This is my very personal health checklist. I do not intend to diagnose, cure or treat anyone, and these statements have not been verified by the FDA. It is advised that you work with your physician before taking supplements.
You asked, and I have delivered. I have also recorded a podcast episode to cover this further; check out the HW Apothicaire podcast (formerly the Health Witch podcast) available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Keep in mind; I am not a physician – I do not diagnose, treat or cure.
I am an herbalist, practitioner of preventative care, health educator, and I hold a Ph.D. I do extensive research into the latest healthcare advancements and the past for long-tried-and-true remedies. Science is quickly evolving all the time in the field of medicine and supplements, so what I take today may change in a couple of months (as long as it suits my personal needs).
It takes a community to keep me healthy. Here is a glimpse into my health community:
Every 3-6 months. A Naturopathic Doctor (and a phlebotomist to draw blood for those appointments). If you are taking supplements, it is vital to work with a physician and run those tests to ensure that you are addressing your needs and that the vitamins/drugs you are taking are not causing any internal harm (especially on those important organs like your heart, liver, and kidney…really, they are all important). If you are looking for a naturopathic doctor in your area, check out naturopathic.org.
For everyday herbal support. Herbalist. In this case, I am the herbalist. I holistically look overall health of an individual and provide supportive lifestyle hacks, nutrition, skincare, and advanced herbal care to support the body and target health concerns. Work with an herbalist if you want to take your health up a notch; herbalists can also work with you and your doctor to ensure holistic care. Sometimes clients don’t even know what health questions to bring to their physician/doctor, and we can help with that too!
1-2 times a month. Acupuncture Doctor. Experiencing lymphatic stagnation, chronic or acute pain, or stress? Acupuncture can help. Before you reach for that pharmaceutical medication or OTC, consider acupuncture.
1 time per month. Massage Therapist. This is the ultimate enjoyment, and it just happens to remove lymph stagnation, ease pain, release tension, and help detox. I go for a stress-detox message that includes infrared sauna, body exfoliation, hot-stone massage, and scalp treatment.
2 times per week. Yoga Instructor. As we age, we become brittle, and we lose 1% of our muscle mass every year. If you want to live a long and healthy life, you must build flexibility and muscle. I wish I could be more dedicated at home to self-motivate a stretch for 1+ hours, but I need that studio pressure and connection to other fellow yogis.
1-2 times per year. Thermography Nurse. I am under the age of 50, and there are no comprehensive breast tests available covered by healthcare insurance in the US. I am grateful to have this option! This technology will not pick up on structural abnormalities, but it will pick up on system stagnation (aka one of those warning signs of breast cancer).
2 times per year. Dentist. Dentist cleaning twice and year. I also forego all x-rays unless needed (when the dentist suspects a cavity), and it has been over 7-years to avoid undue radiation.
1-2 times a year. Dermatologist. A skincare check for sun cancer. I cannot stress this one enough – even if you consider yourself a shade baby. Once a year, I also do Vivace/Microneedling (and oh yes…come to the table with some pain tolerance, it hurts).
Bach Flower Remedy Specialist. I will work with a flower remedy specialist to express my emotions and find an energetic formulation to suit me. The emotional and energetic shift flower remedies can bring is subtle but profound. I really like Ayla’s team, and work with Ane. At Ayla Beauty, you can book an appointment with a Bach Flower Specialist and receive a custom remedy tailored to you.
Herbs in my current rotation are HW personal formulations down to the exact percentage and/or other tailored formulas from sister apothecaries to suit my constitution and body type. For this reason, I highly encourage you to work with an experienced herbalist. I have personal formulas for stress (taken as needed), headaches (taken as needed), and lymph movement (taken daily, especially if I had a sedentary day) just to give you an idea. Then there is my daily strong tea (aka my overnight infusion). The night before, I’ll boil one liter of water, add to my coffee press with 3-5 heaping tablespoons of herbs, let it sit overnight, strain, and enjoy through the day. Because I run dry during the winter, whatever formulation is prepared, it contains linden or marshmallow for added hydration.
I also happen to be one of those herbalists, that well, use more than just herbs. Why wouldn’t you use all the health tools in the tool chest? As I mentioned previously, I also run regular tests when using supplements and work with a naturopathic doctor to ensure that 1. It's safe, 2. It's working and I’m not wasting money. However, there are a couple of vitamins, magnesium being one of them that I recommend to ALL my clients (as just about everyone is deficient in it, supports just about all bodily processes, and there is no toxic upper limit…worst case, you get the shits and dial back).
These are the vitamins that I take that work for me (these may not work for you, and everyone is different). I also do not skimp; I am willing to pay top dollar for the best, safest, and cleanest formulations. I want to know what is in my vitamins, with what and how it was produced, appropriately packaged to not degrade the product, and the peace of mind that it has been third-party verified. These are not the supplements you find shopping at CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, or the supermarket, they are acquired through most naturopathic offices, with a couple of exceptions.
So here it goes:
Empty Stomach/morning:
· Tru Niagen Pro 500
· L-Glutathione
I’ll take these with plenty of warm water to get me started. I think of this as my morning anti-aging potion to help boost NAD levels that decrease with age and increase cellular repair.
Morning with breakfast:
· Agent Nateur Collagen Pearl Powder
· Jigsaw Alaskan or Dutch Harbor Cod Liver Oil
· Xymogen Resvertain Plus
· Pure Synergy SuprePure Astaxanthin
· Enviromedica Grass-fed Beef Liver
· K2-D3 5000
· Organic India Amla capsules
I was deficient in Vitamin A, to counteract this I have enriched my diet with particular foods and herbs, and incorporated beef liver and cod liver oil supplements. Vitamin D is also a must, especially in the age of COVID. Crazy to think insurance companies just stopped covering blood tests to check vitamin D levels, vitamin D deficiency is one of the biggest risk factors for COVID mortality! You want your vitamin D levels checked to make sure you are in the sweet spot, levels too high can be toxic.
The evening after dinner:
· Ortho Molecular Reacted Magnesium
· Ortho Molecular Orthobiotic
The Orthobiotic is my probiotic with strains that are suitable for those with histamine intolerance. Find a probiotic with strains that agree with you, even this should be tailored to you.
Right before bed (at least 2 hours after I take my evening supplements):
· 1-teaspoon of psyllium organic while husk fiber with a couple drops of chlorophyll
· 1-dropper of HW Lymph Mover tincture
The psyllium powder with chlorophyll to increase my fiber intake and a lymph mover to aid detox pathways to do some major overnight healing during my 8-11 hour slumber.
Written by Ashley Bissonnette-Murphy, If you have questions or comments, email me at ashley@hwapothicaire.com
I do not receive endorsements of any kind.
**These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This service or product is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease.**