Nutritional Supplements

When we've begun to eat right but are still struggling with health problems, we may turn to supplements for help. Unfortunately, many supplement providers cannot tell us the actual effect of their product on our bodies. When we eat Centrum or Flinstones chewables, they have a high "nutrient content," but most of it cannot be absorbed and used by the body, so we just pass it via urination or defecation. Many people taking multivitamins report significant changes in their urine color for this reason. Passing huge amounts of nutrients through our bodies is not proportional to the nutrient benefit our bodies are actually metabolizing from the product.

Vitamin vendors may give information about their product which can be valuable and true, given that we apply it to the vitamin and not the supplement product. They say, "Your body would benefit from additional Vitamin D." I usually nod, smile, and walk away from their pill table and into the free sunshine. (Apply aloe vera gel for added Vitamin E and UV protection. Applying it directly from the plant works best.)

Whole supplements are the most efficient method of integrating nutrients into our bodies. Here are some examples of supplements I use:

• Floravital is an excellent supplement for regulating anxiety, sleep disturbance, lethargy and more.
• Emergen-C is an important electrolyte replacement method, which uses much less sugar than Gatorade. (I use bell peppers, fresh herbs, and oranges as a source of Vitamin C.)
• Chinese herbs are whole food supplements that can be combined to balance the whole body, with emphasis on your specific concerns.

Mangoes are rich in Vitamin A

When the "whole" aspect of food is removed by extracting or synthesizing more intense versions of a useful compound, the nutrient becomes less useful. Toss your supplement pills in favor of more nutrient-rich foods. If you need to adjust your metabolism, the appropriate combination of acupuncture and Chinese Herbs will smooth the root of your digestion.