I have a confession to make. I got carried away. Marketing got me and I didn’t do my research before jumping on a few trendy supplement bandwagons. I recently had a “what the heck” moment and took a look at all the supplements I was taking and subscriptions I was signed up for. I realized I wasn’t practicing what I preach which is….food first and is this there science back up these claims.
I updated my supplement list in June which didn’t include the Colostrum packets I started a few months ago because I was seeing them all over social media and from influencers I trust. I didn’t do my homework and got caught up in the hype. The most promising benefits for supplementing colostrum may be for someone with the flu, diarrhea symptoms/IBS, or those immunocompromised. I already have supplements like Athletic Greens helping me with immune and gut health, so adding another supplement to the list was not necessary. Also the research on bovine colostrum just isn’t there yet to support me taking it daily.
Over the past month I have cut out a few more things from the list above. I started taking Nutrafol when I was 4 months postpartum with Kinsley and was trying to avoid hair loss. I also had had hair loss when I was having a thyroid issue which I got on medication for. Now that I’m 2.5 years postpartum and my hair is in good shape my hair girl said there was no need for me to keep taking this supplement. I gladly cancelled my subscription and thrilled to be taking 4 less pills a day.
Lastly, I stopped taking the Elderberry and Vitamin C supplement from Pique. Like I said before, my Athletic Greens powder has over 100% of my Vitamin C DV, so taking another supplement for immunity on a daily basis seemed excessive. I’d rather focus on getting in more citrus fruit, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, etc. into my diet this winter than another supplement.
I do believe that supplements fill the gaps of what we can’t get in our diet. Sometimes it’s really challenging to get certain vitamins/minerals/nutrients in our diet and supplementation is key. That’s why I do have 4 non negotiable supplements that I take daily and recommend to most clients (even without labs).
The supplement industry is tricky. None of it is FDA approved and there is so much marketing on social media these days it’s hard to really know what to trust. As I Registered Dietitian, these are the supplements I recommend that have the science to back it up their health claims. These are also necessary to supplement for most, because getting therapeutic amounts via food is really hard on a daily basis. I’m done with the trendy supplements and plan to stick to my core ride or dies that can back up their claims.
Magnesium
I wrote this post a while back on the benefits of magnesium. It’s an essential supplement for me and I take it every night before bed. It’s replaced melatonin over the years and has so many other health benefits than relaxation for sleep.
It enhances feelings of calm, improves mood, reduces muscle aches. It also supports healthy cognitive aging and brain functions, supports regular bowel movement, soothes and alleviates mild bloating during PMS, etc.
Omega 3’s
A must for brain health! Omega3’s also help reduce inflammation and promote eye and skin health. I don’t always get the recommended 3 servings of fatty fish a week, so supplementing is necessary.
Creatine
This is a new nonnegotiable supplement for me and that I recommend to all women over 40. I take 5mg daily (even on rest days).
There are a lot of misconceptions, but there is a lot of exciting research on how beneficial it can be for women’s brain health. It’s a supplement has been around forever, very safe, and low cost. No reason not to take it IMO. Overall benefits include: improved athletic performance, strength, and recovery time. It also promotes brain health and cognition; as well as, skin health.
Vitamin D3 + K2
Vitamin D is a must and I still can’t understand why people aren’t taking it. Most of us are walking around with low D. I review labs all day of the college kids I work with and they are all low in D. It plays such a significant role in so many processes in the body. From bone health to cardiovascular health to immunity it really is so important. Why take D and K together? To ensure that calcium obtained from food is deposited in the bones and not in the arteries.
xx, A
So crazy – I’m in the exact same phase! My purchases got out of control and there’s just too many things. It’s so easy to be swept up in it all. I’m currently scaling back too! Love this list!
So hard not to get swept up in it and feels good get back the basics 😉
Colostrum is also just kind of cruel. Taking that from an animal who needs to feed their baby is messed up.
Such a good point!