My Supplement Regime

Wow, it's been a while, huh? Things with work have been a bit crazy as I finally launched eSkills. It has been an emotional rollercoaster, but that's a topic for my work-related blog. What I have been pleasantly surprised at it how my health has stood up through this period of intense stress. I put this down largely to my supplement regime, which I have tweaked steadily for the past six months. It's one of the things that people ask me about most, so here is the breakdown of what I take and why.


First, let me say that I am no longer on the Four Hour Body regime (or diet). The reasons for that are largely that it simply didn't work for me. I experienced a lot of nausea as well as headaches and really missed my fruit. The garlic extract was just too foul to take, the alphalipoic acid gave me heartburn and the green tea extract made me jittery. That said, the diet launched my exploration of different ways of eating and has changed my life for the better. We don't even keep potatoes or pasta in the house anymore, which were staples before.  I've also become a vegetarian. (More on that in later posts.)

So, on to what I do take.

Multi-Vitamin - Just your average multi-vitamin that also includes beneficial minerals.

Vitamin B complex - A good quality vitamin B complex with folic acid.

Acai Berry - I had avoided this because of the weight loss hype, but tried it a couple of months ago after reading some compelling research about it's anti-oxidant properties and benefits for muscle repair and the immune system. The berries are high in "Vitamins A, B, C and E, amongst many other vastly beneficial minerals and nutrients including Selenium, Zinc and Essential Fatty Acids". I have to say that since adding it to my regimine I have been able to cut the Green Tea totally and have felt much better.

Chromium Picolinate - Another new addition to my regimine that I turned to after looking for a solution to my  yo-yoing blood sugar.  One great benefit that I noticed after taking these for a few weeks was a reduction in my sugar cravings.  Finally, my sweet tooth seems tamed!

Glucosamine - I have taken this on and off for years.  It's one supplement where any benefit is likely to be long term and cumulative, so it's hard to know if it is actually "working".  However, that said, I do feel like I have less joint pain when I have been taking it for a month or so.  Hey, if that's a placebo effect I'm still happy to take it!

Vitamin C - I take this in effervescent form to wash down all the pills. :)  It's a nice refreshing start to the day and I miss it when I don't take it.  I also find that it really does help to boost my energy first thing in the morning.  I opt for Berroca when I am flush, and a cheaper Vitamin C tab between paychecks.

Chitosan - I had to think carefully about going back to this supplement, as it is derived from shellfish. However, my Tourettes tics had become worse than they had been in years, and this natural fibre really does work wonders.  Faced with a choice between compromising on my Vegetarianism and going back to artificial, prescription meds with horrid side effects I opted for the former.  Fortunately it has been working nicely, but I am also curious to see how my new diet (vegetarian with a massive reduction in dairy and artificial ingredients, with a healthy dose of raw thrown in the mix) will affect my symptoms.

I think it's important to note here that 3 of these supplements are sold as miracle diet pills and yet I have seen no weight loss while taking them. When looking into supplements it's important to identify what you need and look into the health benefits of any supplement, rather than believe the media hype, especially when it comes to a "quick fix" for weight loss.  NO supplement is likely to be a miracle solution that works better than long term diet and lifestyle changes.

I've had a lot more energy and focus, and less pain on this regimine.  I organize my pills into little daily packs and store them in an old purse.  That way, they are always handy, and I save time fussing with multiple bottles and packs each day.

I get most of my supplements from MyVitamins.com I love that they use resealable pouches rather than bottles - a great space saver and much more eco. The Chitosan I have to get from Holland & Barrett as I have never found it anywhere else. The whole regime costs me about £35 per month, but is well worth it to let me live a normal, healthy life.

On a side note, I managed to avoid all colds, flus and bugs flying around over the past two months, I am sure due to these supplements. My downfall was a night out with a little too much liquid celebrating... two days later I was struck down with a throat infection. A lesson in how damaging alcohol can be to your immune system!