Supplements

Supplements are an important part of the Functional Medicine toolbox.  However, most are temporary to restore balance and support the body’s natural ability to heal and detoxify.  They are always secondary to lifestyle, especially food and diet interventions.  No two individuals would get exactly the same regimen.  I do not sell supplements nor do I represent or benefit from any particular brand or supplement company.  On the other hand, because I am a professional, I have access to significant savings, which I can pass along to you.  At the same time, I spend significant time and effort vetting my sources to assure their purity and potency.  Many times, you can get reasonable quality from a local health food store or vitamin shop which is fine with me.  One of the most important ways to identify questionable “nutritionists” is if they only recommend their brand and you can only get the supplements from them.  I have a few policies about my use of supplements:

• Whenever possible, I recommend supplements that have been used in research.
• I use supplements with as few combinations as possible, especially when it comes to herbs.  Occasionally, there is a beneficial synergy that justifies the combination but only then.
• Nutrients are provided in “bioavailable” or active forms as well as precursors.  Many individuals have genetic defects that reduce their ability to convert nutrients to their active forms and benefit greatly from these forms.