“I always tell people, everybody should have a family physician, a mental health therapist and take a self-check where you can reflect and be honest with yourself about your needs,” said Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk, Pharmacologist, Professor, and Entrepreneur.
We want to be as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. But ‘how’ to achieve that is rarely clear. Okay, those self-care practices we heard about in kindergarten, like enough exercise, sleep, and nutrition are actually quite important. But there’s more to consider. The wellness industry continues to churn out promises to make us healthier. The global market for dietary supplements alone is an estimated $ 211.3 billion!
However, as Leena explained in part one from our interview, Can You Emerge With What You Really Need from the Vitamin Aisle? a lot of companies make false claims. And in the US, vitamins and supplements are not regulated for efficacy. Instead of feeling like test subjects, with the burden of research, trial and error we can think more broadly. And improve health management for ourselves and our families
Why do We Need to Reassess Our Health Needs?
Do you need the same things now as you did 5 years ago? Right, probably not. New stressors plus time and resource constraints, can lead to unplanned health shortcuts. Then we tend to get a lot of conflicting guidance about solutions. Leena said, “When I think of health and life, there are no perfect answers. Reflecting and thinking about your needs is an important starting point.”
We also go through emotional and physical changes while managing increased complexity. She added, “A couple of years ago, I lost a lot of weight by doing intermittent fasting. Then last year was a very stressful year for my family so, a lot of it came back. So, now I’m on that journey again.”
How do Stress and Hormonal Shifts Change Things?
Sometimes our stressors are obvious. Like a difficult boss, financial strain, illness, or eldercare needs. However, for moms the hormonal rollercoaster of fertility treatments, pregnancy, postpartum, or perimenopause can lurk under subtle (or not so subtle) changes in mood, energy, sleep or strength.
Many of us begin our supplement journeys with pre-natal vitamins, to deal with the increased nutrition needs through pregnancy. Then we shift to postpartum vitamins and call it day. But as hormonal swings continue, your health and wellness needs will evolve. And high-quality dietary supplements may be helpful. Leena said, “I’m going through menopause and I take ashwagandha and calcium supplements every day. Can I be better about taking nutrients from natural sources? Of course, there’s always room for improvement but it’s not practical for most. So, for any nutrients you miss in their natural form (in food) you can still have access, and I think that’s where this industry has become so big.” So, how do you target what’s most important?
When Considering Supplements, Identify Your Goals
Leena grew up in India, with an abundance of fresh foods and her family largely followed an Ayurvedic diet. Many of us from immigrant families, want to honor traditions with nutrients from delicious meals we were raised with. Herbs and spices like garlic, ginger and turmeric, have many proven health benefits. Yet it takes time to peel, grind or grate them. I love to cook but 100%-scratch-made-meals are impractical for most people, which is part of why supplements are so appealing.
Leena is passionate about using her professional expertise to educate consumers. Although her company doesn’t sell consumer products, she and her scientific colleagues built an educational site, aptly named ‘What to Trust’ that rates dietary supplements by efficacy.
On Instagram, she also shares useful resources. Including 4 questions to ask yourself before buying your next supplement. “Why am I taking this, what is the reason? Who recommended this product? What do I know about the brand/product? Is there solid science behind it?”
Check in With Your Doctors Through Life’s Changes
Leena said, “everybody’s needs are different. Someone may be successful taking a certain type of a drug or supplement and somebody else may be non-responsive to it.” When you consider evolving any health routines, whether that’s what you eat, how you exercise, or take supplements, she recommends speaking with your healthcare provider.
Your doctor can assess what’s appropriate for your overall health and medical profile. Some doctors will go deep on the topic of nutritional needs whereas others will refer you to a specialist. Like a registered dietitian or nutritionist for more specific guidance on meal planning.
Educate Yourself With Credible Information
The reality is, there are a lot of confusing options and many products that make false claims. We can’t become experts in everything, but we can look for credentials and find great resources. Leena shares specifics about the science behind popular supplements, like how peptides work. If you want to get the most from vitamins or supplements, time of day, whether you take them with food, and the right types of foods to take them with, can matter. For example, she shares when to take omega 3’s, magnesium or creatine.
Many of us are trying to boost our protein intake because it’s important to keep muscle mass as we age, skin health and women tend not to consume enough of it. But you can have too much protein. As she shares online, “More than .8 per kilogram can put extra strain on vital organs like your kidneys and liver.”
Continue to Update Your Self-Care Rituals
I asked Leena, ‘what does self-care mean to you and how do you implement it in your life right now?’ She said, “I can be much better at it, there are not enough hours! My husband is a very busy doctor who works a ‘bazillion’ hours, and I was just complaining that my 11-year-old needs a personal assistant to coordinate his sports schedule! I got into gardening during COVID and that was also the first time I had a house with a yard. It’s my happy place! If I’m not in the garden, getting my hands dirty in the soil, I’m thinking about the garden, ordering seeds and looking at bulbs. And that’s a big part of my self-care and lifestyle now.”
Beautiful! So, remember to pay attention to your ongoing health needs and changes based on your stress and activity levels, mood, sleep and life stage. You can keep adapting to the different conditions and talk to your healthcare provider about what’s safe for you. Consider supplements as a way to help you get more of the nutrients you need, more consistently.
Many thanks to the talented Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk, PhD!
Check out her company’s website to research supplements whattotrust.com and follow her great adventure on Instagram.
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About Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk:
Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk is the CEO and Co-Founder of Canomiks Inc. based in Cambridge, MA and Rochester, MN. Leena has a PhD in Pharmacology and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. She is an accomplished life sciences professional and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School with extensive experience in industry and academia.
Leena co-founded Canomiks with her colleagues from Harvard Medical School to bring their collective expertise in science, health, and wellness to the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries. Canomiks has received several grants including the prestigious National Science Foundation SBIR grant to develop new standards for the botanical ingredient industry using genomics, bioinformatics, and AI technologies. Leena has served on the community board of trustees of the non-profit organization, Jeremiah Program in Rochester, MN, on the board of Launch Minnesota, a MN state organization to support start-ups, and is a former Co-Chair of the science committee of the global organization, Women in Nutraceuticals. Leena currently lives in Rochester, MN with her husband who is a physician at the Mayo Clinic, their 11-year-old son, Richard, and their two standard poodles, Carbon and Arthur.
