Ever walk into a health food store or go online and get completely overwhelmed by the thousands of supplements available? Can’t decide which vitamins, minerals, and herbs are right for you? Which brands? What combinations of complexes?  

It can get really confusing.

All their labels say “natural” but how can something made in a laboratory out of genetically-modified ingredients be good for us? And what about all those chemical ingredients we can’t pronounce or the ones not even listed on the label? 

However, supplementing nutrients for your health doesn’t have to be complicated, stressful, or confusing.

Plants make perfect nutrients

I’ve studied nutrition and supplementation for almost two decades. People frequently ask me which brands of supplements I recommend.

I tell them that in all my years working with clients as a naturopath and a nurse, the most important factor, hands down, is that the supplements come entirely from whole foods that are grown in nutrient-rich soils without toxic chemicals.  

Why? Plants provide nutrition in perfect combinations. Our body knows what to do with the nutrients found in real, whole foods. (Labs, not so much.) 

So what should you look for when supplementing?

Start with Vitamin D

Everyone is talking about vitamin D these days. And rightly so! The scientific literature is pretty clear that getting adequate vitamin D can make all the difference in our health and how we feel. It can even impact the length of our life!  

But you have to be careful, because high doses of synthetic vitamin D can build up to toxic levels in the body that actually harm us.  

Fortunately, recent research from Germany showed that supplementing vitamin D with sun-exposed mushrooms can raise low serum blood levels of vitamin D to healthy levels as effectively as the synthetic vitamin D your doctor might prescribe. 

This means you can have a natural, whole food form of vitamin D that gives you the benefits without any of the downside. This is the supplement I recommend. 

The Nutrition Complex that Optimizes Vitamin D

The thing with Vitamin D, though, is that it works most optimally for our health when we also have healthy levels of nutrients such as vitamin A, C, and calcium.  

Likewise, adequate vitamin A is crucial to protect against the negative effects of vitamin D toxicity. These nutrients work synergistically and partner together on our behalf.

How I Get the Perfect Nutrient Combination

Getting the right nutrition in the right form can make the difference between surviving and thriving. Of course our primary source of nutrition should come from eating organic, whole foods. These days that’s hard to do. So I use and recommend Touchstone Essentials. 

Touchstone Essentials’ products are made only from pure, good food, grown on rich organic soil, and packaged without any fillers or synthetic ingredients. It’s one of the few brands I trust. 

Although I love all of the products, my two favorites are Supergreens +D and Super Green Juice. Supergreens +D provides 2,000 IUs of organic plant-based vitamin D, while a scoop of Super Green Juice gives me 6,000 IUs of whole food vitamin A, plus plant-based calcium.  

Together these perfect partners in health support so many aspects of our well-being: 

·        digestive system

·        immune system

·        nervous system

·        stress management

·        energy  

The Goodness of Greens

In addition, Supergreens +D and Super Green Juice contain so many other nutrients from nourishing whole foods that our body needs to maintain optimal wellness and manage our stress. Together they have:

·        immune-boosting superfoods

·        plants that help our liver to detoxify

·        prebiotics and probiotics to nourish our gut

·        digestive enzymes to help us absorb their nutrients

·        a caffeine-free boost of energy to get through the day  

With these two green power products my body has exactly what it needs to keep my immune system fighting and my bones strong. And that’s something that I—as a mom, nurse, naturopath, and 21st century woman—can feel good about. 

Learn more about Touchstone Essentials here.

P.S. First time customers can use the promo code HOLIDAY through December 31 for a $10+ discount! 

*The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and any products referenced are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 

Want more SUPER JUICY information about whole food nutrition? Learn more about my online nutrition class 5 Easy and Fun Steps to Healthier Eating by clicking on the box below! 

Links:

Vitamin D2 Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21540874

Longevity Study: http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/jc.2011-3328