As we approach fall, with children back in school, the topic of supplementation — over-supplementation and the indiscriminate use — often comes to mind. This has been a common theme throughout the past month while mentoring clients on their various health journeys.
In this day and age of Dr. Google, we have at our fingertips, dazzling solutions for every ailment from A-to-Z available. And while having knowledge accessible, it also causes confusion and potentially harmful imbalances to occur when what we want to accomplish is just the opposite!
I recall a wonderful saying years ago about the use of supplements and medications, and while I cannot recall verbatim, the gist was as follows:
Diet is the beginning place for corrective healing and creating balance within the body.
Herbs offer dilute, yet powerful plant elements that support the body in using its innate resources for healing.
Supplements offer targeted support for specific health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gut disorders, etc., and they are sometimes used as support for more subtle corrective or balancing actions within the body.
Medications offer a higher intensity of targeted support, but with this intensity, there are more opportunities for unwanted side effects. Medications are important in acute situations and in end-stage chronic illnesses. An example would be someone with diabetes who has neuropathy (pain, numbness and tingling in the extremities) and a glycohemoglobin of, let’s say, 10 when it is ideally in the low 5s!
I do use supplements when treating conditions, but I generally start with dietary changes first since nutrients even in the form of supplement, are absorbed in the presence of food. They are concentrated sources of nutrients and must be treated as such — a milder form of medication.
There is also cutting-edge science looking at metabolic cycles within the body, with recent focus on mTOR and Autophagy. mTOR is the signaling process for anabolism or growth of cells and tissues, while Autophagy is about the degradation and elimination process, especially of unnecessary or potentially harmful metabolic by-products.
As we continue to learn and discover about how to best support balance within the body, we learn that sometimes less is truly more. Case in point is with multivitamins and minerals. As I have mentioned previously, first and foremost use reputable companies for sourcing nutrients for supplements.
It is no easy feat to determine this since the Food & Drug Administration very loosely oversees some usage of supplements, but the majority of information on the Internet can be very misleading. I use the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database to look at quality, medication-supplement interaction, indications and dosing for specific conditions.
MVIs (multivitamins) are anabolic, thus supporting the mTOR cycle. This is very necessary in pregnancy, healing from wounds, surgery and conditions such as osteoporosis, but can to harmful with cancers and the process of apoptosis or cell death.
When considering the use of supplements, do speak with an integrative practitioner about the pros and cons of your individual situation. The end-goal is balance.
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This month, I chose the simple pork recipes from Feel Great, Look Great — Balanced Eating for a Balanced Life, available on Amazon, since September is a busy month with many obligations and less time for food preparation. Pork freezes well and can be stored for a quick meal. Add a green salad or steamed veggie to this delightful combo.
Simply Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4
» 1 pound pork tenderloin
» 1 teaspoon olive oil
Rub Options:
» ½ teaspoon garlic powder
» 1 teaspoon rosemary
» ¼ teaspoon onion powder
» ½ teaspoon chili powder
» ½ teaspoon cumin
» 1 teaspoon apricot all-fruit conserve
» ½ teaspoon thyme
» 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Directions:
» Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
» Rub pork loin with oil.
» Rub loin with one of the options listed above.
» Place loin on baking rack in pan and bake in oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.
» Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting for 50 minutes longer.
» Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables
Serves 6
» 1 sweet potato, scrubbed, coarsely chopped
» 1 medium turnip, peeled, coarsely chopped
» 1 medium parsnip, scrubbed, coarsely chopped
» 1 large carrot, scrubbed, coarsely chopped
» 1 tablespoon honey
» 1 teaspoon olive oil
» ½ cup shallots, halved
» Cooking spray
Directions:
» Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
» Combine all ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl; toss to coat.
» Place vegetable mixture on a baking pan coated with cooking spray.
» Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and begin to brown, stirring every 15 minutes.
— Julie Freeman, MA, RD, LD, RYT, is a licensed integrative nutritionist in Santa Barbara with advanced training in counseling and functional medicine. Her “toolbox” includes certifications in yoga, reiki, mind-body medicine, modeling and finishing for personal development, and she has written two cookbooks, Balanced Eating for a Balanced Life and Sweets n’ Treats. Click here to read previous columns, or contact her at juliefreeman57@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are her own.