Supplements / Medications / Blood Tests
These are mine for reference only. Some of the products can be found here.
- Fish oil for both meals, noon and 5 pm dinner. Pause 3-7 days prior to surgeries / dental work.
- Vitamin C - PM
- Vitamin D3, 1 soft gel 5,000 iu with K2 (K2 is contradicted with Warfarin/Coumadin) - 100 mcg (K2, derived from K7, is critical for your body to put calcium where it belongs, the bones, and remove it from where it doesn’t, your arteries) Vit D is not a replacement for sunlight. While good levels of Vitamin D are critical it’s not the whole story. Here’s a 24-minute long in-depth video on why sunlight and near-spectrum radiation are key to fighting off diseases. The Vitamin D Paradox in COVID-19 and Why It Predicts But Doesn't Always Protect. Here is another study on taking vitamin D with K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health
- psyllium husk capsule - Used when Getting Started - 1 with morning tea. (stopped completely 2 months after starting low carbs)
- Melatonin for sleep - (Temporary!) 1 bottle of sugar-free or low-sugar tablets is plenty. I started breaking them in half and then quarters. Since it’s a hormone normally released by the pineal gland you don’t want to use this long term no matter the claims of it being non-habit forming. It’s a good crutch to help you get started since sleep is critical to body repair. For some, it causes vivid dreams when starting use but this is likely due to your lack of deep sleep before. (These dreams will pick up again months later with better sleep) As you lose weight, get outside, exercise, and start sleeping better, discontinue use. Don’t take it with blood thinners like Warfarin or before surgery/dental. More on Melatonin in the Sleep Section.
- Multivitamin - Discontinued the brand name daily multivitamin. Finished up the bottle I had and stopped. No longer needed plus there are extra ingredients or too much that your body has to process. I'm currently looking for a replacement. This product seems to work well for women https://amzn.to/3g9LjLV
You should not be taking the following supplements if you are over 50 unless medically deficient - Kava, Calcium, Selenium (men), Soy isoflavones (women).
Covid / Flu supplements
In early July 2022, I finally The Virus. Here are my supplements based on advice from real doctors and fact-based studies. Consult your doctor for dosage adjustments. Read the warnings above. All 1x per day. This isn’t a cure. Doctors recommend it for immune boosting. Temporary use, don't overload your body.
Vit D w/K2 1-4,000 IU
Vit C w/bioflavanoids 500mg
CoQ10 200mg
Quercetin 250mg
Zinc 75mg
Melatonin before bed
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) 500mg - more info on NAC
As mentioned above you will need to adjust your medications for longer fasting. Consult your doctor. For example, insulin-reducing meds need to be lowered since while not eating your insulin levels will change.
Medications
I’m not posting my exact medications but I’d be more than happy to discuss them privately. As of the summer of 2022, I am off all but one medication, and I expect to have that dropped or significantly reduced by the end of the year. In researching all this I found that a side effect of one medication made the problem worse for what another medication was supposed to be fixing and caused an endless loop that no medication could remedy.
Blood Pressure
There is no such thing as high blood pressure on its own. It is always an indication of some other underlying problem. 45 seconds of this clip explains it. The good news is that if you catch it early and with guidance from your doctor you can defeat it and get off your medications.
My blood pressure reduced pretty dramatically as I lost weight and after a couple of months of regular walking. I discussed with my doctor how to wean off medication. The highest readings are 7-9 am for anybody. Over the winter/spring of 2022, I took pressure readings morning and evenings.
May 2022 - 7 am blood pressure & resting pulse with no medication. 104/77 - pulse 62
June 2022 - My typical range now is Systolic between 105 & 110 / Diastolic 72 & 78 with a pulse of 58-65.
Blood Tests
- Cholesterol - As mentioned in some of the videos total cholesterol isn’t the full story. Much more important is the specific level and type. It’s common that LDL and Triglycerides are higher than ideal as you fast & lose weight but that will change for the better over time.
- Thyroid - A complicated issue but if you ever had a problem you should track your thyroid levels over time to make sure they aren’t too high or low. They will change as you short-term fast and lose weight. They can get out of whack by too frequent long-term fasting. More info.
- Vitamin D - One of the most important tests to get. If you are at the low end it’s critical to supplement with D3. Use one that contains K2 (listed on the bottle as being derived from K7) to regulate calcium. If you are still low while on a supplement then change brands.
- You should definitely have new lipid profile tests done after 6 months. At this time half the markers should improve while LDL and triglycerides may not. The reason why these may bump up is covered in some of the videos.
