Choosing the right supplement- not quite what you think
Supplements are part of a mass market, and as knowledgable & picky as I am about the brands and dosage, sometimes I too wonder if I’m taking enough/the right ones/too much. However, supplements let me know which physiological pathways need to be addressed based on whether or not it’s working, so either way we can get some pretty valuable information!
Here are some other considerations too if something doesn’t seem right:
-Research can be interpreted (yes, even by a third party) to say the supplement works
-Quality- wrong dose, form, or commonly, there’s a deeper issue that has to be addressed first
-We can out-lifestyle a supplement (in other words, eating a whole food, for example, also gives us the unique combination/benefit of vitamin/mineral interactions, versus taking Vitamin C in place of broccoli). We can also out-lifestyle a pharmaceutical (I’ve seen it too).
-Maybe it is working, but humans are horrible at judging progress (e.g. how many times did you think your weight wasn’t budging, the scale didn’t work, yet your pants finally button?)
-More is not necessarily better- everyone should be treated as an individual, not a comparison to others
-It could have a bunch of sugars, food dyes, common allergens (e.g. gluten, dairy), or even perhaps grown (especially herbs) in places where soil quality is less than desirable.
On the other side of things, here are 3 ways to know if IT IS working for you:
-You overall feel better- supplements can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, having a snowball effect, that if for whatever reason you miss it for a few days (which can happen), you just feel a bit off.
-You’re making different decisions- those sugar cravings that would have normally led to a few more cookies now leave you stopping, and feeling satiated, at one (or none). Even the people you hang out with to the food/lifestyle choice you make, you’re being more intentional about your health & how you feel.
-Physical results- blood tests, other special tests (e.g. urine, saliva) are changing for the better.
When I was in 6th grade my science teacher told us to write down “the more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” At age 11 I raised my eyebrows, and finding this information 10 years later went in quite differently (still holds true)! While yes, supplements are part of nature (generally speaking), so is poison ivy. Supplements are also a form of medicine, just like food, meditation, pharmaceuticals, therapy, exercise- it’s something else to choose from.
It’s also important to discuss this with a knowledgable healthcare professional (let me know HERE!) as there’s also supplements that don’t play nice with pharmaceuticals, to say the least. And I have a wonderful resource where you can even get started perusing right away too.
We deserve to know their many qualities even beyond all the marketing and promises, to make an educated & informed choice. After all, it’s your life, and your time invested into taking and researching these, so let’s make the best of it! :)