Do we really need to take supplements?

I’m healthy, I eat well, prioritize sleep, exercise regularly, manage stress, get plenty of fresh air, and drink lots of quality filtered water – why would I need to take supplements?

If this is you, fantastic! You are really laying the foundation for good health. You may also already be taking some supplements such as vitamin D, omega oils, and a multivitamin – lean forward, raise your hand above your head, and give yourself a pat on the back – you deserve to be acknowledged for prioritizing your health and well-being.

If this is not you, supplements may be important to consider.

In a nutshell, our modern, post-industrial, polluted, toxin-laden rushed lifestyle demands more nutrients than food alone can often provide.

Each and every day we are met with hundreds of toxins from pollution, pesticides on our food and in our water, hormone-disrupting plastics, chemical cleaners, unlabeled personal care or beauty products (?), the radiation from our screens and wireless world, and all the various additives allowed in our favorite non-labeled wine.

Poor sleep, high and/or chronic stress, and lack of or too much exercise all make it more difficult for our body to deal with the constant bombardment of all these toxins. When our body loses its ability to detoxify and protect, a wide array of issues arise including poor digestion and nutrient absorption,  and consequently, the decline in health and function of the DNA and mitochondria in our cells (responsible for energy and growth, and more importantly, the quality of our sperm and eggs).

And as far as our food (nutrition) is concerned, chemical fertilizers and poor farming practices deplete our soils of vital nutrients and therefore grow plants that are also nutrient deficient.  These nutrients are essential for our body and mind to maintain health, balance, and proper detoxification processes. This is further compounded with food refinement, antibiotic/hormone additives (animal products), toxic preservatives, and unhealthy packaging (aka plastics). All this and I haven’t even mentioned modern harvesting, transport, and storage practices, or the fact that most produce is picked extremely early (missing out on vital maturation stages) so that it can arrive at its destination hundreds of kilometers away looking fresh.

Lastly, and maybe most important, are you relaxed when you eat? If your nervous system is not in a parasympathetic state (which is necessary for proper digestion) then you will not be absorbing the nutrition that is hopefully even present in the food you are eating!

Maybe using supplements may not be such a bad idea?

Our ancestors did it, animals do it, so should we.

Animals know instinctively what leaves roots or berries to take when they are not feeling well, and many even dabble into the psychoactive plant world! Our ancestors were no different. Using roots, bark, mushrooms, leaves, berries, and even dirt (minerals and trace elements) for health and spiritual purposes has always been a part of the human experience. Back when we didn’t have such a comfy sedentary life (cars, jets, office jobs, central heat, grocery stores, sewers, and clean running water on demand, oh…and Netflix) we needed to be stronger to simply find food and water, and survive the elements. The use of concentrated natural substances to keep us alive was a necessity, I argue that it still is, today.

With the above logic, it can easily be argued that the need for more advanced supplementation when you are attempting to accomplish more lofty goals in life (marathons, making babies, climbing the corporate ladder, etc) is not a huge leap, on the contrary, it just simply makes sense.

The real question is, what supplements are right for you?

Infertility, (unexplained or advanced maternal age), IVF, miscarriage, Endometriosis, PCOS, male factor infertility, PMS, and sexual function are all conditions we work with on a daily basis, so we keep our finger on the pulse of the evidence for supplements that support these conditions. These are all conditions that have unique needs and can benefit from proper supplementation.

Supplementation offered at Yinstill comes in the form of oral pill/powder custom supplements and/or injection/IV administration. Click here for more information about the Micronutrient Injection Therapies offered at Yinstill, or contact us to book an appointment so we can formulate a full treatment plan today.

 

your free gift

Yinstill Fertility Diet & Workbook

Learn how to optimize your fertility with Traditional Chinese Medicine dietary principles. Includes lots of great fertility-boosting recipes!