Supplement Smartly

In HELP: The Health, Energy & Longevity Plan, Dr. Dave Strobel and I have condensed insights from his three decades of family medicine practice and lessons I learned through my personal health journey into an 18-page booklet.

HELP includes 10 elements relating to diet and lifestyle that address the underlying causes of metabolic syndrome, which is a major factor in many of the most feared and deadly diseases we face today, from heart disease to many cancers and even Alzheimer's.

We readily acknowledge that none of these 10 elements are our original insights: we hope we've brought them together in a clear, accessible way that both informs and motivates people to embrace healthful lifestyle changes in consultation with their medical providers.

The fourth element of HELP, Supplement Smartly, was inspired by Dr. William Davis' book, Undoctored: Why Health Care Has Failed You and How You Can Become Smarter Than Your Doctor. (#CommissionEarned; more on that in a bit.)

As Dr. Davis notes, multivitamins are of little if any benefit for health, because in reality most people aren't just a little bit deficient in several nutrients. Our real problem is that we're seriously deficient in a few key nutrients that have outsized impact on several diseases and conditions.

So Dr. Davis recommends, and we agree, that more targeted supplementation is helpful. Or, to put it another way...

Supplement Smartly.

In HELP we identify several vitamins and minerals (and one hormone) for which many people will find supplementation beneficial or maybe even necessary for long-term health. These include:

• Vitamin D (immune system regulation)
• Iodine (thyroid gland)
• Magnesium (cell metabolism and sleep)
• Fish Oils (EPA and DHA are essential for healthy cell membranes)
• Vitamin K2 (supporting bone and cardiovascular health)
• Zinc (immune system)
• Turmeric (anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory)

Since we first published HELP, we've also seen the benefit of Quercetin to reduce uric acid levels and to activate the immune-boosting power of zinc.

Alignment of Interests

Our goal through HELPcare is to give you the tools and information you need to take charge of your health like community discussion, learning modules, and a free copy of the HELP book. We want to make it easy and convenient for you to get the supplements that would help you, and we don't want you to think we might have some motive other than your benefit.

Instead of conflicts of interest, we want to have alignment of interests.

So while HELPcare has joined the Amazon Associates program, which pays us a commission when you buy any items through a link on our site, we will be contributing all proceeds from those commissions to a nonprofit that will provide partial scholarships for those who can't afford HELPcare Clinic memberships.

So if you choose to purchase supplements through the links below, we will not profit personally but you will be helping others get unhurried, personal primary care.

The Supplements I Take

In addition to assuring you that we have no mercenary motivation for promoting these supplements, I also want you to know that I personally take all of them.

Just as HELP is a concise "cheat sheet" providing pointers to healthy behaviors, the list below provides links to what I'm taking. For each of these categories, Amazon has perhaps dozens of alternatives, and of course there are numerous other websites and retailers offering supplements.

You should decide what's right for you in consultation with your doctor or other health care provider.

This is where I've landed:

• Vitamin D. These 50,000 IU capsules can be taken once a week (or daily for a week or two as a loading dose if your current 25-hydroxy Vitamin D levels are deficient.) For maintenance I take two of these daily. We have an entire learning module on the Importance of Vitamin D.
• Iodine. There are lots of good options, but this is the one I use.
• Magnesium. I take magnesium chloride in the morning and magnesium l-threonate just before bedtime as a sleep aid.
• Fish Oil. It's hard to get enough EPA and DHA in supplement form without taking a dozen pills a day. This one has sufficient quantity in four daily capsules.
• Vitamin K2.
• Zinc.
• Turmeric.
• Quercetin.

As I mentioned previously, for any purchase you make using these links, HELPcare will earn a commission, which we will donate to HELPcare Foundation which provides HELPcare Clinic scholarships for those who can't afford the full membership dues.

HELPcare Clinic provides unhurried primary care with no per-visit charges, including 60 of the most common diagnostic blood tests as needed with no co-pays or deductibles.

I hope you'll find this helpful as you're considering which supplements are right for you.

Update:

On the June 16 edition of Restoring the Soul of Health Care, Dr. Dave and I discussed supplementing smartly with KAUS host John Wright:

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Lee Aase

Lee Aase is the founder of HELPcare LLC, which provides comprehensive membership, marketing and management services for provider-owned HELPcare Clinics, as well as metabolic health education and coaching for people interested in restoring health and reversing disease through lifestyle changes. Lee and his wife Lisa live in Austin, MN and have six married children and 18 grandchildren.