My Daily Supplement Routine

Hi folks!  The other day I saw a friend in the health food store, and she was fascinated to see what I had in my basket.  “What supplements are you buying?” she asked.  “And what should I buy?” This is actually the most common nutrition question I’m asked, after, “Should I avoid carbs?” (NO!)

The supplement marketing industry would have you believe that you should buy all the supplements (of their brand!) on the shelves.  But I’m here to tell you that real, wholesome, unadulterated FOOD is always your best source of every nutrient. Bottom line.  There is just no substitute for eating well, because no supplement in the world can come close to replicating the symphony & balance of nutrients in whole foods.  Even if that little packet the size of your pocket tissue claims, “Contains 6 servings of green vegetables!!!”

That said, there are times when things happen and we don’t eat as well as we want to… we get busy or stressed or maybe skip a few meals here and there.  Maybe we avoid certain foods, making it more difficult to get the range of nutrients we should.  Or maybe we do eat a well-rounded, wholesome most of the time, and supplements can act as a little booster to that. I see supplements as an adjunct to a healthy diet, not a substitute for one.

So in direct answer to your question… yes, I do take supplements, even though I eat well most of the time.  And I’ve also recommended supplements to my clients, though not always the same ones I take.  Supplementation is very individualised depending on your diet, lifestyle, and workout habits.

Here’s what I take and why:

  1. Multi-vitamin: even though I eat a ton of veggies, fruits, and whole grains every day, I still take a general multi-vitamin.  Because there are those days that I might not get enough of what I need, given my heavy workouts and high metabolism.  The more you eat, the more energy you produce from your food, and therefore the more vitamins (which act as co-enzymes in the energy-producing metabolic processes) you need. My “age-appropriate” multi contains about 33-50% of the USRDA for most vitamins & minerals, just enough to top me off if I’m a bit under.
  2. Digestive enzymes: this supplement is a booster to my body’s own natural production of enzymes.  In addition, I’m lactose intolerant, and this formulation contains lactase… so if I do eat yogurt or ice cream (not too often, I admit), I won’t suffer from it.
  3. Probiotics: gut health is everything.  The more research I do about the intestinal tract, the more impressed I am with how significantly it affects our overall health.  Our gut has its own nervous system, making it like a second brain for us.  And many, many of its functions are influenced by the presence of good bacteria.  Studies show that enough good bacteria in your gut can reduce inflammation, change the way fats are metabolized (for the better!), improve the immune system, and ward off chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  I never miss a day of my probiotics, and I would recommend them for everyone, unless you eat outrageous amounts of naturally fermented foods (examples include kimchi, pickled vegetables, kefir, tempeh)… which most of us don’t.
  4. L-glutamine: this amino acid can improve the rate of cell turnover in the gut, making digestion easier and preventing gas and bloating after meals. (It’s not pictured because I ran out & it’s out of stock at my store.)
  5. Zinc: I take 25 mg per day (I break these tablets in half) to boost my immune system.  With all the germs & coughing people in my gym, I need all the boosting I can get!
  6. Vitamin C: I take 500mg 4 times a day.  Yes, this is a lot… well over the USRDA.  However, the USRDA was really set as a bare minimum (as in, eat 60mg/day to prevent scurvy) and in reality, we all need much more than that.  Vitamin C is one of our most powerful anti-oxidants, and when you consider all the free radicals we’re up against from pollution, the oxidative stress of metabolism, and even the additives in processed food… I think we could all use more Vitamin C. (Not pictured because I broke the bottle & now they’re just all in a little Tupperware… it happens!)
  7. Potassium citrate: I rarely need to take this, because I eat a ton of potassium in my food (papaya, pineapple, coconut water, sweet & white potatoes, spinach, & broccoli are my main sources), but on the days I’m a bit under, I top off with this.  Potassium is vital for fluid regulation and avoiding water retention.  But like I said, usually I eat enough and I’m still on my first bottle after 18 months!
  8. Magnesium citrate: I take 200 mg twice a day, once after my workout and again at bedtime.  It’s involved in the muscle contraction/relaxation mechanism, and I find it helps me relax at night. Look for magnesium citrate or maleate, not oxalate… it metabolises better.
  9. Melatonin: speaking of relaxing at night, I take 10mg of melatonin before bed every night.  It helps me not only go to sleep, but also stay asleep… my biggest problem, actually. Now, this is a high dose, and I didn’t start with 10mg, nor should you.  While melatonin is not addictive, it can be powerful, so if you decide to try it, start with 1mg and see how you do.  For many people this is adequate.  I don’t expect to take melatonin forever, either… maybe only while Mark & I have different sleeping schedules.
  10. 5-HTP: this is a precursor to melatonin, and the two work in conjunction to help me get a good night’s rest. I take 100mg at bedtime. I love it because it’s a good-sized, berry-flavoured quick-dissolve tablet and I feel like I’m getting a little bedtime treat.  Maybe that’s actually what’s helping me sleep, just the comforting routine of it… I’ll never know!  But whatever, I’m sleeping better than ever these days (nights?!), so I’m not gonna mess with a good thing.

So that’s it, folks! This is by no means a comprehensive list of supplements, just what I happen to take.  I would, however, definitely recommend probiotics for everyone across the board.  Look for “live and active cultures”, and preferably purchase ones that are in the refrigerated section of your store (and keep them in your fridge too.). Beyond that, supplementation is very individual.  Just shoot me a message or comment if you’re wondering about supplements for yourself.

But most of all, eat well, my friends! Food is your best supplement of all.

 

3 thoughts on “My Daily Supplement Routine”

  1. Dear Rebecca,
    You are absolutely right about making the choice individually.
    I very much agree on supplementing with probiotics. Most of people also benefit from taking Omega 3 supplement, especially if they are vegetarians.
    In Europe – we are very likely to be vitamin D3 deficient. I recommend everybody to get tested. I was vitamin 3 deficient even in Greece, where you would think it’s enough sun all year round.
    I also do take 1000 mg (in 2 doses) of vitamin C daily, although I do eat lots of veggies and fruits. Daily recommended intake by USRDA is a joke…I give vit. D, vitamin C and probiotics and a food-based organic multivitamin for teenagers to my boys. They claim, that no other kids take vitamins on daily basis…
    Only supplement you are mentioning I have a problem with is Melantonin. I do take it occasionally – when fighting jet -lag or my mind is too busy. I only take 1, max 3 mg before bed time. In Europe they don’t sell anything stronger than 5 mg and label recommends taking only 1/4. I think 10 mg would put me to sleep for a week. So I would recommend that people who wanna take it (it’s natural hormone , so non addictive) experiment first with dosage and no need to take it religiously… I also learned, that meditation and relaxation techniques work very well to conquer insomnia.. All the best,

    1. Dear Sharka, thank you so much for taking time to comment so thoughtfully! You are absolutely correct about the melatonin… I’m going to make an additional comment in that section to advise people that my dose is unusually high. I’ve truly experimented with so many things and it’s such a relief to have found something that works. I’m sure I won’t take it forever, though. I also agree with you about Omega-3 for vegetarians (and probably most people!) and Vitamin D for people who live in Europe or places it’s dark much of the year. Supplementation is so individual, it’s just good to be aware of your own needs and situation. Hugs to you! xo

  2. Love this! I totally agree with you on how important gut health is. I have been extensively reading about it and how fascinating it is. Ive had digestive priblems since i was little (mom can attest to this!!) so now that i am more health conscious I have done some research too. Whole, healthy and organic helps me a lot and one thing that really helped me is bone broth, i make my one 1-2 times weekly depending on how much i drink. If i dont drink it in the AM, i get really painful tummy aches. Digestive enzymes and probiotic (30billiob) has been my bestfriend too! Especially on high protein meals. i took the food intolerance test back in Manila to find which foods act negatively and positively to my body, and i now know which once i should avoid. I always thought i was lactose intolerant but im only intolerant to cows and goats milk! So i enjoy my buffalo and sheeps milk really well now!

    I thought i was the only one talin crazy amount of supplements! One of my med student friends think these are all just fads and useless especially for me that eats nutritious food, but we’ll never know how much we really need right?! And we’ll just pee the excess anyway (lol), better enough than be deficient of anything!

    Cheers!
    Danyel

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