What are the core supplements that everybody should take to support their whole body from head to toe? Listen in as I talk about the five foundational supplements that are incredibly essential in supporting your hormones, your brain, your heart, and your energy. You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode53. Topics Discussed in this Episode: The five foundational supplements for everyone across the board Vitamin D Fish oil or omega-3 Magnesium Probiotics Juice Plus Food sources of magnesium The different benefits of Omega-3 Things to look for in a probiotic   Key Takeaways: Vitamin D Vitamin D functions more like a hormone in your body, and it’s really important for modulating your immune system, for brain development, and for hormone support. It’s also important in supporting bone density as well as insulin management. Studies show that those with hypothyroidism tend to have significantly lower levels of vitamin D. There have been some great studies showing that higher intakes of vitamin D were associated with lower risks of pancreatic cancer. Studies also show that those who have any kind of psychiatric issues or neurological diseases are typically vitamin D deficient.   Fish Oil or Omega-3 Omega-3 is really a brain nutrient. Omega-3 helps to switch off the genes that store fat and turn on the genes that break down fat. It reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and even diabetes. Omega-3 can help your body to increase the utilization of fat storage from your fat cells. One of the biggest things that many people experience from supplementing with omega-3 and fish oil is the reduction in their inflammation. Omega-3 also helps to improve mental focus, memory, and overall brain function. It increases your serotonin levels and has a very positive effect on your mood. From a skin perspective, it helps to lubricate and support your skin internally.   Magnesium So many people are deficient in magnesium and magnesium deficiency can really put you at a risk for impaired metabolic function and reduce your mitochondrial function. There are lots of ways to get your magnesium. Foods rich in magnesium include leafy greens like spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens or beet greens, kale, bok choy, romaine lettuce, colored greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cacao, avocado, different seeds and nuts, and fatty fish like wild-caught salmon or mackerel. Magnesium helps to strengthen your bones by promoting healthy bone density. It is also involved with helping to control blood sugar levels, especially in people who have diabetes or may be at risk for diabetes. Magnesium also helps to relieve constipation. Magnesium is also great for sleep, protecting your heart, and any type of mood disorders -- anxiety, irritability, and even depression.   Probiotics Our gut is basically home to approximately 100 trillion microorganisms and our gut contains 10 times more bacteria than all human cells in the body. Some things that can really impact our gut and our gut flora are antibiotics. After antibiotic use, the diversity of your gut flora isn’t recovered unless you supplement with probiotics. Infants that aren’t breastfed and are born to mothers with bad gut flora are more like to develop unhealthy gut bacteria and that these early differences in gut flora may predict being overweight, developing diabetes, having eczema, psoriasis, depression, and other health problems in the future.   Greens Products or Juice Plus+ Juice Plus+ is a blend of 30 different fruits and vegetables, bridging the gap between what you should eat and what you do eat every day, so it’s really providing you with real food nutrition. It comes in three different bottles -- the Orchard Blend, the Garden Blend, and the Vineyard Blend. PaleoGreens from Designs for Health is over 90% organic and doesn’t have grains, gluten, fructose, and soy.   Action Steps: Get your vitamin D levels tested so