When it comes to vitamins and supplements, it can get super confusing to know what to take, when to take it, and how much to take!

I’ll break down exactly what I take and why, and also help you design your own supplement routine, whether you’re just starting out, or taking handfuls of supplements and not really sure if you’re taking the right ones.

So let’s dive in!

Note: I advise taking supplements 5 days a week, with 2 days off each week. This gives your body a break, and also prevents your body from becoming reliant on the supplements. I use supplements as a little health boost, in addition to organic food and an overall healthy diet. So – when I say (below) that I take something every day, or daily, I mean 5 days a week 🙂

Morning

When I first wake up, I like to start my day with some warm water and lemon juice. This helps to alkalize the body. When we sleep, our body detoxes and repairs itself (did I mention I love to sleep!!) So by the time we wake up, our body is on the acidic side… by drinking the lemon water we can help to quickly bring ourselves back into balance. A balanced body is a happy and healthy body 🙂

Next – I take my morning supplements on an empty stomach – they are all herbal/ spices so are generally more effective when they’re taken without food.

Chlorella – I like to take greens in the morning ( actually all through the day when I think of it!) because they are know to cleanse the blood, and also keep the body alkaline (PH balanced). I feel like greens first thing in the morning help to flush out the toxins that may have accumulated overnight.
Adaptogens – these are herbs that her your body adapt to —- anything really. I take a slightly stimulating adaptogen blend in the morning to help my body transition from the sleep state to being alert and awake.
I either take turmeric or nopal fruit (I alternate) because they are both great for reducing inflammation, as well as liver support, detox, brain health… the list goes on and on!

Lunchtime

With lunch, I take these supplements immediately before I eat:
Vitamin D 5000IU – Even though I spend a ton of time hiking in the sun, if I don’t supplement with Vitamin D, then I am usually low when I get blood work done. I had genetic testing done, and it confirmed that I’m genetically predisposed to low Vitamin D. Lots of people are – so I combat this by taking 5000IU daily – some days that I don’t spend time in the sun, I’ll take 10000IU. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, which means that our body can actually store any extra. Because of this, I wouldn’t advise anyone to take more than 5000IU per day without consulting a nutritionist or naturopath and closely monitoring your blood levels. For me, I just know that I need to take a lot to keep my levels optimal 🙂
Vitamin C
Dose: 2000-3000mg daily, 5000mg if feeling stressed or sick
this is not just something to take when you feel like you’re getting sick! Vitamin C helps almost all of the processes in the body including the immune system, skin health, wound healing, heart and brain health, and even anti-aging. It’s water soluble which means you can’t store it in your body, so you need to take it every day. I take between 2000-3000mg every day. If I feel run down, or am traveling or being a little less healthy than usual (too much wine, anyone?!) then I’ll up the Vitamin C to 5000mg that day. If you notice loose stool / diarrhea then just reduce the amount of Vitamin C that you’re taking.
MultiVitmain – this is like insurance for your body. Even though I eat really healthy, it can be tough to get all of the vitamins and minerals we need, every single day.
Omega-3:
Dose: 2000mg daily, 3000mg if dealing with inflammation or pain
This is really really important to find a good quality fish oil – if you’re buying the super cheap jars from the box box stores, then chances are that you are doing more harm than good! Omega-3 Fish oil is concentrated from: FISH. If the source of these fish isn’t clean (ie: polluted waters, mercury…) then the oil is super concentrated toxic stuff! Scary, right? So be aware of where your fish oil is sourced. Also – smell in the jar. If it smells fishy then it’s likely either rancid or poor quality. Either way, I’d toss it!

Probiotics & digestive enzymes
Make sure that your probiotic is either from the refrigerated section of the store, or has ‘bio-tract’ technology and is sealed in individual blister packs. Probiotics are extremely heat sensitive, and many off the shelf brands are not heat stable, which means that by the time you take them, most of the good bacteria are already dead, so you’re wasting your money.

Lutein 

I take an eye supplement because when I had my genetics tested, I have a high risk for developing macular degeneration. That doesn’t mean that it will happen, but knowing that I have that risk factor, I can now use targeted healthy eye supplements to hopefully prevent getting it!

PQQ & Niacinamide (try saying that one!)

These are my wild card supplements that I’m trying out – lots of new studies on these supplements that they are really powerful for cellular anti-aging.

Evening

Liver support 

Once again, our livers do most of the work in our body with filtering out all of the toxins, so I like to help my liver out! I look for ingredients like dandelion root , medicinal mushroom, and artichoke extract to support the liver.

Adaptogens 

Helping my body relax a bit and shift from a busy day to a relaxed evening, I really love my adaptogens! Passionflower, chamomile, ashwaganda… there’s lots of great natural ways to help your body relax.

Whew! So there you have it – as much or as little info as you want, on what I take, when, and why 🙂