As a Nutrition, Fitness and Mental Health Coach, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me which supplements they should be taking, I would be a rich gal ;) Here is the thing. The answer is “IT DEPENDS” and that answer changes as your health changes, as you age, and even the time of the year (for women, maybe even time of the month). The BEST thing to do is to work one on one with me as a part of my Coaching Package, I do an evaluation on your current nutrition, health, and mental health and make the recommendations for supplements that would be best for you to take. If you have one near you, I would highly recommend going to see a Nutrition Response Testing® Practitioner like my good friend Dr. Kristy Harvell to get a definitive assessment done on not only what supplements you should be taking, but what is the priority and you can also have them test your current supplements and make sure that your body is actually not negatively reacting to any of them. I always bring my current supplements with me when I see Dr. Kristy and have her test them on me just to be sure everything is working ok.

If you are not able to start Nutrition Coaching with me right now (I mean really, why not? Invest in your health and GET RESULTS!) or go to a Nutrition Response Tester like Dr. Kristy, then I have the next best thing, a list of the 6 supplements that absolutely EVERYONE should be on! EVERYONE. I don’t care if you are healthy, or not, if you are vegan, keto, carnivore, or live on ramen noodles, Sam’s cola, and PBJ like I did when I was a broke college student, EVERYONE needs to be on these supplements. I have had years of experience in Nutrition Coaching/direct interventions with clients, reading the latest research in nutrition interventions, and attending conferences with the most up-to-date, cutting-edge data on nutrition to be able to finally compile and distill down a list of the 6 essentials. After the 6 essentials list, I will make the case for 4 more that also would be optimal if you are able to add these as well and the case for each.

#1: Magnesium At least 56% of the U.S Population is deficient in magnesium, and I have seen other studies citing upwards of 80%! Why is magnesium so important? Because your body literally cannot make new mitochondria without it! The mitochondria in our cells are basically the batteries. If your batteries are low, or you don’t have enough, your cells don’t function right. This creates a cascade of health damages starting right at the cellular level! There are actually several types of magnesium, all with different benefits for supplementation. To be very general, if I were to recommend just one, I would recommend Magnesium Citrate. If you have an issue with frequent loose stools or diarrhea, I would avoid this one, as it does have a slight laxative effect. I personally use Dr. Will Cole’s Magnesium supplement called “The Magnesium” which is Albion chelated magnesium plus MagteinTM (magnesium L-threonate), the only form of magnesium proven in animal studies to cross the blood-brain barrier. Since I don’t have an issue with low energy or need assistance with constipation, I prefer this type of magnesium because it is more targeted to brain health, mood, and sleep improvement (so, a yes to all that for me).

#2: Electrolytes, specifically, magnesium, potassium and sodium Haven’t we heard magnesium somewhere before? Yes. An electrolyte is a substance that conducts electricity when dissolved in water. Electrolytes are essential for a number of functions in the body. Everyone needs electrolytes to survive. Many automatic processes in the body rely on a small electric current to function, and electrolytes provide this charge. Electrolytes interact with each other and the cells in the tissues, nerves, and muscles. A balance of different electrolytes is crucial for the body to function. And contrary to what we have been told by Doctors, most people are chronically deficient in minerals because of the fact that they avoid consuming salt (because we have been told it causes heart attacks- Robb Wolf takes Umbridge with that in this excellent write up) and also the fact that most Americans consume highly filtered water and not groundwater, which contains the natural minerals and electrolyte our bodies need. So, if you don’t regularly drink from a stream or river or a ground well, and you don’t heavily salt your food with REAL SALT, not table salt, you need to be taking electrolytes every day. And no, I don’t mean to go out to Costco and buy a case of Gatorade. A QUALITY, sugar-free electrolyte is needed here and we just happen to LOVE one that has tons of delicious flavors and has the highest salt content of any electrolyte on the market. It’s called LMNT and we encourage you to take advantage of their buy 3 get 1 free deal they have going all the time.

Click here to check out LMNT electrolytes

#3: MCT Medium Chain Triglycerides Talk about a superfood. The list of research, clinical studies, and direct health benefits from adding just coconut oil to your life is astounding. Of course, it’s on this list and it’s so magical when it comes to weight loss, we made our own MCT supplement! We created the Fire Team Whiskey SpecOps Shakes as a direct result of wanting to introduce not one, not two, but 3 powerhouse foods when it comes to metabolism-boosting effects (MCT, Whey Protein, and Coffee). We have an entire page on our website with a ton of research citing the benefits of MCTs. To summarize here MCTs have been shown to reduce the conversion of excess carbohydrates to fat, increase metabolic rate, fat burning, and body weight loss, reduce body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, total body fat, total subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat and we can go on and on and on. There are a ton of energy, cognitive, and mood benefits as well. Bottom line is, take MCT every day. You can do this in many forms, whether it is to have a SpecOps MCT Shake every day for lunch or a snack, put MCT oil in your coffee every morning and cook with coconut oil at dinner. Just be careful and start small, MCTs can cause stomach distress at first. Start with a teaspoon a day and work your way up to 2 tablespoons a day over a few weeks.

#4: Spirulina is an energizing and nourishing algae. Spirulina's high protein (3 x steak), high antioxidants, Omega-3s, and 40 vitamins and minerals help improve hunger, energy, focus, beauty, and nutrition. Scientists have found that Spirulina has immune-stimulant activities. It is able to increase the production and activity of bone marrow stem cells, macrophages, and T-cells. It improves cell nucleus enzyme activity and DNA repair capacity. As such, it has a role in cancer treatment and inhibits HIV-1 replication in human-derived T-cell lines. You would literally have to eat 50 servings of veggies to get all the nutrients that you would get by just eating or swallowing one serving of spirulina a day! Need I say more? Because when you consume plants, it’s crazy important to eat the highest quality, this is why we ONLY endorse the Bits® brand of spirulina. Use the coupon code FIRETEAM at checkout for 20% off!

#5: Chlorella. Chlorella's high chlorophyll (1,000 x greens), high RNA/DNA, high fiber, forty vitamins, and minerals remove toxins and help improve immune health, gut health, longevity, and sports recovery. Studies show that chlorella is effective at removing several harmful compounds from the body, including heavy metals like lead. Chlorella has been found to stimulate the production of several cell types critical to the immune system. Chlorella has multiple studies demonstrating its efficacy in improving lipid-related biomarkers. It has been found to reduce cholesterol along with triglycerides in patients with slightly above average cholesterol levels. Chlorella is loaded with micronutrients and antioxidants that are important for maintaining healthy arteries, which, in turn, improve blood pressure. Chlorella has also been found to increase oxygen uptake capacity and significantly improve peak oxygen, which is a huge advantage for athletes! And, even better, for those of you who hate eating your veggies, consuming chlorella completely eliminates any need to consume vegetables! We ONLY endorse the Bits® brand of chlorella. Use the coupon code FIRETEAM at checkout for 20% off!

#6: CBD CBD is the primary cannabinoid in hemp, which doesn’t have the psychoactive properties of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some studies suggest that CBD can help people lose weight by suppressing their appetite, without causing any side effects to the body or brain. Other benefits associated with CBD in preliminary studies include but are not limited to stress relief, pain management, and anti-inflammatory action. Because of the high correlation between obesity and obesity-related chronic illnesses and inflammation, poor sleep, and high stress, it’s just a no-brainer to add this supplement to your daily routine. I have tried a lot of CBD tinctures, and my favorite that I recently discovered and use every day is the COBA brand tincture. P.s. They have amazing CBD Olive Oil, Honey, Body Balm, Bath Salts, and my personal favorite, the Lovely Lavender Hair and body oil!

4 More Supplements You Probably Need to Take

As I said above, the below supplement recommendations I wouldn’t say are as necessary as the above, but I think many people would benefit from these in addition to the above. If you are just starting your health journey or have been chronically ill for a long time, I would recommend these supplements as well.

#7: Vitamin D Now, you have probably heard a ton about Vitamin D lately because of the direct correlation between people who get severe cases of COVID and their vitamin D levels. It is estimated that at least half of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D. More so in the colder months and people who live in more northern states. We just are not getting enough sunshine and enough animal fats! Vitamin D is a powerful hormone that has tons of responsibilities in our bodies related to our immune system, managing blood sugar, and our metabolism. Studies find that people with good vitamin D levels lose more weight, 2 times more body fat, and 4 inches more around their waist, when dieting compared to people with low levels of Vitamin D. What is sad, is, Vitamin D is completely free! I typically recommend my nutrition coaching clients to download the Dminder App and spend time every day outside in the sun with as much skin exposed as tolerable and legal 😉. If my clients can’t succeed with that, then they have to go on a supplement. I recommend Dr. Will Cole’s “The D-3 K-2” supplement if you can’t manage to get that optimal sun exposure every day.

#8: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) When I read about the benefits of EVOO in the book Eat Smarter by Shawn Stevenson, my head literally exploded. Ok, it really didn’t, but I was blown away. Study after study was presented showing the direct health benefits of consuming extra virgin olive oil a day, but one stood out. A double-blind placebo-controlled study revealed that test subjects given EVOO lost 80% more body fat than their counterparts on the same exact diet, except they got a placebo oil. Mic drop. Don’t just buy any old bottle of olive oil! You must only purchase olive oil that is listed as “extra virgin” and is in a colored glass container. The fresher the better and organic is even better. I like to get ours at farmers’ markets. We recommend the Sky Organics brand of EVOO.

#9 Beef Organs Yes, we said it. Because we Americans have no taste for offal, we are missing out on the MOST NUTRITIOUS PART of the animals we eat! Organ meats are full of nutrients and are often pound-for-pound more nutritious than muscle meats. Most organ meats are good sources of numerous vitamins and minerals, including many of the B-Vitamins, iron, and zinc. Thiamin, also known as Vitamin B1, is present in the liver. Studies have shown that thiamin can help prevent risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, including memory loss and plaque formation. Animal organs, especially the liver and kidneys, contain iron. Many people suffer from iron deficiency; the condition affects approximately 10 million people in the U.S. Riboflavin, also known as Vitamin B2, is an important member of the B-Vitamin family that appears to protect the body against certain types of cancer. I can go on and on about the benefits of consuming organs! But, if you don’t have the taste for beef organs, the next best thing is to supplement with it from a sustainable, grass-fed source. I take the beef organ supplements from Heart & Soil. There are different supplements based on what health conditions you want to target, so you can get those specific nutrients to help boost those areas of health.

#10 Prebiotic/Probiotic It was hard for me to choose the #10 supplement, but because of how important gut health is, and how, excuse the pun, shitty our gut health is as a Nation, I went with recommending a probiotic and prebiotic. First of all, this is one I recommend you only be on 2-3 times a year. It is not necessary to take these every day forever. That being said, if you continue to eat processed garbage, high sugar, and fried foods, just skip this one, you basically will be pooping out your hard-earned money anyways. With all of the above supplements, including this one, if you continue to abuse your body by eating the Standard American Diet, none of these supplements are going to make much of a difference. But, if you are really making efforts in improving your nutrition by eating real whole foods and avoiding processed foods and added sugars, you would benefit from adding a prebiotic/probiotic a few times a year. I recommend that you actually try different brands because each brand will introduce different strains of bacteria and research shows the more diverse your gut bacteria, the healthier you are! Make sure they are high quality and not just a random supplement from a grocery store shelf.

Prebiotics are good clean foods that the good digestive bacteria like to eat and flourish on. Probiotics introduce that good new bacteria to your gut. You can get both of these from foods. Some examples of prebiotics are asparagus, apples, leeks, and onions. Some great sources of probiotics are fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles. I recently had to go on a round of antibiotics for an eye infection, so not only did I step up my consumption of these foods during and after the medication, I ordered the prebiotic/probiotic blend from Tranont called Enrich to give my microbiome a boost because of the total depletion that antibiotics cause. Do me a favor and use ID number 113393 if you order this product and give someone awesome some credit for your purchase. Share the love 😉

I hope this guide was helpful and informative for you about supplements that we need to be taking for optimal health. It is unfortunate in this day and age that we need to supplement, but because of soil depletion, the poor quality of commercial meats and produce, toxin exposure, high stress, poor sleep, and crappy gut health, most of us need to be supplementing in order to make up for the odds stacked against us. Again, I highly recommend that you invest in your health and work with a Nutrition Coach to get a customized recommendation for supplements based on your current health and lifestyle, and goals, but hopefully this list provided you with some basics in the meantime.

Get a Nutrition Coach

The 6 Supplements EVERYONE needs to be taking