[Mini] Supplement Swaps: Getting Through a Busy Work Week | Ep. 103

We explore how to get essential nutrients from food and lifestyle changes rather than expensive supplements. This mini episode dives into practical alternatives that can be equally or more effective than bottled supplements.

• Incorporate adaptogens into your daily routine through adaptogen coffee blends or powders added to energy balls
• Support your stress response with free breathwork videos, decaf coffee, or mocktails instead of alcohol
• Add electrolytes through morning warm water with sea salt and lemon or targeted drink mixes
• Prioritize fatty fish in your weekly grocery shopping to get omega-3s naturally
• Use turmeric in golden milk lattes or curry dishes to fight inflammation
• Move your body regularly and get adequate sleep to maintain ideal inflammation levels

Referenced products:

- Renude adaptogen drinks: click here or use code "hormonal" at checkout for a discount

- LMNT electrolyte drink mix: click here

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to the Mini Episode
• 1:14 Adaptogens and Stress Management
• 2:43 Incorporating Electrolytes Naturally
• 5:57 Fish Oil and Omega-3s
• 7:54 Fighting Inflammation Without Supplements
• 10:09 Episode Closing and CTA

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hey friend, welcome to this week's mini episode of I'm Hormonal. I'm your host, bridget Walton, and, as always on Thursdays, we just have a shorty episode. We're going to get straight into the good stuff, talking about supplements. As an extension of this week's earlier longer form episode, I talked about what you want to look out for and what are the main mistakes that I see folks making when it comes to supplements. On that same note, today I wanted to talk about supplements. But how can we actually just get some of these nutrients from the food that we eat? What can you do to first focus on incorporating a nutrient-dense diet? Or maybe is there a lifestyle shift that could be? I don't know. Let's get crazy and say equally or more effective than the supplement that you're going to have to spend money on. So that's what we'll dive into here momentarily. I want to say welcome. If you are listening to the podcast for the first time. I'm really glad that you found me and I'm hormonal. And to those of you who have been here before then, thank you for coming back, thank you for sharing with your friends, with your sisters, with your coworkers, with whoever else is in your sphere out there. All right, here we go.

Speaker 1: 1:14

Supplements for a busy work week. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about work, when I think about when I was working in corporate, especially when I was working in the military, is stress. So we know that there are some supplements we can take to help our body be resilient during a time of stress. I'm kind of thinking of magnesium. Also, ashwagandha is another one that is top of mind, but how can we be incorporating these into our week as it relates to food, more so than taking capsules? So, when it comes to adaptogens, there are and let me back up for half a second adaptogens, ashwagandha being an example of one are plants or herbs that are supportive of your HPA access, hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal access, which is a fancy way to say your body's stress system.

Speaker 1: 2:10

Now, at least here in the US, you can find a bunch of different options for adaptogen coffees or mixes that you can put into your coffee or another hot beverage in the morning, right? One option that comes to mind that I really like is Renewed. There's a link in the bio if you want to check it out, but they are incorporating chaga, which is a type of mushroom, into your morning coffee or espresso. So just one option to consider. Of course, you could also buy another adaptogen in the form of a powder Again making sure that you're getting it from a credible, reputable source and incorporating that into your coffee. Or maybe it's a powder that you put into like an energy kind of date balls you know what I mean when you put oats and dates or chocolate chips if you're feeling crazy whatever you want, and you can put some of that powder in there too. So one way to incorporate something into your food that will help to support what's going on with your stress. That's the first idea that I've got for you.

Speaker 1: 3:17

The second idea that I want to share with you, which is on the same note of stress, would be instead of focusing on something to incorporate into your food, it's just okay. What can we do lifestyle wise? Instead of spending 30 bucks on a supplement to support your HPA access, could you find a YouTube video that has a solid breathwork class that you love to do and that helps you to feel grounded and chill when you get home from work? Another option could be just swapping your regular coffee or regular espresso for decaf right, because caffeine is probably just going to be stressing you out a little bit more. So making an easy swap like that would support how you're feeling, in your anxiety levels, most likely. And then my third thought here, coming back to or keeping on this trend of liquids, would be hey, if you're stressed, then why don't you swap out a cocktail for a mocktail, and that can better support your mood overall. So, using food or liquids to support your body and to support these normal processes.

Speaker 1: 4:31

The third thing that I want to suggest to you would be incorporating electrolytes into your week. These are also uh, so what are electrolyte? Why can't I say electrolytes? Electrolytes are minerals that your body needs for, I don't know, approximately a kajillion processes. I think kajillion is the technical specific term for it. So incorporating electrolytes into your week could be as simple as when you get up in the morning, shaking some sea salt or some Himalayan salt into a glass of warm water and also squeezing a lemon in there. Right, one easy option you could incorporate an electrolyte drink mix. I've got a link in the bio for Lincoln Bio. I have a link in the show notes for Element or LMNT. That's my personal preference. I think they're tasty, I think they're convenient to travel with, and so if I'm feeling like A, we're a little bit stressed, or B I've just done a big workout today, been outside sweating, et cetera. Let me incorporate electrolytes, because I know these are essential for basically all of my body's processes, to include supporting my body during times of stress.

Speaker 1: 5:53

The fourth thing that I want to talk about today would be fish oil. Right, fish oil is one of the most common supplements, or omega-3s are really what we're going for in fish oil most of the time. Now, this one isn't rocket science, but if you are each week when you're grocery shopping, prioritizing, checking for a fish, right, checking for a fatty fish in your cart before you head over to the checkout, that's going to be a helpful way to make sure that you are getting some of those omega-3 fatty acids into your diet naturally. Now, again, I know that's not like a crazy nuanced tip, but I think it's just worth the reminder that if you are taking even 45 seconds a week to think and be thoughtful and be intentional about okay, what am I going to put into my body this week, you got it. You're on the right track. Like, it doesn't have to be something that is overcomplicated. It doesn't have to be something again that you are shelling out a bunch of money for in supplements. It can be as easy as finding the wild caught fish option in your local grocery store or wherever you can get that nearby you, and incorporating that into your week.

Speaker 1: 7:08

I want to come back to this topic super quick about money and supplements, because it's not even necessarily about can you afford to buy the supplements or not, although that certainly is a factor for most. You know many, many, many people out there. What I mean to say, though, is I don't know about you, but I love to spend money on the things that are important to me and that are effective and efficient, and I don't want to waste my money. So, even if you can buy fish oil pills or omega-3 supplements, could you be doing it better by incorporating these into your nutrition, into your diet, and then seeing okay, well, where am I falling short in supplementing from there? Hopefully, that makes sense for you.

Speaker 1: 7:54

Let me move on to the fifth and final recommendation that I have for you, because inflammation is something that many, many, many folks face right. Namely, I'm thinking of inflammation in our digestive system caused by some of the things that we're eating, but also thinking of, okay, a lot of us have stress. We've talked about a couple of ways to support your body through nutrition as it relates to stress, but you also want to be considering okay, well, you know that turmeric, or specifically curcumin, which is a part of turmeric that, combined with pepper black pepper is going to be supportive for inflammation levels, supportive of your liver that's one thing where, instead of getting a turmeric supplement, you could maybe have a golden milk latte at the end of the liver. That's one thing where, instead of getting a turmeric supplement, you could maybe have a golden milk latte. At the end of the day, you could maybe say okay, I'm going to have curry once a week, or make something, make a curried chickpea salad at the beginning of the week that you can start to incorporate and start to see your food as well. Sometimes I hesitate to say food as medicine, but, like food, how can you really nourish your body and give your body the elements that it needs to, in this case, support ideal inflammation levels Outside of food, too, just thinking, well, moving your body is going to be a great way to help support ideal inflammation levels. Now, asterisk, right, if you just broke your foot, then that's a different situation. But generally moving your body, going for walks. Exercising is going to be good for overall inflammation levels in your body, as will getting good sleep and enough sleep. So I know that those are not food supplements.

Speaker 1: 9:43

But on this topic of okay, a lot of you who listen to this podcast are busy working gals. You have your schedules like locked down right, going from one thing to the next to the next and in addition or I guess before supplements. How can you be supporting your body and feeling your best? And so that's what I really wanted to walk through with you today. That's really all I've got for you today. I hope that was some helpful food for thought as you are noodling through supplements and what is right for you, what is a good fit for you.

Speaker 1: 10:17

If this conversation was helpful and you think somebody else in your life needs to hear it, I would love it if you shared this with them, and if you have any questions about supplements. If you want to chat more, then click on the link in the show notes to set up your free strategy call. I would love to chat with you and understand what are your goals and how can I support you. So that is it for today. Thanks for listening to.

Speaker 1: 10:38

I'm Hormonal. I am Bridget Walton and I will see you on the next one. If you loved today's episode and got something good out of it, make sure you subscribe so that these episodes show up automatically in your feed. No work needed on your side, let's put it on autopilot. As always, I need to give you my reminder that the information I share with you here is for educational purposes only, and it should not be used as a replacement for medical advice or diagnosis. Now, if you are, on the other hand, in the market for some one-on-one support, then I would love for you to take me up on my offer for a free strategy call. You can find these links and more in the show notes.