A while back on Instagram stories I shared all of the supplements I take. I received a BUNCH of questions so I figured I should write a whole blog post.
Up first, this post is about what I do. It’s in no way shape or form telling you what to do. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist and highly recommend you consult your healthcare provider when figuring out what might benefit you.
I am very good at listening to my body and knowing what it wants/needs. It’s very much in alignment with intuitive eating. I can tell when something is off in my body and what I need to do to fix it. For many of these supplements, I don’t take them every day.
Most days, I take CBD, a probiotic, collagen, and an omega 3. I eat a plant-based diet in that I eat little to no animal products. If I’ve gone through a spurt where I’ve eaten absolutely no animal products at all, then I also supplement with a B Complex vitamin.
Some of the links below are affiliate links for more information please see my disclosure policy.
cbd:
I’m naturally high-strung, type A, and experience general anxiety which can make it difficult for me to focus. Taking a little bit of CBD every helps relax me and keep me focused.
I tend to add a bit of CBD to my tea every morning and take a little bit of CBD before bed to help me sleep.
Anyone else go to sleep and wake up more tired than when you went to bed? Often, my brain can’t turn off. I do meditate to try and take care of this naturally, but I find with a bit of CBD the process is much easier.
CBD is by nature pretty sustainable. The plants don’t require a ton of watering or pesticides so the best thing you can look for is that the brands have been certified by a third-party. Here are the brands that I personally use.
juna - committed to sourcing from permaculture farms that are focused on regenerating the soil
SunSoil - certified USDA Organic and everything is made in house which reduces emissions
Shae - this is the only topical application, and it comes in a plastic-free tin that’s perfect for upcycling
RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About CBD
probiotics:
Taking probiotics and omegas regularly has completely revolutionized my skin. Many of you know that I’ve struggled with skin issues for a LONNNGGGG time. It’s one of the main reasons I gave up coffee.
RELATED: How I Quit Coffee
I’ve been eating a whole-foods plant-forward diet that always incorporated fermented foods. I thought I didn’t need a probiotic, but since I’ve started taking them, I’ve seen a HUGE difference.
Honestly, my skin is more clear than it’s been in a long time. Here are the probiotics that I rotate between.
Seed - the first time you order, you receive a glass jar, which is shipped in a compostable mushroom tray. After that, the refills are sent in a compostable pouch which is pretty cool! You can get 15% off your order with the code ‘ZEROWASTE’
Arkadiance - comes in a glass jar, but my favorite aspect about this pill is that it protects Urinary Tract Health with Cranberry and D-Mannose, which have been clinically proven to assist with UTIs.
collagen:
I also started taking collagen for my skin. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body. It makes up 90% of connective tissue, bone mass, and 70% of our skin, but our body's natural collagen production declines as we age.
The company I trust most for collagen is Further Food. They go to great lengths to make sure their collagen is sourced sustainably. I prefer to use the Premium Marine Collagen Peptides. The collagen is strictly a byproduct of the fishing industry. No fish are caught specifically for collagen. Further Food only uses the fish skin (very rich in collagen) which often goes to waste.
RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Collagen
To be honest, I struggle to find a lot of these supplements without plastic packaging. I was pretty happy to learn that Further Food, while still packaged in plastic, uses 100% post-consumer recycled plastic #2 which is actually my favorite of all the plastics.
Using recycled plastic reduces the carbon footprint by 78%, drastically improves the carbon footprint for travel due to it being lighter than glass, it consumes 90% less energy, and it’s a pure plastic (not a mix!) so it can be recycled again and again.
You can get 15% off your Further Food purchase with the code GOINGZEROWASTE.
There’s no such thing as vegan collagen, but the vegan collagen supplements on the market are meant to boost and preserve natural collagen.
omega 3s:
Omega 3s are very important for brain health, heart health, decrease inflammation, and more. I’ve struggled with inflammation since I was a kid so my doctor recommended that I either incorporate salmon into my diet or start taking a supplement.
There are three different types of omega ALA, DHA, and EPA. ALA is pretty easy to come by as it’s in things like walnuts, flax, avocados, etc. While ALA can be converted into DHA and EPA in the body, it doesn’t happen very often.
“Ten key papers published over the last 10 years were identified with seven intervention studies reporting that ALA from nut and seed oils was not converted to DHA at all. Three studies showed that ingestion of micro-algae oil led to significant increases in blood erythrocyte and plasma DHA.
“Further work is now needed to identify optimal doses of alternative vegetarian LC3PUFAs and how these can be integrated within daily diets. The potential role of algal oils appears to be particularly promising and an area in which further research is warranted.” (source)
From what I’ve seen, I think the research is favorable for a vegan omega supplement with algae. I’ve tried both fish oil and algae for DHA and EPA. I personally, haven’t noticed a big difference between the two. I have both bottles, and I’m not sure which one I’ll go with after I run out of them.
Omnibiotics vegan omega 3 supplement
b complex:
If you’re a vegan, you need to be taking b12! If you’re a vegetarian, you als might need to be taking b12. A lot of my hormonal problems could have been fixed simply by taking a b complex vitamin in college.
Here’s a quote from one of the leading doctors in the space Dr. Jolene Brighten, “B vitamins are absolutely essential for building amazing hormones and liver detoxification, which aids with elimination of estrogen. Estrogen dominance is a common culprit behind PMS symptoms, period problems, and many of the hormonal issues we deal with as women. B6 is most notable for helping with our hormones & I typically use 50 mg as a starting place.
”B vitamins also power those adrenals to give you the energy & resiliency you need. B5 fuels your adrenals so you have more energy and can indirectly help progesterone production.”
RELATED: 10 Ways to Take Care of Yourself During Your Period
If you are a woman and you’re vegan, please take your B12.
Funny enough, I bought B12 to take for energy in college, but I only took it when I was really, really tired and I had a show to do. When you’re performing, you need energy! Energy is the difference between a good show and bad show. Performing takes a lot out of you.
I did that without knowing that my body was actually severely lacking in B12, I just wish that I had been taking it regularly.
This is the b complex that I currently take.
adaptogens:
Adaptogens AKA adaptogenic herbs aren’t a new fancy thing. They’ve been used for centuries in both Chinese and Ayurvedic healing traditions in the forms of supplements, tinctures, and teas.
These herbs help the body resist or adapt to stressors whether they’re physical, chemical, or biological. Adaptogens work with the endocrine system to tweak hormone production and the physiological responses to stress.
There are several adaptogens I use regularly:
Ashwaganda is best known for helping to reduce stress and anxiety. (source)
Maca gives a natural energy boost and helps to regulate estrogen. Which is great if you produce too much estrogen naturally - like ME. (source)
Reishi helps boost your immune system (source)
Cordyceps keeps blood sugar levels in check and helps to fight inflammation. (source)
Chaga is rich in essential vitamins and minerals like the b12 complex, zinc, iron, magnesium, and calcium (source)
I can really feel the energy boost from maca and recommend only taking a small amount in the beginning like a 1/4 of a teaspoon to see how it affects you.
I bought most of these adaptogens in plastic tubs, but was able to find a few at a special herb shop in bulk! I only use a teeny-tiny bit of each so thankfully they last a super long time.
I tend to opt for the Further Food blends that already have the adaptogens mixed in, but have also heard great things about SunPotion.
Do you take any supplements?
