“What supplements do you recommend?” by Melissa Ellefson
This is, perhaps, the most frequently-asked question I’ve received in the six years I’ve been working as a wellness coach.
The answer? It depends. It depends on a lot of things. Such as your current state of health, your diet, your pocketbook and your long term goals.
First things first: A supplement is just that. A supplement. Supplements should be treated as insurance on top of an already healthy lifestyle. You can be taking all the pills I am recommending to you, but if you are eating fake food or are stressed out, or if you don’t sleep or exercise, those pills won’t matter.
There are four supplements that I feel most everyone can benefit from taking. Certainly, it is best if you discuss this with your health care practitioner to be sure a supplement is right for you.
- PROBIOTICS
Here are a few signs that you have dysbiosis (not enough good bacteria and too much bad bacteria) or leaky gut (damage to the gut lining that allows the bad stuff to seep into our body and make us sick).
- Constipation and/or diarrhea
- Undigested food in stool
- Headaches, brain fog, depression or fatigue
- Burping, gas and bloating
- Autoimmune illnesses such as hypothyroid, fibromyalgia or MS
- Behavioral disorders such as ADHD
- Autism
- Skin problems such as rashes and acne
- Inability to lose weight
- Yeast infections
- Infertility
- Many more…
A probiotic might help. There are a lot of great brands out there.
Adults should look for a CFU count (colony forming units) of at least 25 billion. I take 80 billion CFUs every other day.
You will also want to choose a probiotic that has a large number of different bacterial strains. The more, the better.
Finally, if you can find a probiotic that is rich with SBOs (soil based organisms), that is a bonus!
My favorite brands for adults are Prescript Assist, Bio Kult, Garden of Life Primal Defense, and Renew Life Ultimate Flora. I will finish a bottle and then switch to a new brand just to keep a nice variety of gut flora growing.
Kids can also benefit from a daily probiotic- especially if they recently finished a round of antibiotics (the opposite of probiotics!). Garden of Life RAW and PRO-Kids Hyperbiotics are great brands.
- OMEGA 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids help to fight inflammation in the brain and provide the building blocks for good myelination (your neural pathways stay flexible and awesome).
A few of you may be thinking, “Well my brain seems to be working fine…I shall ignore this for now.”
Keep in mind that degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have likely begun DECADES before outward symptoms may appear. Yikes. Take some easy steps now to help lower your risk.
The daily supplement I am currently taking is ProMega from Nordic Naturals.
- TRACE MINERALS
Many of us are deficient in essential minerals such as magnesium and selenium. I like to hedge my bets by taking a daily supplement. I choose iron-free formulas for two reasons: my stomach really dislikes supplemental iron AND too much iron may be oxidative.
If you have a thyroid issue or are struggling with muscle aches and joint pain, you may want to consider a mineral supplement. You are welcome to get your levels tested through a blood test with your practitioner, but be sure to ask if it is covered by insurance.
The mineral supplement I take every day is MEGA Mineral from alohaGenix. There are many good ones available, ask your local health food store or health care practitioner.
- VITAMIN D3
The majority of us in the upper Midwest are chronically deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D boosts immunity, strengthens our bones, lowers blood pressure, builds sex hormones and protects the brain and heart. The best source of vitamin D is through moderate amounts of sunlight (never burn!). Because Vitamin D is difficult to get from food sources, the next best source is from a good supplement.
I personally take a 5000 IU tablet of Vita Optimum Vitamin D3 every day. Be sure to take your vitamins with a good source of fat so that they are absorbed.
Unsure if you are deficient? Request a 25‐hydroxy D from your physician/provider. I recommend a minimum level of 50 ng/ml. Please be sure to ask if testing is covered by your insurance.
So those the basics. Now, let’s dig a bit deeper.
- If you have trouble with gas, bloating and undigested food in your stool, you may want to consider digestive enzymes. Garden of Life RAW digestive enzymes are a nice choice.
- If you feel a cold coming on, load up on the Vitamin C and zinc ASAP. I will take 2000mg of Vitamin C at the first hint of an illness. Then I back off to 1000mg/day.
- If you have muscle cramps, restless legs, migraines or constipation, consider a magnesium citrate supplement of 250-500mg at night.
- If you have trouble sleeping, consider 1 to 3mg of melatonin.
- If your brain is foggy and your energy is low, consider a B complex.
- If you are on a statin to lower cholesterol, consider a CoQ10 or ubiquinol.
- If you want to repair your leaky gut, consider L-Glutamine and collagen.
- If you want to decrease over all inflammation, consider turmeric.
That’s why I say, “It depends.” You can easily be overwhelmed by supplement recommendations. And it gets expensive!
Get the basics down first: Eat real food. Sleep 8 hours. Stretch and strengthen your body. Practice gratitude.
THEN start adding appropriate supplements.
