How I Supplement My Daily Routine
Let me start by saying that in regards to supplements, I can only speak from my own research and experience. There are so many supplements and brands out there that the first step in adding supplements to your daily routine is to do your research on the supplement itself and the company that is supplying it. And if you’re not a supplement person, even just shifting foods into your diet can make a huge difference.
Magnesium
Mineral
Magnesium is important for bone structure, but deficiencies can also impact energy and sleep regularity, and cause migraine headaches. Unfortunately for me, lots of caffeine can deplete magnesium in the body, as well as alcohol. So I definitely wanted to start incorporating this isto my daily routine to help regulate good sleep. It can also be found naturally in leafy greens, beans, or nuts, if you can incorporate these into your daily diet, but sometimes it’s hard to pick a southwest salad over French fries.
Ashwagandha
Adaptogenic herb
Ashwsgandha and other adaptogenic herbs have gained a lot of traction recently for helping relieve stress and tension, especially in conjunction with exercise. I’ve been pretty open with my anxiety in the past and this has helped a lot with keeping it under control throughout the day. Bonus points for this one because it also helps improve physical endurance for those lengthy workouts.
Keratin
Structural protein
Keratin is one of the most important structural proteins in the body and is an essential building block for supporting hair fullness and shine. Supplementing with keratin can also help keep skin moisturized and smooth, encourage hair growth, and improve nail strength. If you know my, you know that keeping my hair, skin and nails healthy is a top priority—she is high maintenance.
Maca
Adaptogenic Herb
I use this powdered herb, also known as “Peruvian ginseng”, to help boost my energy and fitness performance. It’s an easy add to plain yogurt or my morning smoothie, with protein powder, for lasting effects throughout the day. I haven’t done this yet but baking it into a breakfast bar or oatmeal sounds pretty good too.
Probiotic Blend
Live Micoorganisms
Probiotics can be found in yogurt, kefir and kombucha to keep our gut healthy—by restoring and improving the gut flora—and regulate our digestive system. Overtime, I have found that incorporating probiotics this way and having kombucha once or twice a week really helps me avoid having stomach aches and bloating. This can also aid in your body’s immune response to prevent illness, so it’s a win win to keep your stomach healthy.
B12
Vitamin
This vitamin plays an essential role in cell metabolism, blood cell formation and nerve function, which is why it claims to boost your concentration, memory and mood. It also aids in energy boosting, helping us busy bees to avoid fatigue. This vitamin is especially important for plant-based diets, since it is most readily available in poultry, meat, fish and dairy products. In addition to taking this vitamin in supplement form, I add it to my favorite nighttime snack, by sprinkling nutritional yeast—different than traditional yeast—on my popcorn.
Melatonin
Hormone
This specific hormone is one of many that lives naturally in our bodies, and is released by our pineal glands at night—controlling our sleep-wake cycle by helping you fall asleep. I’m a night owl through and through, but I only really take melatonin on nights that I know that I need to be up really early the next morning, or when I know that my mind will be racing when my head finally hits the pillow. I’ve had a lot of success with taking just 3 mg, mixed with L-theanine, on those nights, and it never makes me feel groggy in the morning.