Ancestral Supplements: game changers for sleep, energy and overall health
I recently stumbled upon Ancestral Supplements
while shopping on Amazon, and the more I read their website and product reviews, I felt compelled to try them to see if they would help with energy, sleep, and overall health, and they have not disappointed. As a long time health enthusiast and biohacker, I am always on the lookout for what can help take me to the next level. And the great news after starting with Beef Liver in early feb, and expanding to Beef Brains, Organs, and Marrow, and then adding Thyroid and Adrenal over the past week, I am sleeping way better and my energy is up. However, I like them for not only their health effects, but for the philosophy, approach, and customer service. Let me explain:
▴Game changers▴
Philosophy
it may seem a little weird to review the mindset of a supplement company, but there was something about this firm that hooked me right in the heart from the first time I saw their products and started to read their website. First, this quote resonated to my core:
“the human organism is superbly adapted to an environment that no longer exists”
Folks, we are “long ways from Kansas” to borrow a popular phrase. Not only Kansas, but imagine in your mind what life was like just 300 years ago in terms of our environment. I totally get life back then was harsh and no picnic.
And while we have many modern conveniences, they come at a super steep price in that we are bombarded with thousands chemicals, pesticides, polluted air, factory farmed food, and now EMFs - environmental inputs our ancestors knew nothing of or were prepared for.
And if you have not noticed, we are not adapting well to all these un natural inputs.
And all of this has resulted in an explosion in auto immune diseases, diabetes, and now crazy things like SIBO, IBS, multiple chemical sensitivities, and more. It seems everyone has gut, adrenal, thyroid, or fatigue issues these days. Bottom line, if you step back and look at the explosion in health conditions, it has to a combination of environment and diet. My .02.
And while I don’t want to lament everything “modern,” imagining a more pristine time relative today is the contrast I want to highlight. For me, this concept is an inspiration to me to connect to my roots, nature, earth, mountains, the wild, my tribe. And since these products are sourced from a more pristine environment (New Zealand) than my current semi urban living environment, it gives me hope. And a connection to what has been so lost due to greed and a rush to make money with no thought on the impact of human health.
So in addition to giving Ancestral Supplements a try, get out there. Walk bare foot, get early morning sun exposure, turn off your cell phone a few hours before bed, etc. You get it. Let the contrast be an inspiration to be different and to do the little and free things that can add up to make a real difference in your health.
Muscle vs Nose to Tail Organ Meats
The other mindset or reframe that I love about the company and their approach is that ancient cultures always valued the organs vs the muscle meat. In working with my health coach, one of the topics that has come up several times is the importance of eating organ meets for health and vitality. However, I found them really hard to find. Try finding Beef Liver or Marrow at your local grocery or health food store. Chicken breasts and steak along with processed meat products have taken over store shelves. Even the more organic and health oriented places.
Famous dentist Weston Price travelled the world and consistently found that native cultures ate “nose to tail” diets which meant they ate organ meats not just muscle; see here for a list of Weston Price Foundation ways to prepare organ meets: https://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/meat-and-organ-meats/
And while we need protein, per above, we need the intense nutrients from Liver and other organs to thrive. So don’t ditch your free range beef or chicken, but try adding in some of these amazing organ meats via Ancestral Supplements or if you can, find organ meets locally. Another option is US Wellness Meats; see: https://grasslandbeef.com/sale-items
“I believe that for millions of years, robust strength and exceptional health was central to our existence. We were once strong, lean, healthy and fit. I believe this because for most of human history, we effortlessly consumed (nose-to-tail) the things we needed for health and happiness.”
- Brian Johnson, Founder, Ancestral Supplements
Sourcing
per above, all of their products are sourced from New Zealand which is a lot closer to the purity of our ancestors vs where I live today surrounded by urban centres and bustling traffic. Where food/supplements are from matters and I take great comfort in that their products come from humanely raised cattle in one of the few pristine habitats left on the planet. To be fair, NZ has its challenges; just Google Pollution in New Zealand, but the cleanest areas are still amazing.
Effects
Do they work as advertised?
I am only in a little over a month but the results so far are impressive. My sleep has improved dramatically - and to date - I have tried “every sleep supplement known to man”: Sleep Remedy, Yogi Bedtime Tea, melatonin, CBD, 5-HTP, Tryptophan, GABA, L-Theanine, Cortisol Health, Phosphydatyl Serine, Glycine, and many more. And I have tracked my sleep for years with the Oura Ring so I have a great trail of data. And when I mean dramatic, my scores are up from the mid-70s to the mid-80s (out of 100%). My sleep hacking efforts are sure to be a topic in another article.
Now to be fair, I have made other changes to my health stack since starting the Ancestral products. I had a Mercola Whole House water filter installed along with a Greenfield Naturals Quad Flow CMB whole house water structuring unit and both of those are amazing in their own right. Drinking the clean and energizing water feels super awesome and energizing in their own way. And taking a shower with clean and energizing water is just plain amazing. Imagine having clean and invigorating water coming out of every faucet in your home? It has been a game changer.
And I also put several Greenfield Naturals personal harmonizers around the house to connect me to earth frequencies. Woo woo yes, but I it has been my experience that all these things help.
So net net, I made a significant changes about the same time I started the Beef Liver in early February including a whole house water filter and structuring unit. The additional of earths minerals in and around my home and by my bed stand (Greenfield Personal Harmonizers).
However, what I noticed as I added Beef Morrow, Brain, and Organs, I continued to see even further improvements in energy. And when I started on Beef Thyroid, my energy really started to take off. And on some days, I no longer needed a nap. For years, its been my habit to take a quick 20 to 30 min nap around 3 or 4 pm. However, after taking (2) Beef Thyroid, I worked flat out all day and then went to a board meeting that night and I was fine. And that never every happens. Never. Even with all the water filtration and energizing. And this is how I know the Ancestral supplements are working.
And regardless if it was the enhance water or ancestral supplements, both are more closer to nature and that is the whole point. I find the more “ancestral” I get, the better I feel - and that is the bigger point.
Stress
The other thing that I am noticing is how much calmer I am during stressful situations. I am not perfect and I can get wound up, but on average, I feel increasingly Zen. And it just seems to be so much easier. Yes, I do Wim Hoff breathing, workout, and meditate, but I am noticing a shift that its simpler easier to respond calmly. And my job in particular, can be super stressful so this unexpected benefit has been super helpful.. And appreciated.
Overall, I am super jazzed about how I am feeling on the Ancestral Supplements. My sleep and energy are better. And I just feel calmer and at ease in my own body. And they are reasonable priced enough on Amazon to start with their Beef Liver. Or if you are feeling more adventuresome, try Beef Liver, Organs, and Morrow. Those would be my picks to start.
Grassfed Power
Beef Thyroid and Adrenal are super powerful so the key is start “slowly” and follow the instructions!
Listen to your body!
Too much Thyroid support can make you feel unwell really quickly as I have found in past experiments. And I am only in a couple of weeks on this one and am still figuring out what works for me.
How to take them:
Follow the instructions on their website!
Especially with Beef Thyroid and Adrenals. I can be a bit on the sensitive side of things so I started with (2) Beef Liver and worked up to (6) per day - taken (2) each 3x per day - Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner. Then I added Beef Organs, Beef Brains and Marrow in similar fashion.Beef Thyroid is another matter and I would suggest you start slow and FOLLOW the instructions.
Adrenal: start with 1/2 or 1 and see how you do. Powerful stuff and you don’t want to over do it.
Where to Start:
Beef Liver, Beef Organs, Marrow, and Brains are a great place to start. If you have to pick 1 or 2, Liver and Organs can’t be beat.
Where to Buy
You can order directly from the Ancestral Supplements website. In fact, its the only place you can get Beef Adrenal and Beef Thyroid.
Pay it Forward
If you end up trying the products, please be sure to write a review on Amazon. They are a small company and every review helps get the word out. And from my correspondence with co founder, they are pretty cool and worthy of support.
To bring this in for a landing
I am super jazzed about the company and products because:
a) they really serve as an inspiration to be more ancestral and in touch with nature. Barefoot walking, early sun exposure, getting out in nature, eating a clean diet including organ meats, and being with friends and family who all care about each other is what we should all strive to be doing.
b) their products really do work. Don’t just take my word for it; look at their Amazon reviews which are typically 4.5 stars and above. Enjoy the journey! And please leave any comments below.