Getting a prescription for a medication or a recommendation from a professional for a supplement isn’t enough. There is a long list of drugs that have gone through years of FDA testing, later shown to be deadly, addictive or to have damaging side effects. We need to be pro-active about what we put into our own bodies. Here are some questions to ask yourself.
1. Do you need it? Many drugs are over prescribed or too easily prescribed. There are ways of controlling things like high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and more for example using diet changes, exercise, weight loss and meditation. These actually solve the problem, not just mask it.
2. Do you know what you are using it for? Many people take supplements and medications because they read about it helping with something but are you really clear about what you personally want to achieve? What are your goals? What is the evidence that it will do what you want it to?
3. What are the ingredients in the medication (including vaccines) and supplements? You should be aware of everything that goes into your body and not just assume that because it is legally sold, that it is healthy. Many known toxins are still legal, unfortunately. If you are purchasing a supplement, it should be in it’s purest form, without a lot of unnecessary additives. Some of the additives even alter the way it is processed in the body. Do you have any allergies or intolerances to any of the ingredients like gluten, corn, yeast?
4. How is it processed? Some tinctures for example use alcohol, which may be harmful in certain conditions.
5. What are the possible interactions? Doctors aren’t aware of all of the interactions and are often not aware of all of the medications and supplements you take. All have potential interactions.
6. What are the possible side effects? This is a no-brainer.
7. Is the person who is recommending it qualified? What is their background? A health coach for example does not have the years of training that a nutritionist has. There are great health coaches out there but you should know his or her qualifications and background before getting any advice. The same goes for life coaches. They are different from people who are Licensed Counselors, Social Workers and Psychologists. There are great ones, but their training and backgrounds are not the same as licensed professionals.
8. Do you know enough about your genetic make up to make decisions about the effects the substance might have? A common genetic issue called MTHFR effects the way we process folic acid and other B vitamins, how effectively we detox and more. Cytochrome P450 is an enzyme that many people lack which can effect how we process and therefore tolerate many types of medications. Certain medications like antibiotics and antidepressants may not be effective at all. Other enzymes play a part in medication processing as well.
9. Do you know what type and what dosage is most effective? Circumin is a great example. Many people have heard that Tumeric is beneficial for liver function, inflammation, weight loss and many other things but not many people know that 500 mg of Tumeric listed on the side of a bottle is not the same potency as 500 mg of Circumin, the active ingredient in Tumeric. You also want to look at the standardization and percent of active ingredient. With Circumin, I have always been taught to look for 95% for the most effective product. There are also substances like black pepper, bioperine, that are reported to help with the absorption of Circumin. When you are looking at the price, you need to know what you are paying for.
10. One of the most important things to consider as far as I am concerned as a Medical Intuitive is what is your “gut” telling you. Is your intuition saying that taking the medication or getting that shot might do more harm than good, that you can strengthen your immune system in more effective ways or that you really need to lose 20 pounds rather than take a pill? We know our bodies better than anyone, or at least that is the way it should be.