Nutritional Supplements: Hope? Hype? Help?

The word “wellness” may end up as the Word of the Year in 2016. The self- improvement industry is a $10 billion juggernaut, from books to products to services to make you look, feel and act better. Chefs have jumped on the bandwagon; so have many film and TV celebrities who are now “lifestyle and wellness experts.”

I am the recipient of numerous pitches on how to improve your life, and I write about health and wellness regularly. It’s a topic that has been of primary importance to me all my life but even more so now as both a cancer survivor and certified health coach.  Still, I question everything, especially when there’s a sales pitch tied to it.

I believe you should get as much of your nutrients as possible consuming fresh, whole foods and “supplementing” with healthy lifestyle practices such as daily exercise, meditation, a good night’s sleep and nurturing relationships, with yourself and with others.

A few of my healthy pointers:

• How to manage your anxiety: Meditate. Don’t medicate.
• How to manage weight: Think “Edit” your consumption over “Diet”
• How to find love: Learn to love yourself more and share the feeling with others. People are drawn to light.
• How to manage your time: Portion control your lifestyle diet.

However, there comes a time when we may need a little boost in the vitamin and supplement area. It could be the cause of medication, or illness or simply the aging process. Both medical and lifestyle factors can play a role. But you have to be smart. The U.S. supplement industry is a $37 billion business.  Combine that with the self-help industry and….Wowza! Some bank accounts are getting fortified.

That’s where  someone like Dr. Tieraona Low Dog comes in. Dr. Low Dog is based in Pecos, N.M. She’s a leading expert on dietary supplements, herbal medicines, women’s health and integrative medicine. She’s chaired two committees on dietary supplements for the U.S. Pharmacopeia and has served as an adviser on integrative medicine to both the White House and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She’s a trusted source on a subject where I believe many are selling hope in a bottle.

Dr. Low Dog has written several books on integrative health. Her most recent is “Fortify Your Life: Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals and More” (National Geographic Society). Much of the information is eye opening. It echoes my belief that most of your essential nutrients can be obtained by eating a healthy diet. However. Dr. Low Dog also explains in a helpful, no nonsense manner when and why supplementation may make sense and the proper dosage to take.

This is important. Many people take vitamins and supplements thinking they are doing themselves some good. Instead, they are wasting their money or, worse, negatively impacting their health. Dr. Low Dog’s book lays out all the right reasons. She also explains the consequences of being under and over supplemented and provides a great chart in the back of the book on how medications impact your nutrient needs.

Dr. Tieraona Low Dog joins me Monday, March 7, 4p.m. EST on Fearless Fabulous You! on W4WN to discuss the right way to take vitamins and supplements and which ones you may need at each age of your life. We’ll discuss drug-supplement -food interactions and how to get the most nutrients from what you ingest. Yes, there things you need to do other than pop that greenery in your mouth! Finally, we’ll discuss how to understand the label on the jar of vitamins you are thinking about buying.

If you are currently taking vitamins and supplements or considering, you will want to tune in!

Tune in Monday, March 7, 4p.m. on W4WN.com. Listen to my post show podcasts anytime on iHeart.com and the free iHeart App. Here is a cut and paste link if you need it. iHeart.com/show/209-Fearless-Fabulous-You/

Books by Dr. Tieroana Low Dog. Click and purchase here:

 

 

On March 4, 2016   /   Fearless Fabulous You Radio Show, Nutrition and Diet