I personally don’t like the idea of taking supplements that claim to burn fat, speed up metabolism, etc. It makes me nervous to take a pill with a bunch of ingredients that I can’t pronounce that affect the speed that my heart is beating, the temperature of my body, or the normal caloric expenditure my body would have been doing without it. Often times, these supplements contain large quantities of caffeine, man-made thermogenics, and/or combinations of so many things that they can make your heart race, your body to sweat, and more. I’m sure you could talk to people that use these or swear by these maybe they’ll be just fine (maybe they won’t) but my personal philosophy is to keep things as natural as possible.

Which is why I suggest nutritional foods as your first step to increasing your health, losing weight, and ultimately feeling better in general. It’s a two-fold process of increasing consumption of the healthiest foods while decreasing the worst/most inflammatory foods. However, I do supplement my diet with some things so I’ll list out what I do/what I recommend and you can dissemimate this info and make your own decisions as to what you’d like to use for yourself.

Something to keep in mind: the more natural or plant-derived the supplement is, the greater the absorption by your body. Vitamins can be manufactured in a lab, so if you go to the store and look at that aisle, you’ll see tons of bottles containing Vitamin C, zinc, B12, etc. But, when it’s man-made, your body isn’t able to utilize it/absorb it as well and so lots of times, you won’t get the amount you may be taking or think you’re getting. With that being said, it is possible to get the nutrients from natural sources, increasing their potency and maximizing their absorption. This process is more expensive, however, and you will need to pay a little more for quality vitamins from natural sources. I personally feel that it’s worth it, though, as I don’t want to spend money on something I’m only going to be able to use part of and it’s especially important to me if that thing I’m spending money on is affecting my health.

A quick tip: as a general rule of thumb, naturally-sourced supplements usually come in capsule form (a clear, cylindrical tube containing a powder-like substance). Man-made supplements usually come in a pill form and are round (or oblong), colored, and smooth/solid. Again, this is a generality so don’t hold me to this 100% of the time but should help you to make decisions.

So, with all that out there, here is what I personally take and/or recommend:

#1: Apple Cider Vinegar
(I’m specifically referring to the liquid ACV – not the pill form)

ACV helps to control your blood sugar levels and when they’re low, you can burn more fat. It also deepens a fast, so another good time to take it is in the morning, a while before you eat. Since you won’t have eaten since the day/night before, it will reinforce your fast so that you’ll reap even better benefits from it. It helps with digestion, too, so taking it after a meal will help with that and lastly it helps to increase insulin sensitivity so that when you do consume food/carbs, your body is better at balancing blood sugar and it takes less insulin, which is a great thing.

Also, it helps a lot with satiation, so you can take it after a meal to feel more full. Or you can take it in the morning to make it easier to make it to lunch time before eating. You can make adjustments daily based on what you eat, how you’re feeling, etc.

Lastly, I know it can be quite pungent – you can tone that down by mixing it with lemon juice, cinnamon, water, and/or stevia (or any combination of them). Also, it’s VERY acidic, so it’s advised to drink with a straw and swallow immediately so it doesn’t eat away your tooth enamel. I always brush my teeth right after just in case 😉

#2: Omega-3 (I personally take one made from Krill Oil.)

Omega-3s are an amazing nutrient that your body uses for several purposes, most importantly as an anti-inflammatory and also because they’re so good for your brain. You can get omega-3s from “fatty” fish like salmon, sardines, etc. but I take a daily supplement to ensure I’m keeping my levels of this nutrient up no matter what I eat that day.

#3: A general Multivitamin/Multimineral
I look at this as insurance – daily insurance that you’re getting everything you need. From day to day, depending on physical exertion, stress levels, hormones, food, etc. you’re going to need different nutrients in different amounts. Taking one of these helps to ensure your body has everything it needs for repair, energy, etc.

#4: Turmeric
This is an amazing anti-inflammatory antioxidant. IMO, vital for reducing overall systemic inflammation. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric and you’ll want to find a supplement that has Bioperine/black pepper extract in it to help your body absorb it even better.

#5: Ginger Root
This helps to control blood sugar levels, it’s an antioxidant, and it’s anti-inflammatory. Need I say more? I personally think it’s an underrated supplement that can help overall physiological well being and it’s not expensive so give it a try. 

#6: Chromium Picolinate
This is another thing to control your blood sugar levels but in a way that it reduces the impact of carbs at a meal. So, the more carbs you ingest, the more chromium you’ll want to take. It’s not just one of those “take one in the morning pills” to me; I typically take 2 at lunch, as this is a bigger meal for me and tends to be higher in carbs so I have the rest of the day to burn them off. I usually take another one at dinner, which should be a simpler, cleaner meal with fewer carbs as it’s closer to bedtime and you’re usually ready to chill/relax vs burn carbs off.

As always, everyone’s health needs and circumstances are different so feel free to add to this list or subtract from it, depending on your goals and what you’re trying to achieve.