Hi William,
By now you should have a good overview of how to heal your existing gut issues, and perhaps you''ve already begun implementing some of those steps.
Let''s say you''ve used Jini''s Wild Oregano Oil Protocol to eliminate infection in your gut (Candida yeast, bad bacteria, etc.). You''ve used a stool or softening agent as an ''intestinal broom'' to sweep all those pathogens out of your system. You''ve used high dose therapeutic Natren probiotics to implant your gut with good, protective bacteria. You''ve either used my IBD Remission Diet to heal your gut, or you''ve switched to my Maintenance Diet for an ongoing healthy diet...and you''re feeling pretty good!
Here''s what you need to take ONGOING, every day to not only achieve a healthy gut, but to keep it that way. For many of these supplements, you may need to adjust the dosage based on your particular body and condition, but just use these as general guidelines:
Vitamin D3 - 3,000 IU per day
Magnesium - 250 mg per day
Natren probiotics - 1 Healthy Trinity per day
Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil - 2-4 capsules per day
Carlson or Nature''s Way Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) - 1 capsule per day (400 IU)
Bone Support - 1 tbsp per day
Minerals Of Life Trace Minerals - 1 tbsp per day
Stool softening or bulking agent - like chia, flaxseed, or psyllium seed
Now that you have the short list, let me briefly tell you why each of these supplements is key in supporting your ongoing health and why my whole family follows this same regimen.
Vitamin D3 - approximately 3,000 IU per day
Unless you get a minimum of 20 minutes full exposure (with all surfaces of your skin exposed - face, arms, legs) to the sun every day, during all seasons, then you need to supplement with Vitamin D3.
There are varying recommendations for how much vitamin D you should take and some suggest getting your vitamin D levels tested using the 25 (OH)D test - since dosage varies according to weight, age and skin color. The darker your skin, the more vitamin D you need: children need less than adults, overweight people need more, and people in disease states (especially IBD) need more. As a general guideline, 3,000 IU per day for adults of natural-source Vitamin D3 is a good place to start. If you want detailed guidelines on how to figure out the exact amount of Vitamin D3 for your particular body, see my blog post on Vitamin D.
Magnesium - at least 250 mg per day
However, it is crucial that you take extra magnesium if you are taking Vitamin D3, as the body needs magnesium to convert Vitamin D from its storage form to its active form. Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND maintains this is why many people do not feel the benefits from Vitamin D3 - because they are simultaneously giving themselves ill effects by provoking magnesium deficiency. Since magnesium is needed for so many vital functions in the body, it is one of the cornerstone supplements you need to take to ensure normal functioning, as Dr. Dean says:
1. Magnesium may actually be involved in 1300 biological enzyme systems in the body and not only the 325 that I''ve been quoting for years. That''s 80% of all the enzyme systems in the body. Yes, magnesium does everything!
2. The highest concentration of magnesium is in the ventricle chambers of the heart. So why doesn''t your cardiologist know that?
3. Fifty-four molecules of magnesium are required to metabolize one molecule of sucrose, which is why a high sugar diet causes magnesium deficiency.
So 250 mg per day is a good starting point, but depending on your diet, stress levels, Vitamin D intake, toxins, drug use, etc. you may need a lot more. If you tend towards constipation, then take your magnesium in magnesium citrate form - either capsules or a great drink powder called Natural Calm.
If you tend towards diarrhea, or you cannot take magnesium because it loosens your bowel, then take either nanoparticle-size magnesium (1 - 2 tbsp. per day) or use topical magnesium oil (distilled from seawater) on your skin or in your bath - or combine the two! Neither of these forms of magnesium will affect your bowel. Please see my blog post for details on the different types of magnesium and how to dose yourself.
Natren Probiotics - 1 Healthy Trinity capsule per day
Maintaining a healthy gut flora is crucial for ongoing digestive health. I won''t repeat the information here since we already covered probiotics in Module #3. If you need a refresher, then go back to the free eBook I gave you: What You Need To Know About Probiotics.
After one year of therapeutic probiotic supplementation, you may be able to maintain your gut microbiota by eating 2 - 3 fermented foods per day - which naturally contain food-based probiotics, like fermented veggies, homemade yoghurt, lacto-fermented mayonnaise, etc. See the Recipes section on my blog for ideas.
Cod Liver Oil - 2-6 capsules per day
If you downloaded the Maintenance Diet I gave you last week, you''ll know that it is very important to get plenty of good fats in your diet. "Low-fat patients are my most unhealthy patients," says John P. Salerno, MD, a board certified family physician from New York City. "The reason we are spiraling into diabetes and obesity is because of the low-fat concept developed by the U.S government decades ago. Low-fat diets have a low nutrient base, and phytonutrients in vegetables cannot be properly absorbed without fat."
But using healthy oils like raw coconut oil, organic extra virgin olive oil and flaxseed oil is not enough. You also need to ingest a daily source of animal fat to achieve and maintain optimum health. Sally Fallon Morrell says, "The nutrients in animal fats, such as vitamins A, D and K, arachidonic acid, DHA, choline, cholesterol and saturated fat, are critical for brain function. In the misguided war against cholesterol and saturated fat, we have created an epidemic of learning disorders in the young and mental decline in the elderly."
Fish oil alone has been used in clinical trials to induce remission in Crohn''s Disease(1).
A friend of mine - who was otherwise healthy, bore 4 children and had good energy levels all day - could never grow her nails. They would split, peel or break off if they got longer than the end of her finger. Then one day, after listening to me preach about cod liver oil, she held a bottle of cod liver oil in her hand asked her body, "How much?" She felt the answer: "5 capsules," so she started taking 5 capsules per day, and within 1 month her nails were long and looked like she had a French manicure.
You will also see a huge difference in the thickness and shine of your hair if you get enough healthy fats, see my blog post for exact details on this.
Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) - 1 capsule per day (400 IU)
As you may already know, Vitamin E is one of the most potent antioxidants and prevents free radical damage. However, you MUST make sure the Vitamin E you take is natural-source and contains both tocopherols and tocotrienols - or you not have the same beneficial effects.
Vitamin E is best taken with food and the brands I carry meet my potency requirements and are both in softgel form.
So if you''re dosing for a child, or you don''t like to swallow capsules, these softgels can be chewed instead. I chew mine together with my Carlson Vitamin D3 and Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil (Lemon flavored) and then I spit out the gel casings after 30 seconds of chewing. My younger kids just swallow the gelcap casings - they treat them like gummies! The natural lemon flavor in the cod liver oil masks the taste of all of them, so makes the three very easy to take each morning with breakfast.
Nano or Atom-Sized Bone Minerals - 1 tbsp per day
My whole family uses these atom-sized blend of key minerals needed for bone (and teeth) health, like calcium, boron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, copper and silica.
Remember, nanoparticle or angstrom-sized minerals do not require digestion, nor enzymatic processes. They are absorbed immediately into the bloodstream due to their minute particle size and the fact that they are harvested from organic mineral crystals.
I no longer take regular, powdered calcium due to the research showing that the body cannot excrete excess calcium and it is now building up in the arteries. Many researchers theorize this is the cause of the huge spike in heart disease for women.(2)
If you suffer from tooth decay or osteoporosis, then you need additional minerals, so take 2-3 times the dose per day and swish around your teeth for one minute after brushing. See my blog post for lots more on this topic and more detailed dosage instructions!
Trace Minerals - 1 tbsp per day
This is another nano-sized mineral product, so you can just add it to your drinking water, or to your juice or smoothies, shakes, since it''s pretty much tasteless. It contains the 62 trace minerals that used to be present in our soil, but have largely disappeared due to industrial farming (monoculture crops, pesticide use, etc.).
I have a huge glass water dispenser on my counter, so I just add my trace minerals to that every time I fill it up.
Stool Bulking or Softening Agent (chia, flaxseed, or psyllium seed) - 1-2 servings per day
Stool softeners (also known as stool bulking agents) will bulk up your stools by absorbing and holding water. Therefore, if you suffer from diarrhea, they help absorb the excess water in the colon. But if you suffer from constipation, they will keep your stools soft and spongy, stimulating peristalsis and making them easier to pass. Hence, in both conditions, they help avoid hemorrhoids.
You can use a psyllium husk or seed product to accomplish this, but you can also get a similar benefit by eating superfoods like chia and flaxseed - just be sure to soak them first, or drink plenty of water after ingestion.
How Do You Fit It All In?
Well, now that you know what to take to help achieve and maintain vibrant health, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed about how and when to take everything! Don''t worry, because it probably looks more complicated that it actually is. Since many of these supplements are compatible with each other, you can also take them all together in one go and they easily become part of your regular routine.
So here''s how my whole family (including my kids) takes these daily supplements:
First thing in the morning:
Natren probiotics
Stool bulking/softening agent - chia and flaxseed cereal
*Chewed together after breakfast: Vitamin D3, Cod Liver Oil , Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols)
Trace Minerals - 1 tbsp in each kids water bottle for school, and in the glass of water for my and hubby''s desk.
*Remember not to swallow capsules/pills if you''re having more than 3 bowel movements per day - the transit time is too fast. You can chew softgels and spit out the capsules after you''ve extracted the contents - also works for people who can''t swallow pills.
Before bed:
Magnesium
Atom-Sized bone and teeth minerals - swished around for 1 minute after brushing teeth, then swallowed.
And that''s it! It''s pretty easy once you get organized. Stay tuned for the seventh and final module where I''m going to give you natural solutions for the top 5 gut-related health issues (constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, heartburn and anal fissures) and how to heal them.
Until then, soar higher!
Jini
References:
(1) Effect of an enteric-coated fish-oil preparation on relapses in Crohn''s disease. Belluzzi A, Brignola C, Campieri M, et al. N Engl J Med. 1996;334:1557-1560
(2) Is calcium excess in western diet a major cause of arterial disease? International Journal of Cardiology, 1991 Vol;33(2):191-8
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