Supplements I Take

Summary
I don't take this religiously, but I do take them regularly. This article lists them and gives a short explanation of their importantance.

Eric Armstrong
TreeLight.com/Health

Most of these supplements can be found in the final section of Dr. Hyman's excellent book, The UltraMind Solution. When looking at the amounts, keep in mind that they are for a 200-220 lb. man. Adjust for your size and weight. See the Resources for more information, and by all means use those resources to determine the amounts that are right for you.

Supplements

• Acetyl L_Carnitine: 500 mg
  Helps burn fat by transporting it into the mitochondria (cellular furnaces). Accompanies the fat contained in animal meat. But if you have any excess poundage or impaired digestion, the supplement is desirable.

• Alpha Lipoic Acid: 300 mg
  A wide-spectrum antioxidant that is produced naturally in the body--but supplementation is recommended if you have a non-optimal diet and/or you live in an industrial society!

• BioMatrix Support Adrenals
  A nutrional blend to support adrenal glands that were depleted by years of gluten-containing foods.

• Cal/Mag/Zinc
  A blend of minerals nessecary for bone health, immune system function, and the nervous system.
  • Calcium: 1000 mg
  • Magnesium: 500 mg
  • Zinc: 25 mg
  • Glutamic Acid HCI: 100 mg

• Chromium Picolinate: 200 mcg:
  Deficient in most U.S. soils, and missing in any foods that have been processed. Necessary for sugar metabilism.

• Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): 500 mg
  Anto-carcinogenic that reduces body fat and increases muscle mass.

• CoQ10: 200 mg
  Enables cellular mitochondria, which produce the energy that makes you active.

• Digestive Enzyme Blend
  To break down nutrients as far as possible, so that (a) a higher percentage is absorbed and (b) so undigested molecules don't pass through the leaky gut produced by years of gluten poisoning.

• Fish oil: 1000 mg
  To ensure the Omega-3 fatty acids that keep you positive and happy.

• Folic Acid: 800 mcg
  Necessary to absorb B-vitamins. Should also be produced in the gut--if the environment is optimal. (See Vitamin B6.)

• MSM
  Stopped taking this one when it kept producing digestive disturbances. Need to find a form that works, one day, because it operates in conjunction with Vitamin C to build healthy bones and cell tissue.

• Multivitamin
  To make sure I'm getting at least minor amounts of anything I've missed.

• N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC): 600 mg
  Removes toxic minerals from the body! I really have to thank Dr. Hyman for this one. Need to overcome years of dental mercury and any other substances that have accumulated or are present in the diet.

• Selenium: 200 mcg
  Deficient in most U.S. soils, and necessary to make glutathione peroxiodase, which restores Vitamin C in the eye, after it is broken down by sunlight, flourescent lights, tube TVs, and CRTs.

• Vitamin B6: 200 mg
  Necessary for energy metabolism. (By rights, it shouldn't be needed. The flora in a healthy intestinal environment is capable of producing all the B-vitamins you need. But if your diet includes anything but fiber-rich foods, it's a good idea.

• Vitamin B12: 2000 mcg
  The “energy vitamin,”necessary for energy metabolism and immune system support. Ccritical for circulation, adrenal hormone production, and melatonin production (so you get a good night's sleep, awake refreshed, and are alert through the day. Found in meats. With this vitamin, you can use nuts and seeds for your protein source. (You don't need much. Just sprinkle a handful over your vegetable-based meal.) I still eat too much meat, but most of it is chicken or fish, so I take this to be on the safe side.

• Vitamin C: 1000 mg
  This "vitamin" is a macronutrient. It's not just a catalyst that enables chemical reactions, like other vitamins. It's actually used (and consumed) in those reactions. So your actual daily requirement is much higher than the RDA would suggest. (When sick, take 1000 mg every hour until you reach your bowel tolerance limit--the point where you have something like diahrea, except that it doesn't feel bad.)

• Vitamin D3: 3-10k IU
  This is the bio-available form of Vitamin D. It unlocks the cellular RNA that hold the templates for fighing cancer and influenza. Vitamin D is also produced by sunlight, from cholesterol near the surface of the skin. So I vary the amount based on the amount of sunlight I'm getting, and how much skin is getting it.

• Wide-spectrum Probiotic
  To keep building the intestinal flora ravaged by gluten intolerance and years of high-sugar, high-fructose foods.

Resources

Web

• Basic Supplement Information
  http://treelight.com/health/nutrition/BasicSupplements.html

• What's Wrong with Wheat?
  http://treelight.com/health/nutrition/Wheat.html

Books

• Dr. Michael Colgan, Optimal Sports Nutrition: Your Competitive Edge
  Dr. Colgan has written the bible for anyone who plays sports (a list that should include you). It tells you whicch supplements improve performance, which don't, and why.
   
• Dr. Mark Hyman, The UltraMind Solution
  Dr. Hyman has put together the most comprehensive program I've seen to date. The book is nowhere near as his PBS special, however. If you watch that special and use this list, you'll have most of what he has to say. But it's still worth reading the book for specific conditions pertaining to mental health and acuity.

Copyright © 2009 by Eric Armstrong. All rights reserved.
Contact me to send feedback, register for updates, or make a donation.
And by all means, be sure to visit The TreeLight Store.

§  Home  ·  Health  ·  Software  ·  Dance  ·  Essays  ·  Links  ·  Store  §
www.TreeLight.com