Have you ever heard the quote "When you say 'YES' to others, make sure you're not saying 'NO' to yourself."? Well, that was alot of me over the last couple of years trying to do it all, be everything to everyone & stressing myself out along the way. It came time to put myself first - especially my family and making them my priority. Taking more time day to day for me and spending more time with my beautiful children. It could be because my 4th and final was born in 2015 (hence the hiatus) and seeing how quickly they grow into amazing little humans, I wanted to make sure I spent as much time with them as possible. This quote struck my attention and says it all because the way I read it, its so important to remember YOUR place on Earth and why we're here, the beautiful family YOU created or belong to and the great blessings that come from that. I chose to take a step back and refocus on what was the most important thing at this point in my life and that was my family and I'm sure glad I did.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, throughout these past couple of years I've been approached by different companies to review or test out their products - anything from books to baby products to nutritional items. Some I've agreed to and others I have put on the back burner because I knew I couldn't give it 100%. Recently I was approached by a writer from Reviews.com about sharing her teams findings in regards to probiotics....say what?? Ironically, I had posted the exact same day on my Instagram feed the supplements I take daily and one of which was a probiotic supplement I had just started taking (and LOVE) which happened to be in her findings! So as all the stars were aligning for the day I felt the strong urge to agree to promote their review and share it with all of you. Supplements are so important, especially as you age. And please remember that everything should be consulted with your personal doctor as everyone needs something different - everyone has different needs & deficiencies. I would love to get 100% of my daily nutrition and vitamins from food, but unfortunately its not the case. Adding simple supplements can change all of that for the better and help you live our best life.
My Daily Supplement Routine
Taken every morning with water & food:
Rainbow Light Women's Multivitamin (2 pills)
Rainbow Light Omega Fish & Flax (1 pill)
Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics Once Daily Womens (1 pill = 50 Billion CFU)
Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate (1 Tbsp in coffee)
Taken every night with water before bed:
Doctor's Best High Absorption Magnesium (2 pills)
How did I choose these you ask? My simple answer is trial and error. What works for me may not work for you. All needed to be as pure to nature, gluten free, vegetarian, dairy free as possible. I also had to be able to stomach taking 4 pills every morning (which is not an easy task). Capsules are your friend! Rainbow Light I have been taking for quite some time and it just seems to work for me. It makes me feel good, energized, more clear-headed and overall better about myself. When I travel and forget to bring my supplements I truly feel like I'm missing something. Garden of Life is a largely reputable brand, not as commercialized as most probiotics so you may not see it out there as much, but it has done wonders for my digestive system since I've started taking it. It has been life changing to say the least! As for the magnesium, that was something I didn't even know I needed...until I started aging. I was feeling fatigued all the time and a little foggy brained (only way I can describe it). I was pushing it off for a while b/c I did just have a baby, but then I started to do a little research and the answer was as simple as possibly just adding magnesium to my diet. Now again, of course I'd rather have it in food form but my intake wasn't doing it. I had to add 2 magnesium pills a day and by the end of the first week I noticed a huge difference. I had more energy, I was sleeping better, my muscles were not as crampy and I was in an overall better state of mind. My doctor wasn't surprised when I told her my findings either. Magnesium is something alot of women are deficient in and don't even know it. So for me, and many others, it worked and I will shout it from the rooftop to try it yourself as I highly recommend it.
Now, going back to probiotics....this is another area I waited too long in life to jump on board with and I bet could have solved alot of digestive symptoms I've had in the past. Probiotics are so good for us and if you have never looked into them before, please check out these reviews on Review.com as they get into great detail about the BEST probiotic for you: https://www.reviews.com/probiotic-supplement/. They give such a great breakdown on the different types, brands, CFUs and why anyone could benefit from such a simple addition to their daily routine.
Oh! Real quick...while we're at it I'll give you a peak at what my kids take each morning:
The Honest Company Gummy Calcium & Vitamin D3 (Only one of my children takes these as she was recommended by her doctor)
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. And don't forget to check with your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet. Have a great week everyone!
