It is funny because when I read heaps of books about what we need to heal Endometriosis or what minerals we might be deficient in and what we should take, it kinda frustrates me. It is similar to a Western Doctor mentality to me. It is like we are taking the same approach with natural supplements. There is a problem, so lets fix it with this mineral, this vitamin or whichever element the body is lacking to try and correct the imbalance. To me,…this is just silly. We are replacing drugs with supplements and that is still not getting to the root cause of why we have the imbalance in the first place.
Why are we Vitamin B deficient? Why do we lack iodine, zinc or iron? Sure, we can replenish these losses with supplements for a short time but ultimately, there is something lacking in either our diet or our absorption methods that are causing these deficiencies. Vitamin B is a vital vitamin for many of the functions our liver needs to detoxify. However, what I found interesting is that it is also the same Vitamin that drops easily when we are stressed. Whether this has something to do with it being used up quicker or whether it is absorbed less effectively is still debatable.
To me, the biggest mistake we make is to not go back to the basics with our healing. We have this philosophy that we can simply take some supplements and this will fix everything. It is kinda like having a deck with old paint on it. Instead of sanding back the deck and applying a fresh coat of pain, we simply plaster more paint on top of it. It might initially protect the wood from the sun but over time, you will get bubbles and you just get this thick layer of “goop” that doesn’t actually do anything for the wood.
Have you ever taken supplements and they simply don’t do anything for your healing? I know I have. I have taken so many supplements, in their singular form and most of the time, I feel like I am just weeing them out! Let me just be sure you get what I am talking about….I am talking about singular supplements like Vitamin B or Iodine or any mineral or vitamin we take on it’s own. To me, this is such a singular way of looking at the body. It is just not that simple!
I get asked in many of my emails what supplements I recommend and what to take to feel better. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of supplements that will help you feel better but….and I must stress, they can’t be taken in their singular form to be really effective. Let me explain.
The first thing that needs to happen for any supplement to be effective, is that it needs to be absorbed by the body – kinda obvious:). There are many foods that actually inhibit absorption – you guessed it: highly processed foods, wheat, sugar and foods made with refined oils. From interfering with the individual cell absorption to our digestive system, these foods create “problems” within our bodies. It creates a “high alert”. This means all of our body works on solving these “problems”, rather than on more important stuff like our healing. It will use up resources – like vitamins and minerals – to do that too. This means, a double wammy! Using up resources and none coming in easily either!
What is even more scary about these kind of foods, is that they create imbalances which grow nasty organisms in our bodies! I am talking about Candida and other bacteria and “invaders” that literally live in our bodies. These guys grow and they eat! That means, they eat up all those wonderful nutrients we are feeding them too!
So, what can we do to fix it all?
My 4 pointers on Supplements:
Step 1 – Correct the imbalances
Thing is, we need to start by getting rid of the imbalances – all of them! That means killing off any “feeders” by detoxing the body and stop feeding them. This means, sticking with that endo diet girls! Depending on how much of an imbalance we are talking about, you might need to do a Colonic or get onto some stronger herbs, through a health practitioner.
Step 2 – How often and when you take supplements
The second thing is to realise that there is a big difference between supplements and how to take them. It is actually not advisable to take ANY supplement on a daily, ongoing basis. The body needs variety as the receptor sites start to become “immune” to the same supplements. They simply become ineffective over time.
Step 3 – The type of supplements
I make a point of choose what I would call “whole” supplements. So, they are never singular minerals or vitamins. If I want to take more zinc, I will eat more pumpkin seeds. If I want more Vitman B, I will take Maca or Brewer’s Yeast. I actually try my best to get what I need from my diet or through more of the “food type supplements”…..next poin:
Step 4 – Incorporate “Food Type Supplements”
These are things that once were foods but due to being grown on the other side of the world or for convenience, they are made into juices or powders. My favourites at the moment are the powdered mushrooms. I am loving Reishi and Shitaki Mushroom powders, which I can slip into my smoothies and they give me such a great mood boost and never mind the energy! Others that are fantastic are Noni Juice or Mangosteen Juice. These are so packed with nutrients and they are complete. What I mean by that is, they have all the necessary elements to be able to be absorbed by the body. Remember, when they first discovered that Iron was fantastic for our blood? Well, they realised it needed Vitamin C to be absorbed. Chances are, we need another mineral to absorb Vitamin C:)
Well, I personally believe this to be the case with any of these singular mineral and vitamin supplements. The body doesn’t find any of these in nature, in a singular form! We need all the other elements to get them to be absorbed into the body! So, research what foods or juices contain the nutrients you are wanting to get and eat/drink those instead. I personally love the Royal Jelly and Bee Pollen options. – some of us can’t take these due to an allergic reaction – but if you can, they are fabulous and contain everything you could possibly need in one easy tincture or capsule!
I hope this helps you to really get the best out of any supplements you take. There are so many fabulous foods, juices and supplements out there!
What supplements have you discovered recently? Anything you would like to share with the girls to help them feel better? Any unique herbs, “food type supplements”? Any you want me to research for us to consider?