Are you taking the right supplements?
Supplements can really help to get the body back into balance and reduce any hormonal symptoms you may experience. But it’s also something that a lot of us struggle to get right if we are trying to find them on our own.
It’s one of the things that I got wrong when I started out on my own endometriosis journey and it’s something I often see with new clients.
Here are some of the main areas it can go wrong:
- Taking too many supplements
This is very easy to do. You see something recommended online, a friend tells you about a supplement that worked for them, you read something in a magazine, you see one in a health food shop and before you know it you are on a cocktail of supplements. And often you aren’t feeling any better. But equally you don’t want to stop taking the supplement just in case things get worse without it. Supplements work best when they are really tailored to you as an individual and so the shopping basket approach to supplements often doesn’t work. Sometimes less is more and having someone advise you on what you really need can then make a difference to your symptoms.
2. Buying cheap supplements
I’ve done this one too, especially when I was doing the cocktail of supplements. It got expensive and so I was doing the 3 for 2 deals from some of the high street stores selling supplements. But you do get what you pay for with supplements. Often the cheaper versions are not giving you a high enough dose of the nutrients you need and so you are effectively wasting your money on them. Some of them also contain sweeteners or fillers than can upset any gut symptoms.
3. Taking too much of a certain nutrient
People often think that because supplements are made from natural substances, there is no risk from taking them. Whilst they are much less likely to cause side effects than medications, you can still have too much of a good thing. Certain nutrients like iron and vitamin D are stored in the body, so you don’t want to take high doses of these nutrients unless you have been tested and know that you need them. Too much of certain nutrients can cause side effects.
4. Not checking if your supplements interact with your medication
For the same reason, people often assume that it is ok to take supplements alongside medication. In many cases it is, but there are some supplements that interact with certain medications and make the medication work less effectively. So, it’s really important to check that your supplement can be taken with your medication – especially if there are any herbs in the supplement.
5. Not realising that some medications deplete nutrients
Before I was diagnosed with endometriosis I had yo-yoed on and off the oral contraceptive pill for years. But no one had told me that the pill depletes certain nutrients. The same nutrients that help with energy, hormone balance and mood. And so, by trying to help with one issue, I’d caused a big deficiency in some of the nutrients that could have been helping my symptoms. Having someone check your medications and telling you which nutrients you need to replace can help avoid this problem.
And that’s why I introduced the Supplement Review appointment.
I recognise that this is something that many people struggle with and can be delaying any improvement to their symptoms.
Ideally we want to manage health conditions by focusing on diet, supplements and lifestyle issues, which is the focus of my Reset and Foundations Programmes.
But I understand that not everyone is able to commit to a programme. So, if supplements is the part of the puzzle that you struggle with and would like some clear advice on, my Supplement Review appointment is for you. A one-off appointment of an hour to review any supplements and medications you currently take, make suggestions for the most appropriate supplements for the symptoms you experience and advice on any nutrients being depleted by your medications.
How the supplement review has helped other clients
Here are a few examples of how a supplement review can help.
Meet Lara, who came to see me for perimenopause problems. She was getting 40 hot flushes a day which was having a big impact on her working life. She was taking a supermarket own brand multi-vitamin, but it had low doses of the nutrients she needed. So we changed this to something that had higher nutrient levels and was more targeted to the symptoms she was getting. Six weeks later Lara was only getting a few hot flushes occasionally.
And then there’s Samantha, who was looking for support with endometriosis. She has constant pain and took painkillers most days. She was taking 14 different supplements. We took some of the supplements out, and changed some of the others to really match what Samatha’s body needed. At her follow-up appointment Samantha’s pain levels had reduced and she’d had some pain free days. She was now only having to use painkillers occasionally.
This service is at an introductory price of £125 until 7th December, when it will go up to £150.
For more information and to book click here.
Content Disclaimer
The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this blog are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this blog. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this blog. Emma Belton Nutrition disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this blog.