To Supplement or Not To Supplement? That is the Question
It’s no secret around here that I’m a fan of supplements. I mean, I did seek out an ambassador position with my all time favorite line Naturally Nourished. But, that wasn’t always the case. I thought I shouldn’t need to supplement if I was eating a clean, whole foods diet. Which would be ideal, but with the world we live in and the way we live our lives, even the cleanest, healthiest eaters can still be deficient in their micronutrients. Before I get too much further, I am not a doctor. These are purely my options I have gathered from my own and other’s experiences and from research I have done. ALWAYS check with your health care practitioner before starting any supplements. What works for one, does not work for all so do your own research for you.
Okay, so, why do I take so many supplements? Unfortunately, food these days just doesn’t have the nutrient density it once did. Pollutants of all kinds have stripped the soil (aka the lungs of the earth) of its dirty, buggy, bacteria, virus, nutrient rich goodness. Yes we can amend the soil and grow things organically (which I strive for) but for the most part we still buy a lot of our food from the grocery store. It is what it is, I’m not stressin’ about that! Stress, illness, injury, pregnancy, and more can increase our needs and demands for micronutrients and each individual has different factors that contribute to their ability or inability to absorb and utilize nutrients. If you want to learn more about these factors and get nerdy with it, check out the Naturally Nourished Podcast episodes 177 & 178.
There are a lot of factors at play for me. I am nine months postpartum and still breastfeeding Charlotte so I have high nutrient demands to provide nourishment for her and myself while still supporting the dynamic shifts my body has gone through. Being a business owner is awesome but this is a one woman show, I do all the things to keep Grace Holistic Skin going and growing. I am often up late catching up on tasks or mixing product so that I can play with my littles or be available for school pickup and homework help for the bigs during the day. I also work up close and personal with people’s faces so I want to make sure my immune system is strong to support the health of myself and my clients. At home, my husband and I love to find ways we can be more self sustainable. This spring that has meant raising 60+ meat chickens that we are processing ourselves (also while selling our house and getting ready to move) I have an affinity for doing all the things at once, probably should work on that but hey, it keeps life exciting 😅
So how does this have anything to do with skin? Well, everything. When we are deficient in micronutrients our body is not functioning optimally. Hormones can be out of balance, sleep can be disrupted, mood can be all over the place, the list goes on. Every piece of our body works together as one whole system so when we support optimal health we support healthy skin.
What I supplement with daily:
MultiAvail Mama: Prenatal, will continue through breastfeeding and until I’m sure we’re done having babies
EPA/DHA Extra: Fish Oil I take more than the recommended dose, may tapper down when Charlotte weans.
Restore Baseline Probiotic: Simple formula of only Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains to support optimal gut health
Calm & Clear: Supports the “stressed and wired” feelings, B vitamins, magnesium, and botanicals to support stress response, reduce irritability, and help with sleep
Adaptogen Boost: Usually one I bring in when needed but it’s become a staple the last few months with how busy we’ve been. Adaptogens help the body adapt to stresses, this formula also has ginseng to help with energy and the “stressed and tired” feelings
Relax & Regulate: Magnesum Bisglycinate and Inositol. Mental and physical stress support (awesome for sore muscles) sleep, and digestive regularity. This form of magnesium is less osmotic so it won’t cause loose stools as easily as other forms.
Cellular Antiox: N-acetylcysteine imperative for glutathione production. This helps with reducing inflammation, enhancing detoxification, supports fertility and egg health, anti-viral support, and more. This is one everyone should have in their cupboards.
Pulse in:
Bio C Plus: I bring this in on work days, when there’s a bug in our household, or at an increased dose when sick. This formula contains acerola cherry to provide a whole food form of Vitamin C for enhanced absorption along with quercetin for more immune support. (this is awesome for people with seasonal allergies too!)
GabaCalm: a mom’s best friend. This is a bioidentical boost of GABA, a primary mellow out compound in the brain aiding in reduced irritability while supporting a clear concentrated state. When the house is crazy and toddler attitudes are testing my patience or anytime I need extra assistance to be calm, cool, and collected I pop one to two of these.
Detox Packs: I used these throughout the last couple weeks of my gut dysbiosis cleanse, I also use them if I have a glass of wine to support the stress of alcohol on my body.
Vitamin D: I supplement in the cloudier months (aka October-April here in NW WA) this formula is a liquid so I can dose it for the whole family
It may seem like a lot but as a breastfeeding, business running, homestead growing wife and mama, I push myself and my body to the edge regularly (I won’t tell you how late it is as I’m typing this🙈). Some may call this biohacking, but going over and above to support my body and my mind really helps me to avoid major burnout, allows me to show up in all areas, and provides the building blocks for healthy skin. Yes, I need to be wise in my choices about how much I load on my plate but I’m happy I have the tools to support myself through it.
This really is not just an advertisement for these supplements. I pay for them, I have been taking a chunk of them for years now and they have all made a huge difference in my life. I share all this so you can have a better understanding of why I think its important to support our bodies with supplements. Full transparency: I do make a small commission when you shop through my links. I love this brand and its founders so much that after probably a year of recommending them to everyone, I finally reached out to be a part of their ambassador program. I was chosen 1 of about 10 out of 80+ who applied. I still can’t believe it. So, to those of you who support me in this way: THANK YOU!! When you shop through my links you also get 10% off regularly priced items and programs, you can also save 10% by signing up for auto-ship of your favorites and will still support me even though you don’t use my specific discount.
Well, that’s my two cents. As always let me know if you have any questions. I am here to help you in whatever way I can.
xo Ashley
