a question from martha

Question: Please share re.vitamins, supplements, and Superfoods. I have been using Superfoods x 9 years and some specific supplements for me to assist when I have fall off the Angel wagon. Thank you, GA

Answer:

supplements are one of those gray areas where the Angels advise us to listen to ourselves and our health care providers with utmost care. on the one hand, it is perfectly theoretically possible to obtain all needed nutrients from the food we eat. on the other, certain situations - for example pregnancy or lactation - may necessitate the use of supplements.

if you have been using food supplements with success, you find your situation is helped by the inclusion of supplements in your diet, then by all means continue to do so. go slowly, however, and with care, before deciding to add megadoses of vitamins, for example. try new regimens for a few days and see how you feel. metallic aftertastes, digestive upsets and other discomforts may indicate a way to find other ways to increase certain nutrients.

for example, iron is frequently prescribed for pregnant women - iron in pill form is very difficult to digest. by cooking in cast iron pots, food not only picks up additional iron from the pots, but also in forms much easier to digest. the addition of a couple new pots may mean the end of anemia. is this a supplement? iron in pill form is.. .but the additional iron from the pots? im not sure.

from time to time, i supplement my smoothies with a whey protein powder - i find the additional protein keeps me satisfied when i know im going to have to go a bit longer than three hours with access to food. on occasion, i use seasonal herbs - dandelion root in spring, astragulus root in fall and winter, oatstraw and lavender all year round. are these supplements, or teas or herbs? i count herbs as green foods or whatever color seems appropriate.

so the answer from the Angels is maybe yes, maybe no. my sense is that you, martha, with your health care background, feel far more at ease identifying what your body needs than some people might. my sense is that you have indeed chosen what works for you.

however, for most, this is an area where the Angels urge everyone to make decisions to add supplements - herbs, teas, vitamins, etc - in concert with health care providers who can help you make the right choices based on your individual needs.