Vitamins and Supplements to Increase Your Energy Levels

These Vitamins/Supplements are my tried and true regimen for a basic foundation of holistic health and wellness

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If you’re like me, your energy levels (and therefore overall mood and happiness!) are strongly impacted by the vitamins and supplements that you take (or don’t take!) My journey with holistic care began when I was very young as I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) at age 11. Rather than jumping right to the strong (and potentially dangerous) medication that the doctors were recommending, my mom took me down the road of natural healing and I am forever grateful to her for that. There were times where we were desperate and did try the medication, (and experienced some not-so-fun side effects such as vomiting and severe sensitivity to the sun) but it never lasted long as we saw much better results by taking the natural route. It wasn’t without lots of research and trial and error, but we did end up seeing my JRA basically cease to exist, thanks to the holistic treatments that I stuck to.

Because of this journey, as well as many other life events (see my other blog post about how motherhood led me to embrace the holistic lifestyle) I have taken on a pretty consistent vitamin regimen that I absolutely swear by.

This isn’t to say that I take absolutely every single one of these vitamins every single day, (well, in a world where money grows on trees, I probably would!) but I at least have these on hand most of the time and I know what to take when. Keep in mind, as with all vitamins and supplements, the brands MATTER. Some are absolute junk while others are really great quality. Vitamins aren’t always cheap but you get what you pay for - and in my opinion, it’s better to budget and save for a vitamin that’s going to work rather than wasting your money on cheap vitamins that are ineffective.

Electrolytes

As a mom of three young kids, I don’t get a lot of sleep. While I will admit that I strongly rely on coffee to get me up for the day, I would be practically non-functional if I didn’t stay on top of my electrolytes. While electrolytes are advertised and marketed as being found in Gatorades and other sports drinks, the TRUEST source of electrolytes is to just boycott the sugar (and dye!) and supplement with potassium and salt!

Potassium

I have been taking this potassium supplement from Nature’s Sunshine for well over a decade. Most days I need about two per day but sometimes I’m SO depleted in my electrolytes (after a long hot weekend of not eating well, or after being sick or stressed etc) that I literally take about 2-3 capsules multiples times a day to get my levels back up! This is by far the best potassium supplement I have found. Another way to get your potassium is through coconut water. I will share more about Nature’s Sunshine at the end of this article.

Sea Salt

If you’ve never taken salt, this might sound a little weird at first. It’s different than just regular table salt - actual pink Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt is SO good for you. I love this one off Amazon. It’s the ultimate electrolyte and pairs well with potassium for a DAILY electrolyte MUST. I usually take about a half teaspoon and mix it in with a little bit of warm water and just chug it like a quick vitamin shot. The next time you have a headache, you might just need some potassium and salt!

Daily Vitamin Regimen

Vitamin D

While most people know that Vitamin D is extremely important and that we get it from the sun, a lot of people don’t know just how severely lacking most people are in their vitamin D levels. I live in the Pacific Northwest where the summers are hot and beautiful but the winters are long and cold. I take this year round because that’s how much Vitamin D I need. Pretty much everyone needs to supplement Vitamin D - when in doubt, it certainly can’t hurt! I recommend this one off Amazon.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is kind of a given, but at the same time that often means people forget to take it! This should be taken daily, and should definitely be taken around the clock when you’re getting sick. I like the one (pictured) from Nature’s Sunshine and will include Nature’s Sunshine at the end of this article, or there’s also this one off Amazon.

Vitamin B12

I never realized how necessary Vitamin B12 is for energy levels until I started taking this. This was especially crucial to take during my pregnancies, but really it’s important to take all the time. Vitamin B-12 is one of those things that our body doesn’t absorb very well unless you take it in the right form. This particular dissolvable tablet from Amazon seems to work really great. It dissolves under your tongue for direct absorption into your blood stream. Highly recommend!

Super Supplemental

This stuff is packed with nutrients! I feel great when I’m taking this and I actually took it as a “prenatal” during my pregnancies because it contains folate. A lot of prenatals containing synthetic ingredients really upset my stomach, so I was glad to discover this as a (much healthier) alternative. But really, it’s great to take all the time, not just when I’m pregnant! Again, this will be included as part of my Nature’s Sunshine info at the end.

Probiotics

I cannot emphasize enough, the importance of gut health. Our gut health impacts everything (our immune system, our hormones, long-term health) I’ve had off and on (painful!) digestive issues for years now and I didn’t fully get it under control until I saw a wellness doctor who recommended this probiotic as well as a digestive enzyme (which I’ll talk about next!)

Honestly, whenever I’ve been breastfeeding one of my babies, I literally notice that they are more gassy and upset on the days that I miss my probiotic. My stomach suffers for it and so does theirs! This is not a product I ever want to run out of.

Digestive Enzymes

These are also extremely crucial to take for gut health. I can tell when my digestion is in need of several doses per day, or if I just need the “maintenance” dose of about 2 per day. This is great to take when you know you’ve eaten something that typically upsets your stomach (for me, that’s garlic or onions!)

The combination of this and the probiotic mentioned above, (and occasional kombucha) completely regulate my very painful digestive issues that I have dealt with for years.

Superfoods

Also known as “greens”, taking a superfood supplement is really important these days where our quality of produce is severely lacking. Unless you’re eating organic fruits and vegetables multiple times a day, you’re probably lacking in your nutrients. This is a great way to compensate for that. I love blending this mix into a smoothie, or even drinking it by itself.

And don’t forget to drink SO much water!!!

I absolutely love this giant, half gallon water bottle from Amazon - it helps me to drink all my daily water and it’s super cute!

Most importantly, remember that our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost. It is our Catholic duty to take great care of them because they are a gift from God. The best way you can show glory and honor to God is by aiming to do your best in all areas of life - you can’t do your best unless you feel your best. I believe feeling your best starts with basic wellness. Take care of yourself - you deserve it!