As you leave the shop, clutching a bundle of expensive but apparently necessary supplements (according to the advertisement), you wonder: "Do I really need all these, and how can I tell if they're working?" It's a common reaction. If you purchased your supplements without professional guidance you're likely to feel a little niggling doubt about whether your purchase is working. Fortunately there are several ways to find out.
HAVE YOUR SYMPTOMS EASED?
Many people take nutritional supplements to fix a problem; perhaps aching joints, or dry skin, irritable bowel, or just low energy. Your first test is to assess whether you're actually feeling better. Ideally you would have written a list of your symptoms and their intensity before you put that first tablet in your mouth; but most of us don't, and we tend to have a poor memory for the intensity of our symptoms. It's not uncommon for a client to return to their nutritionist and announce 'nothing's changed"; but upon reviewing the list of their original symptoms they find that many have disappeared or retreated.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
Some supplements, like minerals, act slowly, so it could be several months before you feel results; others, particularly water soluble vitamins like the B and C group, act within days. Supplements that affect your skin are likely to make a difference within weeks.
WHAT'S EVERYONE ELSE SAYING?
Here's a sure-fire way to tell that those nutritional supplements are having a positive impact on your health: If friends and family are saying "gee you look well – what have you been doing?", you can be sure they're making a difference.
TRY THE STOP-START METHOD
If you've been taking something like a multivitamin for many months or years, here's a way to find out whether it's making a difference. Write in your diary how you feel today, including how much energy you have rated out of 10 (where 10 is the most energetic you could feel and 1 the most lethargic). Now stop taking the multivitamins for two weeks. Record again how you're feeling and compare it with your original reading. If you're feeling a lot worse, there's a good chance something in those multivitamins was helping.
ENLIST THE HELP OF SCIENCE
You can now use a simple urine test to measure which nutritional supplements you need. Scientists have developed functional pathology tests that measure organic acids in your urine to uncover precisely which vitamins and minerals you need, in what quantities. Your nutritionist can arrange this testing for you.
WHY GUESS?
Now that we have so much valuable information at our fingertips through the internet, it can seem easier and cheaper to research and choose your own supplement regime. However it can also be confusing, as so many nutritional supplements seem to be essential to your good health. If you would like to be sure that what you're spending your hard earned dollars on is what you actually need, please call me to book your in-clinic consultation. It could save you so much money in the long term!
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