Supplements For Better Health – What I Take

Supplements for better health and I’m writing this post because quite a few of you dear readers asked me to! If you aren’t interested in reading a health post, it’s perfectly fine to skip it and I know that this isn’t my normal design and decor. If you’re sticking around…it’s a bit long.

Supplements for better health

I shared a post with 20 gluten free cakes and it resonated with some of you who have adapted a similar lifestyle. Today I’m going to outline some of what I’ve been doing lately for better health. Just a bit of background and it’s been interesting to look back and try and figure all of this out. Growing up I always had a bit of an issue with food. I didn’t really care much for eating and was an extremely skinny and gangly child, which worried my mama. In hindsight I’m pretty sure that I didn’t really feel so well when eating some of the foods that I was served back in the day. Breakfast during the week was some kind of sugar laden cereal and on the weekends my dad made pancakes.

Supplements for better health

My lunch was always packed for school and was often a bologna sandwich, chips and something chocolate. Dinner was fast, as my mom worked and had to feed 3 kids quickly. We didn’t eat out all that much, but the foods were often processed. Canned foods and frozen TV dinners, as it was de rigueur, new and convenient at the time. I distinctly recall tummy aches and was told to walk around the house to ease the pain. My allergies were seriously off the charts and I had lots of testing and several series of allergy shots over the years. I don’t think that anyone knew that I had some major issues with inflammation as it just wasn’t anything discussed or looked into back then. As I grew up and went out on my own I did try and eat much better, but it was all kind of confusing as to why I often had migraines and didn’t feel so great. Can anyone relate? I know so many women (men too) who have similar issues and again…I’m not a doctor, but it makes sense that we are what we eat.

Supplements for better health

If you suffer from migraines then you know how awful they are. I had them every single month at that time of the month and obviously those were hormone related. Then I hit an early perimenopause at 40 and the migraines were truly out of control. I tried everything from acupuncture to Chinese medicine therapy, to massages and more. Nothing really worked and then when I finally stopped having my cycles in a natural menopause those headaches began to dissipate. Woo hoo…but I still was not feel great with a foggy head and what I started noticing to be reactions to food. I had more testing (ALCAT) and it showed that I was sensitive (not allergic) to pretty much everything. Even broccoli and salmon…healthy stuff! I started seeing a bioidentical hormone doctor and he helped get my hormones in balance. Then we began to explore my inflammatory responses. My doctor was an OBGYN and professor, and then decided to open a practice to work with women and men who were having health issues due to hormonal imbalance.

Supplements for better health

As his practice grew he started studying alternative medicine and I was willing to try new avenues based on his suggestions. The suggestions were from what was found via extensive blood work and other testing. Blood shows you everything! Some of the things that I tried were not for me, some were very expensive and some have literally saved my life! You sometimes have to try a variety of practical applications to see what works for you and I was willing and able. My biggest lifestyle change that has made an incredible impact has been to go completely gluten and dairy free. YES!! LIFE CHANGING! Although I was tested and don’t have celiac, my entire life I would get bloated and uncomfortable after eating bread. I believe that’s what most likely gave me belly aches as a child. I think that dairy has always been a huge culprit in the fight against inflammation too and for the first time in my life I’ve been able to get off allergy meds.

Supplements for better health

That’s huge for me and makes sense now. My allergy testing always showed issues with grasses, ragweed and other weeds. How strange that they are closely related to grains. I was put on a regimen of daily supplements by my doctor and while I again state that this is what works for me, I’m sharing with you. By the way, since I’ve been on these supplements and continuing to follow a gluten and dairy free lifestyle my bloodwork shows some great results! I take no daily medication and honestly I need to get to the gym…so I’m still working on my journey and lifestyle. All of these photos below are clickable links to the products that I take and you can find all of them on Amazon. I hope that you find this post helpful and would love some feedback in the comments if so!

**Disclaimer** I am not a health professional and am discussing some of the supplements and some of my journey to better health.

Supplements for better health – what I take daily

CLICK ON ANY OF THESE IMAGES TO SHOP VIA AMAZON

I have been taking digestive enzymes for probably 10 years now. One before every meal helps with digestion and this is one of my favorite brands

Another supplement that I have been taking for a long time is a probiotic. Ultimate Flora is the brand that works well for me.

If you are a woman over 40 then chances are you suffer from vitamin D deficiency like I do. Honestly I was surprised when I had a bone scan, since I live in Miami…the land of sunshine! Here is what I take that hopefully will prevent bone issues as I age.

It’s been well documented that garlic is good for your heart. I LOVE garlic in food and even roast it to accompany the cauliflower crackers that I eat. The supplement below hopefully helps heart health as well. Again, just click on the images to shop.

For cholesterol, and yes…my numbers have gone down.

I take this to help promote cardiovascular health and cellular energy.

This is one that my doctor insists on, and you can find it at the Amazon link below. A healthy homocysteine pathway is needed for cardiovascular health, brain health, healthy aging, the immune system, healthy detoxification, and joint support.

For healthier hair, skin and nails.

Around the age of 30, our bodies naturally begin to produce less collagen, and the first signs of aging start to occur. I mix this in with my coffee every morning and my husband does too.

These are what are working for me and everyone is different.Supplements for better health can be costly for sure, but if you can afford it…it’s something to do for YOU. I know that with my diet and the supplements I feel better than I have in a long time. If I go off the gluten free or dairy free for even a day I pay for it with a headache the next day. It’s pretty remarkable really and I don’t plan on ever changing. The good thing is that there are so many more foods available now for a lifestyle like mine than in the past. I try and eat as clean as possible though and not buy into too many processed gluten free foods. If you’d like me to do another post and share more about that, just leave me a comment! I hope that this helps…PIN IT below to remember it for later.

supplements to fight inflammation

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22 Comments

  1. Barbara Sells says:

    Janet, I, too, have changed to gluten free lifestyle & I am 70 years old. It has, been a blessing to my aging process by eliminating aches pains, bending, & stomach issues. I also don’t fall into the eating of purchasing gluten free products but I do cook gluten free. This lifestyle has been a blessing.
    Thanks for sharing.

    1. I am glad that you are finding better health with a gluten free lifestyle Barbara!

  2. Thanks for sharing this Janet, it is very helpful. I feel bloated and crappy too after bread. I have been on the KETO diet on and off and it works great with getting weight off…but as you probably know…there is a lot of dairy on KETO. I should try to eliminate dairy too from my diet. Thanks for the encouragement! So glad you are feeling better now!

    1. We all need to do what works for us Denise and KETO did not for me. Plus I know someone who had a major health issue and developed a fatty liver from KETO and she had to go vegan. Thanks for stopping by Denise.

  3. Jill house says:

    I am very interested in hearing more about gluten and dairy free eating plans. I try to stay gluten free. Sometimes I have a sandwich and then my heart beats so hard. I feel like dairy is an addiction for me. I know better but eat it anyway.
    Bless you for trying to help us!

    1. Hi Jill. Although I’m not perfect by a long shot, I try and eat clean and when possible prepare my own meals. When dining out I always ask for no seasoning on anything and it does seem to help.

  4. Thank you for our article. I am 66 and wish I had given up gluten at an earlier age. I have never eaten much diary starting at a young age. Just makes me feel crummy. I take some supplements but appreciate seeing other possibilities to add. Just wish I could find a doctor who looked at allergies.

    1. You’re so welcome Debi. Perhaps you’ll find that you’ll be like me and have less allergies in the long run by adhering to a similar lifestyle.

  5. Jean Windham says:

    Thank you for sharing all this information as I have an autoimmune problem. I am always looking for information to help with inflammation. Jean

    1. Thank you Janet for sharing the information on your health routine and supplements. Would you be willing to share some meal ideas as well??? I am in my 50s, postmenopausal, and I am trying to get into a healthy routine to lose weight and feel great…..any ideas on meal planning especially healthy snacks would be much appreciated! I am looking for just some basics!

      Thank you!

      Laura

      1. Laura, I’m so happy that you found this helpful. I do plan on sharing more in 2019 because I’m all about just giving out information that I’ve learned and what works for me. Happy holidays!

    2. You’re quite welcome Jean and it’s amazing how many of us do!

  6. Thank you so much for this article. I hope you have more. Many of us have these issues and any information we can share with each other may be helpful. I too ate tons of bread and had terrible digestive issues my entire life, until I discovered through bloodwork that I was gluten intolerant and that I am basically the canary in the goldmine, sensitive to everything. Food is everything, What you eat becomes the building blocks of your health. Unfortunately, many of us don’t think to take the time to take of ourselves by preparing healthy food. Everyone is too “busy” to eat properly, until the food choices we make turn around and kick us in the booty.

    1. You’re welcome Suzanne and definitely what we do in our youth catches up if we don’t start to make better choices as we get beyond our 40’s. I eat fairly clean and well, but still take supplements to help!

  7. Nita Roush says:

    Good morning Janet, I am grain and sugar free and have been on and off for quite a while. I find that I really don’t feel as well after eating them. I’m 68 and look and feel much younger. When I eat bread, I bloat almost immediately. I’m wheat intolerant, pre-diabetic, borderline hypothyroid, and have a lot of problems losing weight. I eat low carb, not keto. I do eat dairy products (eggs and cheese) I’m always interested in reading other’s journey to good health and appreciate you sharing yours since I read your blog every morning with my coffee.

    1. Hi Nita, sounds like we are on a similar journey and that we both realize that we are what we eat! I have the hardest time giving up sugar, but definitely have cut way back since my younger days. I’ll continue to share what works for me and hope that it helps.

  8. Betty Bashaw says:

    Thank you for all of this info! I am gluten free, and mostly dairy free. (Also vegetarian, though not strictly for health reasons). Begin gluten free is a challenge, but I, too, can tell almost immediately with migraines. So the trade off is soooo worth it! The best thing we can do is to encourage each other along this path … and share specifics that help us. Thank you for sharing … I continue to learn from you and others. 🙂

    1. Thanks Betty for letting me know that you found this post helpful. There are so many fad diets but I tend to do what’s sensible and works for me, so I’m happy to share. Happy holiday season!

  9. Thanks for the article Janet! After years of struggling with chronic fatigue I saw an alternative doctor and have adopted a very similar diet. Going gluten free has definitely helped my fatigue. I also don’t each much sugar or grains. I too take supplemts very similar to what you take and it helps. Can you share the cauliflower crackers you mentioned? I don’t eat much processed food but I like some options occasionally. Thanks Janet!

  10. I too found your article interesting. I know you wrote that you have made your supplement decisions under a doctors care, which is important for all of us. One supplement I would like to address is vitamin D. A few years ago I had a kidney stone that had to be removed surgically. I was told that once you have kidney stones, you are susceptible to having them again. There are foods I can no longer eat, foods that I can but have to drink a lot of water after to be sure certain things that go into forming kidney stones are flushed from my system. Vitamin D is one of the things I cannot take. Doctors orders.

    I’ve been gluten free and dairy free for several years. I have food allergies so for me it’s a must. There are more products on the market, so it’s becoming easier. Of course I had to give up all alcoholic beverages including wine. I discovered that although wine is naturally gluten free, some wineries use a natural product to seal lids to the storage casks and it contains gluten. The gluten seeps into the wine. I discovered gluten is used as a thickening. The most unexpected items contain gluten as a result. Use corn meal instead.

    I have found crackers made with almonds and pecans at Target. They are pretty good. Actually I’m finding the products that are gluten free are pretty good these days. I too try to stay away from processed foods, but occasionally I do need a treat besides fruit. Because I have a milk allergy and I’m not lactose intolerant (there is a difference), I can tolerate yogurt that has active cultures. I found that I can’t tolerate mayonnaise, but plain yogurt can be used. I like dill so I add it. If I’m going to make something like a potato salad, I make the salad the day before and let the yogurt absorb all the flavors from the eggs and other ingredients overnight. The yogurt brand I use is farge (sp?). It doesn’t separate and get watery. With some brands, they will get a little watery when you leave the salad sit overnight. But all you have to do is stir it and it will be fine. Be sure to use the plain yogurt. I got curious one time and decided to try the vanilla flavored yogurt. YUCK! Good to eat on it’s own or with fruit. Not good as a mayonnaise substitute.

  11. Hi and thanks so much for sharing your health journey. It is amazing how many of us have the same difficulties with and symptoms when eating the “normal” Standard Amerucan Diet. My path has been quite like yours and I too discovered by process of elimination that dairy, gluten, sugar, fermented foods are a killer for me. I do want to share however that I recently found a fairly good almond milk “yogurt.” Not the greatest as I buy the plain variety and doctor it up with of my substitute products, but a treat after not having dairy for years! Also I fi d monkfruit is a great sweetener with no aftertaste and is tolerable. Finally, I make my own muffins with coconut flour and monkfruit which helps with the loss of bread products. Candida recipes have been very helpful too. Love your decor blog and so glad you branched out to health as well!

    1. In my case I have to wonder if it’s a post menopausal issue that has only made me more sensitive. There is so much crap in American foods and my theory really is to try and eat clean as often as possible. Glad that you enjoy the blog Gay!