HEALTHY EATING AND RECOMMENDED VITAMINS, SUPPLEMENTS

AdvancedMind HealthWellness
Jul 25, 2024
3 min read

It is always best to get vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, pre/probiotics, and other essential nutrients from the foods you eat. But if you can't eat very healthy whole foods daily, supplements are recommended.

And you should talk to your primary care provider to see if you need lab tests to determine if you have any deficiencies.

I recommend everyone take the following supplements because deficiencies may cause mental and physical health symptoms:

-Multivitamin (if pregancy is remotely possible, take a prenatal)

-B Complex vitamin daily for better brain and nerve function

-B-12 5,000 mcg daily for better brain and nerve function

(If you are over 50, vegan (or lean vegan), have altered digestion from chronic illness, anemia, or take certain medications (PPIs, H2-blockers, metformin, you should consider taking 10,000 mcg daily)

-vitamin D3 5000 units daily on days when you are exposed to sunlight, on dark days, take 2 for better energy, brain functioning and sleep

-magnesium threonate for better mood, sleep, focus, attention Take daily as directed on the label, dose varies depending on product

-essential fatty acids EPA/DHA Take daily as directed on the label, dose varies depending on product

-melatonin for sleep support 1 to 2mg (5mg for significant trouble falling asleep) take each day after sunset

-take prebiotics and probiotics every day if you cannot eat sufficient amounts in your diet....and most people can't

How to get pre and pro biotics in your diet:

Eat fresh vegetables (mostly green) and some fruits (berries are best) for your prebiotic intake.

You will also need to eat probiotic foods (kombucha, vegan or goats milk yogurt, goat cheeses, fermented foods, etc.)

Take pre and pro biotic supplements unless you eat a very healthy whole foods diet on a regular basis.

This is important for your brain and nervous system health, immune support and for digestion.

Look for high quality products.

Probiotics of the highest quality are refrigerated at the retailer and need to be at home too.

SUPPORTING YOUR MICROBIOME (microbiota)

WITH INTAKE OF PRE AND PRO BIOTICS

IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT FOR JUST ABOUT EVERY BODY SYSTEM AND FUNCTION!

Basically all that we are inside, everything our body does, is built upon the structure of our microbiome made up of microbiota.

Do you "feel it in your gut"? Pay attention to that mind-gut connection.

And learn more about the importance of your microbiome.

FOOD REALLY IS MEDICINE

"You are what you eat." "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." "Food is medicine." There is a reason that there are so many old adages about healthy eating and it is because they are absolutely true.

If you investigate the healthiest of diets, most sources will say that it is a whole food, plant based, unprocessed organic diet rich in prebiotics and probiotics. Period. End of discussion. While this may be true, it is a lot easier to say that than to do it.

What I recommend my clients do is simple.

1) Start where you are. Look back over the past few typical days and write down everything you have eaten.

2) Identify just one simple thing to change in the direction of an optimal diet.

3) Do that for a week or two. Keep doing it or tweak what is not working.

4) Then, do this again. Then, do it again. And again.

Before you know it, your diet will be much healthier and you will be feeling better. Our brains simply do not function well on a diet that is unhealthy. That includes our mental health. Optimizing your diet is critical to achieving your mental health goals.