If you’re a vegan with a pitchfork reading this, kindly move on. This post will NOT be for you. And also, your anger and judgment have no place here, nor will they change my mind. So, let’s all just save our time and energy, shall we?
Ok, now that I’ve got that disclaimer out of the way- hi, hello, how are you all? I know that talking about diet can be SUPER triggering for SO many reasons. And, it’s also a complicated subject.
I want to start off by saying that I am in no way trying to “influence” you to ingest what I do (I say ingest, because I still eat vegan, only my supplementation is NOT). I have no affiliation with this brand, and pay full price for these products. As with many posts here on the blog, I just want to share my experience. And if that piques your curiosity or interest, then maybe check in with your own health care provider or nutritionist on what’s best for you- because I most certainly am not either of those things.
Here’s What Happened When I Started Taking Organ Supplements
Let’s rewind back to August 2022, when I decided to start taking organ supplements. Yep, that’s right, I’ve been doing this for over six months now- which I do believe gives me a pretty strong understanding of how I REALLY feel. By the way- I did share this on my podcast after about 2 months on the products. If you listened there, you’ll find that my experience has actually shifted and deepened since then.
Ok, so August 2022 was 2 months after I had anaphylactic seizure in Peru (found out the hard way that I’m allergic to contrast dye). I stayed in Peru for those two months, and the detox process was really rough for me, as the dye was SLOWLY leaving my system. Because I wasn’t in the States, I didn’t have access to the usual treatments and hacks that might speed up the detox process- but, honestly, being in the most majestic nature of all was healing in its own right, and I’m happy to decided to stay, nonetheless.
Anyways, I digress. By the time I got back to the States, I had an appointment with a prenatal doula, as Alix and I were officially embarking on our fertility journey with initial testing and whatnot. The doula I was seeing was an acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor, as well. If you know anything about this style of medicine, then you’ll know that they LOVE organ supplementation, and usually are not fond of the vegan diet or lifestyle, as they believe it lacks vital nutrients.
I’ve been seeing TCM doctors since my early 20s, so I went into it knowing this would be the recommendation. Although I’d previously declined this suggestion for a variety of doctors in the last 12 years, the difference here was that I was actually the one who brought it up this time. I was the one asking about it, because I was the one who finally felt open to it. This is sort of how I operate in general. I’m very difficult to peer pressure (it’s giving Taurus, I know). I do things in my own way, in my own time. And if/when I am open to it, I go all in. I commit.
So, I asked her some questions based on my current symptoms in the aftermath of the seizure, as well as long lasting symptoms of my own chronic illness, and also in regards to wanting to prep my body to grow another human(!!!)- and she gave me a few recommendations. All of which, I ran by my other TCM practitioner, as well as my own quick little self study.
Heart & Soil Supplements
Bone Marrow & Liver
I chose to start by trying Heart and Soil supplements, and if I didn’t like them- then I’d switch it up.I landed on starting with the bone marrow and liver supplement. Liver was the one organ that had been recommended to me for YEARS, especially as my own liver was embarking on that long road to recovery (literally I run yellow sometimes, like my hands and feet are straight up YELLOW when I’m unwell). And then bone marrow was something that stood out to me as early onset osteoporosis runs in my family (and high in women in general).
The biggest warning I had from my second doctor was the start SMALL, because animal products are really high in histamines- and histamine imbalance is something I deal with regularly, and it was also especially out of whack post-seizure and anaphylaxis (obviously, i mean, it WAS an allergic reaction).
So, I did. I started with just 2 capsules a day, instead of the recommended 6. And I had to stay on 2 for the first 6 weeks, until my histamines started to sort themselves out (that was another long, complicated process we don’t have time for now). Then, I upped it to 4 capsules a day, and stayed here for about 3 months.
It wasn’t until the last 8 weeks (ish), that I’m finally on the recommended 6 capsules a day- and all I can say is WOW. Like, truly, WOW- I can feel a HUGE difference now, whereas before it was subtle.
Skin, Hair, & Nails
I will also say that I decided to switch it up, and try their Skin and Hair mixture which has grass-fed and finished cartilage, liver and bone marrow- because I experienced EXTREME hair loss and thinning after the seizure, and the liver and bone marrow alone were not supporting in that area.
Ok, so what are the benefits I’ve noticed:
Skin
If you read my blog on healing my skin, then you know that this process took YEARS, and boiling it down to just one of two supplements is simply inaccurate. There were a TON of treatments I did on my skin before every trying out Heart and Soil supplements. However, I will say that when I started using them, my skin had more LIFE in it. It felt a little plumper, a little dewier- less papery, thin, and lifeless. Again, let me be clear in saying that this supplement ALONE will not give this affect- but it certainly helped from the inside out.
Mood
One of the big draws I had to organ supplementation was trying to minimize my depressive episodes- which I was in, in August. As someone who has been primarily vegetarian their entire life, and vegan for the last 10 years, I’m highly aware of nutrition needs and deficiencies and how this can impact mental health. I’ve ALWAYS supplemented accordingly, yet with mental illness running in my family- it was something I couldn’t escape. Honestly, I felt like I had nothing to lose, so I decided to try it. And, I’ll be honest, I didn’t notice a big shift until I started taking at least 4 capsules a day. But the biggest difference was felt once I was on the full dose.
Energy
For me, this goes hand-in-hand with my mental health. Since I started taking the full dose of 6 capsules per day, I’ve noticed my energy levels are higher and more sustained on a DAILY basis (keep in mind, I haven’t changed ANYTHING else in my diet other than this). This is reflective of my creative capacity as well, which is also linked to my mental health. Essentially, I just feel more like ME than I have in a long time- without even realizing how far I’d strayed.
Less Supplements
One of the things I love most about these products is that I actually take LESS supplements than before (don’t worry, I’ll do a full supplement breakdown blog soon enough). I no longer take vegan collagen (I took liquid Biosil, and loved it), nor do I take vegan omegas (I took Iwi gel caps and loved those, too), nor do I need liquid B Vitamin (brand linked in my storefront). I’m sharing the previous brands I used, because I really enjoyed these products- and they helped me SO much. And, they’re great, high quality vegan options – which aren’t always easy to find. However, I don’t want to take anything that I don’t need. Even natural supplements can be hard on our liver to break down, especially when we’re taking a ton. Not only does this give my body a break, but it’s also way CHEAPER, and saves me space when I’m packing- because you know I’m always on the go.
Joints
I have early onset arthritis due to the African Tick Bite Fever I contracted in 2012. I started taking Biosil vegan collagen to help with the joint pain, and to supplement some of the collagen that was being eaten by bacteria. It helped a lot. I was a little nervous to go off of the Biosil, because I didn’t want the pain to come back. Which is why I’m really happy to report that it hasn’t come back in the slightest, even after cutting the Biosil.
Hair
Like I mentioned before, the Liver and Bone Marrow didn’t combat the hair loss or thinning. However, since changing it up to the new formula, I’ve noticed a decrease in shedding, which is improvement for now. I still have a long way to go with hair, and I’m sure it’ll get all effed up again with pregnancy and postpartum- so I’ll just take the small victory of less shedding for now.
All in all, I guess you can say I’m a fan of the product, right?
It’s important to mention that I’ve actually NEVER had red meat in my life. I wasn’t the kind of vegan who craved meat, let alone used fake meat substitutes (literally I don’t even really like eggplant of mushrooms sometimes because they’re too meaty). I genuinely get pleasure and full satisfaction from plant food. That’s what feels best in my body, and tastes the best in my mouth. There’s zero restriction around it, purely celebration.
That being said, I literally can’t bring myself to EAT or COOK meat. And you sure as hell won’t catch me prepping or eating ORGANS. Gross. This is why I went the supplement route. Because I knew this was the only way I could actually get it down.
Mostly, I just wanted to TRY, because what I wanted to feel better in very specific ways. I also felt like my body wasn’t only for me anymore, but also for this tiny little being that I already love so much, and will make those changes for. So why not just TRY? The worst that would happen is that I didn’t like it, and I could go back to 100% vegan. Luckily for me, the worst DIDN’T happen. And the best possible outcome DID.
I feel better.
I feel like me.
And that’s all I really wanted anyways.
xx,
K
Listen to more of the story on my podcast.
