A Supplement A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Foundational Supplements | Targeted Outcome Supplements | Wholefood Health Boosts

It is generally recognised that our bodies require some 42 plus essential nutrients for optimal health - 18 minerals, 13 vitamins, 9 essential amino acids and 2 essential fatty acids. The term essential means that we need to consume them as our body cannot make them. It is now widely accepted that the majority of people in the industrialised, western world are not consuming enough nutrition for optimal health. (See supplementary info below for a list of just some of the numerous reasons why nutritional deficiencies exist.)

There is a big difference between adequate nutrition and adequate health and optimal nutrition and optimal health. They reason I love supplements is that I am only interested in optimal health. I would rather stay out of a doctor’s rooms and I'm sure you would too! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Many of the diseases prevalent in society today did not exist earlier in this century. At a time with so much knowledge of the importance of nutrition, ironically western societies are sicker than ever.

Supplements are not a replacement for healthy eating but science has shown that they can certainly boost your health. When you are optimally nourished you have a more resilient immune system, a robust microbiome, healthy metabolic function, improved mitochondria function and therefore more energy, better quality sleep, and radiant skin. Optimal nutrition can also have a positive effect on your longevity gene pathways. A healthy body is usually a healthy mind and a happier person. A healthy diet containing nutrient dense food that is non-processed or minimally processed (ideally in nature’s packaging) and eating a wide variety of food is the cornerstone of optimal health.

In the world of supplementation there are three distinct categories – foundational supplement, targeted outcome supplements and wholefood health boosts.

Foundational Supplements

These supplements are used to correct any deficiencies which may exist within your diet and can be seen as an insurance policy. These are compensating for the nutrients that in a perfect world we would be getting in sufficient quantities from the food we eat. They can provide a basic level of mental and physical health and an opportunity for optimal physical performance. Bio-individuality and lifestyle factors are taken into account when creating a rational supplement protocol. Examples of foundational supplements are omega-3 fish oils, vitamin C, folate and mineral supplements.

Targeted Outcome Supplements

Compounds that are non-prescriptive and designed to achieve very specific end points such as enhanced focus, adaptation to stress, faster recovery, deeper sleep, radiant skin and enhanced hormone function eg increased libido are know as targeted outcome supplements. Many of the compounds in these supplements are simply not found in food, or are not easy to access or are not found in enough abundance in food to have the desired effect. Targeted outcome supplements might include medicinal mushrooms, turmeric, nootropics, adaptogens, herbs, antioxidants, NMN, NAC, and melatonin. Cymbiotika offer an extensive range of targeted outcome supplements.

Wholefood Health Boosts 

Traditionally known as wholefood supplements – but so much more than that! These products offer bioavailable nutrients in concentrated forms. Wholefoods is the term given to foods that remain as close to their natural state as possible. They might be cold-pressed or ground up or freeze dried for example – natural processes that retain all the potent nutrients.

Our bodies are designed by nature to absorb nutrients essential for survival through the process of digestion and absorption of whole foods. There is a synergistic effect that all the components that make up a whole food have in order to fascilitate that absorption. Examples are Grasses of Life Chlorella, Immortal Health Black Cumin Seed Oil, Grasses of Life Power Blend, Grasses of Life Super Greens Boost, SAYBO Revive, SAYBO Glow, SAYBO Goji Schiz and Karuah Active Magnesium.

Phytochemicals are components in plant foods that have been scientifically validated to provide significant health benefits. These compounds are also known as phytonutrients and have the ability to fight disease and promote longevity. They are frequently high in antioxidants which help protect the body at the cellular level by ridding it of free radicals. Some of the more well known phytonutrients are  bioflavonoids, isoflavones, carotenoids, glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid. Many of the wholefood health boosts in the Sage Wellbeing Co curation are high in phytonutrients.

Organ meats in particular are a good source of alpha-lipoic acid. Organ Meats are in fact one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet and I would highly encourage you to consume more of them. If cooking with organ meats isn’t your thing then you can do as I do – consume  encapsulated desiccated organ meats.

I particularly love Organic Collagen Australia Liver capsules - SHOP HERE

L.I.F.E. freeze dried wild foods is a wholefood health boost. I feel that due to the compounds naturally occurring in the formula it offers some of the same benefits as both foundational supplements and targeted outcome supplements. L.I.F.E. is outrageously high in a wide array of phytonutrients.

Shop L.I.F.E HERE

Other types of supplements include functional foods, herbal formulas, nootropics, sports nutrition and nutraceuticals.

Mineral Supplements

It is currently thought that 22 minerals are required as enzyme co-factors to support our diverse biochemical processes. They ensure the health and optimum function of our cells. They are required for specific metabolic functions and their absence results in physiological impairment.

Some minerals fall into the category of macronutrients (AKA major minerals) because they are required in gram amounts every day. They are sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

Most people on the planet have suboptimal levels of this magnesium. Magnesium is involved in over 300 essential enzymatic reactions in the body and is necessary for every major biochemical process.

If one were to choose a single mineral to supplement, it should be magnesium!

The minerals required in smaller amounts, typically milligram or microgram amounts are known as essential trace minerals. They include iron, iodine, fluoride, zinc, chromium, selenium, manganese, molybdenum and copper.

“No cellular function can be produced correctly if the body isn’t receiving all the minerals & trace elements that metabolism needs…It so happens that all degenerative diseases originate to one degree or another, in a severe mineral depletion of the body” Dr Robert LaFave

Supplementary Information

Amongst the contributing factors for nutritional deficiencies are:

• modern farming methods relying on unnatural chemicals - pesticides and herbicides damage soil microorganisms and reduce the nutrition of the crops
• modern agriculture, over-farming, large-scale food production and food storage methods
• reduced cultivars of plants now available
• degradation of the land resulting in poor quality and less fertile soil resulting in reduced nutrient content of crops
• a reliance on all year-round availability vs seasonality and the corresponding importation of fresh food results in reduced nutrients
• exposure to environmental toxins and allergens which accumulate in the body and disrupt the gut microbiome and cellular health (toxins that remain in the body can cause a variety of health problems and lead to DNA damage)
• stressful lives mean stressed bodies which have a greater requirement of certain nutrients
• stress can impair nutrient absorption
• consumption of processed and convenience foods
• less consumption of whole foods and foods in their natural state
• due to the demands on modern life there is less time allocated to food preparation and appropriate meal time etiquette eg sitting at the dining table
• poor eating habits such as rushing meals impairs the absorption of nutrients
• malnutrition can also occur as a result of alcoholism and drug and medication use
• coffee consumption increases your magnesium and iron requirements

Please note: You should also always read and follow label directions for product use. 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to be one. I cannot treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose any illness. If you have concerns about any sickness, talk to your health practitioner. Do your own research on natural remedies and supplements to ensure that you think they are safe. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult a qualified specialist before taking any herb or supplement.