Excerpted from Frank Lipman, M.D. & Danielle Claro’s The New Health Rules.
Why Bother With Supplements?
In a perfect world, our soil would have plenty of vital nutrients, and the produce at your grocery store would be packed with all the minerals and vitamins you need. But that’s just not our reality anymore—our soil is depleted, and even when we eat lots of fresh, organic food, we’re still lacking certain nutrients. Supplements, as the name indicates, add what’s missing. They fill in the gaps, even for those who are making the best possible food choices.
Here are 4 Supplements to Take Every Day…
MULTIVITAMIN
Choose a multi meant to be taken twice a day (one-a-day types generally can’t fit in enough of what you need). Buy them in capsule, not tablet, form—they’re easier for your body to break down. Get a natural version, without sugar, lactose, or artificial colors. If you see magnesium oxide (a cheap and less nutritious form of magnesium) on the label, it’s probably not a good-quality vitamin. Quality is a big issue when it comes to all supplements.
VITAMIN D
Even if you get plenty of sunshine, there’s a good chance you could use more vitamin D (see page 136)— especially in the winter, when the sun is low and we spend less time outside. Deficiencies are associated with cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. Make sure your supplement contains D3 (not D2), and check with your doctor on the right dosage for your levels.
OMEGA-3 FISH OIL
High-quality fish oil is kind of a magic potion, lowering your risk of heart disease and lessening inflammation, which protects you from type 2 diabetes and arthritis. It also helps with depression, anxiety, and exhaustion. Check to make sure the fish oil you buy has been tested for mercury.
PROBIOTICS
Doctors have finally caught on that antibiotics are depleting our bodies of essential bacteria and now recommend taking a probiotic to balance the gut when they prescribe antibiotics. But to maintain the level of good bacteria we really need, we should be taking probiotics every day, not just when we’re on antibiotics. The probiotics you should buy are usually kept in the fridge (not on the shelf) and should contain at least 20 billion viable bacteria per serving. Some people think if they eat a lot of yogurt, they’re getting the probiotics they need. But commercial yogurts are not a good source of probiotics; pasteurization kills most of the good bacteria.
About the Book:
The New York Times bestseller, now available in paperback!
Frank Lipman, M.D., is “at the vanguard of a revolutionary way to deliver medical care” (O, The Oprah Magazine). A leading expert in the field of functional medicine, Dr. Lipman focuses on the root causes of illness and guides his patients to the deepest, most lasting sources of wellness. In this book, he and coauthor Danielle Claro make life-changing health advice available to all. Their book offers the cutting-edge secrets to optimal health in a stylish, lushly illustrated format—a spoonful of beauty to help the wellness tips go down.
The New Health Rules wades through the often contradictory information that bombards us daily and delivers more than 100 actionable tips that will improve every aspect of our health—body, mind, and soul. Readers will learn simple rules for getting a good night’s sleep, why a daily dose of sunlight is crucial, and which toxic cosmetics and kitchen products should be tossed. Here Lipman and Claro teach us which foods help prevent Alzheimer’s, why sugar is so destructive, and how to bring “good bacteria” into the digestive system—providing an arsenal of easy-to-process tips and guidelines to make us stronger, healthier, and happier.
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