iHerb Haul | Health, Supplements, Beauty

It's been a long time since I shared an iHerb haul. I shop there pretty much every month and have since I've had a computer... aka, a very long time. They have the best prices even with the Canadian exchange rate, shipping and prepaid taxes!

Today, I wanted to share my purchases as I ordered quite a few items this time.

Nature's Answer Rhodiola
This is the best Rhodiola that I've tried so I keep going back to it. It's a great adaptogen that helps my body deal with stress. This one is 100mg, which I find is the right dose for me. Purchase HERE.

CocoCeps Dark Chocolate Cocoa Beverage
I've been drinking this in my morning protein smoothies for as long as I can remember. It contains certified organic unsweetened dark cocoa plus Cordyceps and Reishi Powders. Excellent for immunity, heart health, energy and provides antioxidants. Purchase HERE.

Now Foods Glycine Pure Powder 1lb
I purchased this for sleep as it's reported to promote restful sleep. I'm not sure that it's doing anything for my sleep, as I still have sleep issues, but what I did notice while taking this is that it helps with daytime stress. I need to take a whole teaspoon in my water bottle to notice a difference. I believe the recommended dose is 1/4 tsp. I ran this by my Doctor and he told me it's okay for me to be taking 1 tsp as it's water soluble, meaning you'll just pee out what you don't use. :) Purchase HERE.

Brain Awakening Magnesium Supplement
I actually didn't order this, it just showed up in my order. It's funny because in all the years that I've been shopping with iHerb this has never happened before. I contacted them and they told me to keep it. I've been taking it but I really haven't noticed anything yet. I cannot find this on their site.

Now Foods Vitamin D 1000IU
This is my first time ordering Now Foods Vitamin D. Vitamin D is such an important vitamin as so many of us are deficient, especially in this part of the world where we don't get enough sunshine for much of the year. This has a dropper, offers 1000mg per drop, and is very affordable. D is fat-soluble, so I always take it with my fish oil capsule and preferably some food or drink with fat in it. Purchase HERE.

HyaFlex Hyaluronic Acid For Joints
I've been purchasing this for my cat for a while. I noticed a difference after the first time he took it, he went charging around the house about 2 hours after taking it. It's expensive, so I give him half of the recommended dose. There is also one for Dogs.

Now Foods 5-HTP 50mg
I keep this on rotation for my insomnia issues. I prefer the 50mg so I have the option of taking 50mg or more vs. the 100mg caps. 5-HTP often helps put me into zzz land. As a side benefit, it helps to improve my mood as well. I guess I should really take it more often :D Purchase HERE.

Jarrow Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is great for our liver. I actually purchased this because I read that it's good for balancing hormones on top of the fact that it would help my liver, so win-win. This is a great brand and it's very affordable. Purchase HERE.

Wet Brush Mini
I have a large wet./dry brush and I like it so much that I wanted the mini for my purse. This one was only a few dollars and works just as well as the full size. Can be Purchased HERE.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my iHerb haul!

If you haven't shopped with iHerb before, I can highly recommend them. They have amazing prices, super fast shipping, and excellent customer service!

My tips for shopping iHerb: I try to spend the amount that will get me free shipping if they are offering it, otherwise, I go for the cheapest shipping method with taxes prepaid. I use a discount code each time like the one shared below. I pay in my own currency as my credit card conversion will be more than iHerb's conversion. I always choose to prepay the taxes, you'll save the customs fees and it makes shipping much faster, too!

*You can save $$$ on your orders with iHerb by entering discount code AGU725 into your cart or just click this link to save! This code can be used by anyone and can be used every time you shop!

Remember to always check with your health care practitioner before beginning any new supplements.

*Contains referral links. All opinions are my own.

Orange Naturals MagPop Magnesium Glycinate Supplement Review #TryNatural

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to try out a magnesium supplement by Orange Naturals called MagPop. This opportunity came through a website called Social Nature. 

From Social Nature's website:

• Magnesium supplement - MagPop!
• Treats the following symptoms: fatigue, low energy, agitation, anxiety, restless legs, headaches, irritability, cramping and high blood pressure
• Helps to regulate mood and sleep patterns
• Vegan
• Promotes regular bowel health
• Great for children ages 4+ 
  • Magnesium maintains bone health, muscle, and nerve function (important for growing bodies)

My Experience:

I truly believe that most of us are deficient in magnesium. I have pretty much all of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency so I know that I can benefit from taking it but I always forget to.

 I received 3 sample packs from Social Nature to trial the product. When I tried my first packet I didn't notice anything. The next time I tried this product I had just gotten my monthly migraine. So, I took two packs at once to see if it would help. The taste was much better with two packs mixed in water vs. one pack. It dissolved nicely and had a slightly sweet orange flavour. 

Now onto the good stuff! Was I ever pleasantly surprised when my migraine (which usually lasts 1.5 days and is usually very intense) was reduced by about 80-90% by taking the two packets of this magnesium supplement. I still had a migraine but it was very subtle and I was able to function normally. 

I try to avoid over the counter painkillers whenever possible and stick to natural remedies. There are often costs associated with taking medications from reactions to taking a toll on our organs, liver etc.

I know that I could probably reap many more benefits by taking this product on the regular. I am going to make a conscious effort to take magnesium more often. I began taking magnesium oil recently (which is a topical magnesium),  but I wouldn't trade one off for the other, the two forms do different things. I really need to continue with the magnesium oil and add the magnesium powder to my regimen. I do wish I had received a larger sample so I could report on the cumulative effects. But, based on how it helped my migraine, I rate this product highly effective. I would recommend this supplement to everyone! 

I am grateful to Orange Naturals & Social Nature for the opportunity to sample this product. 

*I received this product free for trial purposes and all opinions are my own and 100% honest. 

#trynatural #ONatural

Things to do when you just can't sleep!

What to do when you just can't sleep!?

I'm sure many of us experience insomnia at some point in our lives. I decided to compile a list of things to do when you just can't sleep. Of course, I wont be able to list every possible thing, but I'll list as many as I can think of and include links where I can. Hopefully this will help some of you. And, of course, please share any suggestions you have.. let's keep the conversation going!

• Prayer
• meditation- just focus on your breath. Also, there are plenty of great meditation tracks on youtube as well as cell phone apps
• count sheep or just count your breaths
• try deep breathing- breathing exercises
• have a calming mantra- a word you find calming and repeat it in your head while you breathe
• listen to relaxing music- calm.com (also for iPhone and android)
• progressive muscle relaxation- or try YouTube
• read a boring book
• listen to a boring book - Audible free trial
• flip through a magazine
• alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhan) - how to or youtube
• gentle stretches- especially the neck
• try a few yoga postures- child's pose and legs up the wall can work well- yoga poses for sleep
• this DVD helped me a lot! It includes: yoga, self-massage, guided meditation and diet tips and recipes- my favourite DVD for sleep & relaxation
• yoga DVD for sleep and relaxation (another personal favourite) - yoga DVD for sleep
• self-massage- especially the neck and forehead and temples
• try reflexology 
• journaling- get your thoughts out of your head- 10 tips
• to-do list- update or make one 
• write down the things you are thankful for
• write an email or letter- if you're upset with someone, write it down (just don't send it!)
• play a game you find boring- maybe solitaire
• massage your earlobes (this is known to induce relaxation)
• easy hand massage (reflexology) 
• try acupressure points for sleep- acupressure
• pet your pet (a proven stress reliever!)
• If you're too cold, grab some socks or a heating pad (just don't fall asleep with the heating pad on)
• watch a boring TV show- I prefer to keep off lights and electronics, but if all else fails..
• have a snack- preferably a protein and carbohydrate mix to get the tryptophan through the BBB (blood-brain barrier)  eg. nut butter with 1/2 slice whole-grain bread, warm milk, sliced bananas in milk, to name a few..
• try golden milk- golden milk recipe
• take some magnesium - natural calm works like a dream!
• sip some relaxing tea- Some of the sleep teas at the supermarket are great, Celestial makes some good ones!
• use essential oils- add to your hand cream or put a few drops on a cotton pad beside your pillow- lavender, jasmine and chamomile are a few good ones. One of my favourites is badger's sleep balm 
• keep some homoeopathic remedies on hand - coffea cruda and bhi calming are good ones!
• inositol powder in some water can do wonders to shut off the mind!- Powdered Inositol
• liquid calcium/magnesium can also work wonders- liquid cal-mag
• clear the clutter, just don't start a full-on cleaning!
• try some melatonin if you have at least 8 hours before you have to get up 1mg time released melatonin helps me!
• if restless legs are keeping you up, you could be low in iron-  make a note to check with your Doctor
• catch up on your favourite blogs or start one!

Lastly, I came across this interesting article on cooling the brain for sleep and decided last minute to add it to this post. I've heard many different thoughts regarding keeping the feet warm vs cool for sleep and similarly with the head. Chinese medicine refers to this a lot.

These are just the things that came to my mind as I compiled this list. It just takes finding the right thing that works for each of us. I hope you will try some of these if they are new to you and hope you find them helpful.  I would love to hear any tips or tricks that you have.

As always, please check with your doctor before implementing any of the supplements I have mentioned.

Sleep well!

xo Amy