The 3 Supplements This Celebrity Nutritionist Never Leaves Home Without

I'm a big believer in getting most of your nutrients from food. However, some can be a challenge to get from even the healthiest diet. That's why I recommend a few well-researched supplements for nearly everyone. Specifically, the nutrients that support critical functions like solid sleep, digestion, and stress management.* 

Consider that last one. No doubt, the year 2020 dialed up our stress a few notches. When you're stressed, over time every area of life is affected: sleep, relationships, mood, and even your gut. What you eat, how you move, and your mindset all affect stress levels as well as sleep and digestive health. 

Magnesium is the aaaah mineral. Especially when I'm having a stressful day (looking at you, all-day Zoom meetings or a three-hour flight delay!), I reach for magnesium.* 

What's more, energy production, protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood sugar control, and blood pressure regulation all depend on sufficient levels of magnesium.* 

Stress and magnesium insufficiency goes hand in hand. Stress can deplete magnesium levels1, which dampens the body's ability to manage stress. Conversely, having sufficient amounts of magnesium can help your body better handle anxiousness and stress2.*

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)3 for magnesium varies by age and gender. For folks ages 19 to 30, the RDA is 400 mg (men) or 310 mg (women). For those 31 to 50, you'll want to get 420 mg (men) or 320 mg (women).

When you're stressed out, you don't sleep nearly as well. Subsequently, poor-quality sleep can dial up stress levels throughout the day.

In one study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health5, workers who slept for five or fewer hours experienced increased amounts of perceived stress. Perceived stress is the thought or idea of something threatening rather than actually experiencing something threatening. 

Stress can make falling or staying asleep a real challenge, but a targeted sleep supplement can help you meet your ideal eight- to nine-hour sleep quota.* One of my favorite supplements is melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland. Supplementing with melatonin may benefit certain sleep challenges, including abnormal circadian rhythm patterns and jet lag6.*

Melatonin levels decline gradually with age. Researchers suspect that may be one reason why quality sleep also declines as we get older7.

It's worth noting that a melatonin supplement may help you fall asleep but doesn't necessarily improve sleep quality or duration.* That's why I prefer taking melatonin combined with other nutrients. L-theanine8, found in green tea, is one of them. Research shows that this amino acid promotes quality sleep by reducing anxiety and promoting calm9.*

Age is another one. Your body's own digestive enzymes, especially your stomach's hydrochloric acid (HCl) secretion, slow down by the time you're in your 30s. That means you can't efficiently break down your food. You might also be low in digestive enzymes or stomach acid.