Men have spent their lifetimes trying to figure women out. To them, we are one of the natural wonders of the world that have no explanation of how it came to be or how it works. There are songs, poems and memes saying just how complicated we are to them. They have called us difficult, complex and mysterious.
Mostly I find this true.
We, like men, are highly evolved and yet differently complex in our own unique way. We have different needs, interests and cannot be neatly compartmentalized in similar boxes with each other.
That makes us beautiful and elusive for men.
The same challenge comes to our health care needs. Doctors and laboratories try their best to give us one sized fits all answers for the sake of medications and treatments but in many cases they don’t work. We still experience things differently, have different symptoms and heal in our own way. What works for one woman may not work for another. This is why many women find limitations in working with their health care provider and end up frustrated thinking there is no hope for their needs.
Getting to real answers in a women’s health means looking at her individually and completely. It is means providing root cause that actually solves a problem instead of just covering up the symptoms.
Most importantly, it often means looking past our physical pain points and considering emotional and spiritual impacts of that pain in the solution. Our tolerance for pain is higher than men so our bodies will most often than not give us signals emotionally and spiritually when there is a problem. This is where natural health can be so pivotal in helping us heal and find health.
Where Vitamins and Supplements Fall in Health Care
Vitamins and supplements are considered a part of natural health methods. Our bodies need vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements in our diet. These elements provide energy, repair, growth and immunity support to our body to name a few. A body without essential vitamins and minerals will fail to thrive, grow strong or perform well.
Prior to the compact convenient pill forms, gummies and liquid formats, these vitamins and essential minerals came from our food and diets. With some effort and intention we can still get much of what we need directly from food. As our modern diets became more processed, fast and convenient however, these vitamins, minerals and supplements found in food decreased in value, quantity and quality. If you look at a timeline of human health and major conditions and diseases you will see this clearly about the time farms became more commercialized, farming techniques changed and packaged foods became more prevalent. Additionally, it is also the time when seasonal foods started to become more readily accessible year-round.
Vitamins and supplements are good to use when we are working to improve our health and supporting a healthy lifestyle. They are intended to supplement your diet and lifestyle. That being said it is important to realize you cannot supplement your way out of a poor diet. Meaning, you cannot just take a vitamin to make up for eating junk food all the time to compensate.
Like our food choices, vitamins can also encounter quality challenges. Namely, synthetic and processed ingredients that in fact do not help us build health. This can result in seeing no benefit or results aligned to our actual nutritional needs.
When to Use Vitamins
As just mentioned, vitamins supplement our diet. So while eating a healthy diet is important for the best vitamins available, many of us also need to supplement.
Knowing what vitamins you need is good for ensuring you align your needs with the correct nutrients. When you randomly take a vitamin that you may not need or that your body cannot use, it simply gets pushed out into waste. That is not only bodily waste but also money literally down the toilet.
The other important thing to know is while you may need a vitamin for something now, it does not mean you need to take the vitamin forever. Often when we get into a good routine of taking our vitamins daily we can forget why we take them or if we even need it anymore.
The best way to know if and what you need for vitamins is to work with a natural health practitioner. They can help you triangulate what is occurring in your body using various techniques, including muscle response testing. Targeting these specific needs helps you get the exact vitamins you need and helps you monitor changes in your health more closely.
Another way to get the right vitamins is by listening to your own body. If you regularly crave a specific food or have other patterns occurring in your daily life these can be signals for nutrients. For example, a craving for chocolate which can be an emotional need, low energy or a magnesium deficiency.
Likewise, knowing when you don’t need a vitamin is important. This involves understanding your diet, energy, sleep, alertness, mood and emotions and more. When you eat a diet rich in vitamins and minerals from foods you will know what this feels like and it is more than just you had a salad for lunch. Again, most of us are deficient even if we eat a good diet containing vitamins and minerals. The best way to know what your levels are is by working with a natural health practitioner and having lab work done.
When Your Vitamin is not Working
Vitamins are a multi-billion dollar industry. There is every form, type, substance and more included in the vitamin aisles. Families spend on average $140 a month on vitamins!
This should also represent a very healthy society then right?
Unfortunately, the opposite is true and there are several reasons behind it. The obvious ones being diet, exercise, lifestyle, stress, disease and illness. These things however are symptoms of a larger problem at the core.
First let’s address the vitamins we are buying to make that multi-billion dollar profit in the vitamin industry. The truth is 90% of the products sold under vitamins and supplements is garbage. These products contain manufactured ingredients, sugar, preservatives and other ingredients that have nothing to do in building or maintaining health. They literally go in one end of our body and out the other because our digestive system and cells cannot absorb or use these ingredients.
Secondly, and the biggest problem at the core, is the marketing behind vitamins and supplements. We have all fallen for the lie that we can take a pill and our problems will go away. We can lose weight. We will sleep better. We will be happier. We will have health. All with the swallowing of these pills.
The best vitamins and supplements you can get are high bioavailable with ingredients directly from food. These products are 100% natural and come from reputable companies specializing in naturally derived products.
The other consideration here is cost. In many ways you get what you pay for when it comes to vitamins and supplements but that is not always the case. A better approach is to look at it from a nutritional perspective. What would the equivalent of the ingredients in a vitamin cost you in food? If the ingredients are natural there can be significant savings in the vitamin equivalent.
As a comparison I take the doTERRA Life Long Vitality supplements. These cost $79.50 per 30 day supply. The equivalent of groceries representing the ingredients of these vitamins is over $300. doTERRA is a natural health company specializing in essential oils, supplements, personal care products and other items specific to natural health. They are trustworthy and produce high quality products. That $79.50 per month that ensures I’m getting a high bioavailable (easily absorbed) supplement support system is worth every penny. Not to mention, they also have a money back guarantee.
You can find vitamins at all price points. That is not a good indicator if the product is well made or not. The point is do your research. Treat it like an investment or high dollar purchase item. Since this is being done for your health and wellness it very much is an investment and you’re worth it.
Women specific recommended supplements
So back to this age old challenge of figuring out women. Our health and well-being is just as complex and individualized as we are. Therefore, there is not a single one sized fits all approach to our nutritional needs and vitamins.
To speak in general terms though there are things that work best when it comes to women’s health. Using these as guideposts can help you hone in on where you may get benefit. Again, working with a natural health practitioner is really worth it.
Vitamin B – supports brain function. This vitamin is especially important for pregnant moms as well as women in their 50s and older. Vitamin B helps with several functions within our body that are controlled through our nervous system triggered by brain activities
Iron – supports energy and metabolism. This is also vital potential losses of iron during menstruation
Evening Primrose Oil – supports PMS symptoms and relieves pain. This supplement also supports cholesterol balancing
Red Raspberry Leaf – an incredible supplement for fertility, conception , morning sickness support as well as post partum well-being. Additionally, it aids in digestive health, toxin release and bacteria defense
Fish Oils – hair, nails, skin support in addition to cardiovascular health
Collagen – cellular health, skin elasticity and joint health
Calcium – it is recommended if you supplement calcium you also ensure you have sufficient vitamin D and vice versa. Calcium and vitamin D work closely together to help build bone strength and produce bone building cells.
Other natural support to consider:
Essential oils – essential oils are supplements. High quality oils can be taken internally through capsules to truly personalize your vitamin and supplement with exactly what you need.
Digestive enzymes, probiotics and multi-vitamins are considered foundational vitamin support most people can benefit from taking regularly.
You could need specialized and targeted support beyond this list.
What Women Really Want
So, perhaps it is not that we are actually that complex but rather individuals with unique needs to our being. Understanding and caring for these needs becomes easier when we take the time to learn who we are and what we need for optimal health and well-being. That can best occur when we step out of the one sized fits all thinking for our health care needs.
How to work with me
For natural health care, including vitamin checks, schedule your consultation with me at dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online