Supplements & Antioxidants: Myths & Truths

Hay House Radio Episode Recap

  • Episode Name: “Supplements & Antioxidants: Myths & Truths”
  • Live Broadcast: Monday, November 28th, 2016 at 3:00 pm PT

Episode Replays: Mondays at 11:00 pm Pacific Time / 2:00 am Eastern Time, Fridays at 11:00 pm Pacific Time and Sundays at 2:00 pm Pacific Time / 5:00 pm Eastern Time

Episode Summary Re-cap

Do you really need nutritional supplements and antioxidants to stay healthy?

Are some better than others? Is there a time when it’s better to avoid them? Which ones are the best to consume? Which are a waste of money? Find out the myths and truths of nutritional supplements and antioxidants. Discover how to find out what you need for your own health and healing.

David Getoff Special Guest: David Getoff

David Getoff, CCN, CTN, FAAIM is a Board Certified Traditional Naturopath, a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist, a Fellow of the American Association of Integrative medicine, an elected member of The American College of Nutrition, The International College of Integrative Medicine, The New York Academy of Sciences and the American Society for Nutrition and is the vice president of the 64 year old nonprofit Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation. He is also on the teaching faculty of the American College of Integrative Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey.

David is board certified in integrative medicine, has developed and produced over a dozen educational holistic health DVD’s on topics including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and detoxification and is the co-author of Reduce Blood Pressure Naturally.

David is on the scientific advisory board (non-paid positions) of a number of top manufacturers and is often asked for opinions as new products are being developed.

David is licensed in Nutrition in the State of New York, in Naturopathy in the State of North Carolina and has a waiting list private practice in El Cajon California. He has also developed the 10 week course entitled Attaining Optimal Health in the 21st Century which he has been teaching to packed classrooms through the Grossmont/Cuyamaca College extended studies program and the Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation every semester for the past 20+ years.  This 30+ hour course is now available to be purchased by the public on-line through the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation for those who do not live in San Diego County.

David has been a paid presenter at numerous scientific medical, nutritional, dental and organic agriculture conferences around the U.S. and has given many one and two day seminars on diet, supplements and detoxification.

 “There is no treatment or drug which can overcome or negate the effects of a poor diet, inadequate nutrition, lack of exercise, and an unhealthy life style.”

-David Getoff, Naturopath 

Learn more about David Getoff

Naturopath4you.com

Recorded Audio and Video Classes available for purchase from the non-profit Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation

Upcoming Training Event: 10 week Attaining Optimal Health Training

Supplements & Antioxidants: Myths & Truths

Oftentimes, people don’t start thinking about eating healthy and taking supplements until they are sick. What if instead, we thought about prevention? Because prevention – or eating healthy and taking supplements before there’s a specific reason – can make a huge difference in long-term wellbeing.

So where do we get the motivation to plan ahead for prevention, instead of allowing illness to be the motivation to eat well? What if you looked into the mirror and said, “I matter?” What if you used an affirmation like, “I am taking steps to feel my best now and for my future.”

What Are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants refer to any substance that donates to another substance that has lost an electron and could harm the body. The antioxidant repairs the lost electron so that it won’t harm the body (i.e., stops cell damage). Antioxidants go after the free radicals that cause aging and inflammation in the body, so they are very necessary for good health and longevity.

Antioxidants are found in foods such as fruits and vegetables and include nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene and flavanols.

Do We Need to Take Supplements?

While doctors and nutrition experts hotly debate whether we need to supplement our diets with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, the truth of the matter is that our food supply has drastically changed from what it was even a couple of generations ago. These days, conventional mass farming has resulted in fewer nutrients in the soil. At the same time, the mass production of processed foods, which have fewer nutrients than their whole food counterparts, have fewer nutrients coupled with added chemicals.

In short, today’s food supply is not what it used to be. For this reason, it’s important to supplement with key nutrients, in order to stay healthy. Taking supplements in addition to a healthy whole foods diet is an excellent way to focus on prevention, so that your wellbeing is a priority.

First, Remove the “Anti-Nutrients:” Processed Foods, Sugar, Starch, and Alcohol

Before thinking about which nutrients to add, consider which anti-nutrients to remove. Anti-nutrients gives you no vitamins, no minerals, no antioxidants and even worse, it requires your body to give these things up to process them. Sugar (this includes most fruit juices), processed foods, starchy foods (e.g., potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, winter squash, flour products, grains, and beans) and alcohol all cause a spike in blood sugar and turn into the wrong kinds of fat in your body.

To calculate starches on a nutrition label, here’s an example: Take the carbohydrate number, subtract the sugar and subtract the fiber (sugar – starch – fiber = sugar). So if you had 100 mg of carbohydrates with 0 sugar and 10 mg fiber, you’d have 90 mg of starch.

If you do have to have a starchy vegetable, beans (just avoid soy beans!) or a grain (barley is the best choice), make sure to add a good amount of healthy fat, like butter, which will slow down the blood sugar spike and be easier on your body.

GMO Foods vs. Organic and Wildcrafted

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Foods were not created with health in mind. The whole idea for GMO foods was to increase the food supply. They have nothing to do with nutrition and in fact, contain a reduced amount of antioxidants and minerals. The glyphosate toxic herbicide used on GMO foods is also considered a possible carcinogen.

Organic foods are free of toxic pesticides and herbicides, are not genetically modified, and have more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Wildcrafted foods are excellent and the term often refers to herbs grown in their own natural habitat as they would without human intervention and fee of toxic herbicides and pesticides.

Stress Increases Nutrient Needs

In addition to the reduced availability of nutrients in our soil and food, stress is another reason we need supplemental nutrients. Think about how often you experience stress. When you are stressed, your body dumps key nutrients, like B vitamins, vitamin C and minerals. If you are already deficient in these nutrients, which many people are, you can go into further deficits.

Stress can come in many forms, including:

  • Lack of sleep (less than your specific needs, which could be 7 – 9 hours)
  • Death of a loved one
  • A car accident
  • Issues at work or a heavy work schedule
  • Challenges in a friendship or relationship
  • Illness
  • Physical overexertion
  • Skipping meals or low blood sugar
  • Traffic/commute
  • Overloaded schedule
  • Caring for a sick loved one
  • Life events, like marriage, divorce, moving, childbirth, etc.
  • The holidays
  • Poor diet – especially, sugar and processed foods

How to Determine Your Nutrient Needs

Heather Dane with David Getoff at Hay House RadioDavid recommends that the basic six needs everyone has are: (1) a good multi-vitamin, (2) Vitamin A, (3) Vitamin C, (4) Vitamin D3, (5) Vitamin E and (6) Fish oil.

Commonly, the RDA (or required daily allowance) is listed on supplement labels. This shows the amount of nutrients that fulfill the average healthy person’s basic daily needs. Because of stress and other existing deficiencies, David Getoff feels that most people need more than the RDA for many key nutrients, like B vitamins, minerals, vitamin C and vitamins A, D, and E.

Here are some recommendations:

Antioxidants

Avoid multi-level marketing products because they tend to cost much more than supplements that are not multi-level marketing. Pure Synergy Superfood is good option for an antioxidant-rich supplement.

Multi-Vitamin with Multi-Minerals

Not a one-a-day because these nutrients don’t stay in your body for 24 hours. You need a multi where you take more than one dose per day, at minimum, one dose at breakfast and one dose at dinner. Some good brands are Super Nutrition and New Chapter.

Vitamin A

Look for retinol or vitamin A from fish liver oil. Animal vitamin A is the only vitamin A that exists. While some people feel they get vitamin A from plants, like carrots, it’s only a precursor to vitamin A and some people can’t convert it to retinol. David recommends taking a Vitamin A 10,000 from Carlson.

Vitamin D

Look for vitamin D3. It also helps to get outside between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm and get some sunshine on your skin without using sunscreen so that you can get natural vitamin D. Before taking vitamin D, get your active vitamin D and storage vitamin D tested. David feels you should supplement vitamin D if your level is less than 55.

Vitamin C

Innate Response Vitamin C is a wholefood vitamin C you can take if you want extra vitamin C.

Vitamin E

The only one David likes is Unique E, which has 400 units of D-alpha.

Minerals

Anderson’s Sea MD – Most people are deficient in magnesium and zinc. You can add some drops of Anderson’s to water (up to one dropperful spread out over all of your glasses of water for the day). Adrenal fatigue, thyroid issues and hormone imbalances are common. A wide base of minerals can help with adrenal and thyroid issues. Minerals can also help keep you calm, help you sleep better and protect your energy if you are hypersensitive, intuitive, or psychic.

Probiotics

David recommends taking 1 capsule with one meal per day every 2 – 3 days per week. Pharmax HLC High Potency is David’s favorite brand. If you have SIBO, you may want to take a FOS-free probiotic, like the 11-strain from CustomProbiotics.com.

Fish Oil

It’s important to choose a brand that is not contaminated with mercury. Good brands test for mercury levels in their fish oil. Carlson Labs Cod Liver Oil is a good brand.

Vitamin B12

Sublingual B12, like Seeking Health Active B12. Put it under your lip or tongue and allow to dissolve as slowly as possible. B12 can help with digestion, energy, better sleep, better moods, nerve regeneration and organ health.

Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs)

Electronics, WiFi, microwave radiation, cordless phones, high tension power lines, cell phones, and cell phone towers are sources of electromagnetic fields. Electromagnetic fields create tremendous stress on the body and nervous system, which can make it difficult for people to heal, especially if one has a chronic condition. Some options you have are to remove cordless phones from your home and use only corded phones, put your phone on airplane mode when not in use and keep it out of your bedroom. You may also be able to turn your WiFi off at night.

One good supplement to take if you are sensitive to EMFs is vitamin B12 because it helps to strengthen your nervous system and support organ health. See notes above about where to get B12 and how to take it.

David Getoff’s Podcasts on EMFs, GMOs and SupplementsListen to interviews with David to more about EMFs, GMO foods and supplements.

holy-basil-preview-banner

Recipe of the Day: Stress-Busting Holy Basil Tea

Here are two excellent resources David recommends for learning more about vitamins and minerals

users-guide-to-nutritional-supplements the-real-vitamin-and-minarel-book

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As a coach, writer and recovered former executive, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle when over-scheduled. In my journey to radiant health, I created a whole health system of eating, exercise, renewal and recharging -- a roadmap toward health & vitality. I empower clients to create their own whole health systems, in their own unique ways. I have seen amazing results in working with my clients!