Whether it’s getting asked in person or responding to a message in my inbox, one of the most common questions posed to me is, “What kind of supplements should I take?”

Before I tell you what my Top 5 Supplements are, there’s something I’d like for people to understand. The foundation to any fitness plan is your nutrition and training habits. You must have a solid base with each one of these elements before thinking of adding or modifying outside of the program that’s been created for you. Supplements are just as the name implies – a supplement to what you’re currently doing. They can definitely help with great added health benefits. But, you shouldn’t solely rely on them to do all of the work!

So…all that being said, here are my Top 5 Must Have Picks for any supplement schedule:

1) Probiotics: concentrated ones! Everything starts with our gut health. So, keeping the good bacteria balanced is so crucial. I’m a very strong advocate of these! If our gut health isn’t ideal, digestion and nutrient absorption is compromised, which in turn could compromise our efforts towards our health or in the gym.

2) a Greens supplement: to keep the body alkaline – which helps to keep your immune system strong as well as stave off disease if it gets to a more acidic state. And, another benefit of a good greens supplement is that it can give us added nutrients we don’t get from food.

3) BCAA’s (branch chain amino acids): who doesn’t need more support for healthy muscle function! They also aid in digestion, gut health, muscle function/repair, overall energy and brain health.

4) Fish Oil: healthy fats. Duh. Keeps the brain and heart healthy as well as affects just about every hormonal function! You definitely need this one.

5) Tie for 5th, depending where you live: Vitamin D if you live here snow ridden Alberta (lol) or anywhere with low sun exposure. Vitamin D helps to support everything from teeth, bone and immune health to assisting with calcium absorption.

If you get your daily dose of sunlight, I recommend vitamin C as an antioxidant.

So, there you have it! My Top 5 Supplement picks. Please don’t forget that supplements are kind of like sidekicks. The main characters of your health & fitness plan are your nutrition and training habits.

It all comes down to YOU. Take ownership of what you’re doing or not doing.

Your life. Your results. 1 degree of separation.

~Jamie
Email: talk2us@212fitness.ca