A client told me recently that she was struggling to feel patient, particularly at work. She said, “I think I might need professional help.”

Curious about why she would feel that way, I asked what she meant. For example, did she need a psychologist or anti-anxiety meds?

She said maybe what she needed was a naturopath to give her some supplements to make her calmer.

It turns out that she felt a bit of pressure because “everyone was seeing one” and she had the idea that she should be doing more to improve her health and wellness—especially simple things like taking supplements.

I explained that “should’ing” all over herself was a slippery (and potentially messy) slope and that this idea of just wanting a “magic pill” to quickly solve her symptoms might not be the most effective approach.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you do need that magic pill! But I would advocate that it should come in the form of doctor prescribed medication because of professional medical care and not from relying solely on the advice of a naturopath, who may prescribe any number of things just to see if it makes you feel better.

Read on for three reasons why looking to your diet may be more effective than seeking out that magic pill or expensive supplement.

Anxiety and Irritability

When a client raises the issue of anxiety and irritability, otherwise described as a lack of patience, my first question is always around caffeine. Just how many cups of coffee are they drinking per day?

In the case of my client, she was doing the normal thing and drinking two large coffees in the morning and then calling it quits. When we looked at just how much this was dose-wise, it put her in the range of about 400mg of caffeine. This is the upper recommended limit for caffeine intake.

Now, not everyone will have a caffeine sensitivity that increases anxiety and irritability, but it IS common.

The reason I know this is because I’ve developed a caffeine sensitivity. I’ve recently switched to a half-caf blend so I can calmly have my two home-made Americanos each day. I had noticed that with two full-throttle caffeine doses, I was not as patient and reasonable as I had once been. An intervention was required and fortunately, it was as simple as cutting down my caffeine.

So, before you think your increased sense of unease, worry, anxiety, or irritability needs professional intervention, try a week or so of reduced caffeine—then reevaluate. You may find that this simple diet solution is all it takes to restore your sense of equilibrium.

Digestive Health

Research is highlighting more about the gut-brain connection and the importance of digestive health everyday. Your gut microbiome has the potential to influence anything from preventing cancer to reducing the risk of neurological diseases.

It’s easy to feel the pressure to jump on the probiotic bandwagon to make sure you’re doing everything you can. But do you really need to invest copious amounts of money on that magic pill?

The short answer is no. You don’t need to take a probiotic like it’s a multi-vitamin.

In fact, some research suggests that by introducing a probiotic, you can throw the balance of your gut bacteria off because probiotics contain a strong dose of a certain kind of bacteria that you might not actually need more of.

Our individual microbiome is as unique as our fingerprint and we don’t yet know the optimal composition of gut bacteria that will lead to the best health outcomes.

Instead of relying on a probiotic-filled magic pill to make up for a diet lacking in whole foods, which contain fiber, fluid, micronutrients, and natural pre and probiotics, focusing on a diet filled with a robust variety of whole, minimally processed foods can offer a path to overall better health.

Fiber is particularly important to your gut because it’s the fuel that your gut bacteria feasts on. When there is an absence of fiber, gut bacteria cannot flourish, and some aspects might even die off. The byproducts created by well-fed gut bacteria help with things such as your immune system, regulating your appetite, and improving your stress response.

When it comes to food-related ways to increase and diversify your gut bacteria, only yogurt and kefir are considered probiotic. Other fermented and pickled foods don’t make the cut because they don’t fit the definition of a true probiotic.

If you’re surprised by this, don’t worry—I was too!

If you want to learn more, I’d encourage you to read this great article. In it, you’ll learn more about the specific reasons to take a probiotic and which ones will be the most beneficial in situations where they might be needed.

Electrolyte Supplements for Active People

I’m an athlete. I push my body hard and I sweat. But do I need to take an electrolyte supplement to replenish all the good stuff lost through perspiration?

Nope.

But won’t I get light-headed, risk cramping, have brain fog or low energy?

Probably not. The caveat here is that I’m not an endurance athlete doing hours and hours of intense activity—in those circumstances, electrolyte supplementation during and/or after exercise may be a necessity.

So, if you’re like me and do moderate amounts of exercise on the daily, electrolyte replacers are another one of those costly magic pills that aren’t required.

All they’re likely to do is result in expensive pee.

Why? Because for the average person, doing average things, a good diet offers what we need from an electrolyte perspective.

Sodium is the electrolyte most depleted through sweat. Typical electrolyte products are centered around sodium, with a much smaller ratio of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride as these are minimally influenced through perspiration.

Most people get an adequate amount of sodium in their diet. Did you know the upper limit for sodium intake is 2300mg per day? How does your intake check out?

Unless you’re eating a completely whole foods diet and not salting your food at all, my guess would be that you don’t need to add more sodium.

When it comes to other electrolytes, you can typically get sufficient levels through your diet, if you’re focusing on the right things. You guessed it—whole minimally processed foods. Bananas, potatoes, beans, spinach, squash, and even yogurt are high in potassium. Magnesium can be found in nuts and seeds, beans, potatoes, yogurt, and bananas. Chloride is found in table salt or sea salt, as well as veggies.

On the flip side, taking an electrolyte supplement probably won’t do you any harm, other than burn an unnecessary hole in your wallet. But if your chosen supplement isn’t low in calories, they can unexpectedly drive up bodyweight. Check your nutrition labels and make sure that if you’re drinking things like Gatorade that you’re aware of the actual serving size and just how many servings are in each bottle. You might be surprised.

The takeaway here is that costly supplementation prescribed by a naturopath, through over-the-counter probiotics, or via electrolyte drinks is rarely necessary and these “magic pills” don’t need to be the first thing you reach for.

Taking a hard look at your diet and assessing its quality and whether you’re eating a variety of whole, minimally processed fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy, will have multi-faceted benefits. These benefits have the potential to optimize your overall health in ways beyond targeting a single symptom or worry.