I think everyone I know is sick right now. Maybe it’s because I tend to frequent the highly germy little kid scene, but regardless, it’s that time of year! I get asked a good amount what I take supplement-wise on a daily basis and what my kids do, so I thought it would be a good time to write about that as well as introduce some of the products that we take more now that we are headed towards winter (boooo).
For Me:
I’ve been pretty religious with my supplement game over the past few years and have some daily staples.
- A multivitamin. I know a lot of medical professionals think you are peeing your money away, but I really believe in taking a good quality multi every day. Even with a fairly good diet, the quality of our soil as well as our food production system is such that we likely aren’t getting the amount of nutrients we think we are. Plus, I always feel better when I take one. I alternate between two (see explanation in iron).
- Vitamin C. Two years ago, I got PRK (kind of like Lasik) and the doctor told me that for three months before the surgery (and six months after), he wanted me taking both vitamin C and fish oil, as they contribute to optimal eye health and healing. I really liked them both and just stayed taking them. Also, vitamin C is great for skin health and immune function.
- Fish Oil. See above.
- Vitamin D. We don’t get enough. Good for immune function, good for bones, good for mood. I recommend to all.
- L-Glutamine. This is another one that’s good for the immune system as well as digestive health and our body’s detoxification system.
- Unfortunately, I am anemic, which means I don’t make enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. This causes things like fatigue, low energy, being cold all the time, dizziness, to name a few. Getting enough iron from my diet, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to cut it for me, so I rely on my supplements to keep my ferritin levels in an optimal range. (Ferritin is the measure used to detect how low your iron stores are—this is the test you want to ask your doc for to diagnose anemia—not the hemoglobin/hematocrit that is usually tested.)
- I love probiotics and have seen them help so many people. Our gut houses the vast majority of our immune system so taking care of it is paramount to staying healthy. Some probiotics are junk, but I really like this one because it is spore-based and one of the benefits of those is that it doesn’t get degraded by stomach acid and can stay active until the intestine, which is where you want them (a problem with probiotics is that most of the bacteria die as soon as they get to your tummy, which does you no good).
- Magnesium Glycinate. Magnesium plays a role in over 300 functions in the body and it’s something that in general, we don’t get enough of. Some forms of magnesium (like citrate) have laxative effects, but Glycinate helps do things like calm your brain and relieve anxiety, which makes it a great choice to take right before bed (I take these and the probiotic at night).
- Elderberry Syrup. To me, this is the holy grail of keeping yourself healthy this season. I take this every day starting in September (until May-ish) and twice a day if I’m feeling under the weather.
- Honey! I love honey. Read this to see why I think so.
The kids:
- Multivitamin
- Probiotic
- Elderberry syrup
- Honey
Supplements can be tricky and the industry is wildly unregulated so please reach out chloe@riversidenutrition.com if you want some recommendations or to talk shop!
