Our daily supplement routines for optimal immunity, fertility, and a health pregnancy

While no supplement can replace the importance of food, we know food alone cannot fully meet our nutritional needs. Read on for how our founders, Julie and Ryan, incorporate supplements to optimize immunity, support fertility, and ensure a healthy pregnancy for mama and baby.

Related Reading: Do New Moms Still Need Prenatal Supplements?

Julie

I’m currently 31 weeks pregnant, and well into the Third Trimester growth spurt and heightened nutrient needs that come with it. While I love a smoothie, lately I’ve been enjoying this blended cacao drink instead as a nutrient-rich start to my day, or as a satisfying but not-too-heavy afternoon snack. 

Julie's Omega-3+Collagen Cacao Milk

• 1 cup homemade almond milk. I soak raw almonds overnight and then blend in the Vitamix with water. I don’t bother to strain out the pulp, but doing so will make for a smoother consistency
• 1 tsp cacao powder. I like the Navitas brand when I can find it
• 2 packets of our Omega-3 powder. I’m in my Third Trimester of pregnancy, the time when baby’s need for Omega-3 is heightened and most women get less from their diet than it takes to build baby’s brain. To ensure I have plenty for me and baby girl, I’m doubling up my dosage right now
• 1-2 scoops of grass-fed hydrolyzed collagen peptides. I am new to the collagen trend, and I don’t eat meat outside of the occasional craving during pregnancy. But, after the research we’ve done in developing our prenatal supplements and on protein needs during pregnancy, I realized it was something I should be incorporating. I’m shocked by how much I like it--there is no taste, and it’s a great consistency that doesn’t require a ton of blending unlike some other prenatal protein powder
• Dash of vanilla extract
• 3-4 ice cubes  

After breakfast, I take the following supplements. I prefer to take them early in the morning as some of the nutrients can be quite energizing. The exception is Magnesium Glycinate, which I take about an hour before bed for its calming effect (hello pregnancy insomnia!) 

• Seeking Health Optimal Prenatal. I’ve switched back and forth between their prenatal protein powder and pill formats. Earlier in pregnancy I couldn’t stomach the 8 daily pills, but it’s working fine for me right now (thankfully I’ve not experienced any pregnancy heartburn)
• 1000mg Vital Nutrients Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids. My naturopath has had me supplementing with extra Vitamin C since my preconception blood work last year showed that I had lowered immunity. Although I get a lot of Vitamin C from my diet, it took supplementation to get my white blood cell count back to a normal range. Vitamin C is found in nature alongside flavonoids, so this nutrient pairing is considered by many to be optimal
• 2,000IUs of Vitamin D3. My levels at baseline were lower than optimal and Seeking Health includes only 2,000 IUs. My naturopath has me taking an extra 2,000IU daily, and this feels like an especially good idea right now given how important Vitamin D is for immunity
• Chelated Iron. My prenatal doesn’t include Iron (likely because it causes gastric upset for many women). I don’t eat red meat and plant-based sources of Iron aren’t well absorbed, so I supplement with a chelated Iron twice a week (I would do so daily if my lab results weren’t in a good range)
• Klaire Lab’s TherBiotic Women’s Health Probiotic. My naturopath switched me from my general probiotic (Seed Synbiotic) to this one that’s specifically formulated to support women’s gut and vaginal microbiome-both are critical for mom and baby’s health in later pregnancy (it has specific strains like Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum)
• 200mg Magnesium Glycinate magnesium during pregnancy is really helpful before bed to help with insomnia and back pain. The Seeking Health prenatal vitamins have 250mg Magnesium Malate, which is not as well absorbed as the glycinate form. When the weather isn’t too hot, I also take a Magnesium salt bath before bed as Magnesium is well-absorbed through the skin

Ryan

I had two bacterial infections last fall and am still working on rebuilding my gut. Otherwise, I like striving for optimal health (immunity, energy, longevity, and preconception planning) while balancing out my extra (biodynamic) wine and (raw) cheese consumption these days. (I have the PEMT genetic SNP that creates extra stress on my liver from alcohol and fat processing.)  

During the week, I make a smoothie every morning for my husband and me. I love the smoothie routine because it ensures my husband is getting all of these nutrients in. He is not a happy pill taker. I’ll often rotate ingredients, but here is the kick we are on right now.

Ryan's Daily Smoothie (makes 2 servings)

• 4 packets of our Omega-3 Liposomal Powder. My husband and I both have genetics that predispose us to low Omega-3 levels. Through a lot of sardines, salmon, and supplementation I’m currently at the lower end of the optimal range of 8 to 12% Omega-3s in blood. I would like to push my levels closer to 12%
• 2 scoops of Seeking Health Optimal Prenatal Powder Vanilla. This prenatal is great for men too. I’ll take their capsules when we don’t make a smoothie. I especially like that it contains Choline, both the Methyl and Adenosylcobalamin forms of B12, and Retinol Palmitate, the active form of Vitamin A, a rarity in prenatal vitamins
• 40g of collagen. I usually buy Ancient Nutrition’s Multi Collagen Protein to get a combination of the different types of collagen. Right now I’ve been testing collagen samples from various suppliers for a product we have coming soon!
• 2 spoonfuls of Sun Potion Tocos. There is strong research about the benefits of tocotrienols, 4 of the 8 compounds found in Vitamin E, for inflammation management, skin, brain health, and much more
• 2 scoops each of reishi, chaga, lion’s mane mushrooms for immunity, longevity, and general stress management. Sun Potion is my go to for powders, but will sometimes buy from Moon Juice, Four Sigmatics, and Om depending on what is on sale. (I also buy capsules from Barlowe's Herbal Elixirs)
• 2 scoops of Garden of Life Raw Greens Superfood Powder. Especially for my husband, I like including extra alkalizing greens
• A handful of spinach for more greens
• About a cup of frozen cauliflower. I love smoothies thick enough to eat like ice cream. It’s also great for me to have cruciferous vegetables in the AM versus evening based on my constitution
• 2 spoonfuls of chia seeds: Even though chia seeds are not a great source of Omega-3 (the plant based form ALA is not easily converted into DHA and EPA), they have many other benefits including adding a lot of fiber
• Generous dash of cinnamon. Tastes great and has anti-inflammatory and blood sugar balancing benefits. Use ceylon not cassia cinnamon. Cassia is the more common and cheaper cinnamon, but it contains a toxin that is harmful if you eat too much of it
• 2 drops of Thorne Vitamin D/K2 Liquid. I add this to each glass to incorporate an additional 2,000IU of Vitamin D3 on top of the 2,000IU in my prenatal
• Goji and blueberries on top because they are superfoods

In addition to my smoothie, I also take the following supplements for optimal nutrition.

On an empty stomach as I brew my morning Canyon Coffee I chug: 

• 5g L- Glutamine. One scoop of this amino acid powder in water on an empty stomach supports the immune system by fueling cells of the GI tract
• Seeking Health Liposomal Glutathione. This tastes terrible, but it is such a potent antioxidant
• LivOn Labs Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C. Liposomes work better with fat soluble nutrients like our Omega-3 versus with water soluble nutrients like Vitamin C and Glutathione. But, I still like this product, even though it also tastes terrible

Along with my smoothie I take (I keep dosed-out pill boxes for the week next to my coffee maker): 

• 500mg of Choline Bitartrate. 95%+ of women are deficient in Choline. It's recommended that all women get 550mg of Choline per day, but I aim for 1,000mg due to my heightened needs (my PEMT genetic SNP makes me extra deficient). In addition to the 250mg in my prenatal, the 55mg (x2 packets/day) in our Omega-3 powder, and the Phosphatidylcholine (Choline precursor) in the liposomal Glutathione and Vitamin C, I take Nature’s Way Choline Bitartrate - it’s a great price point for a very high quality ingredient  
• Fo-Ti, Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, and Shatavari. I take these as extra adaptogens on top of the mushrooms in my smoothie for immunity, longevity, and general stress management. I generally buy from Barlowe's Herbal Elixirs, but am currently trying the Moon Juice SuperYou for an almost one-stop solution 
• 500mg of Seeking Health NAC. An amino acid for antioxidant and liver support for my wine and cheese consumption and PEMT SNP 
• Probiotics. I’m taking the spore-based Megasporebiotic from Microbiome Labs right now, but I switch around to get other strains every few months. The Seed Synbiotic and the yeast saccharomyces boulardii are my other two go-tos. I also use the Mother Dirt Probiotic spray all over my body 
• Curcumin. For extra anti-inflammatory properties. I tend to switch around brands depending on what is on sale. Right now I am taking it from Pure Encapsulations   
• Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Liver. Liver is an incredible superfood. I love liver prepared at restaurants and I will hide it in burger patties, but capsules help me get it in everyday 
• Smoky Mountain Naturals DIM. Estrogen is metabolized primarily in the liver to produce 3 estrogen metabolites. One of the metabolites is cancer promoting as it is reactive with DNA. My body has a tendency to prefer creating this cancer-promoting form, possibly related to my PEMT SNP and a family history of breast cancer. DIM (also found in cruciferous vegetables) helps increase production of the beneficial estrogen metabolite. Glutathione and NAC help break-up the problematic estrogen metabolite 
• Goop Glow. I received a free box at a wellness summit, and recently started taking it for extra Vitamin C and CoQ10. I’m really enjoying it (unsurprisingly as I’m pretty obsessed with GP) 

At night I take: 

• Magnesium Glycinate. Magnesium is another critical nutrient that’s been hugely depleted from soil and it is a great relaxant. I take 400mg of Pure Encapsulations capsules at night that I leave by my bedside table. I will often also use Ancient Minerals magnesium bath salts and spray too. The spray is nice because if you are low in magnesium it will feel a bit itchy - unlike most supplementation, it's nice to have immediate feedback
• Another 500mg of Seeking Health NAC. I just leave a second bottle by my bedside table

These are not meant to be recommendations for you and your body-just what works for us. We always recommend seeking the advice of a health practitioner when possible. If you'd like to be connected to a health practitioner, reach out to us at hello@thisisneeded.com or DM us on Instagram.