For Your Optimal Health
Most people who eat the SAD (Standard American Diet) are nutritionally deficient. Our food supply has been so altered that we no longer get the full nutritional value that many of our counterparts in Europe and the rest of the world are getting. For example, if you ate one cup of spinach in 1954 you would have had to eat approximately 60 cups today to get the same mineral content because of our current farming practices–our soil is depleted.
The following supplements and their brands have been chosen for (1) effectiveness, (2) nutritional needs, (3) manufacturer’s quality controls, and (4) price/value. Chose your supplements wisely, they are much the same as eating Organic vs. GMO/Glyphosate-Roundup-ready-cancer-made-foods. For a complete explanation for each supplement please scroll down to the bottom of the table and click each image or link to go to Amazon.com for more information and user ratings.
11. MELATONIN: Most clients I see have sleep disturbances. That’s a problem, because most cellular repair is done during sleep. I cannot over-emphasize how important it is to your health to re-establish optimal sleeping patterns. In using Melatonin start with a low dose at 1 – 3 mgs two hours before bed and titrate for effect. Please click here for a complete explanation and the benefits of Melatonin and its proper usage. Melatonin may be the most important hormone in our body, because it signals when to replenish our worn-out ATP stores and recycle worn-out proteins from life’s daily grind. Good night and sleep well.
10. DHEA or its fat burning, immune boosting metabolite, 7-Keto DHEA: is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. Scientist don’t know everything that DHEA does, but it is a precursor hormone to testosterone and estrogen. Levels tend to fall in both sexes dramatically after the age of 27 and direclty correlate with poor sleep. If you decide to supplement, I strongly suggest its use must be done through the consultation with your doctor and/or health care provider. Start with 25 MG and work your way up to 50, then check your blood levels again after three months. DHEA for Men: I base it on lab results, but most can take 25-100 mgs safely. 7-Keto DHEA for the Ladies: 7-Keto won’t convert into estrogen or testosterone, so if hormone balancing is an issue this may be a suitable alternative. The best time to take either DHEA or 7-Keto is in the morning, when the body’s natural production peaks. However, sometimes it is best to use both 7-Keto and DHEA to achieve the the optimal effect for both men and women.
9. Vitamin B Complex: for optimal methylation and liver function. The methylation cycle is a biochemical pathway that manages or contributes to a wide range of crucial bodily functions: detoxification, maintaining DNA, and immune function. For that purpose you cannot take enough B vitamins for optimal methylation. The problem is that most people may be taking the wrong kind. One out two people have a genetic defect (MTHFR) where they need to take the active form of Folic Acid as L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, as well as Methylcobalamin (B12) vs. Cyanocobalamin. These are critical if you have the MTHFR defect. Many individuals with this disorder have high homocysteine levels (inflammation)–get your homocysteine and B12 checked. Be sure your B12 levels are around 1000 on your testing. This is also important for optimal thyroid functioning.
8. Magnesium: is a co-factor in making every last bit of ATP in the mitochondria–can you say E-N-E-R-G-Y!! So if you don’t have optimal Magnesium, you are not going to be energy positive or optimal. Generally Type 2 Diabetics (T2D) have the lowest levels of Magnesium–the reason dehydration–due excessive urination. Magnesium will not work well if you are dehydrated–so drink plenty of “clean” water. Never take mag in the AM with Vitamin D3–they compete with each other for absorption. Take it in the evening before going to bed–you’ll also sleep better. Take 400 to 800 mgs prior to going to bed. If you need more–eat dark chocolate (Lindt 85-90% Cacao). For those with inflammatory brain diseases like obesity, MS, Alzheimer’s, PD and most any autoimmune disease, use a special version of mag called Magnesium Threonate because it penetrates the CSF of the central nervous system.
7. Co-Enzyme Q10—Ubiquinol: CoQ10 is a co-factor in mitochondrial electron transfer, and in many of the body’s stress reactions. The lower your Q10 levels are, the more sticky things like LDL, platelets, RBCs, and HDL become. It means that LDL stays in the plasma too long and the liver’s LDL receptors are not as effective at grabbing it up from the blood plasma causing oxidative damage!!! And then guess what? The LDL becomes oxidized and is deposited in arterial walls–and then… you’re doctor will want to prescribe a ta-da-da…Statin which will deplete your body’s CoQ10 even more. Low CoQ10 levels are one of the most important tracking mechanisms for inflammation. When we depelete our CoQ10 either by our SAD diet, the use of statins, or by being generally out-of-shape, we need to increase Q10 dietary supplementation to optimze ATP production (energy). CoQ10 comes in two formulations: Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol, an oxidized and reduced form. Ubiquinol is 3X more expensive, but is much superior when it comes to absorption and hunting down free-radicals. A study from Kobe, Japan demonstrated that CoQ10 Ubiquinol can even help those people with advanced-stage cardiac disorders and heart failure (i.e., close to death). Any one looking to optimize their life look at your diet and supplement with CoQ10. Start with 200 mg a day–some may need as much as 600 mg-divide your dosage.
6. PQQ: this B vitamin may be the long-sought-after “exercise in pill form.” PQQ ispyrroloquinoline quinone, and is probably the most important B vitamin when transitioning from a high carb/sugar SAD way of life, to a fat burning, HAPPY ketogenic one. PQQ has two major effects on the body: (1) it stimulates the mitochondria (ATP-energy). The second (2) major effect of PQQ is glycation control from AGEs and ALEs–good glycation controls oxidative stress or inflammation. It makes no sense to eat great if your body’s engine (mitochondria) cannot harness that power to transform your health.
5. Vitamin K2: osteoporosis is epidemic, but no bigger than the epidemic of low vitamin K2 levels. The SAD diet is virtually depleted of K2 (not the same as vitamin K1 for blood clotting!) K2 is primarily found in raw dairy, organic cheese, egg yolks from free range and grass fed chickens, and grass fed beef. What does Vitamin K2 do that makes it so important? In a nutshell it tells the body where to put calcium–either in your bones or in your heart. Calcium is supposed to go into your bones, not into the walls of your Aorta. So, no K2 = osteoporosis and as an added benefit you get calcification of your arteries. Arteries with NO PLAQUE have been shown to have a massive increase in Vitamin K2 concentration in their walls vs. calcified arteries that show little or no K2.
4. Vitamin D3: If you are not out in the sun for extended periods and do not supplement with Vitamin D–you are deficient–period!! Your diet should not be considered a satisfactory source of vitamin D. The few foods which do contain vitamin D, contain too little to be of any benefit. Even those who are otherwise healthy are not immune to Vitamin D3 deficiency. The scope of vitamin D deficiency is actually far greater than the numbers indicate. Recent evidence reveals beneficial effects of vitamin D do not appear until your serum levels are around 50 ng/mL or even higher (as much at 60 to 80). If you do not receive proper sun exposure or supplement with adequate amounts of vitamin D3, odds are you are vitamin D deficient. The only way to know for sure is to have your blood vitamin D3 levels tested.
3. Selenium (as L-Selenomethionine): Selenium is critical for optimal thyroid function. Today one of the most common clinical scenarios is thyroid dysfunction. Our epigenetics have been altered dramatically because most food is now man-made and processed, light is artificial, and environmental toxins have gone through the roof. When we eat man-made food, we get man-made diseases. Thyroid dysfunction is epidemic in the world where a Western diet (SAD) is entrenched. Some endocrinologists suggest that as many as 25% of adult American women are afflicted with clinically detectable Thyroid dysfunction. I think the number is conservative and gets worse with every subsequent generation. For the Thyroid gland to produce the active hormone T3 Selenium is essential. If you don’t eat Brazil nuts, I recommend 200 mcg every other day–it’s a dirt cheap supplement for its amazing benefits.
2. DHA/EPA: supplementing with omega-3s is one of the BEST things you can do for your heart, brain, eye, and whole body health. Omega-3 Calamarine gives you Dr. Sinatra’s recommended ratio of DHA to EPA (570 mg of DHA and 250 mg of EPA) for maintaining good heart health. Calamarine is a pure, clean, odorless, DHA-rich omega-3 oil derived from deep-water calamari (squid), not fish.The reason is simple. Most people have excessive Omega 6/3 ratios in their diet and tissues. This is because of how badly our food supply is loaded with Omega 6s and stripped of Omega 3s.The more inflammation one has, the higher dose one should consider. Increase your seafood intake (NOT FARMED FISH) could be helpful — a good source are sardines.
1. Juice Plus+: By now you probably know that good nutrition often involves a lot off-time, planning, and money. One of our favorite shortcuts and protocols is Juice Plus+. It is also one of the most clinically studied whole food supplements with more than 20 independent Juice Plus+ research studies conducted in leading hospitals and universities around the world, including the University of Maryland School of Medicine, showing major reduction in Homocysteine levels. I never leave home without them–and thereby eat 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables. In addition, I’ve not had a flu shot in 8 years or as much as a sniffle.