Natural Healing From the Inside Out

Unfortunately, eating a well-balanced diet has lost it’s way and has become entangled in a web of incalculable complications: pesticide use, supermarket logistics, diminishing nutrient content, climate change, inability to grow-your-own year round, inadequate food education, and creatively confusing packaging just to name a few.

Most of us do our best to eat healthy, but what if our efforts are not adequate enough to feel good and operate well on a daily basis?  Some systemic autoimmune diseases, like Celiac and Crohn’s, cause damage to the small intestine, which results in impaired nutrient absorption rates.  Other inflammatory diseases can cause our gastrointestinal tract so much angst, sufferers sometimes experience extreme nausea, vomiting, ulcers, and intestinal scarring.            

Nutritional supplements are one way to bridge the nutritional deficiency gap as we investigate more sustainable methods of food production and consumption.  Nutritional, or dietary, supplements are commonly known as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids which are intended to provide nutrients that may otherwise not be consumed in sufficient quantities.  

As someone living with an autoimmune disease, nutritional supplements play an important role in the healing process after years of chronic, internal inflammation. Each person’s nutritional situation is unique, and the list below is a balance of supplements and quantities I’ve been tweaking steadily for about eight years.  My hopes in sharing this article are that you take a moment to check in with your body, question the status of your own digestive health, and do your research, rather than copycat my supplement regimen.  

The supplement industry contributed $122 billion to the US economy last year, and consumers face shelves enveloped with endless choices in supplement type, quantity, price, and quality.  In the supplement world, I have found price usually has an influence on quality, and when ordering online, always check the expiration date.  You can also find high quality supplements from health stores, Whole Foods, or your chiropractor.  Whole Foods may not carry what you’re looking for on the shelves, but may be able to order it for you.  Although your local pharmacy carries supplements, I’ve found premium quality supplements result in a greater impact in my system.  However, if you’re new to supplements, picking up a bottle of high quality Omega-3’s from Walgreens is a great way to start, and can be a third of the cost.  Don’t hesitate to ask the pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns!  

 

Aloe Vera | Pharm-Aloe® Freeze-Dried Aloe Vera Powder | 900 mg daily

We all know Aloe is a topical wonder for our skin, but ingesting it?    

The first documented use of Aloe Vera dates back to the Mesopotamians in 2100 BCE, officially making Aloe Vera an OG Super Food. Aloe Vera contains seventy-five active components including naturally-occurring vitamins (A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12), minerals (calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, potassium, and copper) and amino acids essential for good health.  

Some of the main benefits found from adding aloe vera to your supplement regimen include: aiding in digestion, strengthening the immune system by way of antioxidant rich amino acids, lowering cholesterol, providing anti-inflammatory pain relief, and increasing skin health.  

Aloe Vera can be found in a variety of forms such as leaf juice, gel, capsule, and powder, so do your research, talk to your doctor, and determine the best form for you.   

 

Magnesium Malate | Integrative Therapeutics | 100 mg twice daily

In the world of nutritional supplements, magnesium is considered to be one of the safest to consume in the sense that people usually experience minimal side effects.  However, this seemingly simple macro-mineral is a vital component of human health.

Responsible for the regulation and proper execution for over three hundred enzyme processes within the body, magnesium not only regulates protein generation and blood pressure, but it also helps ensure healthy nerve function.  This cornerstone mineral can wreak havoc on your body if a deficiency is present.  Magnesium is most commonly present within bones and soft tissues, leaving only 1% in the blood stream for all cellular and enzymatic processes.  

Magnesium is produced in many forms, but the five most common types found in the consumer market are:

Magnesium Glycinate – the most tolerable form of magnesium to treat a general magnesium deficiency.  Good for patients who are looking to take magnesium orally without the side effect of diarrhea due to the amino acid absorption process.  

Magnesium Oxide – this form, also known as milk of magnesia, is taken as an oral solution for treating heartburn, indigestion, and sour stomachs.

Magnesium Citrate – comprised of 13% magnesium and 73% citrate, this form benefits those looking to maintain healthy magnesium serum levels.  Increased serum levels offer your body access to more levels of magnesium, while regulating healthy bowel cycles as a bonus.  

Magnesium Malate – this form of magnesium brings malic acid to the school dance.  Malic acid, commonly found in fruits, is known as weapon against fatigue-specific conditions, and has been used in several studies investigating the ability of magnesium to treat conditions like depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease.  This form has a home on my daily supplement line up, and it is one of the most popular forms on the market today.      

Magnesium Taurate – teamed up with taurate, an amino acid which can reduce heart attacks by up to 80%, this form also helps the body balance electrolyte levels and promote healthy immune function.  Interestingly, taurate has been used to treat vascular health and neurodegenerative disorders, and this form is a great choice for patients looking to improve overall memory, cognitive function, and brain health.

Fun facts: Magnesium is also available in topical gel forms, but I found them to cause itchiness.  One symptom of a magnesium deficiency is ravenous chocolate cravings!

 

Raw Zinc | Garden Of Life Vitamin Code Raw Zinc | 30 mg daily

A few years ago, I felt comfortable enough to decide to stop taking oral birth control pills.  I wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible after a consecutive use of over a decade.  I discovered oral birth control actually depletes the nutrient stores reserved for energy production, leaving me longing for bed, carbs, and endless naps.  Sound familiar, ladies?    

Plus, my birth control pills kept my face nearly pimple free, which was a luxury I wasn’t willing to part with. Zinc is a powerful antioxidant and a killer to the type of bacteria that causes acne and should be banished to hell.    

Zinc, found in muscle, bones, cells, tissues, and organs, is an essential mineral humans need to stay healthy.  We know zinc can tell zits, seasonal colds and sunburns to pound sand, but zinc is also beneficial for increasing your sex drive, healing cuts and wounds, supporting your immune system, and fighting depression.               

 

St. John’s Wort | Vita Day Products | 500 mg daily

St. John’s Wort is a small flowering plant native to Europe, but has since spread to the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East.  This herbal remedy can be found in capsule, tincture, oil, or in raw form.  St. John’s Wort has increased in popularity in recent decades due to the plant’s seemingly cure-all benefits, but what is so special about it?

SJW is chock full of bioflavonoids, which are naturally occurring plant pigments.  These pigments produce yellow, red, and blue coloration in flowers and help prevent attacks by bugs and other predators.  The protective qualities of bioflavonoids are not only beneficial to the plants that produce them, but also to the humans who consume them.  Bioflavonoids blast antioxidants directly into our internal systems and are known as nature’s biological response modifiers; bioflavonoids assist with the body’s ability to respond and react appropriately to viruses, carcinogens, and allergens by giving a powerful boost to the immune system.

In addition to its immune boosting super powers, SJW can help treat depression, improve mood swings, relieve anxiety, reduce the severity of premenstrual symptoms, ease addictive tendencies, regulate hormonal activity, prevent cancer, protect against viral infections, reduce inflammation, and soothe the nervous system.

Do your research!  SJW has many fantastic benefits, but does have a few caveats requiring consideration.  Pregnant or nursing mamas, ask your doctor, as always.  Check out this list of possible medication interactions, as some medications taken in combination with SJW can possibly lead to a serious condition called Serotonin Syndrome.  

 

Vitamin D3 | NatureWise | 5,000 IUs daily

Although I’d much prefer to soak up my vitamin D requirements while lounging in the sand on a sunny tropical island with a drink in hand and fresh Mahi Mahi ceviche, I love seasons and our wicked awesome life here in New England.  Living this far north of the equator definitely has it’s benefits, but sufficient sunshine and vitamin D levels, especially in the winter, is not one of them.  

Vitamin D is a nutrient which acts like a gene regulating hormone, and it is essential for health and optimal bodily function.  Humans don’t always have adequate levels of vitamin D because most of us work and live indoors, we use sunscreen, and we can’t obtain enough from our diet, even from fortified foods.

Just before discovering my gluten intolerance, I visited an endocrinologist for a second opinion on my thyroid and mysterious pains.  He pressed his finger just below my kneecap and traced the length of my tibia while sustaining gentle pressure.  The lack of vitamin D3 in my body had actually caused this light pressure to feel painfully sharp, and a simple blood test confirmed a suspected deficiency.               

Ask your doctor to test your levels to make sure you are ingesting adequate amounts of this key nutrient, which in turn helps prevent many types of cancer (cell growth regulation), high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic muscle pain, bone loss and autoimmune diseases.

 

Curcumin Turmeric | NatureWise | 1650 mg daily  

We all know turmeric sits at the top of the list next to superfoods like kale, açai, and seaweed, but what about turmeric is so special?  The main ingredient in this perennial plant is circumin, a powerful antioxidant.  Circumin can be difficult for the body to absorb, but this NatureWise supplement includes black pepper extract which helps increase absorption rates.  

This powerful duo rocks anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties with a wide variety of benefits.  My personal favorites include reducing depression, boosting the immune system, and providing skin benefits, but you can read a full list here.  

Curcumin turmeric is also fat soluble, so take your tumeric at the same time as the next supplement on our list.    

 

Omega 3 | Dr. Tobias Omega 3 Fish Oil Triple Strength |  2,000 mg daily

Omega 3 fatty acids are a common gateway into the supplement world.  Always refer to your doctor, but high quality omega 3 fatty acid fish oil supplements (say that 3x fast) are often safe for everyone to take.  This supplement can be taken orally in capsule or liquid form.  Manufacturing companies make a pretty good effort to conceal the foul tasting truth of their products, but my vote goes to these capsules from Dr. Tobias.  These capsules have no aftertaste.          

Some of my favorite omega 3 benefits include decreasing ADHD symptoms, improving immunity strength, reducing inflammation, and improving skin dryness.  Read the full list of benefits here.  

 

Vitamin B Complex | Garden of Life  | one serving daily

Vitamin B complex is pretty much the Von Trapp family in the supplement world.  The complete lineup includes: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12.  This key vitamin helps the body convert food into energy and keep things moving like a well-oiled machine.  

The B complex family can help with a variety of health conditions, including acne, anxiety, depression, fatigue, heart disease, premenstrual syndrome, and skin issues.  Many people who take vitamin B complex feel an increase in energy, sharper focus, enhanced mood, improved memory, immune system stimulation, and healthy hair and skin growth.

 

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