You Can’t Out-Supplement a Bad Diet.

In our day and age of quick-fixes and instant gratification, I think we all wish there was a magic supplement we could buy and all of our problems would be fixed. I get asked often, "should I buy ___ supplement?" Supplements are trendy right now, and it seems as if every social media influencer is promoting a new one every week. Whether you're being sold a new probiotic, a fancy vitamin drink, greens, or even creatine...

No supplement can make up for a bad diet.

Supplements are not bad. Many do serve a purpose and can be very helpful. But they're just as the word itself suggests - they should be treated as supplementary to an already nutrient-dense diet. If you haven't already cleaned up your diet and began consuming nutrient-dense foods, you're basically just wasting your money. Your body has specific nutrient needs in order to function. Supplements by themselves are not going to meet those needs, but they can be used to help fill in the gaps.

So if there's not a magic supplement, where should you start?

Consuming a primarily whole foods diet will get you closer to the nutrient intake that you need. Think straight from the earth and minimally processed - meats and fish, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, quality dairy sources, etc. The more processed an item is, the less nutrients your body is getting from that food. These foods are empty calories essentially. Calories are not a bad thing when those calories are coming from nutrient-dense food sources.

Unfortunately, we live in an age where our foods - even healthy, whole foods - are less nutrient-dense than they once were. After decades of harmful farming practices, the soil used to grow our food has been stripped of nutrients - leading to less nutrient-dense foods. The same foods decades ago would've fully met our nutrient needs, whereas today we're left with nutrient gaps. No matter how many healthy, whole foods you eat in a day, you'll likely always be left with nutrient gaps.

One thing I have begun practicing more in the last six months is targeted supplementation. I take specific supplements based on what my body needs in certain seasons and even on specific days. The best way to tell your body's own nutrient deficiencies? Regular labs! You can absolutely take ownership over your health and request for your own labs to be drawn if your doctor doesn't already do this for you. I would recommend asking to be able to at least see your vitamins & micronutrients, methylation factors, and a full metabolic panel.

For example, my latest labs after a year of breastfeeding revealed that my folate, B6, and B12 were all too low so I'm now taking a supplement with all three of these in the most bioavailable form (easily absorbed by the body). I'm making an informed decision to purchase a supplement that will directly fill in my specific body's current gaps. But I haven't stopped there - I've incorporated more foods into my day-to-day that are rich in these nutrients... dark leafy greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, fish, etc. I'll check back in with labs in a few months to see if there's been improvements.

So next time you're looking at a new, fancy supplement that promises to be a fix-all... save your money and just turn to whole foods first! If you're concerned you have specific nutrient deficiencies, ask to see your labs and make informed decisions when it comes to whole food choices and supplement purchases.

Love you, friend! Praying for you as you learn to steward your body well.