Assuming that these basic pillars are already being tended to in one’s life, I do recommend some basic supplements and practices. Many people shun recommendations for supplements and think that our needs can be completely met with a quality diet, but basic supplementation is essential in today’s world of reduced nutrition, even when we are eating the best quality foods. In 2004, Donald Davis and colleagues at the University of Texas discovered after assaying 43 foods, mostly vegetables, that there was a marked decrease in nutrients between the mid and late 20th century. This study found a 43% decrease in the amount of calcium in green beans, an almost 50% reduction in vitamin A levels in asparagus, and broccoli stalks with significantly less iron. Another study published in 2020 revealed that magnesium content in fruits and vegetables has dropped precipitously in the last 50 years, and about 80% of what remains is lost in food processing. When considering what the science has to say, it’s definitely a good strategy to supplement our diet with some basic essential vitamins and minerals taken on a regular schedule.

I think just about everyone should take a magnesium supplement. My preference is MagSRT by Jigsaw health. Magnesium is our “master mineral” and is a required cofactor for the production of almost half of the enzymes required in our body to maintain balance. Then, a quality cod liver oil taken daily can provide an abundance of vitamin A and the Omega 3’s that we so desperately need to quell inflammation from additives and Omega 6’s present in vegetable and seed oils that permeate our diets. Vitamin A is essential for neurologic health including eye health. In fact, the part of the eye that sends signals to the brain for processing is called the retina because the most significant vitamin required for it’s function, Vitamin A, is retinol. Vegetarian sources of vitamin A are beta-carotenes, which are very poorly converted into what our bodies use, retinol. Vitamin D is another supplement I recommend across the board for its immune building and cancer fighting properties. There has been a plethora of data gathered in recent decades about the benefits of taking vitamin D supplements. I generally prefer D3 combined with K2 (with an Mk7 component) taken on a daily basis to keep levels above 65 for optimal health. It is incredibly rare to see any person with levels this high without supplementation for many different reasons. Finally, I also like selenium in the form of selenium selenite to provide extra antioxidant protection and to aid endocrine function along the HPA axis due to the many endocrine disrupting chemicals in our environment.

 If the pillars of health are already being followed, and one is taking some good basic daily supplements to support optimal function, there are many other things that can be done to gain even more advantages over their health. Three of my personal favorites are regular saunas, red light therapy, and cold therapy. Studies have shown significant improvements in all-cause mortality with all three of these therapies, and they are also known to improve stress responses, which is a significant benefit in our stressful world.

 Applying the above recommendations to an already healthy lifestyle should improve one’s health and wellness exponentially when consistently applied. Keep in mind that although there is an almost infinite list of things to add, sticking to the basics is typically enough to keep you well.

To take it a step further, one of the most detrimental health conditions we face as Americans leading to massive increases in all-cause mortality (death) is metabolic syndrome, a syndrome where the whole of metabolic function has become dysfunctional, largely through lack of nutrition. As of 2016, according to the CDC, over 35% of Americans had metabolic syndrome. In 2019, a study revealed that only 12% of Americans had optimal metabolic health. A significant portion of the root cause behind this is our collective diet. A study published in 2022 revealed that as of 2018, “ultra-processed” foods made up an astonishing 57% of the average American diet, and the intake of “minimally processed” foods declined significantly, attributing to only 27.4% of the diet. Ultra-processed foods likely make up nearly 70% of our diets now if the trends have continued. With that in mind and noting that only 12% of the American population has optimal metabolic health, what is the answer?

The ketogenic diet is the main tool in the fight against metabolic syndrome as this style of eating essentially “resets” energy metabolism and reverses metabolic syndrome. I have also personally overseen dozens of cases of reversed type 2 diabetes using this dietary strategy. My opinion as a trained clinician is that metabolic syndrome and type 1.5/2/3 diabetes are not diseases, but rather poor nutritional states that are indeed reversible in the vast majority of cases.

There are thousands of online resources available that vary in their understanding and instruction of the ketogenic diet, but my favorite two will be provided below. The key to success on the ketogenic diet is to not be afraid in the kitchen or to try new things. Those who are too picky with foods or who are not willing to put in the work will struggle. There are also a couple of nutritional ideas that have been propagandized in the Creed States that are untrue and can lead to cognitive dissonance when considering the ketogenic diet:

1)  Fat makes you fat – false
2)  Cholesterol is the reason for cardiovascular disease – false

Ketogenic resource sites:

 https://ketogenic.com/
 https://keto-mojo.com/

 Keep in mind that regardless of the style of diet you choose, be it ketogenic, paleogenic, carnivore, or Mediterranean, which are all significant improvements compared to the aptly named standard American diet (SAD), stick with God food, not Man food, and be well.