Supplements 101 🔎

I get tonnes of questions every day about supplements.

It’s usually the first thing someone wants to try & I get it. If there is an easy route why not use it.

I am not anti supplement or making things easier it’s just that most don’t live up to the marketing hype. If something new comes out that changes this I will be sure to help you know!

The way things stand people waste £100s sometimes £1000s on supplements and I want to make sure that you don’t.

It's important to note that supplements 'supplement' your diet.

If you have a healthy/ varied diet none are *essential* & if you don't.. the focus should be on improving your diet before you think about supplements.

Otherwise you’re worrying about the cherry when you don’t have a cake.

Saying that….

Most people in the U.K. will benefit from supplementing with Vit D, creatine, omega 3, & protein (the latter 2 as people generally don’t get in enough in their diet).

& I am not closed off to the fact that as much as many supplements beyond this aren’t essential they may still have a benefit but… only once you’ve covered the basics with your diet.

Otherwise it’s like having a house that’s falling apart but worrying about which curtains would look nicest in the living room.

You really need to start by looking at what your diet might be missing, trying to add it into your diet & if not possible then considering supplementation E.g. vegans will struggle to get in much b12 and so supplementing would be a good idea.

Pregnant women need more of a few nutrients including folic acid, iodine and iron (not an exclusive list), women with PCOS may benefit from inositol and peri-post menopausal women benefit from slightly higher doses of creatine and protein.

My point here isn’t to give you specific supplement advice - that would be unethical because proper advice should only be given with context.

Think of it like this.. Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.

Sure, this isn’t medical advice - although some supplements can interfere with meds so this is something to be aware of. But health, fitness, exercise and supplement advice should be treated with the same individual care.

You wouldn’t expect a Dr to prescribe without first assessing you.

This is why I give general advice but not specific unless I have full context (e.g. you are a client)

- The wrong advice can cause harm & if I don’t have context then then I can’t be sure I am giving the right advice.

Things to remember about supplements:

1) Most, if not all, supplements are overhyped (even if they are beneficial they are likely far less effective than marketing suggests)

2) Most people recommending supplements are gaining financially from doing this (note: I do not which is why you don’t see me promoting many supplements - if I do it’s because I rate them enough to recommend them without any personal gain- why you should listen to me over the person who gains from you buying)

3)  Blanket recommendations of supplements are rarely legit (aside form the basics I have mentioned here and even then you may not personally benefit depending on your circumstances)

4)  Make sure you know WHY you are taking the supplement- I speak to a lot of people who have no idea why they are taking a certain supplement- it’s usually collagen haha.

I am always happy to have a look at things before you buy them and give an honest unbiased opinion & stop you being mislead & wasting money!

Best place to run anything by me is instagram - @ESGfitness