Last time I wrote, it was the last day of summer. Now? It kind of feels like the first day of winter ..
This is the time of year when I sometimes need to force myself out the door. I’m not a fan of when all is cold & just wet, wet, wet☂️.. But once I get out, I usually change my mind (unless it is horizontal rain..). Even when I am in my worst moods I usually flip once I am out and get a dose of fresh air, light and potentially a sweaty workout.
As part of my exploration journey, I decided during summer that I will focus more on food this fall. And I really have. I followed the Paleo diet strictly for a month; no gluten, no lactose, no refined sugar and I felt great. But it is hard to stay super strict for eternity.
Now I’ve loosened up a little, but I’m still avoiding most of the usual suspects. That said… I’ve had a few “cheat” moments this week 😬. I wonder: is it a coincidence with this sugar craving and the fact that I’ve been unusually stressed the past two weeks 🤔? Probably not. Stress really is a sneaky bas-rd, it makes everything harder, including saying no to that chocolate bar.
It’s funny how once you start calming down, you suddenly see all the stress around you. I’m proud (yes, I said it!) that I’ve stepped off the hamster wheel a bit. Probably not for eternity but at least for a while. I am really grateful that I could.
To support myself, I’m also taking quite a few supplements currently🤪 . Some people say a varied diet is enough, and maybe that’s true in theory. But I’ve read enough research to believe otherwise. Our soil is depleted, our food is mass-produced, and the nutrient density just isn’t what it used to be.
I look at my personal health data regularly. Even if my levels are “within range,” I know those ranges are often too broad to be truly helpful. Public health systems are amazing for treating disease, but not so focused on preventing it. I try to optimize my health and look beyond these ranges for certain biomarkers.
I eat around 15 supplements at the moment 😱. But these aren’t randomly picked, they’re chosen based on my personal data and training. For those who don’t know, I’m a pharmacist by background. That gives me a slightly nerdy (but helpful!) lens when it comes to quality, absorption, and what actually makes a difference.
Because. there’s really a jungle out there when it comes to supplements. A shiny label doesn’t equal a good product.
A few things I always tell my friends to look out for:
• GMP-certified products (Good Manufacturing Practice), this ensures a minimum level of quality and safety.
• Bioavailability, a fancy word for how well your body can absorb and use the nutrient. Just because something is “in there” doesn’t mean it ends up where it needs to.
• Filler-free, avoid supplements with unnecessary additives, colours, or binders.
• Friend of the Sea/MSC : for omega 3 supplements
It is hard to recommend supplements to people because, obviously, it is very individual what we need. But based on some research and considering people similair to myself, I would say these are interesting supplements to consider and look into:
Iron: Me and many around me do not eat a lot of meat. That can be problematic as the best form for absorption or iron is the “heme iron” (found in red meat, poultry, and fish). The non-heme iron found in vegetable sources such as spinach and lentils is less readily absorbed. You can boost your uptake if you eat it with vitamin C (citrus, broccoli for example) but avoid drinking milk, coffee or tea at the same time. This hinders absorption.
If you need to supplement here, look for ferrous bisglycinate or iron glycinate. Usally a bit lighter on the gut than sulphate versions.
Magnesium. Another current Favorite. Did you know there are several different forms of magnesium (as it needs to be bound to a salt or amino acid to be stable in a supplement)?
As an example, Magnesium oxide is cheap and often sold in big jars, but it’s very poorly absorbed. Magnesium malate or glycinate, are much better absorbed and can actually help with issues like muscle recovery, or sleep. Magnesium citrate has greater effect on the GI and can be mildly laxative as well.
Another supplement that is probably here to stay for me is Omega-3. Our cells and brains are made of fat. If we want to function well, we need to get the right kinds of fat in there, we cannot produce these fatty acids ourselves. Omega-3 is actually a family of fatty acids.
The three main ones are:
• ALA (from plants like flaxseed)
• EPA and DHA (mostly from fish and marine sources) – the fatty acids that have been proven to do great stuff in the body.
While ALA is often promoted as a good source, our bodies are really bad at converting it to EPA and DHA, the forms that actually fuel brain health, reduce inflammation, and support our cardiovascular system. That’s why fish oil or algae-based supplements are far more effective if your goal is to really support your body.
When choosing an Omega-3 supplement, go for:
• EPA and DHA in Triglyceride or phospholipid form (better absorbed)
• Third-party tested for purity and oxidation (Omega-3 oils go rancid easily!)
• Taken with fat, for maximum absorption (combine with a fatty meal, like avocado or olive oil)
I will finish with another one that I have read several interesting articles about and that most of us does not get enough of; Vitamin D. Studies actually show it can (in addition to other benefits) also have a play in cognitive diseases such as dementia.1 Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so just take vitamin D (up to 20 mg/day) together with some olive oil or avocado at the same time as you take your omega 3s.
So yes, I might be on a bit of a supplement streak at the moment =), but the goal is long-term. I want to build a body and brain for a Vivante life, able to handle both winter darkness and summer adventures ⛰️ 🤸!
Reference:
1. Ghahremani M, Smith EE, Chen HY, Creese B, Goodarzi Z, Ismail Z. Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia: Effects of sex, APOE, and baseline cognitive status. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). 2023 Mar 1;15(1):e12404. doi: 10.1002/dad2.12404. PMID: 36874594; PMCID: PMC9976297.
