In this post, learn about my personal supplement regimen and what I take to make me feel my best.
Today, I wanted to share my personal supplement regimen to give you a look into what I take to help me feel my best. When I was in school studying nutrition, there seemed to be a definite deemphasis on supplements. The supplement industry is a big, money making business and you can find a supplement out there for just about anything. Many of the claims of supplements are not necessarily evidence based which makes it difficult to navigate.
In my opinion, there is room for certain supplements to aid in general health and to avoid nutrient deficiencies. Soil these days isn’t as mineral rich as it used to be and many of us are living very fast paced lifestyles that keep us from getting all the nutrients our bodies require. I definitely rely on my supplement regimen to aid my nutrient dense diet…I personally feel my best when I am on top of taking my supplements, so let’s get into what I take!
Prenatal-Seeking Health Optimal Prenatal
I have been pregnant and/or nursing since 2018 so I have been on a prenatal vitamin for the entirety of that time. I love this one because it is extremely robust in the vitamin offerings and in my opinion, it is one of the best. The only downside to this prenatal is that it does not contain iron, which can cause a lot of GI distress for some women while pregnant (if you have had morning sickness like I do than you know you def don’t want ANY more GI distress lol), which is why they leave it out. You do need to supplement this prenatal with iron, especially if you are pregnant.
Iron– Radiant Life Liver Capsules
For my iron supplement, I have been taking this liver supplement. This supplement consists of dehydrated liver from grass fed cattle. Liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can consume, as it’s where animals (and humans alike) have majority of their nutrient stores. The liver is where all extra iron is stored, so by consuming the liver of an animal, you are getting iron! I also really love the Ancestral Supplements Beef Organ Supplement– this one is a blend of organ meats to ensure optimal nutrients and is my personal preference.
Vitamin D-Super Vitamin D
On top of my prenatal, I like to add in additional vitamin D. I take two of these everyday which is about 2000 IU of vitamin D. I get my levels checked periodically and tend to need some extra vitamin D, especially in the winter months with lack of sunlight. Vitamin D is so critical for many functions in the body!
Probiotic– Life 9
This is one of those supplements everybody could take it and it won’t cause you any harm. If you are eating a source or two of fermented foods daily, you might not need a probiotic. I don’t always eat that way so I choose to supplement. This one has a bunch of different strains on bacteria making it a great choice. I have a whole video on probiotics and gut health here. Probiotics help to diversify and bolster your gut flora in your intestines. Our gut bacteria is responsible for regulating so many essential functions in the body which is why I like to take a probiotic on a daily basis.
OmegaGize– Omega 3 DHA supplement
If seafood, walnuts, chia seeds and other foods high in omega 3s are staples in your diet, you may not need a supplement like this. While I do get in a decent amount of nuts and seeds, I don’t eat much seafood at all (if I lived near a coast it would probably be a different story!). Because of this, I like to supplement with omega 3s. I don’t necessarily take this supplement every day because I do get some omegas through grass-fed meat and butter, but this is definitely an important part of my routine. You cannot synthesize omega 3 fats in the body so it is so important to take them in through diet or supplementation.
Trace Mineral Drops
This is newer to my routine but I really love the way it makes me feel! I noticed that after I started taking this in the afternoon, my energy levels were higher. You add these drops to water and drink it. This floods the body with essential minerals that tend to be lacking in today’s soil.
B Complex– Super B
This is another supplement that I take in addition to my prenatal. My prenatal does include B vitamins and I do get these vitamins through food as well so I don’t take this supplement every day. If I have a day where I feel like I’m dragging, I take this for a few days to flood my body with B vitamins.
B vitamins are required to make ATP which is your body’s cellular form of energy. If you don’t have enough B vitamins in your system, you are decreasing the rate at which you can create ATP which is energy for your body. This supplement is great to take if you feel extra stressed or low on sleep. B vitamins are water soluble, so your body can’t actually store them, meaning you need to be taking them in regularly. The flip side of that is if you are taking extra B vitamins and your body doesn’t need them, they will simply be excreted in your urine.
Ningxia Red
Ningxia Red is one of my top favorite supplements! This stuff is food based and incredibly antioxidant rich. Ningxia Red is a goji berry puree from the Ningxia providence of China. This area is a blue zone, meaning their population lives well beyond the average life span. When scientists studied the population here, they identified three main factors for the populations long life spans- regular physical activity, a mineral rich diet, and the consumption of the antioxidant rich wolf berries. I typically take 2 oz of Ningxia every day and it tastes delicious! Antioxidants are so important because they fight off oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress is physiological stress happening in your body which can be the pathogenesis to basically any disease…for more a more in-depth look at antioxidants, check of this video.
Ningxia Greens
I typically take this in water with my Ningxia Red in the afternoon for the most amazing energy boost! This is a greens powder that is great for days when you just aren’t getting as many greens. This powder has over 60 different greens, herbs and botanicals lending tons of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. I love this specific greens powder because it isn’t hard to get down-I think it tastes like green tea. The combination of Ningxia Red and my Ningxia greens in the afternoon instead of a cup of coffee gives me all the energy I need for that afternoon slump.
Collagen
This is not a nutrition supplement, but I love what this has done for my skin! I was never a collagen believer before this but I learned that there are different types of collagen (this one is marine sourced type I). I cannot believe the difference I see in my skin since I began taking this collagen! All of the fine lines around my eyes have completely smoothed out and my complexion just feels smoother and more youthful. While this won’t change your health at all, if you are like me and you want to try anything you can to naturally improve your skin, this is for you!
That’s everything for my supplement regimen! I know that this might seem like a lot of supplements but I truly believe that using supplements to enhance my nutrition really makes me feel my best. Despite the supplements I take, the basis of my nourishment will always be on food. If I ate a bunch of processed, nutrient depleted foods all the time, these supplements wouldn’t be doing much to make me feel good. While I do try to get in as many nutrients as I can throughout the day, being a busy working mom definitely leaves nutritional gaps throughout my days that my supplements help to fill in. I hope that this overview gave you some direction on what you might want to try or add into your own supplement regimen!