Safe, Effective, Inexpensive Supplements
I’ve spent 15 years experimenting with nearly every alternative therapy on the planet. I’ve tried thousands of supplements and countless tests.
I recently met with a Functional Medicine MD to solve a lifelong bladder problem. This is an article about the testing methods, the supplements I am taking, and the lessons I learned.
Before I go any further I would like to remind you that my business has not changed. I coach private- personal training and group fitness and yoga classes. I am an expert on correcting movement, dosing out health and fitness programs to fit specific goals, and helping clients find the small changes that make the big impacts- as fast as possible. I feel like I'm getting more technically efficient at my job as I continue to get more experience. Fitness and yoga are my expertise. I am clearly not a doctor.
This Functional Medicine MD that I met with has 20+ years of experience testing and retesting hair, saliva, and blood. Some of this testing is advanced and a bit outside of the standard medical system. I’d like to share some of the supplements I currently use after meeting with her. To my knowledge, the ones I am mentioning are safe, effective, and inexpensive. Please, do you own research. I don’t recommend just taking them, but they might be worth looking into!
I’m going to do my best here to break down the test results, as I understand them.
First off, all of my standard blood markers came back in normal ranges, except for my Vitamin D. It was low (24, It should be at least above 50, 70 might be optimal.). You get Vitamin D from the sun. I was walking outside 3 hours a week and I was still low!
Why?
Oil on your skin may be involved in processing Vitamin D. That is to imply that anyone that showers regularly may be deficient! Low Vitamin D might be the easiest variable to fix because Vitamin D deficiency can be related to so many health problems! It works more like a hormone than a vitamin. I haven’t found anyone that disagrees with that. (95% of people are deficient in Vitamin D)
The supplement:
Jarrow Vitamin D 5,000 units a day.
Or Metagenics Vitamin D drops 5,000 units a day. I recently had client that notice a huge improvement with her skin from taking this.
My saliva and hair test reveled some deeper issues. The test showed that deep in my cells I have strep, staph, and some other stuff, basically, bacterial and viral infections buried deep, not detected in standard blood tests. These infections continually stress out the system as a whole. Thy live, they die, they are “toxic.”
The supplement used to combat this is GrapeFRUIT seed extract, not to be confused with Grape seed extract.
The supplement:
Grape fruit seed extract by Nutribiotics,
8- 125mg pills a day, 4 in the AM, 4 in the PM.
Grape fruit seed extract NASAL SPRAY by Nutribiotics.
2 sprays in each nostril at night.
Strangely, the doctor noticed that 4- 125 mg pills were more effective than 1 - 500mg pill. My Yogi friends also use this to combat parasites on trips abroad. I’ve seen this supplement in many books. It seems to be involved in a lot of cleanses. I’ve read that it is safe long term. The Doctor confirmed that.
Kidney stones
Everything piece of data except an MRI (I have not done one) confirmed that I have kidney stones. Also, results revealed a genetic predisposition to having dysfunctional parathyroid- this basically regulates calcium in your body- probably the cause of kidney stones -made mostly of calcium. The kidneys are connected to the bladder so fixing them is a top priority.
My liver and kidneys aren’t functioning well. Growing up in New Orleans, being an athlete and party animal in my younger years have left me quite broken! I promise you guys aren’t as broken as me. I was wreckless and wildly destructive.
I can make things easier on my kidneys by improving the function of my liver.
How can I clean this blood out?
The supplements:
ALA sustain- the company I use is Jarrow.
This seems to be the easiest way to amp up liver function. It’s been mentioned in many books relating to how it helps process large amounts of sugars and carbohydrates, which also take a toll on the liver. If you look closely at a lot of supplement combo packs you’ll often see “Alpha Lipoic Acid.” I was previously taking sulfur because a urine test showed I was extremely low. The doctor mentioned that she noticed a greater improvement with sulfur production from taking ALA Sustain than from taking pure sulfur!
She recommended that I must use a time released or “sustain” version.
I’m taking 1200mg a day of this stuff!
For an additional weight loss benefit I would try “Acetyl L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipioc acid” by Jarrow.
Also, for the liver:
NAC sustain- the company I use is Jarrow.
This stuff is mainly used to clear the liver of alcohol and acetaminophen (the pain reliever in Tylenol like products)
Again, she mentioned that it was important to use the “sustain” variety.
I’m taking 600mg a day.
Blood PH:
Most of us have heard of Acid vs Alkaline. Most of the crappy food, stress, and unhealthy stuff are acidic. My Blood PH levels were in a low to normal range (slightly acidic), but the PH of my tissues was very low. (very acidic)
This means that my minerals are low. Increasing the minerals should increase systemic alkalinity and bring things back into balance. The entire system is connected! While things like lemon or apple cider vinegar may improve the PH balance in the blood on a daily basis, these minerals may go deeper and have a more sustained effect.
The supplement:
Complete minerals by Designs for Health
This might be a better option than taking a multivitamin. The main minerals are Iodine, magnesium, Zinc, copper, boron, selenium and few more. I’ve seen a lot of these minerals mentioned individually in detox protocols.
I’m taking 3 of these in the AM and 3 in the PM.
Metals:
Lastly, several test, mainly hair test have shown that I have metals built up in my body, Mercury and Aluminum. While there can be many symptoms, I’ve had several close friends notice that I have a bad memory. I suspect it is because of these metals. Detoxing from metals is probably the biggest challenge in this context. Chelation is an option but it’s very expensive. Tony Robbins ate a Pescatarian diet for years (Vegan plus FISH) He tested off the charts for metals after he had chronic neck pain. I’m sure he’s fixed the problem by now. Also, the doctor mentioned that it is nearly impossible to get rid of a candida infection in the presence of metals. Consider that before beginning any candida protocols.
My best advice here is to avoid metals in the first place.
Don’t cook with aluminum; instead use glass Pyrex, Iron, or stainless steel.
To avoid Mercury:
1. Avoid eating any large fish.
Fish that may have metals: tuna, salmon, trout, redfish, trout, and swordfish.
The bigger the fish in size, the more likelihood of them containing metals.
Small fish that should be safe:
Shrimp, sardines, anchovies, clam, tilapia, crawfish, and oysters. These small fish also tend to be very nutrient dense in general.
2. Remove any dental amalgams. Very small amounts of mercury in the form of vapor can be released as the amalgam filling wears.
Digestive enzymes and probiotics are also worth mentioning. These are very safe, basically impossible to overdose, and most people can benefit. I actually tested well here, probably because of my history of cleansing and fasting.
My current exercise protocol:
2x a week Yoga
4x a week 30 minutes of light cardio followed by 20 minutes of sauna
1x a week Full body weightlifting
Also,
Lots of alkaline water
Minimal caffeine, sugar, and alcohol intake.
I’d certainly be curious so see if anyone else has any improvements from experimenting with these supplements however, I accept no responsibility if you encounter any problems. Starting with small doses is usually pretty safe.
My energy seems to have improved and I am sleeping better.
I retest in 3 months. Stay tuned!