One of the most common questions I get asked is about supplementation. Do you need to take supplements? Honestly, I hope not! Supplements just aren’t optimal. They aren’t absorbed well, and most are a waste of money. So why are they so popular? Because our standard diet is SO lacking in nutrients, even the small amount our bodies can absorb from a multi vitamin is a step in the right direction. So lets look at what, if any supplements you should be taking.
A few posts ago, we talked about electrolytes. These are one supplement I believe almost all of us can and should be taking. For the majority of the population, they will only help. Just make sure whatever one you choose has adequate amounts of magnesium, potassium, sodium, and creatine, if possible. You’re looking to get at least 5-7,000mg of sodium per day, 1,000mg of magnesium, and 300mg of potassium. Make sure there is no added sugar. Here’s the ones I take.
What about multi-vitamins? These are a billion dollar business and everyone’s got their take on it. Especially for my bariatric patients, they will need to supplement a good multivitamin because their stomachs just can’t digest enough food to provide adequate nutrition otherwise. For most others, a diet very high in protein and fat, with small amounts of non-starchy vegetables and fruit will provide all the nutrients you should need. Additionally, make sure you’re getting adequate sunlight everyday. One key nutrient most people are lacking is Vitamin D, and it’s really only made by our bodies when we get adequate sunlight.
One thing I recommend to my clients, especially when they’re starting out, is to include some digestive enzymes into their diet, at least for the first month. You can buy these as a supplement in pill form, and sometimes I do take those. But more and more, I’ve been leaning toward having a couple bites (like less than ¼ cup!) of fruits with natural digestive enzymes like pineapple, papaya, or mango. I’m sure you’ve noticed them in my morning breakfast with my probiotic yogurt.
Should you supplement probiotics? Most people probably do need to seed their gut with probiotics as I’m sure we’ve all taken antibiotics and not taken probiotics with it (guilty!) I suck at remembering to take pills though, so I just include a good quality yogurt with live, active cultures in it every day. Sometimes that’s greek yogurt. Sometimes it’s a probiotic cottage cheese. Sometimes it’s kimchi or another fermented pickle or vegetable. Everyone can benefit from including a couple bites of probiotics in their diet every day in the form of some kind of fermented food.
If you’re curious about one on one or group coaching, send an email to essentially.lyd@gmail.com and I’ll connect with you right away!
Essentially Health & Wellness 