As we head into April and a bit more daylight, it is sometimes easier to get the spring-cleaning bug and give things a bit of a spruce up. You might be focussing on your home, your car, your desk, even your wardrobe, but have you thought about giving your supplement regime a spring clean too? If you are looking for eco friendly inspiration, check out this blog by Seep and BioD.
It is so easy to keep on the same supplements and dietary habits for months on end. However, that might not always be the best option for your overall wellness. The demands we place on our bodies and the types of ailments we experience can change with the seasons and often a regime will give us positive results that mean we can adjust our supplements to a maintenance dose.
As we (hopefully) head out of lockdown and restrictions ease, it is the perfect time to re-evaluate your nutritional programme. Read on for a simple checklist to help you give your supplements a bit of a freshen up and make sure they are working for you in the best possible way.
After a year of restrictions, it will take us all awhile to get back to feeling okay being around other people. Take time and be gentle on yourself.
Top Tops to Spring Clean your Supplement Regime
- It may sound obvious but check all your supplements are still in date! It is easy to push something to the back of the cupboard, forget about it and pull it out 2 years later and start taking it again. Although it is probably not going to do you any harm, a supplement that is passed its sell by date is going to have lower levels of the nutrients you think you are getting.
- Are you taking two or more supplements that have the same ingredients? How often do we see something new and add it in, not always considering that we might already have a source of it in our regime. When it comes to water soluble nutrients like vitamins B and C, excess is flushed out of the system. But taking too much Zinc for example, can make you feel nauseous or taking two or three herbal formula to help you relax, could be making you feel drowsy.
- Did you buy something for a specific health condition or symptom? Has it been reduced or alleviated? If you now feel better, do you need to still take the same supplement? Maybe you could reduce the amount to a maintenance dose.
- Are you taking lots of separate nutrients and have potentially set up an imbalance in other ones by doing so? For example, if you take two or three single B vitamins, you could be creating an imbalance in the others. If you don’t need the specific benefits of the individual ones, consider swapping to a good quality B Complex that will provide all of the B vitamins in a good balance and in forms that are easily utilised. Does your Calcium supplement contain Vitamin D? If not, switch to one that does or make sure it is in your regime either via a multi or as a stand alone nutrient. Simple changes can make a big difference in how things are absorbed.
- Are you providing a good foundation to underpin all your other nutrients? By providing a balanced foundation to your regime, you will absorb a lot of other supplements more effectively and also will probably be providing traces of other nutrients that ensure you don’t get an imbalance. A simple base would be a good multivitamin and mineral along with an essential fatty acid supplement such as Flax or Borage oil and a probiotic to ensure you are keeping your gut microbiome in good condition. A health gut microbiome is linked to not only good digestion, but also immune health and mood balance.
Spring cleaning can be good for your supplement cupboard too.
As we all begin to get back to the workplace and to gradually start socialising again, it is important to make sure your immune system is working as well as it can be. So in addition to a healthy gut microbiome, you might like to make sure your springtime regime also includes Vitamins C and D and the mineral Zinc. All of these are needed for proper functioning of the immune system.
Think about why you were taking a supplement in the first place, do you still need it?
Along with this, especially as we will be hoping for warmer weather, it is also a good time to look over your diet. It is so much easier to make changes to healthy options such as salads and fresh foods when the weather is better. Make the most of fresh new crops appearing or even start growing a few salad vegetables at home. There are lots of ways of creating small gardens even when you don’t have a lot od space. They are a great way of having a supply of fresh ingredients to add to your meals everyday. Check out these vertical and small space gardening tips for growing your own salad.
Why not plan your own small salad garden in containers and always have fresh food to hand.
With the potential for better weather, we also get the increased opportunities for getting outside and some exercise in the fresh air. After all the mental stresses and strains of the past year, some time in green space is a good way to recharge the batteries. If you are struggling with day to day living in the current situation, the charity MIND has a lot of resources that support you and your family with mental health issues. They even have a section dedicated to coping with the pandemic.
If you are looking for supplements to help keep mentally well, look for B Complex, especially with the nutrients in their active forms, and Magnesium. Both are needed for proper functioning of the nervous system and normal psychological function. The amino acid L-Theanine is also a good addition, found in tea, this amino acid is important in helping us feel calm and focussed without being drowsy.
However you change your regime and lifestyle as we come into spring and out of restrictions, remember to take time for yourself and adjust to changes gradually. We have all experienced a year like no other, it may well take us time to adjust to the next lot of changes, be gentle on yourself!
