Today’s blog is tackling an issue I see over and over in my practice, and that is a lack of planning and strategy when it comes to supplements. Far too often people take an “everything but the kitchen sink” strategy when it comes to what they take, and when we ask why, the answer is usually something like, “I read that supplement X does Y.”
People will take a supplement for years without ever testing if they’re having the desired effect (or causing problems), without ever changing the dosage (how much do you really need?) or wondering about the quality and efficacy of each supplement; let alone whether certain supplements should be taken together or when they should be taken. That’s why today’s email is:
The Top 5 Reasons You Need a Supplement Audit
- Avoid Supplement Inertia
Why are you taking what you’re taking? Do you even know? Surprisingly, few people have rational answers to these questions. More often than not the answer is, “because I heard it’s good for me” or worse, “I’ve been taking it forever.”
These are not sound reasons for you to take a supplement. When we work together, we’ll go through your list of regular supplements one-by-one to determine what you should stop taking, start taking and what dosage, which leads us to…
- How Much Should You Be Taking?
1,000 mgs? 5,000mgs? In many cases, when it comes to supplements, the dosage determines the outcome. We’ve seen plenty of cases where someone is taking the right supplement for an issue but far too low of a dose. And we’ve seen the reverse, which is someone taking way too much of the right supplement, causing more issues. We’ve even seen people taking too much of the wrong supplement, creating a host of problems for themselves.
- Are There Toxins in Your Supplements?
Many people we see take a dozen supplements from a half-dozen different brands. Costco brands. Pharmacy brands. Some brand they saw on Facebook. But most people don’t do the research to determine whether or not the brands follow the proper testing procedures to eliminate unwanted toxins or metals in their supplements. When it comes to things like fish oil, where mercury levels can be dangerous, these are serious questions to consider. After reviewing your supplement list, we’ll guide you towards brands that are safer and of the highest quality.
- Be Wary of Contraindications
Did you know that certain supplements can negatively affect the impact of prescription drugs? Or that some supplements can greatly increase the effectiveness of others? When we conduct your supplement audit, we also go through all of your prescription medications to ensure that your supplements won’t interfere with them. We’ll also offer supplements that perhaps could replace certain medications over time.
- How Your Diet Relates to Supplements
Some supplements are great, but we’d rather you receive the proper vitamins, nutrients and minerals directly from the source: your food. One of the first things we do during a supplement audit is discuss which supplements we can remove from your plan and replace with a healthy eating option.
These are just the top five reasons you should review your supplement routine with a qualified provider. There are plenty more, including peace of mind, putting together a solid game plan for what you want to achieve and even setting out a plan to eliminate as many supplements as possible.
