To supplement or not to supplement .. that is the question.

The topic on supplements is controversial, actually anything to do with nutrition is controversial and is generally based on opinions. Some nutritionists are against supplementation and some are for them like my myself agree there is a time and a place. I personaly spent 4 years having the privilege of managing a Naturopathic dispensary and can say with confidence that when used properly they can help aid in certain areas. I gained valuable knowledge on quality and testing on ND grade supplements and tinctures. Unfortunately we all don't have the privilege to live close enough or have the financial means to purchase pharmaceutical grade supplements even though I recommend to everyone to go this route. But again this is just MY opinion and knowing what I know now I prefer to choose brands that I know are of a certain quality , one so I know whats going into my body , two I don't like wasting money I would like what Im using to actually work. The one major thing I think we can all agree on one thing the quality matters , Right ? The market is flooded with cleansing products, lose weight shakes and if you walk into any drug store, super market or health food store there are literally hundreds of brands of nutritional supplements.

Here are some guidelines I follow before I ask my clients to purchase a supplement

1. I review and analyze my clients current diet and lifestyle am I gearing this towards correcting certain deficiencies ? Aiding in digestion ? Helping balance hormones ? There is NEVER a one size fits all approach. All recommendations are evidenced based according to their needs.

2. What objective, peer reviewed research demonstrates that this supplement does what the manufactures say it can do. Clinical studies etc ..

3. What interactions could this supplement have with other medications or supplements that my client is already taking ? Or foods they are eating. Do they suffer from auto immune disorder that some "super foods" such as Spirulina can actually worsen ..

4. DO I TRUST this supplement and its manufacturer ? Why or why not ? I recommend supplements that have been independently tested for quality. Poor quality supplements may contain toxic materials , banned ingredients or they simply are not as potent.

Choosing nutritional supplements is tough, there is soooo much information and most of the information is from parties that are biased. My advice is to ignore marketing messages in mainstream magazines and websites. Just because a product has made into the market and onto shelves of a store it does not mean its “safe” to use. We are lucky here in Canada since our rules and regulations are a bit more regulated but its still important to do your research.

Try to avoid the well meaning “advice “ from neighbours, friends and family members that have taken something that worked from them and you should try approach , always do your own research that will best suit your needs. If you're not interested in doing all this “homework” then seek out a professional that can help you. Again supplements work BEST when used in conjunction with a high quality diet and lifestyle choices, taking supplements and expecting miracles to happen while eating a diet full of processed foods is like asking for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. And when your can choose whole foods over protein powders and packaged protein bars you will always come out ahead.