The exciting part for consumers of holistic and complementary medicine is the breakthroughs in non-invasive diagnostic technologies. What does this mean for you and me? It means that science is taking the guess work out of choosing which vitamin supplements and nutrition your body needs.

Well, for most consumers it has been a path of self education and self treatment. I grew up in a home where my now 89 year old mother, educated herself about health and nutrition. In fact, on my book shelf I have her first edition of Back To Eden (1939) by Jethro Kloss. My mother was part of a pioneering generation of self care, self-help psychology, and care for your own health using natural remedies and vitamins. Pioneers like Edgar Cayce and others that followed discovered ways to diagnose and treat people using natural means.

The first non-invasive diagnostic technique I was exposed to was applied kinesiology. AK is a diagnostic technique using muscle testing as a feedback mechanism to determine how your body is functioning. Applied kinesiology is unlimited in the way it can be used, but one application is testing for which vitamins supplements the body needs.

Another non-invasive diagnostic tool I discovered as a health consumer was the “EAV” machine (electro-acupuncture according to Voll).  The EAV machine tests the body’s “acupuncture” meridian system which conducts DC electrical current, or in Chinese medicine, known as “chi” or energy.  A simple probe is used on the hands, feet and teeth, which are the points on the body where the meridians end. The EAV is used to determine the functioning of the body’s meridian system.  Practitioners use this machine in a variety of ways to help determine which supplements your body needs.

Scientific breakthroughs have given us non-intrusive tests that can now test the bodys biochemical and electrical balance.

One of the most comprehensive approaches to assessing your body’s general state of health is to look at both the saliva (what’s inside the cells) and urine (what’s being eliminated). Saliva is an intracellular fluid and is an indicator of the body’s cellular health, in other words what’s happening within the cells. Urine shows what’s being excreted by the body giving you a picture of how well your filtering system is working.

The most recent advances are in “nutri-genomic” research. Now affordable DNA assessments are available to determine our genetic predisposition for disease! Simply using a buccal swab (cheek cells) to collect a sample of your DNA right in your own home.

So you can see we are making progress with assessing which specific vitamins and nutrients your body needs.

I recently had the findings of an EAV test match the results of my DNA assessment!

More to follow………

My commitment and discipline were not lacking, I simply felt after a period of time the health benefits were no longer evident to me. I did understand that the body’s ability to absorb and utilize key nutrients could be a factor in the difference I noticed. At the top of my game I was on a regime of fresh frozen super greens delivered in ice packs and a patented stack of organic amino acids for anti-aging.

I was feeling boundless energy during the day and deep baby sleep at night. The only downside was dealing with the frozen greens. Just when I thought I had discovered the supreme combination for myself, I stopped taking both supplements. After nearly one year the benefits switch turned off. I do keep the patented amino acid formula on hand for sports endurance.

My experience with alternative and complementary medicines were similar to that of vitamin supplementation and diet. Whether it be acupuncture, chiropractic or various types of body work, I would clearly “hit a ceiling” when I instinctively knew I had gained the maximum benefit and it was time to move on.

A lot of people get discouraged when they think something they have discovered is helping them one day and then the next day they are not experiencing those same benefits. Instead of disappointment, perhaps you can see it as your body’s intelligence at work. Your body’s own innate healing intelligence telling you that its done everything it can with a particular regime. You may have actually benefited with what you have done so far but there are other things to discover.

I once knew a practitioner who tested his patients before treating them to determine what their body’s priority was for that day. The patient may have come in for a chiropractic adjustment but he found they needed a vitamin supplement for their nervous system. Perhaps the chiropractic adjustment would be more effective when the nervous system was addressed first. When it comes to nutrition and vitamins, your body is going to absorb and utilize what it can at the time.

The body’s unique intelligence is always at work seeking a state of harmony. You may be drawn to certain foods for a month; this is your body’s way of signaling that for any number of reasons you have a particular nutritional need at this time.

Your needs for vitamins and nutrition will vary due to lifestyle demand and age. The progress that has been made in the preventative and holistic health industry is remarkable but the choices for products and vitamins can be overwhelming at times.

The technological and scientific advances in testing are mapping out our unique nutritional and hormonal needs. The genomic sciences have ushered in a whole new way of how we choose preventative health products.

This of course does not take into consideration your lifestyle, but DNA assessments can map out your predisposition for certain diseases. The scientific breakthroughs are pointing us to genes and lifestyle, and the good news is we can now do something about both. Due to scientific research we see the Biggest Trends in vitamins are those supplements that target:

* Overall health of the bones and and joints

* Cardiovascular health

* Memory and brain function

* Immune health

* Energy and Performance

* Anti-Aging and skin products

* Loss of sleep and nervousness

* Libido

What we do know is that your body’s innate intelligence is constantly adapting and seeking balance. Varying your vitamin supplements just makes sense; what you need during one stage of your life will certainly differ during another stage. I continue to research the best sources of vitamins and nutrition for myself at any given time. The approach is one of complementary, supplying where there is lack in order to complete it. I highly recommend you adapt this approach for your own optimum health.

MaryAnn Russell is passionate about connecting people to knowledge and information that brings empowerment and freedom to their lives. For more information about the latest breakthrough in Health and Wellness. MaryAnn is an author and well known feng shui expert. Learn more about Holistic Living and Feng Shui.