Your health is one of the most important things to preserve. It impacts how you feel on a daily basis, can predict future issues, and even affects your family. There are general guidelines that everyone can follow, but sometimes you have to take your health into your own hands to ensure you’re getting the care and treatment you need. It’s easy to be complacent by ignoring pestering issues instead of going to see a professional and working to better yourself. 

I recently had my annual checkup appointment and it went so much better than my appointment last year! I usually get anxious while waiting at doctor’s offices, but this time I miraculously didn’t get the jitters. The new office was smaller than the big hospital I used to visit and seemingly had fewer patients waiting, but of course that might be because I chose the earliest morning appointment they had available. Another huge plus, and a major reason why I switched providers, was having a doctor that looked like me. She was thorough and made sure to explain everything in an easily digestible way. My previous doctor provided great care too, but there’s an added level of comfort in seeing a professional from your own race, gender, and culture. 

When I’m not running the gauntlet of getting checkups from my primary care provider, dentist, and eye doctor, I try to stay as healthy as I can by exercising regularly and eating in moderation. Truthfully, getting the correct amount and type of nutrients into your body on a daily basis is a never-ending challenge. With busy schedules, it’s sometimes difficult to drink enough water and eat enough leafy greens so your body operates at optimal performance. Many of us rely on supplements to bridge the nutritional gap in our diets.

My husband and I have placed a major emphasis on auditing what we allow into our bodies from the fast food options we choose, to exchanging certain side dishes for healthier ones, and switching to more organic, herbal household items. While supplements are indeed healthier than having deficiencies, we’ve found there are some benefits to choosing herbs over processed vitamins.

My daily blend of supplements include the following:

• Sea Moss (replaces Vitamin C)

• Butterbur Extract (replaces Cetirizine/Zyrtec)

• Oil of Oregano (replaces Vitamin E)

• Purslane (replaces Fish Oil)

• Women’s daily multivitamin 

• Peppermint Oil (replaces Biotin)

• Pre/pro-biotic

I take them every single day and the only time I miss a day is if I forget to order refills in enough time. They all come from either Amazon, Walmart, or Sam’s since Kris and I take similar supplements. Those super fancy ones that you find at the Vitamin Shoppe, Target, GNC, and companies of the like just don’t hit high enough on the value for money for me. 

Websites like Care/Of provide packaged vitamins that allegedly are tailored to your body and its needs. These ready made services always make me question how accurately they identify and address concerns. At the end of the day, there’s only so much you can tell about a person’s health from a few generic questions. Usually blood tests that analyze vitamin and mineral levels are more accurate. I often wonder if the supplement cocktail included in one person’s shipment is the exact same as someone else’s. There’s also no real way of knowing what exactly is included in those prepackaged vitamins or predict if you’ll have adverse effects. In those types of situations, I’d rather take my chances on doing my own research and figuring out healthier alternatives to boosting my well-being.

One of the major keys to having a long life is staying off of avoidable medication, working out regularly, eating healthy, and practicing prevention. Swapping processed vitamins for holistic herbs found in nature can go a long way in healing your body. Always remember, small issues can quickly turn into big ones if they are continuously ignored. 

If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by giving this video a thumbs up, leaving a comment, and subscribing to my channel. I’ll see you in the next episode! 

Signed, 

Jessica Marie