Nutritional Wellness

For many years when I was much younger I suffered from mild dizziness. I also believed I had brief memory lapses. Sometimes I didn't remember when I crossed the street - only that I was aware of being on one side of the street and suddenly I found myself on the other side with no recollection of when or where I crossed. It was a bit frightening at times and thought I probably had some kind of mental illness. I never told anyone for fear of being called crazy. I was so very busy with my all my professional responsibilities and family obligations that once I got to work I would forget about these little episodes. I also noticed that from time to time I would feel cold even in the heat of summer, but then I knew I had these symptoms since my early teenage years. Again once the symptoms passed, I forgot about it and never spoke to a doctor about these conditions. I also didn't realize how much stress was part of the daily life of a “superwoman.”

However, when I was around thirty years old I decided to start paying attention to my health and began to take various supplements in addition to eating a lot of fruits (which I always loved since childhood) and vegetables because I had read an article in one of the major newspapers that fruits and vegetables are anti-aging foods. The supplements really helped and for many years I never felt the old symptoms of dizziness or memory lapses. I read a lot of nutrition magazines, alternative therapy books and about people with chronic dietary imbalances. I learned that what we put into our mouths are directly related to how we feel and how healthy we are.

For all the years since my thirtieth birthday I have been paying attention to my nutritional needs but as a human being we all fall short of the mark from time to time. I monitor myself and do my research about my symptoms. I also discuss health and nutrition issues with my doctor and can easily send and get replies from her by email. When I see her for my annual checkup the test results are always good. I get a copy of my lab report and research each and every entry and what it means to fully understand my medical results. Every year my doctor tells me “keep on doing what you are doing”.

When I go to the store to buy my supply of vitamins and minerals I look at the quantities listed on the bottle. Sometimes there are only miniscule amounts of certain vitamins and minerals. Your body and particular medical condition may require additional quantities of certain types of supplements. Since much of the foods available in the supermarkets and restaurants are over-processed, we are not always eating the most nutritious foods. Besides, they loaded with too much salt, sugars and other chemicals that are too difficult to pronounce. Foods that are genetically modified are another issue and no one really knows what these foods will will eventually do to our bodies in our later years.

As a baby boomer the supplements that have helped me are the following: a good multivitamin with enough folic acid (if not buy extra), calcium, magnesium, alpha lipoic acid, NAC with extra Vitamin C, B-100 complex, extra B12 and B6, selenium, chromium picolinate, CoQ10, beta-carotene, bilberry extract and zinc. I also protect my joints with Bromelain to ward off inflamation and plain gelatin powder to strengthen cartilage in my joints. In addition I eat between 5-6 servings of fresh fruits per day and at least three vegetables to get additional vitamins and trace minerals. My favorite fruits are bananas, pineapple, apples, blueberries, oranges, peaches, mangoes from which I get enough potassium. I drink lots of water and ensure that my blood ph is at least 7.5. I do this by taking baking soda and lemon juice twice a week. I am not a medical professional so please speak to your doctor before you take any of these supplements.

It is important also to take care of your thyroid in your later years as the hormones it produces affect how our brain and body function. I take supplements that support thyroid health because as we age our system begins to break down and so we have to build them back up. It is better to start sooner than later - but it is never too late to start. When we were children our parents gave us nutritious foods to help us grow and become healthy. Similarly when we are older we need additional nutrients to keep our bodies from deteriorating through the aging process. Hamlet's phrase "once a man, twice a child" comes to mind!