i’m sorry it’s been so long since i’ve posted anything.  i’ve been traveling, dealing with some unfortunate news, and fighting off my online gaming addiction, diablo 3.   i had sworn off any kind of online gaming (i find them too addictive and lose all perspective when it comes to time management).  many hours of gaming leads to incredibly dry eyes.  ideally, you should take a break every 20 minutes with a 20 second break by looking far away or closing your eyes.  you could also do a break every hour, though it becomes a 5 minute break to rest your eyes, but who remembers to do that when your wizard or demon hunter is busy melting down mobs?  this reminded me that i’ve been wanting to share with all of you some of the things i take internally to nourish my dry skin and eyes.

Krill Oil, Chia Seeds and MegaHydrate

first up is the most common of the 3: omega-3 supplements.  i take it in two forms, both animal and plant.  why? because the bioavailability of the two is different.  i use the plant form when i need an extra boost, but i take the animal form daily.  i really should just take both daily, but i take a lot of supplements to help with my lupus, and sometimes i just get tired of taking stuff.  anyways, as i’m sure many of you already know, a good source of omega comes from fatty fishes such as salmon, mackerel, and cod.  grass fed beef can also be a good source of omega-3 but not corn fed.  when the cows are corn fed, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 oils inverts and causes more inflammation in the body.  i attended a lecture from an eye doctor who stated that you needed around 500mg of EPA + DHA (specific forms of omega-3) to avoid deficiency and 1g (1000mg) for proactive support.  you want to choose one bound in triglyceride form, as opposed to eythl esther, because it is more stable and absorbable by body.  i’ve heard omega-3 bound in eythl esther form can melt styrofoam! doesn’t that sound kind of scary to be putting into your body?  though triglyceride bound omega-3 supplements are more expensive, consider it as an investment in your health.  unstable omega 3s easily oxidize and actually cause more inflammation in your body.  the last thing you want is the supplement you’re taking to actually be harmful instead of beneficial.  certain brands also send their products in for 3rd party testing providing quality assurance and peace of mind.  the lecturer recommended the brands Nordic Naturals, PRN, and PhysioLogics for this reason.  another reason for taking supplements instead of just eating lots of fish is that all the toxins, for example mercury, are filtered out.  now you’re probably wondering why a krill oil is pictured instead of one of the omega fish oils i’ve listed above.  i bought these in bulk when they were on sale, so i’m just finishing them up.  krill oil is supposed to be more bioavailable, so you’re supposed to need less.  however, there haven’t been as many studies on it compared to fish oil.  i’ve also heard that krill has issues of sustainability.  though i haven’t looked into it that much, since i’m planning to go back to fish oil.  if issues of sustainability are a concern to you, i’d recommend further research into the subject.

my favorite form of plant based omega-3 is soaked chia seeds.  i soak 4 tablespoons of chia seeds in 2 cups of herbal or green tea.  why tea? i hate the taste of plain water (it’s just so boring!) and certain teas helps alkalinize your body.  the mixture will need to be stirred a few times in the first few minutes to prevent clumping.  after a few minutes, i will store it into the fridge where it will turn into a jelly/pudding like texture overnight.  you can either take spoonfuls of this as is or mix into more liquid (it will be like healthy version of the frog egg sized tapioca asian drinks).  there are also recipes on the internet that teach you how to make healthy pudding with chia seeds, or you can put into into baked goods.  you’re supposed to consume this mixture within a week, but honestly i’ve had it last 3 weeks in my fridge without any problems.  the chia gel also helps you feel full.  i like taking a 16oz tumbler and filling 1/5 of it with the chia gel mixture and the rest with some sort of liquid (usually tea or coconut water for me) when i attend my night class.  it helps prevent the hunger pangs i tend to get late in the night when i’ve eaten dinner too early.

last on the least is a supplement called MegaHydrate.  it’s an antioxidant supplement high in negatively charged hydrogen.  why hydrogen? according to the literature, the scientist discovered that the common factor in longevity of people living in remotes region of the world was that they drink water from melted glaciers.  the water from the melted glaciers, also known as glacial milk, had a lower surface tension allowing the cells to absorb water with greater ease thus facilitating hydration, nutrient intake, and waste elimination.  with further research, the scientist discovered what made the glacial milk so special was negatively charged hydrogen ions.  in addition to facilitating hydration, the negatively charged hydrogen is also supposed to be a powerful antioxidant, donating it’s extra negative electron to help neutralize free radicals.  there’s a lot more literature involved about the benefits, but that’s really too much science for me.  i’ve been out of school too long, and my brain just doesn’t want to work that hard.  i encourage you to do the reading if it interests you or want to learn more about it.  i’m not one to care too much about the science.  all i care about is the results.  i’ve noticed significant alleviation of the trouble i have with my extreme dry eye and itchy skin from my sjogren’s syndrome.  i need less eye drops and less lotioning when i take MegaHydrate.  this is the one supplement i make sure i never run out of in the house.  sometimes i get sick of taking pills and take a break from the rest of my supplements, but i always take this.  yes, that’s right.  that means i ignore the vit d and my omega-3s, and i just take this.  through various experiments with my supplements, i’ve discovered that the MegaHydrate has the most noticeable effect.  of course, long term, it’s not enough by itself, but if i want a short break from lots of pills, this is the one i take.

Readers, what are you doing to nourish yourself? please share your favorite tips and supplements down below!