My Supplement Ritual
Jul 19, 2011 by Bill Rawls, M.D.
We all have our rituals, and one of mine is the supplement ritual. It occurs twice daily; just after breakfast and then again before bedtime.
At different times I have tried to add a midday dose to the ritual, but twice daily is generally enough to keep up with. With food/without food is not usually something I pay much attention to. It may matter a bit, but life is complicated enough already, why make it more so. Things that do matter include proper dosing, quality of product and synergy between ingredients. To slow the forces of aging and keep this fifty-plus-year-old body ticking at peak performance, I take a wide spectrum of supplements. Each supplement is carefully chosen and has a specific purpose. It would be great to take only one capsule of one supplement, but to adequately cover all of my needs, it is impossible. As a general rule I have six to ten bottles in my cabinet at any given point in time.
It must be understood that taking natural supplements is quite different from taking synthetic drugs. Two Tylenol is okay, four—I’m not so sure, eight—never happen! Drugs are single synthetically derived chemical agents designed for a specific purpose. Extremely small amounts of the agent are required for a therapeutic response and toxicity is always a concern—anything beyond the lowest recommended dose is scary! The opposite is true of most supplements. Natural supplements contain a synergy of many chemical agents derived from natural sources, generally plants. Instead of targeting specific biochemical pathways like synthetic drugs, natural supplements reduce symptoms by reducing causes of disease and restoring normal health! With the inherent low toxicity associated with natural supplements, higher dose limits are safely possible and even encouraged. Often people do not get a satisfactory therapeutic response from natural supplements because they are reluctant to take enough of the product.
Natural herbal supplements, by nature, necessitate taking a larger volume of material than a concentrated drug. Because natural supplements often work synergistically, multiple well-chosen supplements taken together increase benefit. So, to gain my personal full benefit, I take six-plus individual supplements daily. A few of these supplements contain multiple ingredients and the proper dose of each is 2-3 capsules—that translates into a lot of capsules! Getting them all down is something you get used to over time. My preferred vehicle of delivery is unsweetened soy or almond milk. Orange juice also works. The viscosity of these fluids enables taking 4 to 5 capsules in one gulp. Water or tea is not ideal; even one capsule will get stuck. Tablets are generally avoided, because they seem to get stuck no matter what.
My supplement ritual has evolved over time. Capsules are easy and travel well. They also keep well. Very importantly, capsules enable the use of ingredients with bitter taste. This is a limitation of liquid or powdered supplements mixed with juice—often some of the most important or even essential ingredients are excluded because of strong or bitter taste. Additionally, liquid-based supplements often contain significant amounts of unnecessary sugar.
On stressful days the supplement ritual can be the most important part of my day—important enough never to be missed. As I have carefully added new supplements to my regimen over the years, I have noted continuous benefit and have never experienced side effects. I’m sure my regimen will continue to evolve. The increasing availability of better quality patented and standardized extracts coupled with our newfound ability to manufacture Vital Plan supplements ensures that I can choose only the best for myself and patients alike.
Categories: Everyday Supplements,
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Previous Comments
Rebecca Causey- Oct 16, 2011
I want to be as healthy as you! I also want to try all these new foods I have been reading about and of course ORGANIC! ORGANIC! Any suggestions on ways to manage the cost of these high quality products on one income families with three young children to raise?
Braden Rawls- Oct 21, 2011
Hi Rebecca, thank you for your comment. You are not alone in your concerns about budgeting. Higher quality food is more expensive in general, but there are ways to get around this. In most cases, a diet high in fruit and veggies is inexpensive compared to a diet of processed & packaged foods (among other benefits!). For more tips, www.cookforgood.com is a great resource for affordable AND healthful cooking.
