What Supplements Should I Take? How to Build a Smarter Supplement Stack
A Functional Medicine Guide to Building a Foundation That Actually Works
If you’ve ever stared at your supplement cabinet and thought,
“Do I really need all of this?”
The truth is…
Most people build their supplement routine backwards.
They start with trends.
They add whatever’s popular on social media.
And before long, they’re taking ten different pills a day — yet still feel tired, inflamed, or “off.”
What you’ve likely been missing is,
Supplements aren’t supposed to be random. They’re supposed to be strategic.
In this post, we’ll teach you how to think about supplementation like a professional —
not as a shopping list, but as a stacked system built for long-term health and performance.
Step 1: Build Your Foundation
Before you even think about specialized supplements — things like adaptogens, nootropics, or hormone support — you need to start with the basics.
If your foundation isn’t strong, nothing else matters.
Think of your foundational supplements as the base of your pyramid.
They support the most essential functions of your body — energy, recovery, and inflammation control.
The Foundational 3:
1. Magnesium
Involved in over 300 metabolic reactions in the body, magnesium helps your muscles relax, your nervous system calm down, and your cells produce energy.
Most people are deficient, thanks to stress, poor sleep, and depleted soil — and that deficiency can show up as fatigue, muscle tightness, irritability, or restless sleep.
Our recommendation for Magnesium
2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s are essential for brain, joint, and heart health.
They balance inflammation, improve cellular communication, and even support mood and hormone regulation.
The catch? Most people consume far more inflammatory omega-6 oils than omega-3s, throwing off this critical balance.
Supplementing with a clean, well-sourced fish oil can help restore that ratio — but make sure it’s properly stored and refrigerated to avoid rancidity.
Our recommendation for Omega-3s
3. A High-Quality Multivitamin
Even with the best diet, it’s nearly impossible to meet all your micronutrient needs through food alone.
Modern agriculture has stripped soil of minerals like zinc, selenium, and magnesium — meaning our produce just doesn’t have the same nutrient density it used to.
A well-formulated multivitamin fills those gaps and ensures your body has what it needs to produce energy, balance hormones, and recover.
Look for one with methylated B vitamins and chelated minerals for maximum absorption.
Step 2: Support Your Function
Once your foundation is in place, it’s time to fine-tune how your body functions.
This is where supplements start to become more personal — tailored to your specific needs, goals, or health challenges.
We call this layer your Functional Stack — it’s about optimizing systems that already work, so they work better.
Examples:
Digestive support: probiotics, digestive enzymes, gut repair nutrients, detox support
Inflammation control: anti-inflammatories and antioxidants
Stress and mood regulation: amino acids, adaptogens, and nutrients
Blood sugar support: minerals, herbs, vitamins, and protein
These are the supplements that help you move from “doing okay” to “feeling your best.”
But they only work if your foundation is already solid.
You can’t “optimize” what isn’t yet stable.
Step 3: Optimize the Focus
Once your foundation and functional layers are strong, you can move to the final phase — optimization.
This is your performance, longevity, or maintenance layer — the final 10% that helps you think clearer, recover faster, and age better.
It’s not about fixing problems anymore — it’s about unlocking potential.
Examples:
Mitochondrial support: CoQ10, PQQ, or NAD+ precursors to improve cellular energy
Brain optimization: phosphatidylserine, DHA, acetyl-L-carnitine, B Vitamins, Amino acids
Recovery and performance: creatine, collagen peptides, protein, electrolytes, peptides
Longevity support: resveratrol, quercetin, or other antioxidant blends
These aren’t for everyone — they’re for individuals who already have the basics dialed in and want to take their health to the next level.
The difference?
At this stage, your supplements are intentional, minimal, and measurable.
Step 4: Know What’s Actually Working
Here’s where most people go wrong — they never measure results.
You shouldn’t guess whether your supplements are working.
You should know.
That means paying attention to:
Your energy levels
Sleep quality
Recovery after training
Focus and stress tolerance
Digestion and regularity
And when possible — getting lab testing.
Because the only way to personalize supplementation is to know what your body actually needs.
That’s where regular blood testing comes in — identifying nutrient deficiencies, inflammation patterns, and metabolic imbalances before they turn into disease.
The Bottom Line: Simplify. Strategize. Personalize.
You don’t need more supplements.
You need the right ones — in the right order.
When you stack them strategically — starting with your foundation, supporting function, and optimizing focus — your supplements stop being random and start becoming powerful.
Because when your body finally has what it needs, it doesn’t just feel better… it performs better.
Need Help Building Your Stack?
Stop guessing which supplements to take, wasting time and money on things you don’t need, and build a plan that’s actually tailored to you.
Schedule a Functional Medicine Consultation for just $99, and let us help you get started.