That’s the advice we’ve all been given. Eat better. Take your vitamins. Stay active. And if you’re still tired, inflamed, or not getting better? Try harder. But what if that advice is incomplete?

John had major oral surgery—and went back to work the next day. No swelling. No pain medication.

Betty, newly pregnant, was exhausted and constantly nauseated. After one visit, her energy improved and her nausea eased.
Mark’s prostate cancer markers have been trending in the right direction.

Linda, living with Parkinson’s disease, once needed her husband to thread a sewing needle. Her vision and hand control had declined to the point where she simply couldn’t do it. Now, she can.

These aren’t typical results.
And they didn’t come from trying harder, eating cleaner, or adding another supplement.

They came from changing how the body receives what it needs.

The Part Most People Miss
Health doesn’t come from what you eat. It comes from what your body can absorb and use. And those are not the same thing. Digestion is not a perfect system—it’s a selective one. It was never designed to extract everything from what we consume. Even in young, healthy individuals, absorption is incomplete. And over time, that gap widens.

Stomach acid declines with age. Digestive enzymes decrease. The gut lining is affected by stress, medications, infections, and inflammation. Conditions like celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and chronic digestive issues can significantly impair absorption—but even without a diagnosis, many people are not absorbing as well as they think.

The result? You can be eating well. You can be taking high-quality supplements. And your cells can still be operating at a deficit. In fact, studies have shown that a significant percentage of adults are deficient in key nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin D, and B vitamins—even when intake appears adequate. When that happens, the body prioritizes survival over optimization. Energy is conserved. Repair slows. Resilience declines. Over time, that can look like fatigue, slower recovery, brain fog, or progression of chronic disease.

A Different Strategy
Intravenous (IV) therapy takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of trying to push more through a limited digestive system, it bypasses the gut entirely—delivering nutrients directly into the bloodstream. This allows for significantly higher circulating levels of vitamins, minerals, and other compounds than can typically be achieved through oral intake alone. It also makes those nutrients immediately available to tissues, without relying on digestion or absorption.

This is not a new concept. IV therapy has been used in hospitals for decades—for fluids, medications, and life-saving interventions. What’s changing is how it’s being used outside of emergency care. In integrative and functional medicine, we have been using IV therapies for years to support energy production, recovery, immune function, and cellular repair—especially in individuals who are not responding fully to diet and oral supplementation alone.

Why People Notice a Difference
Every cell in your body depends on a steady supply of nutrients to function. These nutrients are required for:
• Producing energy
• Repairing tissues
• Supporting immune defense
• Maintaining brain and nerve function
• Protecting against oxidative stress

When supply falls short of demand, those systems begin to falter. And demand rises quickly. Illness, surgery, pregnancy, stress, intense physical activity, and aging all increase the body’s needs. In those moments, even a strong diet may not be enough to keep up.

This is where targeted IV therapies may play a role.

Antioxid ant therapies such as glutathione and vitamin C are often used to help counter oxidative stress. Higher-dose vitamin C, in particular, has been studied for its role in immune support and, in certain settings, its effects on abnormal cells.

Other therapies focus on supporting mitochondrial function—the energy-producing systems inside your cells. When those systems work more efficiently, people often notice improvements in energy, clarity, and recovery.

Some approaches are designed to improve how nutrients are delivered and utilized at the cellular level—helping the body make better use of what it receives.

The goal is not to override the body. It is to support it more effectively—especially when it’s under strain.

Not a First Step—But Sometimes the Missing One
IV therapy is not a substitute for the basics. A nutrient-dense diet, quality sleep, movement, and stress management remain essential. But for some people, those alone are not enough. When progress stalls—when someone is doing everything “right” but still not getting results—it may be time to ask a different question: Is the issue really what you’re putting into your body? Or is it what your body is able to do with it? Because if nutrients aren’t reaching your cells in adequate amounts, the body cannot function the way it was designed to. And doing more of the same may not change that.

A More Useful Question
Instead of asking, “Am I eating healthy?” Ask: “Is my body actually getting what it needs to heal?” Because if it’s not, the solution may not be more discipline…It may be a different approach entirely.

If you’re curious whether IV therapy could play a role in your health, individualized assessments are available at Prestige Wellness Institute in Moab (435-259-4466) and Utah County (435-210-0184).

If you’ve got a drawer or cabinet full of half-used prescriptions, you’re not alone. Most of us keep them “just in case.” But those leftover pills can do more harm than good.

The good news? Getting rid of them safely is simple—and it protects your family, your neighbors, and our local environment.

Why It’s Worth Doing
Old medications aren’t just clutter—they can pose real risks.

Children and pets can accidentally get into them. They can also be misused by others. And when medications sit around too long, it’s easy to forget what they’re for—or whether they’re still safe to take.

Unused prescription opioids can also make your home a target for theft. Cleaning them out helps reduce that risk.

“Most people don’t realize how common accidental poisonings are from medications sitting in their homes,” says Jeremy Olsen. “It’s one of the simplest things you can do to make your home safer.”

Please Don’t Flush Them
It might seem harmless to flush pills down the toilet, but it can create bigger problems
.
Flushed medications can enter our water system and make their way into rivers and drinking water.

“Here in Moab, we care deeply about our land and water,” Olsen says. “Safe disposal is a small step that helps protect both.”

The Easy Solution: A Local Drop Box
There’s a safe, simple option right here in town.
Portal Pharmacy, located inside Moab Regional Hospital, offers a secure prescription drop box available year-round. Just stop by during pharmacy hours—no hassle. The Grand County Sheriff’s Office also provides a drop box during business hours.

Portal Pharmacy Hours:
  • Monday – Saturday: 10 AM–2pm & 2:30pm–8pm
  • Sunday: 3pm–7pm

“People are often surprised by how quick it is,” says Jeremy Olsen. “You walk in, drop it off, and you’re done—it usually takes less than a minute.”

What You Can Bring
  Accepted:
    • Pills and tablets
    • Capsules
    • Vitamins
  Not accepted:
    • Needles or syringes
    • Liquids
    • Aerosol cans or hazardous waste
    • Illegal drugs

If you’re unsure about an item, call the Portal Pharmacy for guidance.

How to Dispose of Syringes
Syringes can’t go in drop boxes, but they can still be disposed of safely.

Place sharps in a sturdy, puncture-resistant plastic container—like an empty laundry detergent bottle—before putting them in the trash. You can also take sharps directly to the Canyonlands Transfer Station.

A Few Quick Tips Before You Go
  • Remove medications from original containers and place them in a sealed bag to save space

  • Scratch out or remove personal information on prescription labels

If You Can’t Get to a Drop Box
You can still dispose of medications safely at home:
  • Remove medications from their original containers

  • Mix them with an undesirable substance like used coffee grounds or cat litter

  • Place the mixture in a sealed container (such as an empty margarine tub)
    Throw the sealed container in the trash

Recycle or dispose of empty prescription bottles after removing personal information

Drop-Offs Available 7 Days a Week
Moab Regional Hospital makes safe disposal easy and convenient by offering a secure prescription drop box year-round.

Residents can safely dispose of medications seven days a week at Portal Pharmacy—no need to wait.

A Small Step That Matters
Taking a few minutes to clean out your medicine cabinet can prevent accidents, reduce misuse, and help keep our environment clean.

“It’s one of those simple things that help protect your whole community,” says Jeremy Olsen. “And honestly, once it’s done, it’s one less thing you have to think about.”

Next time you’re tidying up, grab those old prescriptions and make a quick stop at Portal Pharmacy.