Dazed and confused about supplements?
Herbal supplements (Photo credit: Ano Lobb. Follow on Twitter: @healthyrx)
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Archive for March, 2012
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It’s all about the timing….
Are you taking handfuls of supplements? You might wanna think about what you’re doing if you’re in the habit of doing that. Timing of supplement intake is as important as the form in which you take them. That would have to be a totally different discussion altogether though. For now, let’s discuss ways in which to optimize the effectiveness of your nutritional supplement program. One thing to take note though before I make general recommendations is that everybody is metabolically different and unique and as such, an individualized program has to be in order.
Multivitamins, whole-food based, should be taken with food a couple of times a day. I’m not a huge fan of time-released multis coz they usually come in the form of tablets (which by the way, may have unnecessary binders and fillers).
Probiotics ideally, are taken on an empty stomach unless they’re enteric-coated.
Supplements such as essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E and K are best taken with the heaviest meals.
Mineral supplements are taken apart from meals since fiber from food would actually interfere with their absorption.
Amino acids should ideally be taken apart from food as well. Examples include NAC, L-carnitine and L-tryptophan.
Digestive enzymes such as pancreatic enzymes should be taken 15-30 minutes prior to meals. Plant-based enzymes such as bromelain and papain are more stable in an acid environment and as such, can be taken with meals.
I’m available for in person and virtual consultations. Contact me at +1-415-800-3757 or on Skype at drjlopezmd. Yours in wellness, DrJLo. http://www.drjlopez.com
Back to Basics 2
Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog! I’ve been distracted with the cares of life such that I wasn’t able to persist with my new-found hobby, blogging. Anyway, I thought that it might be a good time to discuss a few of the basics in healthy aging. I’d say let’s start with one of the fundamental factors which influence aging, and that is, our diet. I’ve been working out for a while with satisfactory results but it wasn’t until I changed my diet that things started to really turn around. Not that I had a lot of weight or fat to lose but in my case, I just wasn’t achieving that coveted 6-pack abs. I’m not saying that that should be everyone’s goal. I just want to set certain goals in my life and do my best in achieving them. So, I’ve been training more consistently in the last several months. My diet is much better. I rarely eat out nowadays. I started eating more at home, using organic, in-season produce primarily. I supplement my protein intake with the use of organic whey and other plant-based protein shakes. And then of course, I take natural fat burners such as L-carnitine and more recently added the “Living with Slique” kit from Young Living Essential Oils. It really is a holistic approach since I don’t rely on just one thing to achieve my goals. By the way, it helps to know your hormone levels since sub-optimal numbers could mean an exercise in futility (no pun intended). For the Young Living Slique kit, visit http://www.cleanbodycare.com or just call 847-997-8459 or email jd@infinitewellnessworldwide.com.
Hot Tips, News and Trends for Healthy Aging By Dr. Joel Lopez, M.D. 