Q: What are the most important supplements to take if I'm healthy and don't have "specific" health concerns? 

A: There are a few core supplements that will act like nutrition insurance and help you stay healthy.      

1- A high quality multivitamin/mineral. Most multivitamins have almost no minerals in them, and this is a mistake. Most people are deficient in minerals because of soil depletion and acidifying diets. Your multivitamin should have functional levels of minerals such as magensium, zinc and calcium. 

2- An omega-3 fish oil. Most people are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, which are needed to prevent heart disease, cancer, arthritis and dementia. They also help with skin and immune health.

3- A high quality probiotic, such as HLC Mindlinx. Without a doubt, lack of good bacteria is one of the most common imbalances underlying a vast majority of illnesses. Since good bacteria are degraded by tap water and pesticides in food, it's important to supplement with them regularly. 

Q: I'm about to have surgery and not sure if I should stop taking supplements. Also, are there certain foods or supplements I should purchase for afterwards?

A: To be safe, you should discontinue all supplements prior to surgery, typically 5-7 days (check with your surgeon). Certain supplements that include blood thinning agents such as fish oils or blood clotting agents such as Vitamin K can be dangerous if taken just before surgery. After surgery, you'll definitely want to make sure you're getting enough nutrition. Some of the most important nutrients to get enough of are protein, zinc, and vitamin C. One form of easily absorbed proteins, called Branched Chain Amino Acids, are especially helpful if you feel your digestion isn't perfect. If you're taking anti-biotics, you'll also want to start probiotics immediately to prevent post-antibiotic opportunistic infections. Healthy fats are also very helpful for healing and inflammation for which we recommend easy to absorb, coconut oil. Glutamine is also very effective at speeding up tissue healing post surgery.