Supplements du Jour

Did you ever eat those Flintstones vitamins when you were growing up?  I would bargain with my mother:  I will eat the vitamin if I can dissolve it in my water and drink the final concoction in the privacy of my bedroom.  Well, I would plunk the purple, gritty Fred Flintstone into the glass cup and watch it deteriorate.  Then it would be much too unpleasant to imbibe and I would HAVE to throw it out.  EW.  Yucky.  Now I see supplements and organic whole foods as luxuries rather than punishments.  I call them the “Supplements de Jour,” or supplements of the day.  I love finding ways to make the presentation and experience more effective and aesthetically pleasing.

I recently purchased this 7 day pill box available at any Target, drug store or pharmacy department.  Place your supplements in an area that you cannot ignore!  I have mine by the fruit bowl in the kitchen.  It’s the first place to catch my eye as I enter the kitchen each morning to feed my dog, Charlie.  I fished around in my goodie cabinet and found these cupcake paper forms.  These are cute for your daily dispensing.  Remember that they look too cute to kiddos, so keep them out of their reach!!  You could also re-use those little salad dressing containers from take-out food packaging.  This would work well to add to you or your partner’s lunch box!

1. Fulfilling Deficiencies– Adding in what you are missing.

2. Supplement Form– i.e. Calcium Carbonate vs. Calcium Citrate.  Which one and why?  Different forms matter to the body!  Liquid vs. pill?  Which do you prefer?

3. Dosage– How much of a good thing do you need?  How long do you take it?

4. Compliance– Your discipline in following your protocol.  AKA you actually have to eat it.  Do not follow my Flintstone regimen.

Talk to your health care provider about specific testing to see what YOUR SPECIFIC deficiencies are.  There are many ways to check for deficiencies such as blood labs, questioning and exams.  Save yourself time, money and damage by consulting a professional.  Then you can target exactly what you need, buy only what you need and get healthy!

Please consider recommended values of a vitamin or mineral that keep you from getting a deficiency disease such as scurvy (vitamin C deficiency).  Also consider optimal ranges of intake which are the levels recommended to give you peak health.  Do your research and ask a professional.