Let’s talk supplements. I was at the local shopping centre today and everywhere I looked I was surrounded by ads telling me, that in order to have good health, I needed to be taking some kind of supplement. With so many to choose from how does one know exactly what is right for them. What brand, what kind, what dosage and what combinations are safe and actually beneficial. As I stood there in the shoes of an everyday consumer, and imagined what it would be like to navigate this without any working knowledge and overwhelming was the word that came to mind.
Below are the key facts, so you can make an informed decision next time you are staring at the supplement wall thinking, should I be taking some of these?
It’s important to remember that there are many things that can influence our bodies nutrient levels. For example: our activity levels, our diet, stress, our overall state of health and other environmental factors. Therefore it’s not always a simple equation when it comes to supplementation.
Here is an example of what I’m talking about. You see an ad that says iron deficiency is synonymous with fatigue and you’re experiencing fatigue lately, so you go to the shop to get an iron supplement and think problem solved. However what if you are already taking zinc, because you read it was good for that skin problem you also have at the moment, more is always good right? Well in this case the iron and the zinc will block each other’s absorption, so what you are actually paying for is some very expense urine. What is really causing the fatigue is the fact you have been under a lot of stress lately. You are in a high adrenal state, which means your body will be chewing through vitamins and minerals much faster. However simply adding them, isn’t necessarily going counteract your fatigue.
This is why it’s important to remember the body is an integrated organism, where all the systems work together to make life happen. This is why looking at your overall state of health and addressing symptoms as a whole, is a far more effective approach than self prescribing a supplement.
Over the last decade as a Kinesiologist, I have talked to many bodies with muscle testing. My work has taught me that when the body gets to vote, it will only choose a supplement over a natural food source when it is in severe deficiency. When it needs a supplement, it will ask for a specific dosage and length of time. Similarly to the way we use crutches as a temporary support when we sprain our ankle. Then once the levels are restored, our body will continue to extract vitamins and minerals from our natural diet. This is why it’s important to consult a health professional, to see if a supplement is going to be the right solution for you. Alternatively a simple blood test can let you know where your levels are sitting and if done on a regular basis, what your average range sits at year on year.