How to be a conscious and healthy woman? Conversation between Justyna Szyc-Nagłowska and doctor. med. Nina Nicheska

In the conversation between Justyna Szyc-Nagłowska and doctor Nina Nicheska, the myths about introducing immediate, overwhelming changes, excessive demands placed on yourself and supplementation "on your own" are dispelled. Video of the conversation available at this link. 

Justyna Nagłowska-Szyc: Maybe we'll start from the beginning. Nino, you are the co-founder of the nikalab brand and are you also a doctor, or maybe above all a doctor?

MD Nina Nicheska: I am both the founder and a doctor. I think I combined my experiences and passions and that's how nikalab was created.

JN: I'm sure everyone asks you this at the beginning, and I'll ask you this too: where did the idea come from? Why was nikalab created?

NN: It rather happened spontaneously. I never thought I would work on supplements. Spontaneously, because it resulted from a private and professional need - as a doctor, I was looking for a product that I could recommend to both patients, family and loved ones. I know it's strange that with this overcrowded supplement market, we decided to enter with a new supplement, but this market itself verified the need for a new product that has a chance to change this market. The entire nikalab philosophy was created in response to the harmful dietary supplement market. As a doctor, I'm skeptical of taking a bunch of supplements unnecessarily. At nikalab we educate a lot, we are not just a supplement company, but we touch on all the pillars necessary to be a healthy and conscious woman. This supplement is just one piece in the whole puzzle that we need to put together somehow. Each in their own way.

JN: This is what captivated me in you and convinced me to cooperate in the long term, for which I am grateful to myself and to you, my body, my morphology and well-being are the same, because there are results. The fact that you say clearly that this is only one part of this care, something that we can give to each other. But supplementation alone, when we do not lead a healthy lifestyle, when we do not exercise and do not take care of several other aspects, will not achieve anything, there are no miracles.

NN: Supplementation won't sleep for you. There are no miracles, there is no magic capsule. In fact, in marketing terms, the market has moved towards looking at the human body by "dividing it" into parts. But it doesn't look like that, the body is a system of interconnected vessels, we can't take our head off our intestines, we can't take our nose off our hand - it's all connected to each other. I know that we women are always focused on appearance, but we have many examples where problems with skin, nails or hair are not a problem related to improper care, the problem lies somewhere inside. Therefore, taking care of yourself from the inside, adopting a proper diet and then supplementing these deficiencies is very important. We deliberately have a fairly small portfolio at Niklab, because we focused on ingredients that scientific research has identified as those that appear in a large percentage of the entire healthy population.

JN: Well, I will come back to this, but I would like to touch on one more topic: you said that the supplements market is saturated, and you are introducing another one. It's very easy to bring a supplement to market now, isn't it? If there are few requirements, there are few bars to jump to get it done. It is very important that people check, because just because something has a nice, designed packaging and has something written on it, it does not mean that we will always find what we need inside.

NN: We know that we are first attracted by appearance. We have this human tendency that we must first like something visually, but this has begun to be overused. Unfortunately, you are right that the supplement market is not that regulated and we are not able to determine organoleptically whether a given supplement is good or not, visually it will not tell us anything. I always emphasize this transparency, and at nikalab we sometimes receive feedback that we provide too much information! We provide this information because from the very beginning we wanted to act openly and talk about how we do it. The market is so taught and in Poland I have never encountered a company that provides the sources of ingredients on its website or product packaging. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me, but I haven't seen this in Poland. At nikalab, we describe each ingredient in detail, not only from which country it comes from, but specifically which company is the supplier of a given ingredient. The issue of the standard to which the supplement is produced is also very important. Maybe because I am a doctor and I have cooperated with a pharmaceutical company for years, I was exposed to rigorous drug production standards, I pushed for it and together with my team we decided to produce our supplements according to the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standard , which is the most rigorous pharmaceutical standard, regarding medicines. We transparently describe it on the website, to what standard and what conditions a given ingredient had to meet. We do tests that are not required by law. All you need to do is report the supplement to the GIS (Chief Sanitary Inspectorate) and pass two tests: for microbiology and for heavy metals. At nikalab, we have expanded this testing package to one that normally applies to drugs. The quality certificate and the list of tests are also available on our website. We talk about this clearly and this entire scope of research applies to each product series. In the product tab, it is worth looking at the collection of these tests and reading the results, where the desired values ​​and the values ​​obtained by nikalab are indicated. Our tests are performed not only in independent laboratories, which is very important because the slogan "independent laboratories" is heavily abused in marketing. At nikalab, we test in production plants, we can do so because they are the same plants that produce medicines. And we also test in independent laboratories to obtain two levels of verification. We check the stability of the product and the content of ingredients in accordance with the declared composition on the label. Every day, the GIS website publishes information about the withdrawal of another supplement from sale due to contamination with metals or other compounds.

JN: But you have to find out for yourself, this knowledge is not readily available. Nobody brags about it, you just have to look for it and it turns out that something you are taking has been considered harmful. Nina, it's great that you don't have to do this. It results from your experience, your personality, your lifestyle, your perception of the world, your personality and your needs. It is of great value that you translate all this into your work, I am very grateful to you for it. Since our first meeting, I have been listening to you with my mouth open, because your knowledge is enormous and it's nice that it is not only knowledge spoken out loud, but also closed in these jars.

NN: Exactly. You've already gotten to know me a little and you probably know that even in private I really appreciate openness, transparency and trust. These are three features that correlate in me and I appreciate them in others. When we were building nikalab, we tried to translate all these features into the company. It was strange at first - why would a supplement company talk about this type of thing? – but I think it's worth shouting about them to change this market.

JN: Exactly. I hope that because you are doing this, it will somehow influence other producers, and consumers will also start to demand it. We also have to want it, and if no one demands it, there is no need to communicate it.

NN: I would like to ask you whether, during our first meeting, you were aware of the importance of this information about the origin of the product? That, for example, Omega-3 fatty acids do not come from fish...

JN: I wanted to ask you about that! And you say it yourself! Let's talk about it, because it's absolutely great! It was something that made me say "wow!" One is Omega-3 acids, but also vitamin D - it is obtained in a completely different way. I think our listeners also have no idea how Omega-3 fatty acids are obtained.

NN: Not much is said about it. There have always been associations that Omega-3 fatty acids come from fish. The fact is that the first source of this ingredient is algae. Fish contain Omega-3 deposits because they eat algae. This is also an interesting topic and I am aware, as a doctor and a person who once worked for a pharmaceutical company, why the entire market is based on fish. And even before we started working on the nikalab product, I understood how much cheaper oil produced from fish is compared to obtaining Omega-3 from algae - this is one reason. The second reason is all the controversy surrounding fish. Fish are contaminated with metals and pesticides. Fish farms themselves contribute to increasing the level of environmental pollution. All this was the reason for us to create a vegan product - and not because of vegans. I am not a vegan myself, I limit meat, I rarely eat it, but if the source is verified, I eat it. The vegan ingredients we have chosen, after careful checking and research, are of higher quality. I'm glad that you're starting to talk a lot about Omega-3 acids, because they are an integral part of the cell membrane, they are very important for our hormones, they support the functioning of the brain, heart and lungs. Omega-3 acids have multiple roles in our body. Studies show that up to 80% of the healthy population does not take the appropriate dose of Omega-3. What I always emphasize - a balanced diet is the most important, but often even proper nutrition will not meet our total demand for this ingredient.

However, their quality is crucial. That's why I say, this quality is very important to us and the product development itself lasted two years. Here we uncompromisingly tried to achieve perfection, you know we are obsessed. And for packaging, and for the planet, and for production, for all standards and research. I myself decided that I would not allow myself to participate in something that I would not be able to take every day and would not be convinced that I could wholeheartedly recommend it to my closest person.

JN: This is such an unusual feature now, but it is very worth cultivating. Once again, I emphasize that I really like this about you and I appreciate that this is who you are and that you translate it into your work. We talked about Omega-3 from algae, but I also wanted to touch on vitamin D. In general, vitamin D is now something that everyone wants to supplement. It is said that vitamin D deficiency causes low mood, this is mainly what we start checking. Awareness is definitely growing, and vitamin D is also an ingredient of the Everyday Base, and here you asked in a comment whether it is possible to find out what dose is in your preparation?

NN: I'll tell you what products we have, and then I'll talk about the concentrations. We have three products for women, but this does not mean that we will only focus on women - the whole family is important. For women, we have three products adapted to the stage of life. Research has shown which particular ingredients are needed more or less in particular periods of a woman's life. We have the product "Everyday base for 18-49 years", "Everyday base for 50+ years" and "Everyday base for pregnant women". Answering the question in the comment, the official recommended doses of vitamin D range from 800-2000 units. In nikalab, in the product for 18-49 years we have 1,000 units of vitamin D, in the product for 50+ we have 1,500 units. Why is it within these doses? Because the market has built awareness of the need for vitamin D, research shows that we need it, and 90% of Poles suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Almost the entire population of Poland has a problem with this. We understand why this happens, for example the Polish weather or the awareness of skin protection against UV rays, we use sunscreen creams more and more often because we know how risky it is to expose ourselves to the sun without filters. To provide the body with adequate doses of vitamin D through food, we would have to eat half a kilogram of mackerel a day. Possibly twenty eggs. This is not possible, so we recommend taking this ingredient all year round. 1000 units per day in the general healthy population should be sufficient.

We at nikalab will soon have a new product that will complement this Base for everyday use and it will be vitamin D itself. Once a year we have to do tests, each body is different, even products with 3000-4000 units may not meet the expectations of some organisms . It is worth testing vitamin D and, under the supervision of a doctor, adjusting the doses to our individual needs.

Our vitamin D is simply of good quality. Obtained from algae, it is in the form of cholecalciferol, with the help of our capsule it goes straight to the small intestine, causing very good absorption of vitamin D.

JN: And how often should morphological tests be performed? As long as you are healthy, of course.

NN: I recommend once a year. I do it myself once every six months because I have some genetic problems that require me to do it more often. Otherwise, once a year should be enough, unless your doctor specifies otherwise. Here I would emphasize that "preventive" tests are not prevention. If you don't do anything for yourself all year long, the annual tests themselves may only show worse results. Treating a disease is worse, much more time-consuming and expensive than preventing it. Returning to our topic of a healthy and conscious woman, it is very important to view the acquisition of consciousness as a process. You have to work on it every day and it is a long process, some might say it is complicated. And building daily awareness means, for example, drinking water in the morning after waking up, doing something for yourself, there are situations in which calming down and cutting yourself off from the family for 15 minutes also helps. Peace and sitting with yourself, even in complete silence, is also taking care of yourself. For me, prevention means: a well-balanced diet, good sleep, and ensuring that sleep lasts the appropriate number of hours. I don't sleep much, I've been fighting it all my life, but I don't need sleep that much. It's probably genetics, my dad slept so little and was almost always aroused. I'm trying to sleep, it's not like I'm giving up. I realize that as I age, I have to and feel that I need to compensate for this "credit" that I have incurred by not sleeping during the week. Then I fall asleep for 10 hours and this regeneration of the body is necessary. So sleep, movement, various ways that we have to find ourselves through experimentation. Whether it be sports, yoga, pilates, a simple walk or climbing the stairs, this is movement that supports the body. We people like to make up excuses: I don't have time, I'll do it later, I'll start tomorrow, on Monday... We have to start today. Small changes, small steps that build this awareness. We are afraid of change, but introducing small steps that are not a big investment. Exercise at home with YouTube - each of us can do it, allocate these 15 minutes of the day for movement. Meal planning – if you don't plan and have nothing at home, you'll probably reach for chips or chocolate. I try not to buy this type of snacks for home, because I know that if I do, a crisis will come and I will definitely buy them.

JN: Don't you ever take "letting go" days? So-called cheat days.

NN: I'm obsessed with quality, but I'm not in favor of going overboard in any direction. At home we have 90% cocoa chocolate, and my eight-year-old daughter considers it normal. This chocolate is so sticky that if someone is not used to it, it will be difficult to eat it. I once gave her one cube of this chocolate in the school lunch room and she came back with questions from her classmates: "What does your mother give you?"

JN: "Some bad chocolate..."

NN: Everyone said "chocolate!" but unfortunately ;) I have such rules at home, but it doesn't mean that when we go to a restaurant or for a birthday party, I forbid it. I don't think extremes are good. If you consciously choose and consciously reject processed products that have a lot of sugar, it is different.

JN: I have a problem with eating regularly. In the rush of everyday life, I can not feel hungry for a long time, endure it from the morning and realize that I haven't eaten anything for many hours.

NN: And aggression is already starting to appear.

JN: This is something I have to work through, I've even started writing "DINNER" in my calendar at 3 p.m., just to have it in front of me, to know and not to forget about it. The body can do various things, the same with drinking water, it may not demand it, and at 6 p.m. it starts giving you a headache. You think, "What's going on?", and then it turns out that you drank two glasses of water all day.

NN: Yes, that too, but many people have already started carrying a bottle everywhere, which also helps a lot because you see it everywhere. It constantly reminds you that you need a drink.

JN: I also always have bottles on my desk, I fill them with filtered water and place them around the house in different places. Then I have a greater opportunity to drink whenever I need it. What else important should we say?

NN: Stress management! I don't know how you deal with it, but I think that stress is our worst enemy these days. It causes most of our diseases. Everyone must find their own way to cope with this stress. There is no person who is not stressed.

JN: Yes, and here we also resort to excuses that we don't have time to do something for ourselves. And this won't work in the long run...

NN: When I worked in a large corporation, I also made excuses: I didn't have time to exercise, I didn't have time for lunch; and for the last few years, I've been putting exercises, breakfast, and lunch in my calendar, and when I see that this time is already taken, I can't schedule a meeting at the same time. These are blocked windows in the calendar and then I know that I have this time for myself.

JN: And if you have a very important meeting, do you skip the meal? Is it sacred and inviolable?

NN: It is sacred. Very, very rarely I give up on a planned meal or exercise, it must be a meeting that cannot be postponed at all, but 99% of my arrangements remain in place. If we start messing around, the calendar won't work either.

JN: I also have to include physical activity in my list, I was called to the board a bit because I will be leading a panel at the Congress of Integral Medicine and I have already started preparing for this panel and I felt that this is the time when I have to move these four letters of mine, because I neglected exercise and my well-being immediately decreases - it's all connected, you only need to move this one thread too much and you can immediately feel the effects.

NN: Not only the physical effects, but also the mental ones, which are even worse.

JN: Yes, mental changes too, and I can see the impact it has. It's incredibly difficult when you fall into this slump or other mood swings and it's hard to get motivated and come back. It's a huge effort to bounce back.

NN: But you see, you are already aware in your head that you have neglected some pillar and you need to work on it. We need to act now, not just say that from Monday, after the Congress, but simply from tomorrow. Put it in your calendar and start taking steps. It doesn't have to be a revolution that we change everything at once, but let it be one thing that sets the direction.

JN: Now I've returned to daily morning meditation and I'm also starting to put it in my calendar, I'm almost at the point of including thirty minutes of rest every day. And when you start to think how short a time it is, these thirty minutes, and on the other hand, how difficult it is to consciously spend half an hour for yourself. People even set a timer so they don't get up after ten minutes.

NN: I felt like that at the beginning. A dozen or so years ago, when I started with meditation; as you know, I'm dynamic, there's always something going on and it was difficult to get me to sit down for thirty minutes. I set the meditation time for two minutes and checked every five seconds to see when it was over. I wanted to get up.

JN: Has it already passed?

NN: This time increased with further practice, after half a year I lasted ten minutes and extended it regularly. Now I also meditate every day and even if I don't have time for myself, I use meditation that calms me down. And finally, the stage comes when I can calm down and have a moment for myself. Then you look at everything differently, at the child, at the responsibilities.

JN: Yes, even on myself. That you're okay, that you did something for yourself and you don't blame yourself or pretend it doesn't happen at all.

NN: When you're not good to yourself, you're not going to be good to your child, to your husband, and it's all connected if you're angry about something every day.

JN: Let's get back to supplements. How to distinguish a good quality supplement from one with unnecessary additives? What should you pay attention to when choosing? What ingredients should we avoid and which ones will not be good for us?

NN: It is very important not to supplement anything on your own. You can harm yourself, burden your liver, or even cause another problem that did not exist before supplementation. Therefore, the 18-49 Database includes only five ingredients whose research has shown significant deficiencies among the healthy population. We have active folic acid (IV generation - quatrefolic), which is often associated with pregnancy.

JN: I've also done this so far - I only took folic acid when I was trying to conceive, from the beginning of pregnancy until about a month later, and then I stopped taking it and that was it. Folic acid is no longer needed.

NN: You see, exactly like that. This is an ingredient that is extremely important. It is associated with many mechanisms in the body, with immunity, with the brain, with memory, blood production, genetics. Its action is also combined with the action of vitamin B12. The chemical form is very important here. You need to pay attention to this, even pregnant women are not aware that they are choosing this ordinary, synthetic form of folic acid, and it is important that it is a natural form of this ingredient - active folic acid. Research shows that 40-60% of the healthy population suffers from a genetic mutation. And in this case, there is no need to do expensive tests and check whether this mutation occurs in us, just choose the active folic acid that each of us absorbs. It can be complicated, but you just have to read, don't rely on marketing slogans, check the form and origin, but also talk to people who have knowledge on this subject. We don't have to know everything, I'm not a finance specialist either and when I need it, I seek advice from a finance specialist. Folic acid is important not only for women, but also for men and children. This is an ingredient that we can obtain from food, it is found in leafy vegetables. But also, the quality of food has changed over the years. There are studies showing a decrease in the content of folic acid in broccoli and beans, which is up to 1.5 times compared to vegetables from forty years ago.

The next ingredients after folic acid and Omega-3 acids are vitamin D and choline. Choline is a vitamin from group B - B4, also a very important ingredient that 90% of people do not get with food.

JN: What does choline influence?

NN: Choline affects the liver and the brain, it is a component that is part of every cell and plays a key role at every stage of life. In combination with B12 and folic acid, it affects DNA synthesis, heart health, fat metabolism, and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. Supports cognitive functions and memory. This is a very important ingredient that is not talked about much, and during consultations with gynecologists I learned that they are trying to include choline on the list of recommended ingredients for supplementation during pregnancy. Choline is also included in the product for pregnant women, where it is necessary for the proper development of the fetus.

Vitamin B12 is often associated with vegans, and patients with B12 deficiencies are becoming more and more common due to the decline in meat quality and conscious restriction of it in the diet. WHO has issued a recommendation to limit red meat, which is why deficiencies are becoming more and more common. In the case of vitamin B12 deficiency, the first visible symptoms may appear between two and five years, which is a long period. The person is not aware of the deficiency, but feels increasingly tired, with symptoms that are not entirely specific and should be detected by a dietitian. Although testing the level of vitamin B12 in the body is not included in the list of basic tests, I highly recommend performing this test. The scope of recommended tests should be expanded a bit. I am a supporter of such an extended package of tests to have a full picture of your health. Check ferritin, iron, B12, lipid profile, homocysteine, check the liver, kidneys, what it all looks like. This is the point of checking the effects of our daily prevention, once a year.

JN: Can anyone take your supplements? It's like prevention, as I understand it. These are ingredients that we do not get even with a well-balanced diet, let alone those who eat worse. So it's for everyone actually?

NN: For the entire healthy general population. They even support the fight against diseases, but I would like to warn you here - if you are struggling with a disease, you should consult your doctor before taking the Nikalab product. You can also write to us, we will be happy to help and dispel any doubts. We have an Instagram profile and we answer all your questions. Coming back, there is no ingredient here that can harm you. Only Baza 50+ contains vitamin K2, and it should not be taken while taking anticoagulants. Deliberately, Base 18-49 does not contain this vitamin, because it is an ingredient that should be obtained with the diet. Vitamin K2 produces good bacteria in our intestines, and as we age, the amount of good bacteria decreases.

JN: Do you plan products for children and men?

NN: This question comes up often. I'm impatient myself...

JN: Well, when you wait two years to introduce a product, you really learn a big lesson in humility.

NN: That's true. I've learned in life that you can't build everything overnight. When we started with nikalab, I naively thought that it would go faster, and since we didn't want to take the easy way, we didn't make any compromises, I had to learn that it couldn't be done quickly. We selected all the ingredients obsessively, we have European suppliers, we wanted to do all the tests reliably, like with medicines, but unfortunately all this takes time. We plan products for men, we have been working on it for a year and a half. Keep your fingers crossed because we need it! It's not like I'm the only one who decides. We work with an interdisciplinary, international team. We have doctors from Macedonia, Germany and Poland and I hope that we will expand this team. We have internists, pharmacists, clinical dietitians, and food technologists. All this to be as practical as possible. It's been a long time coming, but I think we're almost at the end. I will tell you that there are men who use the Women's Database and it will not harm them. It is known that the Men's Base will be more tailored to the stages of a man's life, because these requirements are slightly different. The topic of children is a little more advanced and I can't wait because I'm struggling with what to give my daughter. Children also require over two years of work, we are already in production, it will be a novelty in the coming months. And it will also be something that has never been on the market before. Expect innovation from us!

JN: It is always a big problem what to give these children. It's easier to listen to your body, communicate with yourself, I myself have stages in which, for example: I limit meat, now it rejects me altogether, so I simply don't eat it. But I don't drink coffee either and there are months of the year when my body lets me know that it doesn't want coffee. Then she has a bad effect on me. I'm much sleepier now, but for some reason I can't drink it. Maybe it will take two weeks, maybe a month, but I totally listen to my body. Your child won't tell you that.

NN: First of all, he won't say it, and secondly, when we analyzed the market and it turned out that these supplements for adults were bad, the situation was even worse for children. I always compare it to restaurant menus, for me it is a terrible paradox that the conscious population in 2023 offers the worst kind of menu to children.

JN: They explain it this way, that it's a sure thing and children will eat it.

NN: It is known that if you give your child fries and nuggets every day, the child is used to it. If you give your child broccoli and avocado later, he or she won't eat them. When we get half a bar of chocolate every day, with a certain amount of sugar, we build a habit. And then it's very hard to say "stop". This is a bit of an excuse, because we ourselves teach children habits and nutrition.

JN: In your comment, you wrote: "I haven't eaten meat for over thirty years, and I have never drank coffee."

NN: Coffee doesn't work for me either. I rarely drink it, at home rather on the weekend, because it is a tradition for us, my husband prepares it every weekend and it is our ritual. It's not like I have to drink it and it gives me something to make me feel stimulated or not.

JN: Some people cannot imagine starting the day without coffee.

NN: The sound of the alarm clock and immediately coffee. But I understand you, I don't feel that way either. As we know, different organisms, different needs.

JN: I would like to ask one more question, because we also had such a comment: "do you see any results after taking Niklab for a month?" And here's the question: how long does it take before women usually come to you with the information that they already feel something? Today I talked to one person who has been taking Niklab for a month and admits that she is already seeing results. She didn't say this to please me, she honestly sees that she gets more sleep, gets up with more energy, sees the first effects on her skin and, above all, that she has such a desire to get up and is rested. The quality of sleep is extremely important. You can sleep all night and wake up completely sleepy and feel even worse than before you fell asleep.

NN: I wouldn't say it will be a month. Each of us has a different body. Some women feel changes after just a week and a half.

JN: I guess it also depends on our condition, right?

NN: Yes, what condition are we in, what deficiencies do we suffer from. Some people have them larger, some smaller, and it takes us different times to eliminate these deficiencies in the body. We have clients who needed more time to achieve balance. We receive a lot of feedback regarding improved sleep and skin condition - especially in people with very dry skin. In addition, better concentration and immunity. Our product builds fundamental health, we approach the body holistically, not selectively. As for the effects, it is very important that nikalab products have been tested for immediate effect. Studies have shown that the first dose works immediately at the cellular level. Therefore, consistent supplementation is able to maintain these effects for longer. There is no need to expect a quick effect - there is no magic capsule. For this reason, some of us feel changes right away, while others have to wait up to six months. You may not feel anything externally, but at the cellular level it has been working from day one. Let's not expect to determine whether it will be a month or more, each body is different and the most important thing is that we rely on research that ensures that balance is achieved in its own individual time.

JN: Of course, we will achieve this balance not by using supplements alone, but by taking a holistic approach to our health. There is a lot of talk about it now, but still not enough. We still think that it will work out somehow, but if we can examine our conscience today and see what it actually looks like in our country, it is worth doing it. I've been paying a lot of attention to drinking water lately, obviously it's impossible to change everything at once! I know that I am weaker in movement now, I feel a great need for change.

NN: Because you had a very demanding time. Working on podcasts – your cortisol and adrenaline are only now starting to drop.

JN: I'll tell you that everything was so great for me because right after that I had to move and I was very stressed. Now I'm slowly coming back and starting with the basic things: I hydrate myself, I go to bed early, I started meditating, I listened to my body and I eat what my body tells me. Recently he has been craving vegetables and fruit.

NN: The body is amazing and you have to listen to it! This is our main problem, that we don't listen well.

JN: Because we don't communicate with each other. If you meditate, you may hear something if you stop for a moment. If you reach for a muffin with coffee in the morning and read e-mails, it is impossible.

NN: This is something my husband often points out to me – “you have no respect for food.” And I eat very often and do a million other things. You can't do that, you perceive food differently when you don't look at it at all and eat it automatically.

JN: Yes, to fill up and move on... We have a question about drinking water: what is the best? With a slice of lemon, a pinch of salt, heat? Is there any such tip?

NN: I prefer drinking water with lemon in the morning, not hot, but warm. I don't really like things straight from the fridge, so water at room temperature will suffice.

JN: But does it matter if you drink water at different temperatures? Well, in general, the most important thing is to drink water.

NN: Yes, the most important thing is to drink water first thing in the morning. Dehydration progresses even during the night, these eight hours of sleep require us to drink water right after waking up so that the intestines start working.

JN: So before breakfast, a glass of water?

NN: Yes.

JN: I've had this need lately too, it's amazing. This all results from the fact that I stopped somewhere there. I'm very happy because it means I'm on the right track. Nina, on your profile you can find a lot of cool information about emotions, relationships, and a healthy lifestyle. I would like to invite all the girls from my profile to visit you, because you can really learn a lot of interesting things there and it is not a profile focused only on supplementation, but on holistic health care. You have such a missionary spirit, I have the impression.

NN: Yes, you put it perfectly, we have a mission. It is very important for us not to just build another supplement and sell it, but to educate. It is not without reason that we created this product for ourselves first. When I listen to you, but also to other people I come into contact with, I feel that I can give even more of myself and develop even more in what I do. I feel that talking about it loudly, meetings, Saturday events that we organize: yoga, pilates, sound ceremonies - all this is something that, in my opinion, motivates women to think about themselves, about their happiness, health and the awareness that it's worth starting to do something for yourself.

JN: It's worth motivating yourself in a healthy way. Tell me why the 18-49 Database has such a large age range and why it was grouped in this way?

NN: Many studies show this breakthrough. It is known that this breakthrough does not happen at the same time for everyone, it depends on us and, of course, we meet women whose menopause began at the age of 45. They have a need and it is not the case that a woman under 50 cannot use the extended Base. These are general ranges established based on studies in the general, healthy population. There is little difference in the case of both of these Bases, in the 50+ Base we included higher doses of some ingredients due to research results which showed, for example, a greater need for vitamin D in women over 50. Additionally, there are four ingredients omitted from the 18-49 Base: vitamin A and vitamin E, which are oxidants, especially important after the age of 50. In addition, coenzyme Q10, which decreases with age, and vitamin K2. The remaining ingredients of the 50+ Database are the same ones found in the 18-49 Database. When there is a greater need for an anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effect, we go to the client with the 50+ Base. If a person is struggling with a condition that this more complete Base can help with, then even a 35-year-old woman can start using the 50+ Base.

JN: I also have questions sent on Instagram: what to supplement with Hashimoto? Every doctor has a different opinion.

NN: It's about the thyroid. Our Base supports the thyroid gland, for example vitamin D is very helpful. There are studies showing that vitamin D deficiency may worsen Hashimoto's disease. According to research, the best amount of vitamin D3 in the blood is about 50 nanograms per milliliter, which means that this level of this ingredient can reduce the risk of hypothyroidism by up to 30%. Of course, we should first consult our condition with an endocrinologist and then supplement ourselves, but in our Database the amounts of individual ingredients are safe enough. Research emphasizes that Omega-3 acids can also have an impact on the status of F3 and F4 hormones, thus alleviating hypothyroidism.

JN: So it shouldn't hurt?

NN: No, it can only help. Vitamin B12 is an ingredient whose deficiency may disturb the conversion of T3 and T4 and also cause thyroiditis. Vitamin E is also used in thyroid disorders. These are ingredients that support the thyroid gland, so there are no contraindications.

JN: We have a question whether this Base 50+ is enough at the age of 60 - I understand that this "plus" is enough to reach 100?

NN: Yes, it is absolutely enough, but what I have already mentioned - vitamin D should be tested, because if necessary, it should be added a little more.

JN: Because it's the Base...

NN: And it's called "Base" on purpose! We were looking for the perfect name for this product and I think we hit the spot with this one. This must be treated as a base. And only then, if tests show deficiencies and that 1,500 units of vitamin D in a woman 60+ are not enough, then we add another dose of this ingredient.

JN: Can breastfeeding mothers supplement nikalab?

NN: Yes, we have a whole article on the website about why it is worth supplementing Base while breastfeeding. The 18-49 product has been designed in such a way that even if a woman does not yet know that she is pregnant, she can take all the ingredients from the Base, because they coincide with the needs of the early stages of pregnancy. Therefore, when a woman finds out about her pregnancy, usually around the 6-7th week, she is already covered with folic acid contained in Base 18-49. It is also helpful when trying to have a baby. When pregnancy is confirmed, we recommend switching to the Pregnant Women's Database. After giving birth, we recommend finishing the packaging of the Pregnancy Base and then immediately return to the 18-49 Base, which is most suitable for breastfeeding mothers. Base 18-49 is rich in Omega-3 acids (DHA and EPA), which are also good for a breastfed baby.

JN: Great, it's nice to support each other while breastfeeding, because the baby sucks what it needs from the woman, and there also needs to be something left for her. Here we have another question about the need for supplementation with a well-balanced diet, and here we have already said yes.

NN: Yes, you still need to supplement these few ingredients. And I will repeat here: I am against taking supplements on your own. Many supplements contain iron and I recommend asking a specialist, even an internist, because iron is a very tricky ingredient and taking it without consulting a doctor can be terribly harmful. In this case, there should be a specific recommendation, if we already have it, I recommend purchasing a drug, not a medical device. But it strictly depends on the test results, ferritin, which is responsible for the absorption of iron, also has its say here.

JN: Should any tests be performed before starting supplementation?

NN: As I said, tests are absolutely necessary - once a year. I recommend, either before or during the procedure, to do the basic, recommended tests to confirm your actual condition. We don't do anything on our own, we need specialist knowledge. The base is safe, we deliberately selected ingredients that have been shown to be deficient in a large percentage of the healthy population.

JN: How to supplement so that the ingredients are not mutually exclusive?

NN: Well, it's art.

JN: Well, you can't do it on your own, you need knowledge.

NN: Let me give you some general tips, because there's not much talk about it, and it's usually the case that manufacturers advertise a lot of their products and it's hard to get your bearings. The ingredients are often duplicated and suddenly you have to do a PhD to know what goes with what, how much and why. Those vitamins that dissolve in fat, such as vitamin D, should be taken with a meal. We also have vitamin A, E and K, which are also fat-soluble and need it for proper absorption. We deliberately released a capsule whose technology we really cared about, because in all this whirlwind of responsibilities it is tiring to remember to take supplements before, after, and while eating... This is where the madness begins and it's easy to be inconsistent. I know from myself that there is a problem with this and often the supplement expires faster than I eat the entire package. It's a waste of money. At nikalab, we have a capsule developed using DUOCAP technology, because it allows us to combine Omega-3 acids with vitamin D and take them regardless of the time of day. Everyone adapts supplementation to their lifestyle and habits and does not have to wonder when to take nikalab. I will tell you more about the capsules because it is interesting. DRcap is a technology that allows for delayed release thanks to resistance to gastric acids. Usually, vitamins and minerals are destroyed by the stomach, and in our case the capsule cleverly skips this stage and goes intact to the small intestine, where we have optimal conditions for the absorption of nutrients. This happens approximately 45 minutes after ingestion. Coming back to the question - vitamin D, if it does not come from us, must be taken with fat, otherwise it will not bring any results. The recommendation regarding iron is that if we are to take it, we should combine it with vitamin C, which supports its absorption. Such ingredients are called "synergistic", which means that they influence each other and support each other's action. The second group of ingredients, a bit scary, is a group of antagonistic ingredients that limit each other's absorption. You take one ingredient, but it works to the detriment of the other ingredient that you also care about. It doesn't matter if it's a drug or a supplement, you can harm yourself this way.

JN: Yes, because some people swallow a whole handful of pills, and others divide their intake throughout the day, at different times. This is unfathomable!

NN: Yes, things get complicated. But as I said, vitamins A, D, E, K must be taken with fats; calcium and magnesium should not be taken together; selenium and zinc are also not ingredients that we should take together, the break should be at least 2-3 hours, the same applies to the combination of iron and calcium. It is worth being careful with herbal extracts and adaptogens, because we do not yet fully know their mechanisms of action. You need to be especially careful when taking medications. If we decide to use herbal extracts or adaptogens, it is worth asking carefully about the relationship with the medications we are taking to avoid harmful interactions.

JN: Is the 50+ Database adapted to the requirements of the menopausal period? Do the ingredients contained in it address all the ailments associated with this condition? Is vitamin D3 present in the appropriate number of units in relation to age and the climate zone in which we live? Let's focus most on menopause.

NN: Yes, absolutely. The ingredients contained in our Databases are adapted to different stages in a woman's life. When I talk about stages, I mean the hormonal changes that occur in a woman's body at certain times. Therefore, the antioxidants and coenzyme Q10 contained in Base 50+ support women's struggles with menopause. It is not dedicated only to people going through menopause, but definitely helps during it. In general, I recommend Base 50+ throughout the perimenopause period.

JN: Now we hear more and more often that menopause comes earlier.

NN: Times are changing. Later we give birth to children, previously it was around the age of 25, now we get pregnant even around the age of forty, so the limit is moving. I support it because if we feel good and our health is good, I don't see any contraindications. Menopause is also associated with stress, which causes hormonal changes and, inevitably, this affects its course. Menopause also depends on genetic predispositions. If your mother or grandmother has had menopause before, there is a good chance that it will come sooner in us as well.

JN: Is there anything else you would like to add? Something I didn't ask about?

NN: Maybe I'll tell you about the additions, I'll supplement this statement. You need to be very careful about additives found in supplements, usually written in small print. I laugh that it's like a bank situation: what we don't really need to know is written in small print at the bottom of the page. Sometimes it is worth even asking the manufacturer himself to find out what a given substance means, because usually there are no active substances, only auxiliary substances that are added by manufacturers to improve the appearance of the capsule or extend the expiry date. There is no health benefit, it only serves to extend the sales time and make the capsule look attractive. Many supplements contain magnesium salts of fatty acids, people think it is magnesium, but it is not magnesium. Xanth gum, guar gum, titanium dioxide are ingredients you need to watch out for. The latter is an ingredient that was legal for a long time, marked as E171, and in 2021 it was recognized by the European Union as carcinogenic. At nikalab we do not have any unnecessary additives, I believe that anything that does not provide health benefits should not be included in the supplement.

JN: Last question from the viewer: my daughter has had her thyroid removed, is breastfeeding and takes Euthyrox - are there any contraindications to the use of nikalab supplements?

NN: No, but if the thyroid gland is removed, I would recommend consulting an endocrinologist. I don't know the patient's entire history, I would have to see the test results, so I refer such matters to my specialist.

JN: I just wanted to tell people who have never had your jar in their hands. Here is a fruit insert that works a bit like aromatherapy. I find myself sniffing your jar, but I come across opinions that when you first open it, the effect is that these pills - to put it colloquially - simply don't stink.

NN: Vitamins and minerals have their own specific smell, but this insert was supposed to be a pleasure to use.

JN: My friend noticed that your capsules are very easy to swallow. It is also important that it is not too big to swallow. And why two capsules?

NN: I am against taking a handful of pills, but unfortunately it was not possible to fit the recommended doses of all these ingredients in one capsule. To get Omega-3 in the right dose, we had to divide it into two. Fortunately, it is convenient that you can take two tablets at the same time, we do not have to divide them into the morning and evening. As you say, the scent helps - when you swallow our capsules, you feel the taste of orange on your tongue, not the chemical aftertaste of the supplement. It's such a treat, but it helps you remember that you have to take it every day. I also like it because of the possibility of reusing such an insert, which you can use as a bookmark, a scent for your clothes closet, a backpack or a handbag.

JN: And it still smells?

NN: All the time! It takes a long time for the smell to dissipate. I have some of them lying around for a year in different places and they still smell. It's nice when you open a book in the evening and you are hit by this fresh smell.

JN: One last thing: the jars are biodegradable and we throw them into bio waste.

NN: Almost! I have to correct you because this exact topic is very rarely discussed. "Biodegradable" is a word containing the prefix "bio", which is why it is very relevant in terms of marketing. This doesn't mean it's organic. There is a big difference between biodegradable material and compostable material. Our jar is both biodegradable and compostable. The issue of compost is a real eco-friendly activity here. Biodegradable is a material that takes up to a dozen or so years to completely decompose and decomposes into microplastics and toxic compounds. You can't plant a carrot on it. I really wanted our jar to have a certificate ensuring that the material is suitable for storing medicines. It is made from sugar cane and breaks down into organic particles six months after being placed in a home composter. Only, the jar cap is the only compromise I had to agree to, it is made of recycled plastic. For now! Because the next series will be completely compostable. As you can see, we have a transparent jar because the company is transparent, everything was done in accordance with our mission, but vitamins and minerals are sensitive to light. Each jar is equipped with a UV filter that does not threaten compostability and protects the ingredients from light. Of course, the label with glue is also suitable for the composter, you don't have to tear it off before throwing it away.

The envelope in which we send the products is also a compostable product, made of corn and is currently the only packaging in nikalab, because we wanted to reduce the overproduction of packaging.

JN: There is no unnecessary box or foil, you don't have to try hard to get to what you actually ordered. You take it out, open the lid and take it.

NN: I would also like to emphasize the issue of glass. Marketing promoted glass as an ecological material. Glass is only eco-friendly when we use it several times, not when we throw it into the trash after the first use. Data shows that only 20% of glass is ultimately recycled. At nikalab, we try to take care not only of human health, but we also link it with the health of the planet. You take care of the planet - you receive from the planet.

JN: The planet is our home.

NN: I will answer the question from the comments - yes, we ship outside Poland. If this is a subscription you have ordered, delivery is free regardless of where you live.

JN: Subscribe! This is great! Because I don't have to remember to order another jar. It doesn't spread to your bones, it just comes home.

NN: I also understand customers who want to try our product once. I must admit that it is much more expensive than ordering a subscription. After a month of use, we do not always have a chance to replenish all deficiencies, so we often do not even see the effects after the first jar. That's why I encourage you to subscribe, it's very easy to order or cancel at any time, you can move the delivery dates in case of absence.