Supplements

It has been a while since I have posted a blog, for which I apologise, but I have been busy. I have been researching different brands of dietary supplements, taking them myself and asking friends and clients to try them to get some feedback. This is not nor should you think it is a clinical trial. It only represents my own view! But I thought I would share some of my thoughts on how I got on and how I approached the challenge.

The first thing is that I want to be able to offer a range of products so that people have a choice. The second thing is that I want to make the choices clear and easy to understand.

I will eventually get around to setting up a shop on the site so that getting hold of them is even easier. For now, I have added a link directly to the Company, where you can get most of the nutritional supplements online that you might want or need.

I also recognise that there is a lot of jargon, so I have categorised them by benefit. So here are my recommendations and thoughts:

For a general immunity boost, I would recommend the Hello Day Immunity Support supplement. It is predominantly vitamin D, which is essential for your immune system. Particularly if you can’t get out into the sunshine or are worried about too much exposure, this will help hugely. What I liked about this product is that it is complemented by a number of good gut biotics that will help improve gut health and importantly let the vitamin D do its work of ensuring that calcium is effectively absorbed into your body and priming the T Cells necessary to fight infection.

If you are over 70, suffering from a gastrointestinal disorder (like inflammatory bowel disease) or osteoporosis; recently had weight loss surgery; on anti-convulsant medications or even if your cultural or religious beliefs require you to be fully clothed, especially if you live in northern climates, and or your diet includes little or no dairy (which tends to be vitamin-D-fortified), you may be vitamin D-deficient and should consider having your levels tested.

There are many other immune system supplements, look for vitamin D and vitamin C on the label, just be careful that you get the right dose as a lot of products contain fillers and other agents. I liked Hello Day supplements because they are really good quality.

A good diet is better than any supplement but there are times when supplements can help. One of the most common conditions, that I would recommend a supplement for is acid reflux. I have had many patients who have come to me complaining about the amount of Gaviscon they take and how it limits their diet.

“I love eating that freshly made tomato sauce, but it just doesn’t like me!”

Gaviscon eases the symptoms, it does not treat the cause. In 99% of cases the reason for the acid reflux is poor gut health. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have a bad diet. If you have had a heavy dose of antibiotics, your intestinal bacteria will have been decimated. Good probiotics, and swapping out some food choices can make all the difference. Not only that, once the gut health is sorted, you do not need to keep taking the supplement. So, the saving on Gaviscon alone will be worth it, not to mention being able to enjoy food again without worrying about the consequences.

My favourite general probiotic is Udo’s Choice Super 8; because it has a really high count of viable cells and a really good mix of 8 strain of good bacteria and antioxidants. The Hello Day product Bioharmony Balance combines the effects of multiple probiotics with a prebiotic to help with digestive discomfort and ease bloating, constipation and IBS symptoms. It is slightly less expensive to buy than Udo’s Choice and it will do the job.

No matter what dietary supplements you are thinking of taking, I would urge you to give me a call first to discuss your thoughts and requirements. The call is free with no obligation. My aim is to improve health through good nutrition.