Starting Your Nutritional Program
More than 80 percent of patients are able to take these specific nutritional recommendations without problem. However, it is still best to take supplements with food, as this will allow you to absorb the nutrients more efficiently and without concern for intolerance. Keep in mind that the products we have recommended are very potent and contain advanced or optimal levels of supplements needed to achieve desired goals. You are going to be nourishing your body like it has never been nourished before. The body is therefore able to finally rid itself of toxins, which have been accumulating for years (this is called detoxification). This is especially true in those who are suffering from serious illness and taking large amounts or potent levels of medication. It is important to understand the possible signs and symptoms of this detoxification process so that you can deal with them confidently and properly.
Detoxification
The most common detoxification reaction is muscle aches and mild headaches. These symptoms will generally pass within one to two weeks. If these symptoms are mild to moderate and not unbearable, our Chief Medical Advisor recommends that you continue your program as prescribed. These symptoms will settle down with time. However, if the reaction is severe, it may just be too much, too fast. If this is the case, you should discontinue supplementation until your symptoms resolve. Then begin again, only this time use one-quarter of the recommendations for 3 to 5 days. If you do not have any signs of detoxification or they are mild, then you can increase to one-half the recommended dose. Again, once you are tolerating this level, you can slowly increase the amount you are taking until you reach the recommended dose.
Another possible reaction is a “detox” skin rash. One of the ways the body is able to get rid of toxins is through the skin. This is NOT an allergic reaction to the supplements, but is instead a true detoxification reaction. This rash is a dry, red rash and looks much like a mild sunburn.
Patients may also experience changes in bowel habits – either diarrhea or constipation. The most common complaint is loose stools; however, normally this should be only one to three loose stools daily. This is another way the body is able to rid itself of toxins and will usually resolve over the first couple of weeks after you begin your nutritional program. Again, if it is mild to moderate, persist with the recommended level of supplementation. If it is severe, then you may have to back off and begin more slowly as noted above with any detox reaction. If you become constipated after you start your nutritional supplement program, you need to consider adding some fiber to your diet along with increased water intake. This will usually resolve the problem. Occasionally, additional magnesium can help resolve the problem if increasing fiber intake does not work.
Natural Relaxation Response
A small percentage notice increased fatigue after starting their nutritional supplement program. This may be the result of a natural relaxation response that occurs infrequently when you combine taking vitamins with minerals. If you experience more fatigue after starting your supplement program, it may not be due to a “detox” reaction, but instead be this natural relaxation response. If this occurs, our Chief Medical Advisor suggests taking all of your recommended mineral tablets at bedtime with a snack instead of during the day. This will normally resolve this problem and you usually end up having better quality sleep.
Upset Stomach or Nausea
There are also a small percentage of people (less than 4 percent of the population) that can have vitamin C intolerance, causing nausea or an upset stomach. If this happens, our Chief Medical Advisor recommends only taking one Vitamin tablet daily with your largest meal. If you are able to tolerate this level of vitamin C, then you should increase to one tablet twice daily with food.
Taking Supplementation with Medication
Nutritional supplements simply contain nutrients we should be getting from our foods, but at levels we are unable to attain. If you can eat with your medication, you can also take nutritional supplements. The only exception to this is for those taking the prescription medication, Coumadin (Warfarin), which blocks vitamin K in the body as a way of thinning the blood. Many physicians believe that if a patient is on Coumadin, they should not be taking any vitamin K. However, recent studies show that when you take some vitamin K in supplementation, it is actually easier to control how thin your blood really is. Also, patients who are taking thyroid medication should take their medication on an empty stomach because calcium blocks the absorption of the thyroid medication. Therefore, you should not eat or take any supplements for 30 to 45 minutes after taking your thyroid medication. Some physicians tell you not to take supplements for 4 hours after you take your thyroid medication. According to our Chief Medical Advisor, this is unnecessary. If you wait 30 to 45 minutes before you take your supplements, you will absorb your thyroid medication properly.
