Today I give you my top 6 supplements for women over 35. Originally I was going to say women in their 40s, this is The 40 Girl’s Guide, but from what I’m seeing in practice, the vast majority of people all ages will benefit from these supplements. Husbands too. Especially as you get anywhere near the age of 40.
Seems your 40s is typically when any sort of bodily abuse catches up with you: too much sugar, booze binges, potato chips, bagel addictions, and so on. I know, fun. Thanks life. Thanks a lot life. Before I give you my list, let’s talk about why we need a list in the first place. I hear this now and then. “Hey, I eat healthy, I feel good, why do I need to supplement?”
First, you may not. This isn’t for everyone. Every body is different. If you do eat carefully, organic, clean, unprocessed and all that, you may be that one per cent with a spectacularly resilient liver and digestive tract who does not need to supplement. Congrats. You are a rarity and you deserve a plaque. Not the arterial kind, nobody deserves that, except Hitler types, and maybe Trump. Just kidding, Trump you and I can totally hang out, but only if you go back to the Apprentice where you belong. Sorry mom.
Ok, let’s cut to it. Well, most of us think we eat healthier then we do. Does this sound familiar? I hardly eat anything all day. I have organic shade grown coffee for breakfast, with a pinch or grass-fed half and half. I practically live on salads. I have a daily smoothie and I still can’t lose any weight. Cut to anytime after 8:00 pm: me, you, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and a bag of dark chocolate pumpkin bark. Orgasmic. Thank you Costco for ruining my life. Hell, it’s not Costco’s fault. In fact, I applaud them, they have more bulk, affordable organic food then any other big box store or store period—they’re killing it. But their pumpkin bark, might just be killing me.
We need supplements, as a populace, because even when we eat well our bad habits rear their head, plus food addictions, plus denatured often toxic food, plus a rather stressful life. Seriously, people are sicker then ever, sleeping less then ever, eating worse then ever, and there is more chronic disease (which means disease we can control through diet) then ever. The list goes on. Our bodies are taxed beyond capability: enzymes are depleted, hormones are out of whack, we have dysglycemia, dysbiosis and dis-be-dis-dis. That’s why we need supplements, or at least why I do. You decide what’s best for you. Here are the basics to get started:
1) Probiotics – you would have to be living under a rock to not know why this is important. For ye rock dwellers, our collective gut biomes are a mess, and science is linking the health of the gut to everything from immunity to brain, and mental illness. Feed those little micro-flora the good stuff: probiotics. I use human strain only. Buy it from a naturopath where you are guaranteed 15 billion per cap. Or take BioK. Pricey though.
2) Magnesium – stress drains your body of this precious mineral, so does coffee and soft drinks and a host of other baddies. It’s needed for everything from calming, restful sleep to bone health, blood pressure and Vitamin D assimilation. I wish I had discovered this mineral sooner. I would have better teeth. I take Calm at night before bed and yes it does help me sleep, no fence jumping sheep required.
3) Whole Food Multi-Vitamin – I’ve been taking this since before I had my first baby. This is my health insurance. If I eat less then perfect on any given day (try every), this sweet mama ensures I get the basics. This brand has all the Bs, so critical to brain health, A, C, D, E, K and critical minerals/anti-oxidants like selenium and chromium. Literally, don’t leave home without it. Garden of Life, mykind organics, women’s once daily. Yes it’s expensive, but that’s what quality costs.
4) Fiber – your colon/bowel can not clean itself without enough fiber. And people en masse, do not get enough fiber. So this is also insurance. Renew Life Fibre Smart – it’s got flax, marshmallow root, L-Glutamine, etc., is, in my opinion, the best of the lot.
5) Greens – I like to eat a lot of greens because salads are yummy. But in the winter, not so much. So as a habit, I take Leaf Greens in the morning to kick-start my day. This one has barley leaf, spinach, kale, arugula, chard, broccoli sprout powders. I order it through AIM company but you can get quality greens at the store – be sure to investigate though, if it’s cheap, it’s lacking. If you want to order via AIM, shoot me an email. I’ll help you.
6) Fish Oil – we simple are not getting enough EPA DHA in our diet and our body cannot make omega 3s. Deficiency is one of the top 10 causes of death in NA. Get on it. Buy fish oil that comes in a dark bottle that requires refrigeration. Light, air and heat will destroy this fragile oil and make it rancid – which is bad. I will dedicate a post to oils: the good, the bad and the rancid very soon.
BONUS: Vitamin D. Unless your out there sun-bathing on a regular basis, you will need a quality D supplement, get it in D3 form. Some fish oils already contain it.
If I’m being honest, I’ll tell you, there are a few more supplements I take now that I’m getting older. Keep checking back for my hormone post where I’ll get into all that. But the list I’ve just given you is fantastic. If you currently take nothing or very little, you should notice big changes and real benefits. As always, run it by your doctor and naturopath before embarking, etc. Happy pill popping!
Yours in health, love & peace… Shannon
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