Get Informed: The Only 2 Supplements You’ll Ever Need

Whether you’re a fitness buff like me, a more moderate exerciser like most, or someone that hates to sweat – you’ve no doubt taken a vitamin or supplement at some point in your life. We’ve all taken something at some point.

When it comes to supplements, there are 3 types of people in this world:

1. Those who absolutely LOVE vitamins/supplements and take a TON (this is me)
   • Small minority of fitness freaks and life hackers (think Tim Ferriss followers)
2. Those who are anti and take none
   • Small minority of granola crunchers (think people who don’t use deodorant and love it because the sweat smell is “natural”)
3. Those who are uninformed and don’t know what, if anything, to take (the majority of people fall into this category)

Let’s start with this 3rd category of people (the large majority of people). The problem most people have is that you don’t know what to take. If you do take something… you don’t know if it actually does anything. And worst of all, you don’t know if it’s actually safe! Here is the common life cycle of vitamin/supplements with the majority of people:

As a result, most of us freeze up like a cat at a dog park (or me on the dance floor) and just do nothing. It’s better to just avoid the problem, but at some point you’ll be convinced again to try something by a friend/family member, health kick, or awesome marketing, and the cycle starts all over again.

I’m here tell you EXACTLY what to do so you can avoid the Supplement Cycle of Doubt once and for all. This is going to help the large majority of you avoid scams, unsafe supplements, and the latest supplement fads that don’t work. This is going to help you Johnny and Jane GNC’s from wasting money on a bunch of things that don’t work. And this is going to help you All-Vitamins-Are-Bad-For-You Johnson’s from missing out on the health benefits of the things that actually do work and can positively impact your life.

I’ve noticed the new trend in the fitness industry among all the “experts” is to say things like:

• “Supplement companies suck!”
• “All Supplement companies are sleazy and scammy!”
• “All Supplements are filled with garbage, crap, and/or chemicals!”

And then they launch their own line of supplements because: 

• They  are “different” and “just want to help”
• Their supplements (unlike every other brand) actually work
• Their supplements (unlike every other brand) don’t have chemicals or “filler” ingredients

What a line of BS. As if they are the only person with a quality line of supplements. They couldn’t find a single other company in existence with quality products? Unreal. 

I’m not here to do that. This isn’t the classic bait and switch. When I recommend supplements to my clients, I don’t just provide them a list of what I take. Hell, I don’t usually even tell them everything I take. More on that later. 

(Note: I did provide a downloadable list of my top fat burning and top muscle building supplements at the end of the post for those of you that want to know exactly what I take. If you have the attention span of a 1st grader, just scroll to the bottom to download it.)

The simple fact is that most hardcore health and fitness experts tend to take something. The reason is because supplements work. Plain and simple. There are bad companies out there and there are bad supplements out there, but not all companies and not all supplements are bad. 

Here is what works and who you can trust (besides me): 

Mixed Greens + Probiotics

The majority of studies on multivitamins show they are either a waste of money, come back inconclusive, or are funded by the supplement companies themselves. One big issue with multi-vitamins is that most are synthesized – made in a lab as opposed to being from whole food sources. Another problem is most contain additives (chemicals added during packaging to preserve vitamins). That’s why they last for..ev..er. You’re killin me Smalls! Lastly, they don’t absorb well in the body and often contain too little of the things you actually need.

Who wants that crap in their body?

That’s where mixed greens come in. A greens supplement is made of dehydrated whole foods and extracts, is high in vitamins and minerals, contains no additives, is a great source of vegetables, and is easily absorbed by the body.

(Note: This is why unlike multivitamins they don’t last forever and most greens powder needs to be refrigerated or at least kept for a short time in a dark, cool, dry environment.)

Also, they will ensure you get everything you need to keep you healthy, prevent illness, and the probiotics will help ensure your gut health so you can properly absorb all the goodness and digest your food better.

If I was only going to recommend one supplement, it would be this one. It’s nearly impossible to eat a perfectly balanced diet and to get everything you need from whole food sources. Let’s face it, we are busy people with lots to do and even less time to do it in.

We don’t have time to prepare and plan meals let alone to ensure our meals cover all nutritional needs. Unless you have a private chef and nutritionist that can take care of this for you (lucky you, when can I move in?) then I suggest you do something to cover your bases and act as a health or nutrition insurance policy.

My absolute favorite is Fermented Green Supremefood. Best Part, it tastes pretty damn good unlike most greens drinks I’ve tried which taste like dirt and grass mixed with dog feces. My 2nd favorite is Green Vibrance although it doesn’t taste very good. It’s actually pretty rough to drink at first, although you will get used it after a while. Kind of.

Athletic Greens is very popular as well but way more expensive and requires a monthly subscription (that’s not an Athletic Greens affiliate link). I’ll be honest, it tastes awesome, but the price and subscription are too much for me. I mean, it’s not healthy unless it tastes like shit, right? Anyway, they have a great affiliate program which I think has a little to do with all the amazing reviews of the product by health and fitness bloggers. 

Here is a great review of Fermented Green Supremefood. You can buy Fermented Green Supremefood here.

How much should I take?

Take 1 serving per day 20-minutes after your biggest solid food meal of the day. If you are really hardcore (like me) on your workout days you can take 2 servings per day. I’d also recommend taking 2 servings per day if you are traveling or on vacation where you will be exposed to a lot of other people (i.e. germs, bacteria), lack of sleep, and have a significantly increased risk of illness.

Fish Oil

Unless you eat wild salmon a few times a week, you need to be taking a fish oil supplement. Fish oil helps with insulin sensitivity. Remember, insulin is a storage hormone and when spiked causes fat storage. Well, fish oil prevents this from happening.

Fish oil also helps you build lean muscle mass by increasing protein synthesis (fancy way of saying muscle cells generate new muscle cells). The more muscle we have on our body the more calories we burn throughout the day and thus burn more fat because muscle takes more energy for your body to maintain than fat.

Fish oil is also highly anti-inflammatory (most diseases are the result of inflammation) which means it speeds detoxification of stuff you don’t want in your body, decreases hormones that cause inflammation, helps your body recover from exercise better, and generally helps you look and feel better. Yes, it has mood improving benefits as well and has even been shown to help with people suffering from ADHD. I couldn’t believe it either, but I just learned it on The Ben Greenfield Podcast episode #335. Thanks Ben!

If mixed greens are #1A then fish oil is #1B, it’s that awesome. There are a number of great articles on The Poliquin Group here that get into much more detail on the benefits of fish oil and the science behind it. Most of my clients don’t really care that much about the science so I try not to give too much detail. Sell the sizzle, not the steak. Hey, I can get a good look at a t-bone by sticking my head up a butcher’s ass, but… nevermind 😉

My absolute favorite is Vitamin Shoppe Omega 3 Fish Oil (EPA 600mg / DHA 240mg). If you already a different brand, I’d recommend taking a look at this research study by Labdoor. Find your fish oil and make sure it’s in the top 10 (at least) for highest quality. If it’s not, upgrade to something better. The Vitamin Shoppe brand is #2. The reason I don’t take the #1 fish oil supplement in the study is because I already supplement with Vitamin D3 separately. I take Nature Made Vitamin D3 so I don’t need to take any more. 

Here are the Labdoor Fish Oil Rankings. You can buy my favorite fish oil supplement here. 

How much should I take?

Aim for 4g per day split into 2-3 doses. I take one dose in the morning when I wake up and another dose with dinner in the evening.

30-Day Challenge

I don’t want you to return the Supplement Cycle of Doubt. Therefore, I recommend you perform the following challenge:

1. Write down how you look and feel for 2-3 days. Seriously, periodically throughout the day or at the end of the day record how you feel physically. Are you tired during the day? Do you have acne or spots on your skin? Do you get the afternoon blues? Are you having stomach issues? Are your workouts as good as they can be? Just jot down a few notes, nothing Shakespearian.
2. Take a “Before” photo and body measurements including weight/body fat (use handheld machine at your local gym if you have nothing else).
3. Buy the mixed greens + probiotics and fish oil supplements I recommend above.
4. Take the 2 supplements for 30-days. Change nothing else. This is important.
5. On days 28, 29, and 30 you are going to record how you look/feel again. Write this in a journal or you can even capture it in your Notes app.
6. Take “After” photo and body measurements.
7. Compare.

I perform a similar experiment whenever I begin taking a new supplement. How else can you be sure it’s working? At the end of 30-days you will either be singing my praises and sending me a “Thank you” email or you’ll be cursing me and sending me a “f-off” email.

Either way, you’ll know definitively and without a doubt if those two supplements work for you.

Final Thoughts

There are obviously many other supplements you CAN take and even many of which that DO work and many more that I take. Why then, did I choose to omit them from this blog? Simple. You don’t need them… yet. This is the 80/20 solution for most people. If you are taking these and getting them from reputable companies like I mentioned above in the right doses then you’re already far ahead of most people.

This is the same reason why I don’t just give clients a list of all the supplements I take. It’s easy to get wrapped up in tactics like which supplements work the best. It’s fun and it’s easier than changing your diet and working out harder or more often. Eating right and working out? Boooooring!

It’s not sexy, but most people and most of my clients need to focus on big wins like diet and exercise. I need to help them build healthy habits and systems that will ultimately lead to the results they want with their bodies. Supplements are just the cherry on top. The little extra to help amplify results if you are getting everything else right. Once you get the diet and exercise right, and you are taking mixed greens + probiotics and fish oils you can graduate to the Johnny/Jane GNC level or in my case Bodybuilding.com Johnson. I love that place. Awesome customer service!

I take many more supplements than just these two. Why? Because they work. Because I’m constantly pushing my body to new limits and need all the help I can get. Because my body and my physical appearance is vital to my business, my identity, and my income. And because I love trying new vitamins/supplements to see what works and what doesn’t so I can help my clients and YOU!

Want to know EXACTLY what I take every single day to maintain my fitness model physique and what I recommend to my advanced training clients?