Home > Guide to designing your supplement regimen

by Dave Foreman

I have given hundreds of seminars on how to design your own supplement program. The concept in these seminars was to teach you how to build your own personal supplement program and adapt the regimen when health changes occur. Even though the feedback from these Vitamin Shoppe-sponsored events has been excellent, many attendees still wanted me to structure their program for them. Being healthy and getting started in the right direction is definitely a difficult task. There are so many experts out there, and each one has a different spin on how to handle health- including me! So, in response to these requests, I created an on-line consultation form, available on my Web site www.herbalpharmacist.com.

The form is scored personally by me, and then, based on your answers, I put together a personalized program to get you moving in the right direction. The reason I am including an example of a consultation in my newsletter is to give you a better idea of how to think about your health. Maybe understanding what it takes to be healthy- Time, Effort, Commitment, Knowledge and Desire- will give you the impetus you need to achieve your health goals too. The following are the answers a client provided on an online consultation, and my response on how to move forward in health.

Consultation Form Answers:

Gender: Male

Age: 60-65

Weight: 169

Height: 5'7"

Issue to Address

Goal

Current Medications

Current Supplements

Desired Weight Loss

Nervous System

Eyes

Adrenals

Cardiovascular

Structural

Urinary

Activity

Intestinal

Liver, Blood and Gallbladder

I am looking forward to working with you on your program. Your goal to not take prescription medication(s) is a very reasonable one. I always feel that if you treat the body right, it will take care of you. In order to achieve your goals, you will need to be very open and honest with yourself. You will also need to do in-home monitoring of your blood sugar (I suggest 4 times per day). You should also work closely with your health care provider when it comes time to reduce or eliminate any of your medications. The following are the suggestions I have for getting you on the right track:

Step 1:

General Cleansing: Based on your needs for cholesterol control, I think it is prudent to begin your program with a good cleansing and detoxification program. This will benefit how well your supplement program works as well as provide improvement for many other health issues you may have. My favorite cleanse is CleanseSmart (Renew Life Formulas). This is a 30-day program. While cleansing, make sure to eat more fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. I suggest you eliminate (as much as possible) animal protein (meats, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy). You should also consume at least 10-13 eight-ounce glasses of purified water each day. Eliminate other beverages as much as possible (especially coffee, sodas and juices-unless you juice at home).

Step 2:

Liver Cleansing: I would like you to continue the cleansing process but this time focus on your liver specifically. I like Liver Cleanse (Enzymatic Therapy). This is a 14-day program designed to detoxify your liver. If you can, continue the same dietary recommendations mentioned above. The big deal breakers here are caffeine, alcohol and any other non-organic foods/beverages.

Step 3: Supplement program:

Multivitamin: Every Man II. This is by far the best multivitamin because it is a whole food vitamin (better digested, absorbed and retained) designed forMen over 40 (I use this multivitamin). A man over 40 has different nutritional needs than one who isn't, so it is a great idea to take this supplement.

Omega-3: Based on your age, weight and health concerns listed, I think you should be taking 3 grams of Omega-3s from fish oil each day. In some cases, taking the correct amount of fish oil is as effective as medication-without the side effects. The problem for most people is that they don't take enough Omega-3. In order to make sure you are taking the right amount, take a look at the supplement facts panel on your product. Find out how many capsules/tablespoons etc. make up a serving. Then see what the total Omega-3s for a serving are. If it doesn't say "total", then add up the amount of EPA, DHA and other Omega-3s listed per serving. Every product seems to be different so please read the label carefully. If you find out that the total is 600mg per 2 capsules, then you would need to take 10 capsules per day to get the 3000mg I am suggesting. Brands like Nordic Naturals (Concentrated), Carlson Labs, Coromega (this is what I use) and Vitamin Shoppe brand are great choices. If your fish oil smells or tastes like fish, don't use it. This smell or taste means it has oxidized and will not be effective or healthy for you any longer.

Antioxidant: I prefer that ALL of us take a combination antioxidant. A formula that combines multiple antioxidants will save you money and time. My two favorite formulas are: Super Critical Antioxidant and Antioxidant Cocktail II. These are designed to work synergistically.Of these two, I feel that Antioxidant Cocktail II is best suited for you because of your heart health, eye health and diabetic needs.

Blood Sugar Support: My favorite formula for blood sugar control is Doctor's Choice for Glucose Regulation (Enzymatic Therapy). Many of the ingredients in this formula will also help with your cholesterol control too. For now, follow the manufacturer's label instructions. If in three to four weeks you are not seeing a decrease in blood sugar, I will probably suggest you increase the dose-just keep in touch with me please.

Digestive Bitters: These are great at helping people such as you with cholesterol issues and balancing the levels naturally. There is a formula by Solaray (Liver Blend SP-13) that may be effective at achieving this goal. My diet suggestions below will also be helpful with both your blood sugar and cholesterol concerns. This should be taken 45 minutes before each meal and at bedtime. Don't start this formula until you are finished with the liver cleanse mentioned above. All other supplements can be started at the beginning of your program.

Probiotic: This will help with your digestion and a whole lot more. I believe that we ALL should use a probiotic daily. There are tons to choose from, but I think Reuteri Pearls (Nature's Way), FloraSmart (Renew Life), Ultimate 10 Probiotic (Vitamin Shoppe) and Advanced Probiotic (M.D. Select) are the best for you. Just follow the manufacturer's labeling for dosing.

Step 4: Diet:

I am not sure how you eat, but here is what I think you should do:

Before I get started, I know you are satisfied with where your weight is; however, based on your height and weight, unless you are very muscular you are still considered to be overweight. Your ideal weight should be closer to 159 (or even less). Those 10 pounds can make all the difference in the world in helping with your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. By increasing your physical activity and following my dietary suggestions below, you should be able to achieve this weight loss in 8-12 weeks. The best way to control cholesterol and blood sugar are through diet (how we eat) and exercise (amount of activity). My usual suggestions for activity are to walk briskly for 30+ minutes every day (briskly defined: if you are walking with someone and trying to have a conversation, you would be having minor difficulty catching your breath). There are many other activities such as swimming, cycling, etc. that can be substituted. Please let me know if you want other suggestions.

With regard to how to eat, this is what I suggest: Eliminate completely ALL refined foods (go in your pantry and refrigerator and bag up everything and throw it away). This means anything that isn't in its original state (the way GOD created it). No bread, pasta, cereal, etc. Even packaged (canned, frozen, etc.) foods should be eliminated. This also includes canola oil, vegetable oil, etc.What you should be eating are plenty of fruits (NO juices though), veggies, nuts, seeds and legumes. Try to avoid your starchy foods though - these foods are EVIL for you right now. When it comes to meats: Eat organic and consume 4-6 ounce servings at a time no more. Buy leaner cuts of pork, beef and chicken. Fish is great, just not canned. If you get cravings or feel hungry, try keeping baby carrots or some other veggie available (already cut and washed) to eat with a big glass of water. Remember that we are changing your lifestyle, and that takes time to get used to. Pray about it and then give praise to GOD for answering your prayers. Once you learn to eat the right way, this will NEVER happen to you again.

Final Thoughts:

This is just one of many examples I could have provided you. I started with this type of individual because these two health issues seem to go hand-in-hand. As you can see above, being healthy involves a multipronged approach. You can't just take a pill and expect to be healthy. Eating right, exercising, praying and supplementing (4-Pillars of Health) are all very important.