Tools, Gadgets, Labs and Supplements for Health and Wellness
Health supportive gifts for you, friends, or family members - some free and most discounted.
This week we focus on the tools, gadgets, testing and some supplements that I believe support health and wellness. Since we are entering the holiday time of year, many of these are dramatically discounted now or will be over the next few days. Furthermore, in honor of the USA holiday of Thanksgiving, the photos are related to pies and a few people who love/loved them. Thank you for reading Living Healthy Fully!
Oura Ring for Sleep, O2 and HRV Tracking*
This little ring on my finger has helped me improve my Hart Rate Variability (a key measure of health). With its oxygen sensor, I feel confident I am not developing sleep apnea, and it tracks much more. The reason I list it first is it can help you learn how to improve your sleep quality and efficiency which can help everything, including energy, brain health, focus, resilience, overall health, and healing.
See my prior newsletter on sleep hygiene. If you want to get a $40 discount, use this link.
DNA Testing and SelfDecode’s Insights*
As was covered in my last newsletter, I think DNA testing can be very informative, but I recommend starting with the foundations of health first. With that caveat, the holiday discounts from November 20th to November 29th are so high (e.g., 50%), I would not pass up purchasing a DNA test if you are curious. After reviewing a number of DNA testing companies, I believe SelfDecode is the most comprehensive, protects your privacy, and provides useful recommendations. That said, I recommend working with someone who can contextualize their recommendations. I am glad to help you with that or give you a referral to one of my peers. Get the discounted DNA test, here.
Free Lab Testing from Your Doctor or Lifeforce
As stated in prior posts, I highly recommend you visit your doctor each year (especially men who don’t seem to make this a priority). Furthermore, if you are in the USA and have insurance, the doctor's visit and your preventative labs should be covered 100% before your deductible (zero out of pocket cost). The serum labs (blood tests) that I ask my general practitioner doctor to run each year include:
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Comprehensive metabolic panel
Full Lipid panel including Triglycerides and Apolipoprotein B
Hemoglobin A1C
High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (indictor of inflammation…)
Homocysteine
25-hydroxy vitamin D
Thyroid panel (but at least TSH)
PSA for men
Pap Smear for women (Not a blood test but suggest discussing with your doctor)
One note about labs, most doctors will only tell you if your results are outside of the normal ranges from a pathological perspective and not tell you if you’re outside the optimal ranges and may not tell you how to improve your labs. I suggest you work with someone trained in reading labs that can better educate you on how to improve your health. In addition, if you have done a SelfDecode DNA test you will also be able to upload your lab results into their portal to get added insights about the optimal ranges for your blood markers and recommendations for improving. Again, it is still best to work with a doctor or other health professional who can help you identify the lifestyle factors you can do to improve your health and help prevent future diseases.
If you are not regularly seeing your doctor and/or want more comprehensive labs run, Lifeforce is offering another great option (hugely discounted right now for the holidays). You will also get a functional health report discussing optimal ranges and receive recommendations from a board certified medical doctor (MD) and get your questions answered by these functionally trained MDs. (Personally, I would not sign up for the Lifeforce monthly coaching but that’s because I offer that service to clients. 😉)
A new alternative for labs and insights is functionhealth.com which seems to provide an even more comprehensive set of tests and recommendations, but I have not worked with them, yet.
Supplements*
As a Functional Nutrition Counselor and Regenerative Health Coach, I have an online Fullscript store for my clients where I give them the maximum discount on supplements (no benefit to me) that I am allowed by the site. Through November 28th, I am offering the full 35% discount to anyone reading this, so if saving on quality supplements is of interest to you, I invite you to go, here.
Generally, I think we should be getting our nutrition from a healthy diet. Because of the stress of life, industrial farming practices, the hybridization of seeds/crops, specialized diets, and/or weakened digestive systems, many of us are not getting all the nutrients we need. As a modern human, I believe the following supplements will benefit most of you, but the quality and types may be more or less beneficial depending on your diet, your food sensitivities, digestive system, lifestyle … and your DNA.
Multivitamin – There are many benefits from taking a multivitamin each day. Most also benefit from getting a multivitamin with the methylated forms of B12 and Folate but if you find that you feel worse when taking these methylated forms, you will want to find a vitamin that has the unmethylated forms.
Vitamin D3 – Most people will benefit from taking ~5000 units per day but need to get a blood test to be certain what your body needs. Taking it with vitamin K2 (frequently found in a multivitamin) provides other benefits. Read my prior newsletter on vitamin D and the importance of getting your blood level checked, here.
Stress Formula (B Vitamins) – when we are under stress, we can benefit from more B vitamins. (Above note about methylation applies here, too.)
Quality Fish Oil or Krill Oil – there is a lot of science supporting taking fish oil each day if you are not eating wild caught fatty fish 2-3 times a week. Eating fish more than that may expose you to higher levels of Mercury so supplementing may be preferred but get a high-quality source as a lot of fish and krill oil supplements are rancid.
Magnesium – many people do not get enough magnesium and there are a variety of different types. I usually recommend starting with taking Magnesium Citrate, but I suggest talking with someone who can educate you about the qualities and quantities that are right for you. (This is an opportunity for a future newsletter.)
Other Minerals – look for a multivitamin that also includes minerals, especially selenium and zinc. Most men and post-menopausal women should avoid any multivitamins with iron.
Vitamin C (possibly with Quercetin) – I take buffered forms of vitamin C most days and higher amounts when I am starting to feel under the weather. Vitamin C and Quercetin also may have some positive synergistic effects, too.
If you create a Fullscript account, you will see some supplement categories I’ve created. The “Foundation for most” is comprised of brands and types consistent with the above list for you to choose. While I prefer vitamins in the pill, tablet, or powered form, I have learned that some people won’t take pills, so I have added a number of good multivitamin gummy options (even though these frequently have added sugar). There are also vitamin D3 chewable tablets and zinc lozenges.
Finally, you can search the entire Fullscript catalog and purchase anything you want at the 35% discount through November 28, 2023.
As with everything I say in my newsletters, it’s always best to work with your doctor or a qualified health professional when choosing what is right for you and that goes for supplements, too.
Apple Watch and Other Fitness Trackers
While Oura Ring does almost everything I need to improve my health, Apple Watch and other trackers can be motivating for exercising, walking, recording flights of stairs or working-out. The downside of these trackers is their WiFi or cellular features. I highly recommend you turn off WiFi or cellular to reduce your exposure to RFs/EMFs. Some people experience sleep disturbances and other issues from these radio frequency pulses, and I believe it’s best to avoid or limit these whenever possible. If you have one of these devices learn how to turn off the WiFi and cellular features and if using them for sleep tracking, put them in airplane mode at night. Lastly these devices’ notifications can be disruptive to your productivity. Learning how to turn off their notification when spending time with friends/family and working is key. I believe Apple and Costco will be running sales this coming week.
Cronometer and Food Tracking Apps
While I am not a fan of tracking the details of your food consumption every day because of the time it takes, and it can be triggering for people with histories of disordered eating. However, occasionally and for short periods of time, detailed tracking of foods consumed each day and recording notes about your mood/health can help you to determine food allergies, sensitivities and how foods affect your energy levels or sleep. Also, it can be very educational to see if you are eating enough quality protein, healthy fats, and important nutrients, as well as if you’re consuming too many bad fats, sugar, or iron. (I believe the Cronometer app calculates your nutrients/vitamins best.) When combined with a continuous glucose monitor, you can learn even more about how your body processes sugars, carbs, when your blood sugar spikes or causes it to drop.
Filtering Your Water
Drinking water and staying hydrated is one of the foundations of health, as I covered in my newsletter, Is your drinking water safe? The holiday time may also be a good time to purchase a lower cost water filter system or pitcher. Here are some you may consider from that same newsletter.
Reminder
Dental hygiene is also key for health so remember to work with a qualified holistic or biological dentist. Read my Importance of Healthy Teeth and Gums newsletter for why and how to find one.
*Most of the recommendations above, I have no financial association, however the ones with an asterisk (*) I may get some monetary payment.
Learn More
If you want more energy, health and joy in your life or have questions about this newsletter or my services, leave me a comment here or contact me through TodWickersham.com.
I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Best of Health,
Tod Wickersham, CFNC, FNLP
Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor & Regenerative Health Coach
Beneficial Results LLC | TodWickersham.com
Live Healthy to Live More Fully!
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Disclaimer
THE INFORMATION TOD WICKERSHAM/BENEFICIAL RESULTS LLC PROVIDES YOU IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE OR INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, PREVENT, CURE OR PRESCRIBE FOR ANY COMPLAINT, CONDITION, OR SYMPTOM. ANY PERSONAL MEDICAL OR HEALTH QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO A QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.
