Current Daily Supplements and Vitamins Routine

Before diving into the products I take, I want to emphasize that supplements are used to bridge a gap in our diet. If and when you can get something from a whole food source, that will be your best option!

But if you are anything like me, or if you are a mama, sometimes getting a well balanced meal into us just doesn’t always happen haha

Or if you have a specific goal, sometimes supplements can help us achieve that a little faster.

So in that case, I personally lean on supplements to help me bridge those gaps!

You might find some of my other blogs helpful if you are in different seasons of life. I wrote THIS blog 7 weeks after having Cayden and despite taking similar supplements I take now, I took them at different times and for slightly different reasons. Remember, if supplements and vitamins are used to help us bridge a gap in our whole food diet, then we can adjust from season to season.

I also get asked often about my Endometriosis and what I take to support that so THIS blog could be beneficial in answering those questions.

Whether you are postpartum or not, you could find many of these supplements and vitamins very helpful! 

You might read some of these and be like, “oh yes I NEED that!” And others you might just say, “eh, I’m good.” That’s the beauty of it, it’s for YOUR personal needs and goals.

HOW I START MY DAY:

I wasn’t always a coffee drinker but my goodness, I swear it’s a NEED these days. I make sure to always drink about 20 ounces of water before having any caffeine though. Our body is made up primarily of water so drinking a good amount of water upon waking, especially before caffeine, can be extremely beneficial to how our body functions as well as our hormones.

But once I have my water, I am ready to make my coffee! I personally am not a huge fan of the taste of coffee so I like to add some chai tea to it as well as my protein and collagen.

• 1 scoop Protein (phormula 1 natural)
• Optional: Collagen

BENEFITS I PERSONALLY USE THEM FOR:

• Phormula 1 Natural: This is actually a fast digesting protein and often used in the post workout setting, but I love that there is a “natural” option which means it is sweetened with stevia. Since I always mix it with collagen, that helps slow down the digestion process a bit. Overall though, I take it because it makes me coffee taste amazing, it helps me hit my daily protein goal of 1gram of protein per pound of goal bodyweight, and it helps me get protein first thing in the morning. Level 1 is what Casey uses every day and it is a slower digesting protein so it will give your coffee a creamier texture, but like I said, I like that Phormula 1 has a natural option.
• COLLAGEN: I will do anything for anti aging and collagen has many anti aging properties! After the age of 25, the natural production of collagen decreases and your girl is 31 so supplementing with it can help with those anti aging needs. It is also great for the elasticity of skin which was helpful while pregnant. Collagen is actually not a complete protein source (meaning it doesn’t have all of our essential amino acids), so mixing it with another protein like phormula 1 or level 1, ensures that it is a complete protein.
• So in my morning coffee, I am starting my day with 35-40 grams of protein!

WITH MY FIRST MEAL:

Whenever I finally have the time to eat my first meal, I take my vitamins.

• Harmony (dose #1 and second dose is with lunch)
• Joy Bundle: Prenatals and Full Mega

Prior to pregnancy and trying to conceive, rather than the prenatals, I used the Micro Factor Pack which is a full spectrum micronutrient pack, not just a multivitamin.

BENEFITS I PERSONALLY USE THEM FOR:

• HARMONY: Harmony is amazing for helping aid in hormone imbalances. I have Endometriosis which is typically an estrogen dominant disease. Harmony contains ingredients like maca and chasteberry which can help with the production of progesterone. It also contains 75mg of caffeine which I personally love to help add to my little daily pick me ups.
• PRENATALS: I started taking these about 6 months prior to us trying to conceive. So crazy but the egg we actually fertilize matures 3 months before you conceive! For this reason, my doctor advised that I start taking prenatal vitamins prior to getting pregnant. It is also important to continue taking them while breastfeeding. I am still taking these because for 2-4 years postpartum, we are often depleted of crucial vitamins and minerals. I chose these prenatal vitamins because they use Folate rather than Folic Acid and they contain digestive enzymes which helped a lot while I was pregnant.
• FULL MEGA: These have always been very helpful for the inflammation caused by my Endometriosis. Then when I became pregnant they were vital for the brain development of the baby. When I was breastfeeding, they were also very beneficial for the continued development of the babies brain.

MY NIGHT TIME COCKTAIL

• 2 scoops Opti Greens
• 2 scoops Opti Reds
• 1 scoop Magnesium
• 1 tsp Liposomal Vitamin C
• 1 tsp Liposomal Vitamin D3
• **These are NOT all necessary! Benefits of each down below, but if I was only to recommend one, it would most likely be Opti Greens. I would mix it in water with a splash of OJ! So good! Or magnesium, it will just depend on you and your needs.

BENEFITS I PERSONALLY USE THEM FOR:

• OPTI GREENS: aids in digestion and gut health, support my immune system (70% of our immune system stems from out gut), helps your girl get in 11 servings of fruits and veggies because getting micronutrients in these days is nearly impossible lol They also can help with blood glucose stabilization which can help reduce cravings! So awesome! Also contains digestive enzymes and probiotics which can aid in the breakdown and absorption of our food.
• OPTI REDS: loaded with antioxidants which can help fight off free radicals, anti aging properties which I am ALL about, anti inflammatories which helps SO much with my endometriosis
• You can both of these in the OPTI HEALTH STACK at a discounted price.
• MAGNESIUM Magnesium is an essential mineral for a number of different bodily functions. It is said that over 50% of adults are deficient in magnesium. It can aid in supporting our muscles, regulating our nervous system, reduces inflammation, increases sleep quality, helps PMS, decreases period cramps helps create amino acids in the body, it is needed for energy production, can aid in restless leg syndrome, and these are just to name a few. There are some holistic doctors that have considered it the “magic mineral.” I love this one because it is actually made up of 6 different forms of magnesium and truly is an incredible blend.
• LIPOSOMAL VITAMIN C: aids in immune support, helps with the absorption of iron which I became deficient in during pregnancy, helps reduce cortisol levels (stress hormone)
• LIPOSOMAL VITAMIN D3: basically, I love in Seattle haha sun during the months outside of summer don’t really exist. I personally have noticed a huge difference in my season moods when taking this product. Otherwise I tend to feel pretty down and can almost feel that season depression kick in. It is also great for reducing oxidative stress (this is increased during pregnancy), as well as strengthening bones.

WHEN I WORKOUT:

When I workout, I always take the POST WORKOUT STACK with Phormula 1 and Ignition

• 1 Scoop Phormula 1: Fast digesting protein source
• 1/2 Scoop Ignition: Fast digesting carb source

Used together: Ignition helps replenish the glycogen stores (essentially our gas tank) that we drained during a workout, then shuttles the protein (Phormula 1) directly into our muscles. This. gets the recovery process started right away and allows the body to get back into the anabolic state where we are burning fat and building/maintaining muscle. 

Without ignition: our body will first breakdown and convert some of the protein into glycogen to replenish the glycogen stores and THEN shuttle the left over protein into our muscles resulting in LESS protein uptake and takes longer for the body to get back into the state of recovery.

OTHERS:

I will use Level 1 protein in my morning coffee occasionally which I briefly mentioned above, or I will use it for baking or simply on it’s own when I am short on protein. Whenever PSL is in stock, I buy it!

LEVEL 1 is a slow digesting protein. It mimic the digestion of a whole food source so it keeps us fuller longer. I always recommend getting in about 1 gram of protein per pound of goal bodyweight so Level 1 is a product I use often when I am struggling to hit my daily protein goal. I have also noticed that as a mama ANYTHING that is grab and go is amazing! So this is a winner for me!

OTHER PRODUCTS I WILL TAKE BUT HAVE NOT BROUGHT BACK INTO MY ROUTINE:

• Hair Skin & Nails: with my first meal
• Glutamine: honestly I take this whenever! It it flavorless and has UNBELIEVABLE health benefits for things like muscle repair, leaky gut, immune fuction, etc. I just have not been consistent with it but we always have it on hand and Casey takes it every day in his post workout shake.
• L-Carantine: I will usually take it in the morning or early afternoon. There is 200mg of green tea so it helps with natural energy! Also, this is great for helping use our stored fat for energy as well as aiding in shrinking fat cells so if training and nutrition are on point, this could be an amazing addition to help reach those final goals.

Are there fat burners? Yes. Are there things to help me focus? Yes! All of us will have different wants and needs when it comes to our health and fitness goals as well as our lifestyles.

Feel free to click on THIS link and see if some of your needs can be met through these products! 

And again, supplements are used to bridge a gap in our diet so do not feel like they are needed in order to reach your goals!