Do you have a lot of negative stress in your life? Feeling a little nutritionally imbalanced? Do you feel like you could benefit from adding more natural minerals to your body, thus enhancing antioxidant activity to help fight disease?

I was recently introduced to a line of dietary supplements called True Essentials. While browsing their website, I came across a product called Mineral pH. What personally attracted me to this particular product, was the phrases: "mood balancer," "anti-stress," "cortisol levels," and "powerful antioxidants." So I decided, what the heck, I'll give it a try. After all, who am I to turn down an opportunity to lower my stress levels?

I've always been a believer in at least taking one good multivitamin supplement every day. Problem is, I've never really found one that truly seems to perform the "magic" they claim it will. So, of course I ordered this product with a smidgen of skepticism about it's power to make a real difference in my overall feeling of well-being. But I was hopeful - looking at the ingredients, this product had a lot of the same things as the multivitamin I had been taking for years and so far I had experienced no adverse effects from that.

I received my bottle of Mineral pH less than a week after placing my order. I thought, "Okay, thumbs up so far. At least they ship quickly" (and you can save as much as $10 by choosing the Easy-Ship option). I opened the bottle and gave the stuff inside the usual inspection for any new pill I'm going to be putting into my body. You know, smell it, look at it, note the color, size and shape, and wonder how nasty it's going to taste going down. (by the way, these things smell like you're swallowing an alfalfa or barley pill, which makes sense I guess since they contain barley grass juice - a powerful cellular antioxidant).

Now the general dosage for True Essentials dietary supplements seems to be three times a day, but these supplements are not like what you get in the stores, where the nutrients are all compressed and tightly packed into a hard tablet which your body must attempt to break down to receive any nutritional value. In contrast, these supplements are packed as a loose powder in a gelatin capsule. According to the website, you can even break open the capsules to mix the ingredients into a drink or food item. In this form, the minerals and organic materials inside the capsule are highly absorbable and your body is able to make much better use of the nutrients provided.

I must admit, I have been duly impressed by this particular product by True Essentials. It is the only one of their dietary supplements I have tried so far, but it definitely has me thinking about exploring some of their other products. After only a couple of days of taking this supplement as recommended (three times a day) I really and truly noticed a difference in my energy level and felt like the fog which had long been present in my head, had finally been lifted. Here are just some of the main ingredients and benefits of Mineral pH:

• Magnolia Bark - a mood balancer which may fight the effects of stress and anxiety. May also help control the body's main stress hormone, cortisol, which in some studies has been linked to a possible increase in the risk for developing Alzheimer's.
• Barley Grass Juice Powder - one of the most powerful antioxidants which detoxifies by binding to heavy metals in your system and helping elimination.
• Acai Berry - another potent antioxidant. Acai fruit is associated with a reduced risk of certain stress-related disorders.
• Chlorella - detoxification activities and immune system benefits.
• Proprietary Humate Mineral Blend - 71+ plant-derived minerals to help maintain intestinal pH levels.
• Amino Acids - to help with absorption.

I'm not in the habit of recommending things like this to people. I feel what kind and how many supplements you choose to take is a personal choice and every one's chemical makeup is different. What works for me may not work for you. The most obvious effect I have noticed since starting on this dietary supplement, has been an increase in my energy level. Maybe it won't have the same effect for you, but it might be worth checking out.