for me and the journey that’s lead me here so let’s get talking.

Today I want to share

why I supplement
how I choose my supplements
some of my go to supplements and why I love them (this will be cont in a future blog)
things to consider for yourself whenever it comes to supplementing

Why I supplement?

So first things first and this is critical to understand everything you’ll read here and well my entire m.o, - I have a deep deep belief that I was put here on earth, by God, on purpose and am designed to thrive. I share this because it is critical in understanding everything that follows and really who I am to the core.

When it comes to supplements a huge part of my choice is because of that belief I’m designed to thrive and for most of my life I was not.

Leading up to fall 2013, when I accidentally stumbled on the best thing that ever could have happened to my health, I struggled. Big time. Health was something that was an ongoing battled for me since I was a really young child (read more in my bio) so the thought of thriving was quite foreign to me.

I embarked on what I thought to be my latest weight loss diet fall 2013 and within days felt better than I felt in my entire life. It made no sense to me with all the diets and weight loss programs and pills and doctors I’d visited over the years. 5 days in to this new plan and I’m thriving….hmmmm I had to learn why.

This curiosity lead me to learn about health, nutrition and specifically to a conversation about nutrient deficiency and the quality of our modern day food.

In order to feel our best, our bodies need a variety of vitamins, minerals, nutrients. Our body systems function best when they have everything they need. Unfortunately in today’s modern age the question becomes how do you get it.

I don’t think anyone will argue the quality of our food is sub par today, access to organic or quality food typically carries a higher price tag and often with our busy lives meal planning and prep is overlooked.

Well I’ll never forget attending an early nutrition seminar when I heard a couple key things that blew my mind and had me fully understand WHY SUPPLEMENT.

Food is not what it used to be because the soil isn’t as it was. After years and years of farming our soil is depleted leaving our food void of the nutrients it once had. What this means is to get the full nutrient profile or needs you need MORE of the food. The example I’ll never forget was this. To receive the same nutrition from brocoli grown in 1950, today you’d need 65 heads. Pardon me! I was shocked and while I didn’t fact check in that moment it all made sense.

Eating real food is powerful, however, in order to get what we need for our bodies to thrive nutritionally speaking we simply have to eat way too much leaving us imbalanced, overweight and not at our best.

For me the decision to supplement is a choice to eat great food, organic as often as possible, be mindful of ingredients and acknowledging that it’s likely my body needs more than its getting. I choose to get excited that there are incredible quality brands out there who share my belief and offer support in me always having access to thrive.

How I choose my supplements?

What I’m about to share is how I choose my supplements. This is a simple overview of things that are important to me because of who I am and what I value and the goals I have.

This same process I’d offer is powerfully for you to look at for yourself. What is important to you in selecting companies and products such that it aligns with your values and goals.

For me the company matters, the quality matters, flavor matters, cost matters, results matter, customer service matters and delivery time matters.

That’s a long list but I do not take supplements lightly nor do I take what I put in my body lightly.

I always want to know as much as I can about the company, it’s values, it’s founder, it’s vision. I want to know where they source products, the delivery system they use, and do they stand behind their products.

For me going in to a chain fitness store is a hard pass as my experience is finding loads of chemicals and filers and products I just don’t want in my body.

I’ve had the largest success finding companies thru word of mouth via people who have thriving healthy lives, colleagues and teachers thru my integrative health studies and by trusting my gut as I scroll google searches, Instagram pages and the like.

some questions i ask before purchasing

where do they source ingredients

what filers exist if any
what delivery system is used (this speaks to absorption)
do they have peer reviewed studies

what will this cost me monthly
what is their return policy
how is their customer service (I want to talk to real people)
do they align with my values
is there ease in taking the product

From there I trust my gut, I check in with the energy in my body and I give it a go. Over the years I’ve found favourites and I’ve ran into companies I’ll just never use again.

Some of my fave supplements and why i love them?*

Seed probiotics - this speaks to gut health, everything health related starts in the gut so it’s always a primary focus and after years of trying different products this has had me see the biggest results. I also love the science behind this company, the founders, the philosophy and that they carry both adult and paediatric formulas

Molecular hydrogen - Hello hydration and combating free radicals. This gem has anti-aging and anti inflammatory properties that have me at my best. This is something i take every now and then trusting my body to tell me when it’s needed.

Zinc complex - All I’ll say here is immune system and function, i take it daily.

liposomal Vitamin C - Another daily choice that for me is all about immune function

liposomal Elderberry - immune immune immune, this is one i keep on hand to boost immunity when I’m not feeling 100 as it also contains echinachea.

Liposomal D3 K2 CoQ10 - While this gem boosts immunity as well it supports strong bones and cardiovascular health, has anti-cancer properties, elevates mood, boosts energy, reduces inflammation, balances testosterone levels inreasing in men and reducing excess in women, supports brain health, oxidative stress and the list goes on.

Liposomal B12 B6 - Long list again here of benefits, B Vitamins are all about mood, energy and what I like to think of as happiness. This supplement focuses on brain development, healthy nervous and immune systems, red blood cell production, DNA synthesis, balance hormones, support ATP, boost metabolism and more.

IsaOmega Supreme - Heart health, joint health, brain development, these are definitely daily must haves (and side note no fishy aftertaste)

Collagen HA matrix - We stop producing collagen after 25 and our stores start depleting. This unique and patented collagen HA Matrix is a fave of mine as it’s uniquely sourced and mirrors how collagen appears in trifecta in the human body. For me this is all about skin tone, skin elasticity, ease of motion thru joints, full luscious hair, strong healthy nails and the list goes on. Looking good from the inside out as I often say.

*Please get excited if this is your jam for a future more in depth blog on alllll the supplements i take and why

Things to consider for yourself when looking to supplement

This save the best for last topic is really near and dear to my heart and why I chose to finish off today’s conversation about supplementation here. This conversation is about how YOU can go about choosing what’s best for you.

I’ve shared with you why I supplement and how I go about choosing, some of what I choose and why. While it might prove useful for you in your journey I want to be clear that your journey is YOURS and one thing I’m very very passionate about in life is reminding you that your life is uniquely yours and therefore can only be designed by you.

I get so frustrated with our world and it’s one size fits all approach, fast food style expectations when ultimately all that does is leave you feeling frustrated defeated unfulfilled and hopeless. Ew.

So like anything I would offer you pause after everything you’ve read and ask yourself some powerful questions to know what’s next for you. Be vulnerable and let yourself be trusted in the answers you find. We’re truly are all on the right path and what’s next for you is perfect for you. I know that for sure.

Questions to consider