Tonics and potions

{ Not exactly the potion I had in mind, but this works, too!  |  February 2013 }

As promised, a little peek at the nutritional extras I've been experimenting with lately:

Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega-D3

Natural Vitality Natural Calm

Bio-Kult Probiotic

Bernard Jensen Bovine Gelatin

+ Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega-D3  for reducing inflammation, a boost in building strong bones, and a little help regulating immune systems & mood / circadian rhythms.

I read good things about this company and the combination of Omega-3's + Vitamin D (necessary during our never-ending winter!) was a nice little dose of efficiency that I couldn't resist. While it's getting much easier to find good meat from local, sustainable, and gentle farms, fish still gives me problems. Either it's super expensive (which good meat can be, too), or, reports on the health of the fishery are conflicting. So while I am making more of an effort to scope out good fish, in the meantime, taking two of these a day cover me when I don't get enough. I mentioned before that I had noticed a little boost in energy when I first tried it, but as far as I can tell, no other clear effects (some women notice stronger hair and nails, which I haven't...although, my hair and nails are pretty strong already so who knows). Bonus: I was always afraid of taking fish oil because of the dreaded "fish burps" (eww!), but I haven't experienced any of that yuckiness with these at all!


+ Natural Vitality Natural Calm  for a direct boost of magnesium, which is an antidote to stress, improves sleep, promotes bowel movements, relaxes muscles, improves bone density, lowers risk of coronary heart diseases, regulates blood pressure and treats migraines/insomnia/depression.

Most people don’t get enough magnesium because the amount the body needs is greater than most think and many magnesium capsules and tablets are not completely absorbed. This powder, however, is pure, highly absorbable magnesium carbonate with citric acid—which creates ionic magnesium citrate, a nutrient that helps your muscles and nerves function properly, keeps your heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system and keeps your bones strong. All of which means, if you want to sleep better and be less crochety (hi!), this seems like a good supplement. I've noticed a slight change in my sleep (a little deeper) and maybe in my mood (although I'm also making a conscious effort to keep work stress and personal stress compartmentalized), so I can't say with 100% certainty that the latter is thanks to this powder. But, I definitely know that a few spoons of this powder in water twice a day helps keep things moving (awkward...).


+ Bio-Kult Probiotic  for 14 strains of beneficial bacteria that help reverse the effects of poor diet, antibiotics, foreign travel, stress, aging and digestion issues.

I decided to try probiotics to see if they'd help with tummy problems when some gluten or more sugar than usual creeps onto my plate. I haven't really seen any huge effects, although Mexico was the first time in as long as I can remember that I haven't had my digestion basically shut down while traveling, so that's an improvement.


+ Bernard Jensen Gelatin  to support skin, hair and nail growth, keep joints lubricated, tighten loose skin, improve digestion, boost protein intake and build muscle.

I've been making more and more soup lately, reserving meaty bones from our dinners to throw in for an extra boost of gelatin and collagen, but I figured taking some direct gelatin wouldn't hurt either. I especially liked the idea of better skin, hair, and nail growth (specifically the skin bit), better digestion and help building muscle. So far, haven't really noticed any changes, though. To be fair, I also don't take this daily.

+ + +

There hasn't been any spectacular life-changing differences as a result of these guys, but there have been a few small improvements. I've also only been on this little "regimen" of mine for about 6 weeks, so I'm not ready to write anything off just yet. Maybe in another month or so I'll be able to make a decision about continuing or not.