Supplements and Nutrition

April 11, 2021

First: It’s important to speak with your doctor anytime you begin taking a new supplement, to make sure it won’t be interfering with your other medications. This is simply what I did for my CRPS, it will probably vary from person to person.

My supplement and diet journey has been interesting, to say the least. I have found that the best combination for me was to bring in a healthy amount of both western and eastern medicine. I enjoy holistic therapies and I believe they do in fact have a place in our daily lives. I think meditation and concentrating on breath does help with stress. I believe that medication is important. I believe that listening to your doctor is important. And I also believe that what you put into your body absolutely changes how the body functions.

So with that being said, I began a deep dive into all things whole food, plant-based. I wanted to know what those doctors were saying and I wanted to see the science behind it. Why is it so important to get adequate amounts of Vitamin D in the body? Why are medicinal mushrooms, such as Chaga, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps important?

Below I’ll be posting links to several articles that explain in detail why plant-based living decreases inflammation in the body and why medicinal mushrooms are so powerful.

In no particular order, here’s what I took out of my diet:

Stopped drinking alcohol.
Stopped drinking coffee.
Decreased the amount of sugar and processed foods I was eating.
Decreased my consumption of bread.
No meat.
No dairy.

Here is what I added:

Increase in dark leafy greens (kale, swiss chard, spinach)
Increase in broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, red peppers, and ginger.
Smoothies 4-5x a week (Four Sigmatic Mushroom Protein Powder, leafy greens, blueberries, banana, water, flaxseed, Amla, Spirulina)
Lots of oatmeal. Eat all the oatmeal you want!
Quinoa
Beans!!! (lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, white beans, etc.)
Apples, bananas, pineapple, lemons, figs, dates, avocados, grapes, berries, eat all the fruits!
Eat as many veggies as you want. More the merrier.
Nuts. Literally, go nuts for nuts. (Brazil Nuts, Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Pistachios)
Sauerkraut, Kombucha, Dandelion Greens (these are all prebiotics which help grow a healthy gut!)

Real quick…let’s dive into the difference between Prebiotics and Probiotics.

Prebiotics: Your body needs these to help GROW a healthy gut.
Probiotics: Your body needs these to help MAINTAIN a healthy gut.

Here is what I did with supplements (which is basically increasing blood oxygen levels, because we all know that nerves love fresh blood):

Vitamin D, everyday
Vitamin B12, everyday
Vitamin C, everyday
Magnesium, 3x a week
Algae Omegas, 3x a week
Zinc, 1x a week
Curcumin, 3x a week
Also, 1tbsp of sauerkraut a day helps not just with your gut, but has a bountiful supply of K2 (studies have shown that Vitamin K helps improve bone density and reduces the risk of bone fractures)

Along with nutrition, diet, and supplements is…you guessed it: exercise!

Now, exercise with CRPS has become one of the more difficult things to navigate. Too much cardio leads to pain flares. I don’t know why. So I’ve been sticking to some light yoga, stretching, and using resistance bands. It’s vital to keep the body moving. Let me repeat that, IT IS VITAL TO KEEP THE BODY MOVING! Pain…no pain…move your body. Go on a walk, stretch, do a few sit-ups, just keep the body moving.

And lastly, drink more water.

Be kind and stay safe out there!

Xoxo

Bekah

P.S. The 10^th Annual Food Revolution Summit is happening later this month. I’ve signed up and cannot wait to hear what all these doctors have to say about disease and food. They’re even covering the COVID-19 Vaccine. Sign up here.

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