Every single time I walk into my local health food store I ask myself the same question. If this is a health food store, why are there so many plastic bottles, amber glass jars and cardboard boxes? Before my eyes, a sea of sameness – multi-vitamins, boxes of daily supplements, packs of protein powders – compared to the very small amount of actual fresh produce. It’s daunting.
I have never taken nutritional supplements, let alone a damn vitamin, partly because I can’t swallow pills. Especially horse- size pills. I also can’t seem to buy in to the whole Ashwagandha to calm the mind and Huang Qui to support energy and vitality. For some reason I just don’t know if organic Bacopa will help my off-the-chart level of anxiety.
However, with so many new supplements on the market, I have become kind of curious about what might be beneficial. Will drinking these things buy me a few more minutes of life on the planet? Will it be like – well, she lasted to 12:05, thank goodness she drank her greens.
There seems to be so much jargon and “information” about what to take depending on the lifestyle you live. Also, even though I have heard that our vegetables and animal-based protein do not contain the same amount of nutrients they once did, I am a healthy, mindful eater.
What the “experts” take
I attended a special trade event for Sprouts Farmer’s Market this past weekend and had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of store managers from their locations around the south and midwest. I asked two of the vitamin category managers from Sprout’s Los Angeles stores, land of the protein smoothie, what they take on a regular basis and both said they loved Paradise greens.
So I ran to their table and I grabbed a few packets to try at home. Now that I have a moment to open their catalog and visit their website I realize I should have asked which greens? The Orac Energy Greens? Slimming Greens? Protein & Greens? Oh no.
Now, I know Tim Ferriss, really seems to like Athletic Greens, especially when he misses a meal, so I have decided to compare ingredient profiles.
Wow, this might take a while, as I sip, (wait I am suppose to sip this green protein drink right?) my very first Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity Energy Proteins & Greens.
The label alone will take me months to decipher. Please, if any of the nutrition experts out there want to weigh in – I’m all ears. What are the best supplements to take if any (providing one consumes a balanced and healthy diet) and why?
Paradise Protein & Greens
Athletic Greens
Of Undisputed Origin 
I think it mainly depends on what your needs are first and foremost. What is it you are trying to do? Are you looking to improve your general health because you know you are lacking in certain vitally important nutrients and vitamins on a daily basis? I didn’t start looking into these until I had my son and wanted to lose weight. I had so many options to choose from. The fasting diet, vegan diet, raw food, and of course the slim fast shakers and makers. I wanted however to be healthy first and foremost and I was still breast feeding so it made me look into it in even greater detail. I chose to go on the vegan diet and juicing for a year. (well nearly a full year I did miss my bacon and a nice chicken wing) but it worked….for me. I made sure I was taking the right supplements. In this case it was the iron, protein and Vitamin B12. I upped my vitamin C and magnesium intake as I was going to the gym again and voila it really did make a difference. So all in all I guess your first question is what do I need and what do I need to eat or drink to get it. I understand your “horsepill” comment very well as I am similar however if you know it will help you you will find a way to get what you need inside of ye. Have a great day dearest xx
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Thank you so much for all of this information. So you did feel a difference after taking these supplements? They helped give you energy for your workouts? Yes the protein and the B12 – I get that and everyone seems to believe vitamin C is super important. I am curious about all of the extra plants and herbs and “superfoods”. There seems to be a new one every year that comes out that has magical powers!
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Kale is an amazing superfood and you can dehydrate it or use it in smoothies or juices. It definitely helped me darling. Spiralling is another one. Has an all over great vitamin range. Again knowing what you want to improve first is key. Once you now that you will be able to make more informed decisions on your nutritional palette x
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