I aim to eat a diet of 90% nutrient-rich foods on a day to day basis in order to feel my healthiest, perform my best, look my best, and have more energy.
However, it can be difficult to get everything we need from food to perform, feel, and look at the optimal level. That’s where supplements and vitamins come in!
I actually was originally going to call this post Trainer Paige’s Vitamin and Supplement guide, but instead landed on “nutritional must-haves” because this list is a combination of vitamins, supplements, and actual foods that I eat to enhance my health, life, training, and physique.
Since I get asked on a near day to day basis which supplements I take, and I share them all with my clients and boot camp groups, I figured having them all in one spot would be convenient to hand over a link. (FYI: in the future, you can always find this list here: http://trainerpaige.com/supplements)
*Note: this post just serves as a list of nutritional supplements and must-haves that I take. Dosage and in-depth reasoning behind it won’t be in this post, (but, spoiler alert/teaser: my upcoming fall group coaching program WILL 😉 )
My Nutritional Must-Haves
1. Lean ground bison
If you’ve never worked with me before, you probably think this sounds weird. But if you are a client of mine, you’re likely nodding your head right now.
I like to eat bison at least 4-5 mornings a week (and yes, that means for breakfast – more on that in a sec) for a few reasons.
- Bison is a lean source of nutrient-rich protein
- It packs a big hit of L-carnatine, which provides a host of benefits
- There’s no factory farming involved with bison
I like to eat it with eggs or egg whites and veggies in the morning for a high protein, moderate fat breakfast. It’s absolutely delicious, when paired with my #2 nutritional must-have.
I get my bison in bulk at Costco, but you can order it HERE.
2. Breakfast Sausage Seasoning
I have been using this stuff for nearly a year, and it can take bland ground turkey or bison and turn it into an absolutely delicious breakfast scramble. It truly makes a difference if you’re starting out your day with a lower carb or higher protein breakfast. I sometimes also sprinkle it in my low carb breakfast sandwich recipe.
I buy Wincrest Breakfast Sausage seasoning.
3. Branched Chain Amino Acids
I like to sip on amino acids during my workout and sometimes at other times. BCAA’s have been shown to decrease muscle soreness and fatigue from training, as well as suppress the appetite when sipped at certain times. I buy Prime Nutrition’s EAA’s, because it has 5g. of leucine per serving.
4. High Quality Fish Oil
I use Designs for Health OmegaAvail Ultra. Fish oil has been shown to have a multitude of benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties, brain health, heart health, and more. Make sure you get a high bio-availability, high-quality brand.
5. Magnesium
Many people are deficient in magnesium, and supplementing it has been shown to ease anxiety, relieve constipation, act as a natural muscle relaxer, regulate other electrolytes, and more.
Like most of my vitamins and supplements, I use Designs for Health
6. Whey Protein Isolate
I switch out brands and don’t necessarily have brand loyalty when it comes to WPI, but some of my go-to’s are:
–Biotrust Low Carb in Chocolate
-Vega Sport Performance in Chocolate
7. A Good Probiotic
Again, I take Designs for Health Probiotic Synergy and saw improvements in my digestion nearly right away.
Probiotics have been shown to promote healthy digestion, increase nutrient absorption, decrease bloating, and even increase mood.
8. Creatine
I actually just started taking this one after attending a workshop of Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan’s on supplements and women. I can’t technically say it’s a must-have yet, but I am taking it, and studies show it’s good for promoting high intensity exercise performance as well as maintaining and building lean body mass.
I’m currently taking Dymatize Creatine Micronized Creatine.
9. Pre-workout
I use Prime Nutrition PWO Max, as well as Blackstone Labs Dust.
Ok, this one isn’t a must-have, and I even joke with people who ask me why I take a pre-workout by responding, “for funsies!!” because that’s primarily the truth. It makes me feel better during tough workouts! Wheee!
But also, beta alanine. Beta alanine, over time, can act as a buffer and balance the pH in the muscle by increasing carnosine. There actually haven’t been too many studies showing the benefits of a pre-workout stack, with beta alanine + a slew of other ingredients, however.
Hmm, I feel like I need a #10 to balance this list out. Oh, I know!
10. Rice Pudding.
Clearly this isn’t a must-have, but it has been my go-to post-workout snack of choice lately as far as carbohydrates go. It’s a fast acting carbohydrate, gets glycogen to my muscles quickly after a tough lift, and is also very delicious. Mmm.
I buy Kozy Shack’s rice pudding here at Lucky’s Market.