The Wonderful World of Supplements! What's actually "needed"?

We live in a time where the quality of our foods decreasing, pollution is on the rise, we don’t cook at home, we aren't eating a balanced diet AND we are more stressed and getting less sleep than ever!
 
Daily supplements act as a way to “fill in the gaps” of our nutrition deficiencies, improve our immunity, help us with cravings and provide us with more energy, but in a store filled with supplements, how do we prioritize what’s the most important?
The last thing you want is to spend a ton of money on supplements just to have "expensive urine". You don't need all supplements and more (in dosage) isn't always better!
 
The goal of this post is to help you find the best supplements for you going with a minimalist approach. 
***Check with your doctor before taking any supplements. Some can create an adverse reaction if taken with other prescribed medication.***

TOP PRIORITY: These supplements are what I would consider the basics and "must haves". If you can't budget much right now, this is the place to start.
 
Whole Food Multivitamin: To ensure that the ingredients are coming from as close to nature as possible, choose a whole food multivitamin. Because the vitamins and minerals are coming from whole foods, these supplements contain the most complete sources of nutrients for your body and are also easy on the stomach. You can take them without food in the morning with no issues!
What to look for:

• Organic Ingredients to ensure quality
• NSF logo to ensure product and ingredient safety
• Multiple vitamins per day. There is no way to get in all of your daily requirements in one dose. The vitamin would have to be the size of an egg! One dose vitamins are typically synthetic and don’t give you all the nutrients you need to be healthy.

 
Omega 3 fatty acid/Fish Oil: Most of us don’t eat the required 2 meals per week of a fatty fish to get our Omega 3’s through foods. Vegetarian/Vegans have to plan carefully to get in Omegas from flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, winter squash and seaweed. We don’t just need Omega 3’s but also DHA, which are found in most fish and seaweed. Omega 3 with DHA has been shown to help with cardiovascular risks, metabolism/fat loss, hypertension, arthritis, stroke, prostate cancer prevention, and Alzheimer’s.
What to look for:

• Omega 3/EPA/DHA combo. We get in plenty of Omega 6 & 9, which can be harmful to our health in high doses.
• 200-300mg of DHA per capsule
• For fat loss, you can increase to .5g per % body fat

​GREAT ADDITIONS : If you have a little more to spend, these are also very important supplements to have. 
​
Glucosamine: If you are active and especially with high impact running, jumping, etc, glucosamine is a MUST! While it does take a few weeks to feel the effects, it has been shown to help with mild-moderate osteoarthritis.
What to look for:

• Chondrotin/MSM combo to aid in effectiveness

 
Vitamin D: This one is becoming more popular because we spend a lot of time indoors so we are becoming deficient. Vitamin D is vital to strong bones and teeth. It also helps with metabolism and weight loss. While the sun is the best way for us to absorb Vitamin D, supplements are sometimes needed if levels are really low
What to look for:

• GET TESTED. You can consume toxic levels of Vitamin D; so get tested from your doctor before starting this supplement

 
Green Superfood Powder: I would guess that over 90% of us do not consume the 9-10 servings of vegetables a day for ideal health. Also, I doubt we are also consuming some of the alkaline and sea vegetables that help with immunity and energy as well as neutralize free radiacals.
What to look for:

• Organic Ingredients
• High ORAC number
• 50% of volume coming from greens
• No soy lecithin
• A taste that you can tolerate

 

GOOD OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: Choose these based on what you feel you need. They are all great, but prioritize what you feel you're lacking first. 
 
B complex: Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12 help convert our food into fuel, allowing us to stay energized throughout the day, aid in concentration and memory as well as maintain a healthy metabolism.
What to look for:

• Not taking too much. Your body excretes extra B vitamins, so while its hard to overdose, you don’t want to waste your hard earned money

 
Glutamine: Glutamine is the most common amino acid found in your muscles. It helps with sugar and alcohol cravings, building lean muscle, improve athletic performance, muscle recovery, immunity and healing a leaky gut as well as a host of other benefits.
What to look for:

• No artificial sweeteners
• No fillers
• Take about 5g daily or more to help with sugar cravings and cortisol.

 
 
Protein Powder: Protein powder can help with increasing lean mass, helping to maintain a healthy weight, control cravings and act as a meal replacement when coupled with the right foods.
What to look for:

• No artificial sweeteners
• Grass fed cows
• Whey Casein mix if used as a meal replacement
• High quality whey isolate, or hydrolyzed
• No soy
• Lactose Free and Egg protein best for whey sensitivities
• Low sugar
• Low sodium

 

There you have it! Let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns. 

If you're looking to improve your nutrition without giving up all of your favorite foods, let me coach you on how to meal plan and prep in a way that works for your family, budget, lifestyle and palate! 
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