Supplements and Vitamins - What should I be taking?

If you’d rather listen to this and in a more conversational way with examples, you can listen to the podcast version here.

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What are macronutrients?

Macronutrients (or macros) are the nutrients your body needs in large amounts because they provide energy (calories) and are essential for growth, repair, and daily function.

There are three main macros:

Macronutrient

Role in the Body

Examples

Protein

Builds and repairs muscle, supports immune system, hormones

Meat, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, beans

Carbohydrates

Main source of energy, fuels workouts and brain function

Oats, rice, potatoes, fruit, pasta, bread, vegetables

Fats

Supports hormones, brain health, absorbs vitamins

Olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, oily fish

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What are micronutrients?

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that your body needs in smaller amounts, but they’re still essential for health. They don’t give you energy directly, but they play key roles in:

• Energy production

• Immune function

• Bone health

• Nervous system health & stress

• Recovery and performance (including sleep quality)

• Happiness and emotional wellbeing.

Micronutrients include things like Vitamin D, iron, calcium, and magnesium, etc.

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So, what supplements should I take?

The only way to know is with a blood test. What are You deficit in? This will differ from person to person.

Here’s some supplements I would potentially recommend, but overall it really does depend on what You are deficient in.

Remember, most of these supplements you can get from food, so I would focus on improving your diet first, then supplements are just the cherry on top of the cake, if you absolutely need it.

A lot of people try to use supplements to improve their health, without exercising or focusing on their diet at all. Unfortunately, this does not work.

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Vitamin D

What it is: A fat-soluble vitamin essential for bone health, immune function, and mood regulation.
Why it matters: Vitamin D helps absorb calcium and supports muscle function and recovery.
Should you take it?

• In the UK especially, most people are deficient, especially in winter due to low sunlight.

• The NHS recommends 10 micrograms (400 IU) daily in winter.

• You may benefit even more if you work indoors or don’t get much sun.

Foods with vitamin D: fatty fish like salmon and tuna, egg yolks, beef liver, some mushrooms and many fortified foods (such as milk, breakfast cereals, orange juice, and some fat spreads).

My verdict: If you experience low mood in winter, this could help. I have found that as soon as October arrives and the days get darker, my mood generally drops quite significantly. I have found that taking a vitamin D supplement daily seems to help quite a lot, but this could be placebo!

Generally, if you spend most of your day indoors and you live in England or somewhere with limited sunlight, this is a smart daily supplement for most people.

Magnesium

What it is: An essential mineral that helps turn the food we eat into energy and make sure the parathyroid glands, which produce hormones important for bone health, work normally.

Benefits: Improves sleep quality, reduces stress, supports muscle recovery, reduces cramps, and helps energy production.
Best form: Magnesium glycinate or citrate (best for sleep/recovery).
Should you take it?

• If you get muscle tightness, poor sleep, anxiety, or drink a lot of coffee, magnesium could help.

• The NHS recommends 300mg a day for men (19 to 64 years) and 270mg a day for women (19 to 64 years).

My verdict: Can be helpful for people who struggle with sleep. Something important to note, most cheaper magnesium supplements use Magnesium Oxide because it’s cheaper, but it is not absorbed nearly as well, so I would highly recommend always checking the ingredients before you purchase this and look for Magnesium Glycinate or Citrate.

Protein Powders

What it is: An easy way to increase daily protein intake (whey, casein, or plant-based proteins like pea/soy).
Benefits: Supports muscle repair, fat loss, hormone health, and keeps you full longer.
Should you take it?

• If you struggle to hit 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight daily through food alone, a protein shake is convenient and cost-effective.

• As always, try to get most of your protein from food, but a supplement can be a great way to increase your overall protein intake for the day.

• Aim to have a maximum of 1 protein shake a day on average.

• A protein shake or protein bar are the same in terms of protein, however a protein shake will be lower in calories.

• Some protein powders can cause gas or mild tummy issues, so it’s worth trying a few brands before settling on one that works for you.

My verdict: Not essential, but very useful for increasing protein when busy and trying to build lean muscle. I tend to have 1 protein bar/shake per day most days.

Creatine

What it is: One of the most well researched supplements.
Benefits: Increases strength, improves exercise performance, improves muscle growth and strength development, fatigue reduction, and recent research has found it supports brain health, memory, reduced depression & menopausal brain fog.
Should you take it?

• If you strength train and want to build visible muscle and improve strength performance, yes. The difference may be very subtle, most people don’t notice it at all, but you may notice some subtle changes in muscle size and in reduced fatigue (provided you continue to exercise and don’t suddenly stop).

• Dose: 3-5g daily of Creatine Monohydrate (cheapest, most effective & most well researched).

• The time of day you take creatine has little benefit as the benefit is chronic as opposed to acute.

• People with low levels of creatine (vegetarians or vegans) stand to benefit the most from supplementing.

• Creatine supplementation has been shown to reduce brain fog in menopausal women.

My verdict: Safe, cheap, effective, a top supplement for building muscle, reduced fatigue and reduced brain fog.

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I hope this is very helpful. Any questions, let me know!

G