April 24, 2017
Hi again everyone! Brianna back to talk to you about the supplements I personally take and why!
Most of the people asking me for fitness advice, or even the ones that just witness me taking all of my varietal supplements ALWAYS ask…”Is that necessary? It seems a little much!”. After laughing, I say…depending what your life goals are, for me, YES! You need a balance of nutrients to maintain good health! Let’s face it, we all need a little extra help when it comes to actually consuming the proper amounts of essential nutrients. The amount of essential nutrients we need everyday varies greatly on a lot of different variables; age, gender, weight, genetics, illness, pregnancy, breast feeding, medication use, and exposure to environmental contaminants.
What are the essentials? Well they are nutrients that our own bodies cannot make and are required by diet or food intake. The ones that are made in our body naturally are the non-essential ones. (example: cholesterol & glucose) There are 6 classes of nutrients: Protein, carbs, fats (lipids), water, vitamins and minerals. Have you been hearing everyone in the fitness industry talking about counting, staying within or hitting their macros? The nutrients that provide energy are called macronutients; protein, carbs, fats. (water is considered a macro-nutrient but doesn’t yield energy) The big boys… the macronutrients are required in large amounts in the body. Micronutrients are only needed in small amounts in the body; vitamins & minerals. Together, your macros/micros work to provide energy, structure, and regulation which are need for growth, maintenance, repair and reproduction.
As I mentioned, everyone’s body is markedly different from one another…but according to the National Nutritional survey, in the US alone we are:
60% deficient in Iron is essential for the creation of hemoglobin (carries oxygen to the blood from the lungs) Iron deficiency is a common issue for adult women due to blood loss during their period or in female athletes. Lack of energy, dizziness, pale skin, bruising, are common deficiency symptoms. In kids, hyperactivity, and ADD point to an iron deficiency.
57% deficient in Vitamin A is needed for growth, reproduction, healthy skin & vision, immune & bone health. If you’re deficient, you might experience: night blindness, eye sensitivity to bright light, dry bumpy skin on the back of the arms, dry hair, increases susceptibility to respiratory infections due to lowered immune system. Vitamin A is a major antioxidant
43% deficient in Vitamin C is very important for the immune system, it helps absorb iron, lowers bad cholesterol, helps fight the common cold and is even used as alternative treatment of certain types of cancer! If you’re deficit, you can expect: Dry hair, gingivitis, anemia, slow wound healing, a weakened immune system, and nosebleeds.
39% deficient in Vitamin B1 Thiamine B1 is responsible for energy metabolism, creating DNA, and nerves. If you’re deficient, you can experience; muscular weakness and fatigue, tingling sensations in the body, heart palpitations, lung congestion, forgetfulness, psychosis, confusion, etc.
30% deficient in Protein Responsible for many things in your body, some include; acid base balance, energy transporting, antibodies, fluid balance weight maintenance, etc. Include enzymes, amino acids, and more that our body needs for all of the many things protein is responsible for.
16% deficient in Riboflavin B2, the one that makes your pee bright yellow. It promotes eye health and normal vision. If you’re lacking, expect cracks, sores, or dryness around lips, nose, and corners of the mouth, red-purple inflamed tongue, swollen or sore throat. *common in people with thyroid disease or those having GI issues.
Now that we have covered the basics, I will get into the supplements that I am currently taking that relate to my personal goals and health issues. I obviously don’t know everything I need to know about all of the nutrients I need but I am working hard every day to continue learning and adjusting as I go. I also make adjustments based on how I am feeling. For example, if I am starting to feel under the weather, I will take high doses of Vitamin C, and Lysine (hinders viruses and with C form L-Carnitine-more later).
Being that I am an athlete, I require supplementation to make sure that my body can keep up with all of the vigorous activity. I also have health concerns; severe asthma, hashimotos and Rheumatoid arthritis, that determines the supplements that I take daily. Like I said, I do change things up quite often as I learn new and better ways to do things, how to increase my absorption of the nutrients and things like that. Currently, I am taking:
*Chlorella* 1/2 tsp 1x/day in powder form, its one of the most dense superfoods in the world
- detoxifies heavy metals (it wraps itself around even stubborn toxins residing in our bodies, such as lead, cadmium, mercury and uranium, and keeps them from being reabsorbed)
- Detoxifies chemo & radiation (Chlorella’s high levels of chlorophyll have been shown to protect the body against ultraviolet radiation treatments while removing radioactive particles from the body.)
- supports your immune system (supports a healthy immune system response and helps “natural killer” cell activity)
- promotes weight loss (helping to regulate hormones, helping with metabolism, improving circulation, and promoting higher levels of energy. It also helps to reduce weight and body fat, and removes stored toxins)
- makes you look younger (increases levels of vitamin A, vitamin C and glutathione in your body which eliminates free-radicals and protects your cells)
- fights cancer (studies have shown that individuals once diagnosed with cancer, chlorella enhances the action of T cells helping to fight new abnormal cells.)
- Lowers your blood sugar and choloesterol
Now you can understand why I incorporate this into my daily routine! I use it in place of a multi-vitamin!
Vitamin C 2000mg x 3/day-keeps inflammation low and both auto immune diseases that I have are worsened by inflammation.
Naturally found in fruits and vegetables; especially citrus fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, broccoli, mangoes, kiwi, and peppers.
Vitamin D 5000iu x1/day-also combats chronic inflammation. I just increased this after getting back a CBC panel that showed deficincy, and am using liquid form to absorb it better.
Naturally in salmon, egg yolks, mushrooms, whole milk, and direct sunlight.
Vitamin B-complex x1/day-Bs all work synergistically and deficiency in 1 usually means imbalance in another. B vitamin deficiencies can be linked to depression, psychiatric disorders, memory function, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
Naturally found in Milk, eggs, lean organic meat, whole-grain breads, legumes, nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, mushrooms, yogurt, cottage cheese, tomatoes, spinach, beef, coffee.
Omega 3s 1200mg x2/day- reduce inflammation and may help lower the risk of stroke, heart attacks, and chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis
Found in seeds and oils such as flax, chia, and hemp; walnuts, green beans, and kidney beans.
Evening Primrose Oil 1000mg x2/day used for skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne also used for rhuematoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome and asthma. (great source of Omega 6)
Selenium 400x 1/day, plays a role in immune system functioning and regulating the thyroid, reproductive health and longevity
Great natural sources include Brazil nuts, cold water wild fish (cod, halibut, tuna, salmon), lamb, turkey, mushrooms, and barley.
1 serving of fish can provide you with 100% of your recommended daily dose!
Glucosamine w Chondroitin 2 1x/day, help slow or prevent the degeneration of joint cartilage and after over a dozen car accidents, I need all of the help there I can get!
Calcium citrate plus magnesium 2 1x/day, important for teeth and bones
L-Lysine 1000mg 1xday lowers glucose, antiviral, and increases calcium absorption.
Naturally found in cooked turkey, chicken, tuna, and in Parmesan cheese
L-gluatmine 5g 2x/day, brain fuel stimulating concentration/memory, most abundant amino, helps curb sugar cravings, helps restore muscle after a vigorous workout.
Found in protein-rich foods like beef, chicken, fish, dairy products, eggs, vegetables like beans, beets, cabbage, spinach, carrots, parsley, vegetable juices and also in wheat, papaya, brussel sprouts, celery, kale and fermented foods like miso.
L-carnitine 1500mg 1x day, right before cardio. Helps the body produce energy (best taken in liquid form)
Red meat is very high in L Carnitine!
Ashwaganda 450mg 1x/day, Its a superstar supp when it comes to balancing your thyroid, adrenal glands, hormones, improving mood and energy, preventing cancer, and supporting brain health. *many other uses in medicine
Holy Basil 200mg 1x/day, helps reduce stress & elevates mood along with being used in medicine for the common cold, influenza, stomach upset, and much more.
Protein powder this is a BIG discussion for another time, but for me, I take Veganmax proteins.
Digestive Enzymes with every meal, help break down your macros, especially great for someone like me with severe digestive issues.
Probiotics 13 billion 1x day, increases good bacteria in your body
These are pretty basic to give you an overview of supplementing to get you started. As you can see, our food can be some of our best medicine! Control what’s going in, so you have a handle on what your body is doing inside.
I know supplementation can be pretty overwhelming, so taking baby steps might be the answer for you! However best you can start to make changes that will improve your health and wellness, get to it! Happy supp’ing ya’ll!
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Brianna, Holistic Healing Fit Club
