I take quite a few supplements at this point in my life because I want to avoid many of the “as you get older” issues that so many people face. Will they work? I don’t know. But doing nothing doesn’t seem like much of an alternative so…

When I went to the doctor for a “that age” physical a couple weeks ago, she asked me what medications I take. Thankfully, that’s a very short list at this point. (There was a time in my twenties when I was up to 12 a day!) Thankfully, I found a REALLY great doctor in Peoria who got me off all that crap!

Nowadays, I’m down to two (with an occasional third one if I’m driving to California and back). Not bad!!

My supplements? Now that’s an entirely different story! I’m gonna have to create a page that lists everything I take so that whenever I go to the doctor, I can just pull it up rather than remember them all.

But here’s the thing. You know those days when you’re in a hurry or running behind? Those days when you know you usually take your vitamins, but they’re just not on the top 3 list today?

I have those days too. But no matter how much of a hurry I’m in, there are at least a few of my supplements that I refuse to start my day without (5 to be exact). And then there’s the ones I don’t go to bed without (4 of those).


My Day Time Supplements

D3 – for Breast Cancer avoidance as well as a host of other issues, including falls (if you have older family members, they should be taking this). Even though I live in AZ where there is an abundance of sun, I’m not able to spend the 15-20 minutes daily with most my skin exposed. And when I do have lots of time to spend outdoors, I use sunscreen, which keeps your body from getting the rays it needs!

Joint Supplement – to keep my joints from hurting and making me feel like I’m 90. I started with Glucosamine and Chondroitin, then moved to an Herbal formula. I’m adding another now that offers Hyaluronic Acid. I’ve just learned that each type of supplement offers different benefits.

Probiotic – to reverse the damage that years of sugar and processed foods have likely done and, to avoid future issues that simply come with age and being exposed to people who are sick all the time (I don’t spend tons of time with sick people, but I do end up in public restrooms and truck stops more than most).

Maca Root – to keep me from hurting unsuspecting people. My doctor doesn’t want me taking supplements that are hormonal in nature due to my high risk for breast cancer. Maca is one of the few supplements I’ve found that helps with the perimenopausal issues like hot flashes and such, that doesn’t contain any hormones, but simply the nutrients that support the hormones my body already has.

Daily Vitamin with Minerals – to make up for anything I might be missing in my diet and supplements.


My Night Time Supplements

Magnesium – I’ve never slept better since I started taking this! (I’m even remembering my dreams!)

MSM – For my skin and hair. It’s supposed to help your nails too, but I’ve always had strong nails so… maybe it’ll make them even stronger! I have noticed my hair is a lot less dry and “straw-like”, which was REALLY ticking me off!

Brain Magnesium – To minimize memory issues caused by aging. I learned about different types of Magnesium as I was deciding on a brand for the regular stuff and learned that not all of them can cross the blood-brain barrier.

Fo-Ti – To get rid of the gray hair. Does it work? I don’t know yet. It seems to be helping (although that may be just wishful thinking), but I know it’s going to take a while of consistently taking it before I can say for sure. I’ll get back to you on this one! 🙂

Things to Notice (aka Things *I* Noticed When Writing This)

First, there’s SO much more information that goes into selecting which supplements to take that I”m gonna have to write separate posts about each one (so now I’ve added that to my to do list!)

Second, there’s something that you may have already noticed from the pictures, and that is, I’m not loyal to one brand. Why? Because I do a lot of research before I buy. And while a do have a few favorite brands, it doesn’t mean that ALL their stuff is as good as I’d like it to be! But that’s another topic for another day.

Take care,
Debi aka @GenXBrat

p.s. Do you take supplements? Are there some that you just won’t do without? Are there specific brands you’re loyal to? I always wonder how people make those decisions for their personal health so I’d love to get your thoughts.

p.p.s. If you’re looking for quality brands and decent prices, Swanson Vitamins, NOW Brand, Nature’s Way (which I typically buy from Swanson), and Doctor’s Best (which I always buy from Amazon or Swanson) are always great places to start!!