Supplements have become much more important to me as I use my food as my medicine. I have episodes of depression as well as overcoming several addictions but no longer take any medicine except for a slow thyroid. Wanting to lose weight, I choose my daily food very carefully. My best friend in this is My Fitness Pal because it shows me the calories, carbs, fat, protein, cholesterol, and fiber in all the foods I eat.

My go-to-guy for supplements and other thoughts about food and health is Dave Asprey, founder and CEO of Bulletprook. His bulletproof coffee is very popular. I listen to his podcasts from ITunes on my daily bike rides and read his Bulletproofexec site. I use his recommendations for supplements because I have found them to work for me. They do give my more energy and focus. His recommendations for supplements are here. His top 10 are:

Here are the ten nutrients (almost) everyone should supplement with.

1. Vitamin D
2. Magnesium
3. Vitamin K2
4. Vitamin C
5. Iodine
6. Krill Oil
7. Vitamin A
8. Selenium
9. Copper
10. Folinic Acid with B12

Savoring and Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is about learning to savor food with intention and joy. Many people report that, with mindfulness, they learn to really savor the experience of eating and, paradoxically, feel full after just a few mindful bites. The Center for Mindful Eating defines the principles of mindful eating as:

• Choosing to eat food that is both pleasing and using all your senses to explore, savor and taste,
• Learning to be aware of hunger and fullness cues and letting these guide your decision to begin and stop eating,
• Acknowledging responses to food without judgment, and
• Becoming more aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities through food preparation and consumption.

Exercise to Lose Weight–No Gym Membership Required!

“When people think of how to exercise to lose weight, they often assume that they will have to buy a gym membership and workout for hours every day. Not true! Not only is it not essential, the image of pumping iron in the gym for hour after hour is a complete red herring, and here’s why..”

Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin

“Yes, although the muscle-fat relationship is often misunderstood. According to calculations published in the journal Obesity Research by a Columbia University team in 2001, a pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns. Which means that after you work out hard enough to convert, say, 10 lb. of fat to muscle — a major achievement — you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. Good luck with that.”

Photo credit.