I get asked quite often what supplements I use and recommend. I’m going to take you down the list of the ones I use. This is NOT me prescribing supplements for you, or even necessarily recommending certain things for you since my goals are different from your personal fitness goals.

 

 

Fish Oil – The benefits of fish oil are a plenty. They range from reducing inflammation in the body to decreasing triglyceride levels to improved brain function. I am not going to go on and on about fish oil here because the best article about fish oil ever has already been written and you can read it here: http://www.liftbigeatbig.com/2012/04/fish-oil.html

It should be noted that most fish oils on the market are fillers. You want the EPA and DHA and “other omega-3’s” to total Omega 3’s in each serving. If it does not, you are paying for nothing.. literally fillers. The only brands I trust are Barleans and Nordic Naturals, both of which can be found on Vitacost.com (make sure you refer to the end of this blog for a $10 coupon on your first purchase.)

 

Magnesium – This is easily my favorite supplement and the one I legit won’t leave the house with if I’m going away overnight. Magnesium gently calms your nervous system so it can be a huge aid in helping you fall asleep as well as getting you to poop. It helps my brain shut off at night and helps me get deeper sleep. So far out of any brand I have tried, I like CALM’s powder form the best.

 

Branch Chain Amino Acids – In simple terms, these are the building blocks that form protein. Our body cannot produce 9 of the amino acids, thus they are essential – meaning we must get them from our food. The ones included in this supplement are leucine, isoleucine and valine. They help muscles from becoming catabolic if in a caloric deficit (keep our body from using it’s own muscle as fuel), help prevent muscle fatigue, help build muscle mass and improve concentration.

I take a brand called Xtend (pink lemonade is my fav). I must note that this brand does contain sucralose. If you have ever tried plain, you know the flavor should be called “disgusting” because it’s terrible and the one brand I know of that is sweetened with stevia is MRM but their brand contains beta-alanine, something I really don’t like. Plus Xtend adds glutamine which also helps repair muscle as well.

I like BCAA’s because I feel it gives me more energy while I am working out, it helps my muscles recover faster and the brand I use also contains electrolytes. I do not use a pre-workout, I just take this during my workout. I order this product from Vitacost.com

 

Whey Protein – Taken within about 30 minutes of your workout, whey protein isolate is quickly digested and absorbed into the blood stream, helping your muscles repair themselves quickly to help you build muscle mass, and recover for your next workout routine.

As a very generic rule of thumb, our bodies need approximately 1g of protein/ lb of body weight each day. (If you need help figuring out how to get this sign up for online personal training and get a custom meal plan made just for you.  Whey protein is a great way to boost your protein intake, and can be taken when real food isn’t a possibility.

I use About Time whey protein isolate. Isolate is the purest form of protein there is out there so our bodies don’t have to do much to digest it – it goes right into the blood stream. About Time is also all natural and sweetened with stevia so you don’t have to worry about what sneaky ingredients you will find.

Get yours at About Time and use the code KWF at check out to receive 25% off your entire order. Mocha mint and birthday cake are my favorite flavors.

 

Probiotics – These are organisms such as yeast or bacteria that improve gut health. Yep, bacteria, but these are the good guys who fight the bad guys inside your tummy. These aid in digestion (i.e. help you from feeling bloated and help you have daily movements.. yep.. poop! I said poop!) and improve immune function. I love the NOW brand of generally any supplements, including the NOW brand probiotics.

 

Apple Cider Vinegar – Let’s go ahead and keep the pooping supplements together. Vinegar is a product of fermentation that takes place when the sugars in food are broken down into bacteria and yeast.

I drink this 1 – 2 times a day IN MY WATER. Do not take it without diluting it – it can be very harmful and you will never want to try it again. It’s terrible. Yes, even in water it’s very tart and some people like it, I’m not one of those people.

The benefits of this range from lowering glucose levels, and cholesterol to killing cancer cells and aiding in weight loss. For me, I feel like it helps me digest food properly as well as boost my immune function. I jokingly tell people that it’s so nasty any bug inside me will run away.

When purchasing ACV make sure you get one “with the mother,” which is bacteria/ yeast. I only trust Bragg’s apple cider vinegar.

 

Greens Powder – The reason I use and may recommend greens powder is if you don’t eat a ton of veggies, even following a clean eating meal plan. Greens powder also allows you to get nutrients from a bunch of veggies you wouldn’t ordinarily eat like I won’t eat asparagus or take wheat grass shots. it’s like drink a HUGE salad as far as nutrients go. Of course it’s better to eat real food, but if you know that just isn’t gonna happen, the powder could be a good idea for you.

For greens I recommend Aloha – the code KYRA3 will get you a free sample pack.

 

Multi-vitamin – I just read an article basically starting that research has proven multi-vitamins to be useless. I don’t know if they do or not, but these are the ones I have taken Women’s Raw One by Code.

 

Adrenal Support – I think that to some degree I do suffer from adrenal fatigue. Not necessarily more than the average human as I think most of us do have it to some extent – it’s part of living in our current day society.

But I started taking this Adrenal Health Jump Start from Gaia and it’s been about three weeks now, and I can honestly say, I notice a huge difference in my energy.

I am alert all morning now, where previously I got the yawns around 9 – 10 along with brain fog, and around 4pm I still do get the sleepies sometimes, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was before. I also have way more energy and can move a lot faster in my cardio workouts and my body just feels light so I can move through burpee box jumps with ease or not feel sluggish when I have to grab onto a bar to do a muscle up.

It is recommended by this company once you have done the 6 – 8 week jump start to switch to their daily support.

The only other thing I’ve taken too that is new is evening primrose oil which helps support adrenal function as well as improve your skin.

 

Casein protein – This protein powder takes longer to digest so many folks who are trying to build muscle mass take it before bed at night. It helps prevent your body from using it’s own muscle as fuel and keeps your metabolism stoked while you sleep.

About Time makes one called ZZZ that’s sweetened with stevia and is infused with tryptophan and melatonin to help you sleep deeply.

You can get this from About Time and use the code KWF at check out to receive 25% off your order.

 

All of the supplements I mention above are available for purchase at Vitacost.com (no, they didn’t ask me or pay me to write this, I just love shopping there because I get really good deals and they ship things quickly.) Oh yeah, and if it’s your first time buying from them, use this link and get $10 off your first order!
https://goo.gl/0qOyjR

 

What are some of the supplements you can’t live without?
Leave a comment below!

 

Your Coach,

Kyra

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    6 replies to "My Supplement Suggestions"

    • Kim

      Thanks Kyra for all the supplement info.

      I already use mostly all of the same, however, you did get my attention

      with Xtend bcaa. So….I ordered it in fruit punch. Found it on ebay (my go to)
      60 serving for $49.99 + free shipping! Can’t beat it!
      Thanks again 😉

      • Kyra Williams

        Glad this was so helpful!

    • Liz

      Is that all you take? Let’s say like for pre n after workout supplements?

      • Kyra Williams

        that’s it. no pre-workout and whey protein post.

    • Ruth

      Thank you for sharing this information Kyra! I will be incorporating these into my daily routine along with the meal plan that you wrote for me!!

      • Kyra Williams

        We are gonna get you healthy!!!!

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