Know Your Supplements
Most of our clients leave the office with supplements – the truth is that these nutrients are key to rebalancing the body and resolving underlying conditions and imbalances. I myself and everyone who works in the office take at least some supplements. We do this even though we eat a mostly whole food, plant heavy, organic diet with pasture-fed animal products which are raised without antibiotics, hormones or inappropriate feed.
Why Supplement?
Supplements are needed because of depletion of nutrients in our food and the increase in the toxic load our bodies face daily. This great article in Scientific American summarizes several studies showing the staggering depletion of key vitamins and minerals in our food. One study showed that levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent between 1975 and 1997; Iron levels – 37%; vitamin A – 21% and vitamin C – 30%. Experts link this phenomenon to several factors, including soil depletion, hybridization and the modern farming practices.
To add insult to injury, we are exposed to a growing number of toxins on a daily basis. Our bodies require increased levels of nutrients to remain clean. We live in a chemical soup – from the food we eat to the air we breathe; from the water we drink to the lotions we use; from the chemicals in our furniture to the toxins in our cleaning products – the list goes on and on. The body does the best it can – pulling key nutrients out of our bones and tissues and storing the toxins it can’t metabolize into fat tissue. Eventually, the body can’t keep up and illness sets in. Nutrient deficiencies can be linked to a host of diseases – from Type II Diabetes, to hypertension, and many others.
In addition, people today can exhibit underlying imbalances such as candida, heavy metals, Epstein-Barr or inability to digest certain foods. The fastest way to correct these is to take therapeutic doses of targeted nutrients. Our philosophy is FOOD FIRST always, but supplements increase the chances of success.
Our Approach To Supplementation
Our office carries several supplement lines – the staff is always researching and refining the formulations we use. The supplement industry is exploding and the consumer has lots of options. Please be careful – you may have seen stories in the media targeting several store brand supplements for contamination, mislabeling and incorrect or missing ingredients. Not only are consumers wasting their money when they buy these, they can be placing themselves in danger because of contamination and improper storage. The herbal supplement industry is inadequately monitored leaving manufacturers responsible for the safety and quality of their own products.
We use and recommend pharmaceutical grade supplements which are manufactured by responsible companies which self-police. Most of them are only available for sale through healthcare providers. The brands we carry are certified by GMP – Good Manufacturing Practices; they have complete control and auditing capability over the supplement creation process including over the vendors supplying the raw materials going into a product. Our products do not contain allergens, chemicals or dangerous additives. In addition, the vendors guarantee that each individual capsule or tablet was stored at an appropriate temperature to remain effective.
We always recommend that our clients buy supplements in our office or through our recommended products page – it is the only way we can ensure that they are getting a high quality, efficacious nutrient. Buying the same supplement through an outside store or web retailer may be dangerous and/or a waste of money. The supplement companies we use are struggling to identify and shut down unauthorized and counterfeit online retailers but they can’t keep up and as a result, the consumer loses. So we recommend that you purchase your supplements through us – we are authorized by the vendors who guarantee that you will get what you pay for.
We aim to have clients on as few supplements as possible for as short of a time as possible. Supplements have been and will remain an important part of your healing journey with Teri Cochrane — Beyond Nutrition. As a reminder, please discuss any and all supplementation with your doctor, especially if you are taking a prescription medication.
To The Tru Of You,
Teri Cochrane