Supplements Galore

While I now have to rely on painkillers (Naproxen is my choice, one to two 200mg pills twice a day.  Consult a doctor if you have to keep taking them for a prolonged period of time like me), I also take supplements to help with my anti-inflammatory diet to push my body's healing process.  Below is what I have tried in the past and what I'm doing now.


Fish oil/ Flax oil

what I used to take by two handfuls everyday

Omega3 rich Flaxseed and Fish oils are probably the most recommended supplements for joint pain.  I found that both oils had to be taken in massive quantities for me to be effective.  (Nine to Twelve 1,000mg gels/day each)  In the beginning, I think it helps to bomb yourself with them to get the effects started, but taking so much quantities leaves bad taste in my mouth (especially in the fish oil!) and makes me feel like an invalid.
So instead of taking these oils, I've developed a habit of eating lots of seaweed/seafood, buying Whole Flaxseeds to grind them myself, and eating about 3 tablespoons every morning with yogurt & fruit.

This one is Cuisinart SmartPower Compact Blender, which is much less noisy and a little more powerful than my old Magic Bullet

Buying a personal blender like this really really, REALLY helps.  You can make varieties of healthy smoothies yourself, healthy sauces, make gaspacho or other pureed soups, grind nuts/seeds and prunes/dried tart cherries together for healthy energy snacks.  Blending/grinding food yourself helps keep nutrients and enzymes of the ingredients better intact, not to mention they taste fresher and better too.

I sometimes take a few fish oil and flax oil softgels with my meal when I skip out on eating these foods and right now I'm favoring Wholemega brand (for some reason I feel less fishy burpy with this, plus it's made out of Wild Alaskan Salmon)

Wholemega Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil..  Only when I don't get a lot of Om-3 from my food

Anti-oxidants, 
Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM

more and more pills... I have become pretty lazy with with these, except the Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM

The three on the left are all Anti-Oxidants and help reduce inflammation level.  Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM are supposed to help repair cartilage.  I have not noticed any significant, eye-popping differences when I was taking them, which is probably why I don't always keep up with them.  The latter I keep taking anyway because I have seen the joint degeneration on my X-rays and need to try anything at all possible to help repair those damages.



Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), Glutamine Powder

Not just for bodybuilders

I started to take CLA and Glutamine powder after reading Dr. Perricone's "Perricone Weight-loss Diet" book.  While you might be scratching your head at the title of the book, if you get a chance to read it, I highly recommend it, and it's the book I still go back from time to time to refresh and remind myself the connection between Unhappy body and Fat.
CLA helps build muscle mass while promoting fat loss.  The fat cells are attributed to increasing inflammatory response in the body, so achieving a healthy muscle:fat ratio is important.  CLA is also found in eggs, mushrooms and grass-fed beef.
Glutamine powder helps protect/repair/build muscle tissues, and also helps with healthy gut & immune function.  I find that I have less IBS-like symptoms (always been a problem of mine) when I take glutamine powder.


Wobenzym

I REALLY do wish they'd change that label design.. Ugggghh.

A friend of mine have waxed poetic about the Wobenzym for years, and I decided to give it a try since they started selling it in the States.  I have been eating lots of Pineapples (in the form of smoothie, since eating it alone tend to hurt my teeth enamel) and felt that I had good responses from it, so why not try more enzymes?  So far I think it does help, but since there are some reports of side effects, I'm keeping it to a safe two tablets twice daily.