I love, love, LOVE supplements! I don’t know about you, but I’m not the kind of person who can eat EXACTLY the way I should to get the nutrients that I need every single day. Sometimes a girl just needs some pizza, ya know? I get this question a lot – what can I do to maintain nutrition consistency? I’ve created this supplement guide to share my personal program. Let me know how it works for you! Share in the comments below.

Adding supplements into my routine has helped me to fill in the gaps and release me from the guilt of those days when I don’t choose the salad over the pasta. For me, consistency defines my success. With supplements, I’ve found it so much easier to create healthy routines – so I’ll include exactly when and why I take each supplement with this supplement guide.

Step 1: Pre-Workout Supplements 

Energize is my go-to pre-workout that I drink 30 minutes prior to my workout. This option is plant-based and tastes like the lemon filling inside of a jelly-filled donut (seriously!). I’ve tried so many different pre-workout drinks and Energize is the only one that I’ve found that doesn’t make me feel jittery. It gives me so much energy! Confession: I drink this if I have a long work day and know that I need to be super productive or before I meet up with friends for dinner after a long day. It only has 15 calories (way less than my beloved latte!). I recommend starting with half a scoop. I use one scoop in 16-24 ounces of water a half hour before my workout. You can buy single-serving packs here.

Step 2: Post-Workout Supplements

I drink Recover immediately (within 30 minutes) after my workout. It has whey protein, glutamine and BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids). Why is this important? BCAAs replenish amino acids to build and maintain muscles, avoid fatigue, and decrease muscle soreness. So many people, women especially, have a fear of protein because they think it will make them bulk up and look masculine. I’m not going to tell you that this can’t happen (because it kinda can and it drives me crazy when people say it can’t – I’m one of those girls who tends to “bulk” pretty easily); however, it has more to do with the exercises that you’re doing than how much protein you’re eating. See my workout guides for the exercise programs I like to do! In summary, I love the chocolate flavor and mix with 8-12 oz. of water. That’s it! (Orange is a pretty good option, too. Available here!)

Step 3: Daily Multivitamin

Don’t forget this step! It’s easy to skip a multivitamin when you’re feeling great but it’s the best way to make sure you’re getting everything you need no matter what your food looks like that day. I drink a superfood shake every single day (never miss a day!), and it’s PACKED with vitamins, so I don’t feel the same urgency to take a daily multivitamin that I used to. But when I do, the Trader Joe’s Prenatal Vitamin is my favorite. What’s the difference between this vitamin and the others? The price is quite a bit more than the regular Trader Joe’s multivitamin, but let me tell you – it’s worth it. This one is smaller (easier to swallow), doesn’t have a funky taste like many others do, and my favorite part…it includes digestive enzymes. For those of use that have problems with bloating after eating certain foods, this is a LIFESAVER and makes a huge difference in digestion. There are so many types of multivitamins and you should choose the one that best fits your personal needs. Leave a comment below or send me a message if you have any questions, and I’d be glad to help with options!

Step 4: Digestion

Since we brought up the topic of digestion with the multivitamin, I’d like to be a little more specific. Most people (i.e. me!) don’t get enough magnesium in their diet, which results in sluggish digestion, fatigue, muscle cramps and even osteoporosis. Luckily, I use Detoxy+, which is an oxygen-infused magnesium. Discovering this supplement has been a GAME CHANGER for me. If you struggle with any type of digestion issues from bloating, irregularity, or just want to feel lighter and healthier, PLEASE try this. The bottle recommends 1-3 capsules per day. I would suggest taking one before bed. You can thank me later!

Follow-up to the Supplement Guide

In the coming weeks, I’ll write a separate post on digestive enzymes, how I use them, and the huge impact that they’ve had on my health. For now, here are the links to the Digestive Enzyme and PreDigestive Enzyme that I use.

In all transparency (because now we’re friends and friends tell the truth!), I do receive a commission from the Pre-Workout and Post-Workout products (if you purchase them using the links above). I do not receive commission for the other products that I have listed. With that being said, I would never list something that I don’t genuinely love and take on a daily basis. So, if I’m recommending something, you can rest assured that it’s the best out there!

If you have any questions about how to use supplements, please send me an email or comment below! For more posts about nutrition, check out my Nourish blog.