Supplements

My supplement stack has been advised by my nutritionist Katherine, from Aman Wellness after she reviews my bi-yearly blood work.

 

Vitamins C, D, K

I take Vitamin C, D, and K.

• From my bloodwork, I know that I am Vitamin D deficient and have been on a super booster dose of Vitamin D (10,000 IU daily for 2 weeks) followed by 2,000 IU daily.
• I also take 1,000g Vitamin C in two doses (one with collagen and one after lunch)
• I take Vitamin K with Vitamin D as joint supplementation of vitamins D and K is effective than the consumption of either alone for bone and cardiovascular health. Vitamin K prevents calcium from going into your kidneys and helps prevent kidney stones, and reduces risk of calcification of your arteries (MK-7 is the most effective at reaching your bones).

Note that Vitamin D and K are fat soluble and should always be taken with a meal (your highest fat meal).

Brands I’m taking:

• Thorne Research, D-10,000, 250 mcg (10,000 IU), 60 Capsules – iHerb
• Thorne Research, D-1,000, 90 Capsules – iHerb
• Now Foods, MK-7 Vitamin K-2 , 100 mcg, 120 Veg Capsules – iHerb

Additional Reading:

The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review

 

Collagen

Collagen is the main building block and protein in bone, tendon and cartilage. I take collagen for joint and bone health. Dr Rhonda Patrick has a good blog post on the benefits of collagen. To improve bio-availability of Collagen, I take it together with 500g of Vitamin C and Gotu Kola.

When taken 1 hour before training and combined with 40-50g Vit c, it doubles the amount of type I Collagen. A 10g daily dose improves cartilage thickness in the knee and significantly reduces knee pain in athletes. Collagen supplementation also improves joint function in those suffering from osteoarthritis. (Source: Peak)

I love the Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen which has 5 Types of Food Source Collagen – Type I, II, III, V & X for healthy skin, hair, joints & digestion. Many other collagen brands only have Type I & III Collagen. This brand also has 90mg Vitamin C included.

Brands I’m taking:

• Dr Axe / Ancient Nutrition, Multi Collagen Protein, Unflavored, 1 lb (454.5 g) – iHerb
• Nature’s Way, Gotu Kola Herb, 950 mg, 180 Vegan Capsules – iHerb

Additional reading:

• Hydrolyzed Collagen – Found My Fitness – good science-based blog post on the benefits of collagen
• Charles Poliquin on Strength Training, Shredding Body Fat, and Increasing Testosterone and Sex Drive (#91) – Tim Ferriss’ Blog. Charles Poliquin mentions Gotu Kola as a the herb for repairing loose skin or stretch marks
• Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) – Examine.com – Examine.com states that gotu kola induces cells involved with collagen synthesis
• The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health – Vitamin C promotes collagen gene expression and stimulates collagen synthesis

 

Probiotics

My pre/probiotic of choice is Seed and have been taking for almost two years already. I love the fact that it is science based (follow their Instagram @seed for educational content). Another big plus is that Seed is environmentally friendly – in your first purchase, you get a glass jar; and monthly refills are sent in paper packages (this save me from discarding single use supplement plastic bottles!). You can also opt for your refills to be sent every three months.

Seed contains 24-strains of probiotic + prebiotic formulated and has a double capsule, engineered such that the strains can survive acid, enzymes, moisture, and heat (in your digestive track).

My poop has never been more regular or more healthy!

 

Brand I’m taking:

• Seed

 

Sports

I supplement with protein powder and Creatine. My favourite protein powder is from Heal Nutrition because it tastes so damn good. I’ve tried Lush Protein, Nuzest, Lyte Protein but not a fan of the taste (usually too sweet for me). I also look for protein powder with stevia and not sucralose. I’m not tied to Vegan protein (in fact I think whey protein has a better amino acid profile) but I just love the taste of Heal Nutrition’s Salted Chocolate (rich, dark chocolate, not too sweet) and their Charcoal Sesame (tastes like chinese Black Sesame dessert)!

 

Brands I’m taking:

• Heal Radiant Brown Rice Vegan Protein Shake, 15 Servings Value Pack
• Heal Salted Chocolate Vegan Protein Shake, 15 Servings Value Pack
• Heal Charcoal Sesame Vegan Protein Shake, 15 Servings Value Pack
• Heal Raw Whey Protein, 500g
• Creatine- EFX Sports, Kre-Alkalyn EFX, 240 Capsules – iHerb

 

Omega 3

I’m taking Nordic Natural’s omega 3 soft gels. I love this brand because every batch of Nordic Naturals fish oils is tested by a third-party certified lab for environment toxins, including heavy metals. All fish oils are in the triglyceride form and surpass the strictest international standards for purity and freshness.

I also get omega 3 from chia – will throw in a tablespoon of chia seed or milled chia/flax seeds into my protein shake! Chia seeds and flax seed (must be milled for better bioavailability!) are high in omega-3s and fibre and keep you feeling very full. Keep in refrigerator after opening the packet (especially the flax seed or it will go bad and start to smell).

For a delicious faux oatmeal, I make chia pudding (2 tbsp chia + half a cup of water or milk is the perfect ratio + protein powder or honey or stevia or vanila to taste) and leave it in the fridge overnight.  I microwave before eating and it’s exactly like oatmeal without the glucose spikes!

 

Brands I’m taking:

• Nordic Naturals, ProOmega CoQ10, 1,000 mg, 120 Soft Gels – iHerb
• Navitas Organics, Organic Chia Seeds, 16 oz (454 g) – iHerb
• Bob’s Red Mill, Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal, 32 oz (907 g) – iHerb

 

Longevity

I take resveratrol and NMN for mitochondrial health and DNA repair. I’ve experimented with different brands of NMN from Amazon but am currently taking one from Ver.so as it is stored in cold storage.

Note that resveratrol is fat soluble and should always be taken with a meal (your highest fat meal).

 

Brands I’m taking:

• Lake Avenue Nutrition, Resveratrol Complex, 500 mg, 250 Veggie Capsules – iHerb
• NMN – Ver.so

 

Sleep

I take Magnesium Theorenate (this is the best version of magnesium to boost brain levels of magnesium for sleep) and Zinc to help with my sleep. If I am very stressed and I feel that my cortisol is elevated, I will also take Ashwagandha (must be KSM-66 – the most clinically studied ashwagandha extract), an adaptogen that is known to reduce cortisol.

However, I don’t take Ashwagandha every night as I’ve heard anecdotal evidence from the Oura Ring Facebook group that you can build a tolerance to it, and that your sleep may be affected if you stop after prolonged use.

 

Brands I’m taking:

• Now Foods, Magtein, Magnesium L-Threonate, 90 Veg Capsules – iHerb
• Now Foods, Zinc Picolinate, 50 mg, 120 Veg Capsules – iHerb
• NutraBio Labs, Ashwagandha KSM-66, 600 mg, 90 V-Caps – iHerb

 

Additional Reading

• Ashwagandha – Examine.com
• New Research Shows High-Concentration Ashwagandha Root Extract can be an Effective Sleep and Anxiety Aid
• Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake | Huberman Lab Podcast #2
• Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don’t Have To – David Sinclair
• #27 – David Sinclair, Ph.D.: Slowing aging – sirtuins, NAD, and the epigenetics of aging – Podcast with Dr Peter Attia
• #70 – David Sinclair, Ph.D.: How cellular reprogramming could slow our aging clock (and the latest research on NAD) – Podcast with Dr Peter Attia