Vitamins and Supplements
Like most, I have always been into taking vitamins and protein powder in my workout shakes because we are told that will make us the healthiest. For a nation that eats a meat and dairy heavy standard diet, how are so many of us Vitamin D and Calcium deficient? If eating the Standard American Diet is the healthiest, why is the vitamin and supplements industry worth $38 billion between the two? You should be able to get everything you need from what you are eating, instead of taking several pills a week. There is also a large debate about how the human body breaks down vitamins and if you are getting any of the benefits from taking them.
B-12 is the only vitamin you can’t get naturally from a vegan diet. The way to get it is by eating animal protein, so vegans must take a supplement. I love everything Alicia Silverstone has done with her Kind Life brand. She now has a whole food plant based vitamin supplement line. I love her B-12 spray, its easy to use and tastes like raspberries. The other thing I take is the Women’s Multi Organic Fruit Vitamin Chews. They do have a different texture and taste to regular gummies because of the lack of animal gelatin, but I liked the taste of them. I also like knowing that the vitamins I am taking are whole foods based and not filled with anything else. Ideally, if I was eating 100% WFPB and even Raw vegan, I wouldn’t need the vitamins other than B-12. However, right now I am eating more of a 70% WFPB or raw and 30% vegan so I take it to make sure I am getting everything I need. I am working every day to get closer to 100% WFPB. I also take an Organic Plant Calcium pill and Vegan D3 spray from her line of vitamins. If I am going to take a supplement or vitamin, I want to make sure it is the cleanest version. Garden of Life works with her MyKind Organics line and they make a great Supercritical Algae Omega-3 pill if you are look for a solid omega supplement. One other supplement I take that is optional is the Hair + Energy pill from JS HEALTH. It contains Iodine from two high purity kelp materials, combined with Zinc. These are both great for restoring hair strength and volume, as well as maintain healthy hair. Iodine is essential for the manufacture of thyroid hormones that regulate the basal rate of metabolism and energy production throughout the body. I love that their supplements are made from clean ingredients that I can trust and they are reasonably priced.
This next item is more for metal health, but that is just as important as physical health. I have been seeing a therapist for a while and she suggested I try taking 5-HTP for my depression and trouble sleeping. She knows I would rather go the natural way over taking pharmaceuticals, so I did some research before I tried it. Taking 5-HTP is known to promote a calm and relaxed mood and helps reduce occasional anxiety. It is also known to help with trouble sleeping, all things I struggle with. I started taking a time release vegan version and I am not sure if it is a placebo effect or not, but I have felt a huge difference in my mood and energy. My therapist noticed a difference pretty quickly too, so there’s that. My day job can be difficult at times, and I feel like I have a better handle on my emotions and how I react to those everyday stresses.
There are two powders I use when making smoothies. Vegan protein powders are filled with all kinds of things I’d rather not have in my body and are unnecessary if you are eating the right whole foods. The first one I use and love, is Hawaiian Spirulina. One of the key things with spirulina is to make sure its Hawaiian, and the only brand I trust is Nutrex. The benefits of spirulina are abundant, but you must get a brand that is made in a clean water source, free of pesticides, and heavily tested for heavy metals. Spirulina is a microalgae that has more protein than beef, chicken, and soybeans, an array of amino acids, beta-carotene, vitamin B-12, and chlorophyll to name a few benefits. It’s great for your immune system and is a natural detoxifier by oxygenating the blood and cleanses the body of toxins and other impurities. Some might be excited to hear it is a natural appetite suppressant and does wonders for digestion. The antioxidants in spirulina help balance your body’s PH balance, thus helping with inflammation in a natural way. I only use Nutrex because they farm their spirulina in a controlled GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified facility, where they use 15 different tests for heavy metals, microbes, and other containments. Add in vegan, non-GMO, pesticide and herbicide free, and delicious in my morning smoothies. I don’t mind the taste especially in a smoothie with all the goodies I put in it. I hardly tapped into all the benefits behind this superfood, but the Nutrex website has a lot of resources and information.
The second super food powder I use daily is Barley Grass Juice Powder. I use the brand Pure Synergy and I love it. They have a wide variety of organic supplements to try but I only get BGJP. Not only is it vegan, gluten free, non-GMO, kosher, and whole spectrum certified, but full of all the same kinds of amazing minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. It has the blood cleanser chlorophyll, potassium, high percentage of plant based protein, alkaline properties that helps support healthy PH balance, it is a complete source of amino acid, and enzymes, and is used to help with energy and vitality. It has a smooth, mellow taste and this brand is #1 in the market.
I wanted to find the best versions of both, because I knew the benefits of them in their purest form, but there are a lot of knock offs on the market. I love knowing my smoothies have simple, clean, plant based ingredients without any added sugars, chemicals, and other things I don’t want in my body.
Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these and what you thought! My smoothie recipe that has both the powders will be on my recipes tab soon and I will update this when it’s up. Subscribe to my email newsletter below and you can get updates on new posts and recipes as soon as they are live.
Thanks for reading,
Jessica
