Spotlight on Supplements

I've been asked  a lot recently about supplements - what I would recommend and what I take myself. So when I was getting everything out this morning I thought I'd grab a quick picture and show you my current routine.

Left to Right:

Floradix - I've waxed lyrical about Floradix on here before. I was first put on Floradix 21 years ago by my midwife during my first pregnancy. I have Thalassaemia Trait which means I am permanently anaemic. When I'm pregnant or having my period its obviously worse. This single-handedly raised my HB levels 3 points. that is NO mean feat. I highly recommend this to anyone who has heavy periods, is low on energy, anaemic, pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you are anaemic, or suspect you might be, ask your doctor for a blood test (while we still have an NHS). It's your right.

Beauty Works West YOUTH - I started taking these when they launched last year and I was working on a  project with BWW. They are essentially a brilliant blend of amino acids and marine plant extracts (superoxide dismutase). They were made by Dr Daniel Sister. I won't lie. I took them thinking they would help my face - you know - the post 40 saggy, baggy always-tired appearance? And they've actually done much more than that. I now notice my energy levels dip in the day if I have forgotten to take them in the morning. The huge amount of press that these have received recently is well-deserved.

Perfect for boys and girls 35+ who have lost their mojo a little! If you know what I mean when I say that - you need them.

Lambert's Starflower Oil -  This is my first bottle of Starflower Oil. I started taking it just over a month ago to help with CHRONIC breast pain. My breast pain HAS GONE. GONE.

If your boobs are so sore you have to carry them in your hands like a little bird and wince when you take your bra off - these have COMPLETELY fixed mine.

*the Lambert's website is really good for general information if you are interested in the area of supplements.

David Kirsch B12 Spray - David Kirsch is THE man when it comes to wellness and personal fitness.  The man who takes care of the bodies of Liv Tyler, Heidi Klum, Bobbi Brown and Anne Hathaway to name a few, coined phrases like: 'Keep it lean, clean and green' and my favourite - this one about people who have to eat meat: 'If it swims or flies, you can eat it'. I heard this the same week my father was diagnosed with heart disease and have drastically cut my red meat intake. And I mean drastically. Anyway: I digress.

The B12 Spray, I think, is the main reason I avoided getting any kind of real flu or heavy cold this winter. The one day I had a really bad scratchy throat was the one day I forgot to take it in the morning and travelled to Paris for work. I couldn't speak by 3pm (not handy for meetings) - I got home that night - took a double dose, another double dose in the morning and it had gone within 48 hours.

B12 is essential for energy, immune function and if you are female - it stops you going completely loopy at that time of the month. If you don't yet use it, you'll wonder how you functioned without it when you do.

Perricone MD Omega 3 - this one I have been taking almost as long as the Floradix, but I tend to dip in and out of how often I take these. I usually get back on the bandwagon when my skin goes bad (like now) and I crave crap food (like now). I try and take at least 6000mg a day. If I can I take 9000mg a day - a huge dose I know, but it really does kill off any food cravings alongside improving brain function and helping my hormonal acne breakouts.

Perfect for - any age, any sex, Omega oil (3) is recommended for literally anyone. If you are veggie, switch for flax oil.


That's it. My current routine that I keep coming back to. I would just mention that although trained in supplements, I am not a qualified nutritionist or doctor - this routine works for me. If you are interested in supplements, look at your lifestyle, health issues and if you are in doubt ask your doctor. Although for me, I have always found better advice on places like the Lambert's, Kirsch or Victoria Heath websites. Doctor's tend to be prescription happy - and I'm not....



*Although I have worked with BWW and DK I will not benefit financially from any links to the brands and websites listed. The above are a mixture of purchases and gifts from the companies involved.

Vitamin D & SPF

 BRITS AS SOON AS THE MERCURY HITS 20 degrees C

Gone are the days of my youth basting on a foil suntanning sheet with baby oil.
These days the sun hits and the spf gets dragged out of the cupboard quicker than you can say 'Lobster'. Well that could be your first mistake. Check for an expiration date - if it doesn't have one - assume it will only last a year - you may need to buy a fresh batch. Painful if it's still half full I know!

And then how much do you apply?? And how high a factor? And WHICH one to use?

Some very brief and general rules of thumb for sun-bunnies and the not-so-keen!

• Use broad spectrum sunscreen - UVA and UVB (A for aging, B for burning)

UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin, gradually destroying elasticity and causing premature ageing. UVB rays cause skin damage and can alter the structure of skin cells, and ultimately lead to possible skin cancer.

• Consider not going higher than a factor 30

New research and medical advice says that using higher than a 30 gives you a false sense of security - all sunscreen needs to be applied every 2 hours - regardless of the factor. Studies show that you are much less likely to reapply if you are using a high factor. So much so, that in Australia, on the advice of the Cancer Council - the rules are now that if you have anything over a 30 in your product you can only call it SPF 30+.

•  Use enough

Most people apply too little sunscreen. This results in sunscreen users achieving an SPF of between 50-80% less than that specified on the product label. You need at least a teaspoon full for each body part - arm, leg (tablespoon for me thanks!), front, back and face - don't forget your ears and neck.

• Avoid oxybenzone

Common in a lot of suncreams AND skincare products with SPF - known as a hormone-disruptor - so much so that the EU makes companies put 'contains oxybenzone' on all packaging where it is present

http://bodylogicmd.wordpress.com

Vitamin D

I love a bit of vitamin D.  I rant to anyone who will listen about all number of supplements - but vit D has been my obsession for a while.  So below is a rant, I'm not your GP - this is food for thought - not a prescription folks.
As much as too much sun can be bad for you - really bad for you - so too, can too little sun.  In the northern hemisphere where most people living modern life spend a larger proportion of their time indoors and with most of their skin surface covered by clothing or sunscreen when outdoors, there is a growing deficiency in vitamin D.  Vit D needs to be present for the intestines to absorb dietary calcium - so much so in cases where children have been sheltered and covered up since birth, this has lead to an increase in non-nutrition related rickets in Australia. 

Vitamin D is actually in its truest form, a hormone - and is essential for our well-being, yet the use of sunscreens prevents the development of Vit D in the body.  Vitamin D also degrades as quickly as it generates - giving another stumbling block to retaining it in our system.

No lecturing - just some facts - a nice little list of what vit D actually does for you...

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of the flu and complications of flu.
Vitamin D contributes to lowering the incidence of infections and inflammation during the fall-winter flu season. The Canadian government has recommended increased Vitamin D intake as part of their flu prevention strategy, including prevention of Swine Flu.

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of depression. 
Better than prozac surely?!  

Vitamin D can reduce chronic muscle aching and pain.
Vitamin D helps to normalize blood calcium which is required for tight shortened muscles to soften, lengthen and relax out of spasm. When calcium is available to the muscles, menstrual cramps lessen!

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of cancer.
Low levels of Vitamin D are associated with increased incidence of many cancers.

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack and atherosclerosis (build up of fat in the arteries - high cholesterol!).

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes by 80 percent.

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of getting autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, IBS and Lupus.
Low levels of Vitamin D are associated with increased auto- immune attack, breakdown of your own tissues and loss of normal functions. Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis by 40 percent.

Vitamin D can reduce your risk of bone fractures, bone loss and osteoporosis.

Dark skinned people make less Vitamin D than those with light skin.

Aging skin makes 75 percent less Vitamin D than young skin.


Vitamin D rich foods include cold water fish such as wild salmon, wild cod and sardines and cod liver oil. However, you would need to eat mammoth amounts of these foods to build up your Vitamin D stores.
If you decide to supplement - Lambert's is my personal fave - high quality and uber-affordable - make sure you use the correct biologically active form of Vitamin D which is Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), not Vitamin D2!

So cover up - just don't cover up TOO much ALL of the time!



P.S. - Lambert's know nothing about my recommendation - I'm a long time customer.