Vitamins You Should Probably Take: A Starter List That Won’t Scare You
The world of holistic nutrition and vitamins can be pretty daunting and confusing. There’s an endless supply of herbal and mineral supplements that are recommended by professionals and influencers so regularly that it’s hard to keep up.
Being a holistic nutritionist I have a pretty vast lineup of vitamin bottles in my cupboard that I take for what seems like a million different things, but I’m going to give a break-down of what I think are the necessities to start with if you’ve never taken supplements at all, or if you’re not sure if you’re taking the right things.
I will say that vitamins, minerals and supplements should always come secondary to a well-rounded, healthy diet full of the nutrients that you can get simply by eating plant or animal foods that are good for you and avoiding refined sugar and fried/processed foods. This being said, the mineral and vitamin content in our food supply has gone way down through years of pesticides and GMO’s being added to our crops, and the sheer lack of soil quality that we had back in the day. There is now far less mineral content in the soil that our veggies are grown in, and the animals that we eat are in turn consuming less minerals through the things that they eat.
This is why I think its necessary to at LEAST have a small selection of go-to vitamins, depending on the season, your health and how you’re feeling overall.
Life gets busy and sometimes we need to have a quick snack on the go that isn’t the healthiest just to give us an energy boost. No judgement here, it happens to everyone-including me. The key is to try your best and aim for some balance. So let’s start with a supplement that is easy to take 1-2 times a day and can compensate for those days when you don’t have time to cook three healthy meals for yourself.
OVERALL HEALTH:
A MULTI-VITAMIN is one of my all time go-to things to take on a daily basis. I suggest getting these from a local vitamin or health store, where the staff are trained to know which things are best for who. There are mens and women's multi-vitamins, options for people over a certain age, options for those who are active or live a more sedentary life, and multi-vitamins for children as well (ideally a better version of the Flinstone’s vitamins many of us grew up chewing).
One of the most important things I want to mention about choosing a multi, especially if asking staff at one of these shops for help with this, is to always look for B vitamins that are METHYLATED. Confusing word, I know. The other (and most common form) of the B vitamins that you’ll see in a multi or on the shelves at the store is CYANOCOBALAMIN, and is literally made using cyanide (which in high doses is considered poisonous). In the doses of this you’d find in vitamins at the store, don’t worry, you won’t get poisoned and die, however I still wouldn’t trust taking this every day. The Methylated versions of B12 and Folate have been proven safer, better absorbed and will stay in your system longer, therefore doing your body a lot more good.
For this I personally take Whole Earth & Sea Pure Food Women’s mutli-vitamin (though there are many organic brands that would be great). The Folate and B12 in this pill are both methylated and most of the minerals in it are supplied through organic veggies. It’s also suitable for VEGANS! It costs around $50 for a bottle of 60 tablets and it’s a small price to pay to make your health a priority. It’s found at most local health stores but can also be ordered online easily through plenty of websites. Don’t be shy to ask questions at the store, look up which multi-vitamin might be best for you online, or better yet, book a consultation with me through this link and we can go over a detailed supplement/meal plan for your needs.
Next we have one that may be a bit more well known, especially to people who live in timezones where the fall and winter bring a lot less sunlight. Yes, that would be VITAMIN D.
Typically absorbed into our skin through sunlight, it’s especially important to have in our system to enhance the absorption of calcium, which is super crucial for healthy/strong bones and teeth. This isn’t necessary to take all year round if you get a lot of sun exposure in the summer, but in the winter with less daylight I highly recommend supplementing D with meals every morning (at least 15 mcg). This becomes even more needed the older we get, as our calcium levels decrease with age!
DIGESTION:
The next of my fave daily supplements I want to talk about is DIGESTIVE ENZYMES! I have become obsessed with these over the last few years, especially because I suffered for a very, very long time with indigestion, bloating and abdominal pain.
Not to be confused with Probiotics, which are a separate entity but ALSO important and are further down on my list.
Digestive enzymes are something our bodies are supposed to produce naturally. They break down proteins and allow us to absorb the nutrients that come from the food we eat. There are many health factors that can affect our production of these enzymes though, and many people don’t even realize that this is an issue.
A lot of the symptoms that come from a lack of digestive enzymes have become normalized such as: bloating, gas and stomach pain after a meal. An example of this is those who suffer from lactose intolerance. Taking a digestive enzyme supplement when you first start eating a meal (you can take 2 if you’re eating a big meal), helps to aid in the digestion of your food and I can confidently say that it has made a huge difference for me. I used to feel a lot of discomfort and pain after most large meals (lunch, dinner), along with hours of bloating, and the change has been almost night and day.
I try to carry a little stash of these in my bag when I’m out on the town so that if I go for dinner or lunch I can just take one with my first bite of food.
There are different levels in strength and quality to find for these, and like the other supplements and vitamins you can find them at any health store or order them online. The brand that I have been using for the last year is Flora and have been taking their “Daily Maintenance Enzyme: Digestive Aid”. It’s inexpensive and is a big game changer for those of us with tummy issues.
Moving onto…
DETOX:
My next suggestion has to do with eliminating all the garbage and toxins that our bodies take in daily (whether it be willingly or against our will). CHLORELLA is one of my latest obsessions.
I’ve said before that I believe life is about balance. Sometimes you go for drinks with your pals for a special occasion, maybe you sneak a cheeky cigarette or you eat some deep fried food and refined sugar. These moments, paired with the general state of the world(not to be a bummer but….)- filled with pesticides on our veggies, hormones in our meat, chlorine among other things in the water, and the pollution in the air- even the healthiest and most determined people are taking in unwanted chemicals.
Chlorella is a type of algae that grows in fresh water. That’s right folks, it’s technically seaweed. I’ve done a big deep dive to read multiple research papers so that you don’t have to, and it’s supposed to bind to harmful chemicals in the body and help get rid of them! Pretty cool. Some of the other potential benefits that this sea green has include:
-anti-bacterial properties
-anti-viral properties
-anti-tumor properties
In clinical studies, chlorella promoted an increase in white blood cell levels, meaning it can stimulate your immune system to help fight infection!
The only possible downside I’ve found regarding this wonderful seaweed is that it might not be great for people with a weakened immune system, and that it is high in iodine so anyone with a high level of iodine or a sensitivity to it should check with a healthcare provider before trying. This being said, some natural supplements can also negatively interact with regular medications. So always, always check with your healthcare provider and/or naturopath before adding supplements to your routine WITH medications.
You can get this in powdered form-even in a combination with spirulina which is high in antioxidants and a double win. If you do I recommend just chugging every morning in a glass of water and not mixing it in with your daily smoothie because it does not taste “good”. But I have been taking it in supplement form which is simple, as long as you check to make sure it’s from a reputable brand and is organic.
Ok, now let’s talk
MOOD LIFTING:
In this day and age we probably all need it to a certain extent, but some more than others. A lot of people today are on SSRI’s or simply put, anti-depressants. Many people have imbalances that definitely require these but there are a lot of natural supplements and options that can also help if the case is not that extreme!
As someone who experienced fairly crippling anxiety for most of my life, finding these remedies has been such a help.
My go-to for quite some time has been SAFFRON supplements. When you buy saffron as a spice for cooking, it costs an arm and a leg, but saffron in supplement form for mood balancing is honestly very reasonable. I’ve just been using Natural Factors 100% Pure Saffron Extract and it’s around $27 for 30 capsules (take 1 a day).
Some other great options to look into for mood balance, relaxation, anxiety and stress relief include:
-5-HTP
-GABA
-Ashwagandha
-St. Johns Wort (Definitely check with a physician for this one if on SSRI’s though)
-Passionflower
Again, if you want more detailed info on any of these remedies and who can or should be taking each one and why, feel free to schedule a consultation with me here.
Ok so last but not least:
GUT HEALTH:
PROBIOTICS help in balancing the bacteria in the gut and are one of the keys to feeling your best. The gut/brain connection is very important and when the balance in your gut bacteria is off it can directly affect your mental state! Happy gut, happy mind.
They promote the growth of “good” gut bacteria so that the bad bacteria doesn’t take over. They help keep bowel movements regular and healthy, help boost immunity, can help prevent diarrhea, can help rebuild your gut health after being on antibiotics (which can promote the growth of the bad bacteria), help with constipation, help with women’s vaginal flora (health), the list goes on and on.
You can get probiotics of course from lots of fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha, but it’s good to have a bottle of supplemental ones just in case you’re having a busy week and can’t get them through the diet.
There’s also many different strains of probiotics that come into play based on your age, sex, gut health, etc. so it’s always best to ask either a healthcare professional, nutritionist, naturopath or clerk at a health/vitamin shop which strain is best for you!
This is all I’ll bombard you with for now.
I know that the thought of taking vitamins can be confusing and overwhelming, but taking them can make a big difference and all it takes is a few seconds out of your day. Most supplements should be taken with meals, but they’ll always specify on the bottle!
There are many many more options for different issues than what I’ve talked about here. Book a 1:1 consult with me to find out which herbal remedies and supplements might improve your quality of life!