Some Supplement Shopping

As a natural health advocate and author, I’m often asked by friends and readers about supplements and the kinds they ought to take.

Of course I’m always open and more than willing to tell people about the “Mangano Method” to living well, but I typically refrain from suggesting specific products unless I’ve tried them myself.  Despite being in this business for many years now, there are just too many to try.

Among the kinds I have tried, there are a few that I highly, highly recommend.  Here’s three of them:

Best Garlic Supplement— Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract

Considering garlic’s reputation as nature’s “wonder drug,” you’re really doing yourself a disservice if you’re not supplementing with it regularly.  From managing cholesterol levels to fighting infections, improving immune system function and boosting cardiovascular function, its benefits know no bounds.

And while virtually every garlic supplement will allow you to reap some health benefits, certain brands will make you just plain reek!  That’s because all garlic contains a compound called allicin.

Allicin is something of a double-edged sword:  It’s what gives garlic its healthy profile, but it’s also what gives garlic its smelly reputation.

And that’s the difference between Kyolic and other garlic supplements.  By aging the garlic, Kyolic is able to sack garlic’s sour scent, while maintaining the health benefits.  By aging the garlic (a 20-month long process), the body is better able to absorb its sulfur-containing compounds.  This is important, because when garlic is consumed in raw form, the allicin within the garlic breaks down too quickly to be of much use for the body.  It can even cause stomach problems when consumed in high doses.

So if you want to be “reaping” the benefits of garlic without “reeking” the benefits of garlic, stick with aged garlic extract produced by Kyolic.

Best Fish Oil—Carlson’s Liquid Fish Oil

Fish oil is right up there with garlic in its importance to maintaining overall health.  You already know all the health benefits that come from omega-3s.  Well, fish oil is omega-3 in its pure, unadulterated form. Just a spoonful contains a whopping 1,600 milligrams of DHA and EHA (the two main types of omega-3 fatty acids), which helps support and maintain cardiovascular function, promotes weight loss, improves eyesight, immunity system function and a bevy of other health “bennies.”

I choose Carlson’s brand for several reasons.  First and foremost is that it tastes great (a nice lemony kick).  Taste is important, because let’s face it, if it doesn’t taste good, how likely are you to keep taking it?  Not very.

Another reason why Carlson’s is, as their slogan states, “Simply the Finest,” is the rigorous testing it goes through.  Carlson’s fish oil is tested by an independent, FDA registered laboratory.

Now, as many of you know, I’m not exactly the president of the FDA fan club, but given the fact that they (or laboratories registered by them) rarely review or test products made by health supplement companies, the fact that they’ve reviewed Carlson’s attests to its quality.

Best Vitamin C— Emergen-C 1000 mg Vitamin C

The anti-vitamin denizens say vitamin C does nothing to allay cold symptoms; ignore their cynicism.  Your mom was right to make you take you drink your orange juice, as  the vitamin C therein helps reduce the symptoms of the common cold.  And since the body doesn’t produce vitamin C naturally, you have to get it from outside sources.

When you really need a lot of vitamin C in a short period of time – in other words, when it’s an emergency – there’s nothing better than the brand Emergen-C.

I’m a member of Consumerlab.com.  Consumerlab.com is to supplements what Consumer Reports is to appliances and electronics:  It puts product claims and product ingredients under various testing procedures, then reports back to the consumer whether or not their claims are legit.

Emergen-C is a consumerlab.com approved supplement.

It tastes great, comes in a wide variety of flavors (I’m partial to the orange-flavored variety myself), and is positively packed with vitamin C (1,000 mg per pack).  Plus, it’s all-naturally flavored, meaning no aspartame or corn syrup is used in its production.

Bonus:  Best Soap— Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps

What makes Dr. Bronner’s soaps so magical?  It’s invincible!

Here’s what I mean…

Most soaps on the market today are composed of entirely synthetic chemical concoctions that harm the environment.  That’s not the case with Dr. Bronner’s.  Because it’s a vegetable-oil based soap – otherwise known as castile soap – it doesn’t harm the environment (the environment can’t detect it), thus making soils more sustainable.  Plus, Dr. Bronner’s soap is one of the few “pure castile” soaps you’ll find on the market today.  That “pure” is important because soaps that don’t say “pure castile” may not be pure vegetable-oil (i.e. they may contain synthetic ingredients).

Another thing that makes this soap so magical is its ubiquity – its everywhere at once!

Besides its power in the shower, it’s a potent laundry detergent, an appliance disinfectant, a grease and grime cleanser, and a cavity fighter (i.e. toothpaste)!

Oh, and it smells great, too!

So there you have it – three quality supplements branded with the Mangano stamp of approval…with a soap on the side.

Note:  Always ask for the online price (if applicable) when purchasing these or other products in a store.  I bought these from a brick and mortar Vitamin Shoppe and saved $17.50, simply because I inquired about their online price.

Sources
greenlivingtips.com
organicfacts.net
kyolic.com
carlsonlabs.com
drbronner.com