Ask Juls: Part 2 Supplements – Managing My Psoriatic Arthritis

Continuing the conversation that I started in Part 1 of this 5 part series. Catch up here!

The original question was, “Did an elimination diet help you manage your psoriatic arthritis?”

The short answer is YES.

The long answer is YES, but there were other key factors as well that helped me get my psoriatic arthritis in an extremely manageable state. In part 2, we explore supplements!

Supplements are a very important part of your treatment plan. Many people have mixed feelings on supplements.

Some think that if you’re eating a nutritious diet, or you’re taking medication, then you don’t necessarily need to take supplements . . . but that really is far from the truth. 

With chronic illness, our bodies are constantly fighting off disease. If we are not replenishing what it’s already lacking, how can we expect our bodies to function normally? In a perfect world, we’d get all of our nutrients from our food – but I can tell you that 95% of humans aren’t receiving all the nutrients they need from their diets. Therefore,by adding supplements into a healthy diet and lifestyle, we can start to have a big impact on our overall health.

Below are the supplements that I currently take. I have changed regiments many times over the last few years. I know that I’ve written updates like this one or these ones. But my current protocol is REALLY working wonders for me.

Just as I say with diet, EVERY SINGLE BODY IS DIFFERENT. Therefore, we cannot expect that everyone will need the same supplementation. There are common supplements that will benefit most individuals, but it’s important to experiment and find out what works best for you. This is where working with a functional/integrative medicine doctor or a health coach will be extremely helpful for you.

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Supplement	Benefit	Where To Buy
N-Acetyl Cysteine	NAC is the precursor to glutathione in our body. These amino acids help support our bodies detoxification pathways. It also reduces inflammation and relieves pain.	Amazon
Nature’s Answer Alcohol-Free Cat’s Claw Inner Bark	Cats claw is an herb that helps reduce viral infections and cofacts such as strep A and strep B.	Amazon
Nutrex Hawaii MD Formulas JointAstin	Fortifies the endocrine and nervous systems. It also helps insulin resistance and repairs areas of the nervous system which may have been damaged by a virus.	Amazon
Pure Encapsulations – Zinc 30	Zinc strengthens the immune system and protects the thyroid from viral inflammation.	Amazon
Traditional Medicinals Organic Lemon Balm Tea	Lemon balm is antiviral, antibacterial, and strengths the immune system. It kills viruses, bacteria and funguses that may be inflaming the intestinal tract and causing food allergies.	Amazon
Gaia Herbs Nettle Leaf	Provides virtual micronutrients to the brain, blood and central nervous system. Also contains alkaloids which can reduce inflammation specific to viral infections.	Amazon
Vegan Safe B-12	Vitamin B12 strengthens the central nervous system.	Amazon
Gaia Herbs Turmeric Supreme Extra Strength Liquid Phyto-Capsules	Strengthens the endocrine and central nervous systems. Also reduces inflammation and relieves pain.	Amazon
Sovereign Silver Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol for Immune Support	Silver hydrosol helps maintain the bacteria in your gut and also helps lower viral loads in your body.	Amazon
Pure Encapsulations – l-Lysine	Lowers viral load and acts as a central nervous system anti-inflammatory	Amazon
Prescript-assist Broad Spectrum Probiotic Prebiotic Complex	Balance and support the digestive system, which in turns boots the immune system.	Amazon
Thorne Research – Bacillus Coagulants (Formerly Lactobacillus Sporogenes) – Probiotic Nutritional Supplement	I take a separate one because the Prescript-assist does not contain this strain and my own functional medicine tests have shown me that I need more of this strain.	Amazon
Pure Encapsulations – Selenium (selenomethionine)	Strengthens and protects the central nervous system. It also will repair damaged nervous near the skin.	Amazon
Nutrex Hawaii Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica	Rebuilds the central nervous system and eliminates heavy metals. Is great to be used as your daily “multi-vitamin”.	Amazon
Pure Encapsulations – Caprylic Acid	Caprylic acid is a natural immune booster! While antibiotics can kill off all bacteria in the gut environment — both good and bad — caprylic acid can actually do the opposite, helping prevent an imbalance between the presence of various bacteria.	Amazon
Designs for Health – L-Glutamine	Improves gastrointestinal health because it is a vital nutrient for the intestines to rebuild and repair.	Amazon
Designs For Health – Digestzymes	Digestive enzymes are an important process within our digestive system. Because of our lifestyles and diets, our bodies can be lacking these enzymes. Taking them with meals helps our digestive system work optimally!	Amazon
Life Equals Focus + Energy	I love this product because it helps give me a boost of energy, NATURALLY! It’s a great source of B vitamins and energy.	Life Equals *Read below!
Lemon	Lemon is a natural detox which helps support a healthy liver.	Doterra
Ginger	Ginger is wonderful for inflammation and helping to tame digestive issues.	Doterra
On Guard	On guard supports our immune systems.	Doterra
Cilantro	Cilantro is a wonderful oil that helps our bodies detox metals.	Doterra
Life Equals Multi-Vitamin	I personally get my multi-vitamins from Hawaiian Spirulina, but another GREAT option is this multi-vitamin from Life Equals.	Life Equals *Read below!
Nordic Naturals – ProOmega Lemon 120 gels	I used to take these religiously, but have since switched to a vegan omega. I’ve done this because I’m working to reduce my toxic and metal load. If you’re going to take a fish oil, this is the one I took for years and would suggest.	Amazon

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I’m SUPER picky when it comes to taking supplements. You have to be these days because there is a whole lot of CRAP out there. Read this past post about what to look out for when selecting supplements.

Above are supplements I believe in and take myself. I just want to explicitly mention that Life Equals is a company that I really trust and respect. They use quality ingredients and never add anything that’s not necessary. I take Life Equals supplements each day and because I believe in the product I was given discount codes to offer to my clients!

I’m not selling these products and I’m not trying to get you to sign up for anything! Because I believe in their products, I’ve become an ambassador to help spread the word. This in turn means that I’m able to help my clients get QUALITY supplements at a discounted price!

• If you purchase a monthly shipment of a supplement, you can get 75% off! Use the code CER75 at check out.
• If you make a one time purchase, you can get 30% off! Use the code CER30 at check out.

So whew, there you have it!

There are the supplements I’m currently taking and am doing really well on. I’d love to hear about what products you may be taking and feel are really helping you. Every body is SO different, therefore we all need different things. Comment below with your list of supplements!

Wishing You A Pain Free Day!

 

 

 

And because our world is super crazy, let me just leave this right here . . .

You should always consult your doctor before using any prescription, drugs, supplements or undergoing any treatments. The above statements have not been approved by the FDA, doTerra and any of the supplement companies listed. They reflect my own opinions and research.

 

Catch up on this “Managing My Psoriatic Arthritis” Ask Juls series:

This series was created after having been asked the question “Did an elimination diet help you manage my psoriatic arthritis?”.

Short answer – YES

Long answer – YES, but I’ve also done a lot of other things as well to help manage my condition. I focus on the following 5 areas to help manage my psoriatic arthritis.

Part 1: Elimination Diet

Part 2: Supplements

Part 3: Toxins

Part 4: Meditation & Mindfulness

Part 5: Yoga & Movement