🌿 Brandy’s Trusted Wellness Picks

Why Supplements Matter Today

In a perfect world, we’d get everything we need from food alone — and historically, we did. But modern farming practices have significantly depleted the mineral and nutrient content of our soil, and many foods today are grown for yield and shelf life rather than nutrient density. We often fall short on key vitamins and minerals the body needs to function optimally. These thoughtfully chosen supplements aren’t meant to replace good food or a healthy lifestyle — they’re meant to fill the gaps, support normal biological processes, and help the body do what it was designed to do in a modern environment that no longer supports it naturally.

Here are the essential vitamins your body NEEDS:

Mineral-rich Sea Salt: Baja Gold Salt Co

Minerals are foundational to hydration, nerve signaling, muscle function, and energy production — yet most people are deficient due to depleted soil and over-filtered water. Unlike processed table salt, natural sea salt contains a full spectrum of trace minerals that help water actually enter your cells, improving hydration rather than depleting it.

Tip: Start your day with a glass of water + ½ tsp mineral-rich salt... Contrary to popular belief, the right salt helps hydrate you.

Methylated Multivitamin

A high-quality, methylated multivitamin provides the body with bioavailable forms of essential vitamins and minerals needed for energy production, detox pathways, brain health, immune function, and cellular repair. Methylated forms are especially important because many people cannot properly convert synthetic vitamins into usable forms.

Recommended: Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day

Tip: Magnesium supports muscle and nerve function, energy production, sleep quality, and stress regulation, and plays a critical role in hundreds of enzymatic processes throughout the body. Modern diets are often low in magnesium due to soil depletion and food processing, making it one of the most common nutrient gaps today. For most people, a quality multivitamin provides some magnesium, but not enough for optimal stress support, sleep, or muscle relaxation. A great add-on if needed: Magnesium glycinate (200–300 mg daily)

Tip: Vitamin D3 and K2 work together to support bone strength, immune function, and cardiovascular health. For most people, a quality multivitamin already covers daily needs for vitamin D and K2. You may want to add a separate D3/K2 if you are post-menopausal, low in vitamin D, have heart health concerns, or are actively working on bone health. A great add-on if needed: Thorne Liquid Vitamin D + K2

Tip: Vitamin C supports immune defense, collagen production, skin health, blood vessel integrity, and antioxidant protection. For most people, a quality multivitamin already covers daily needs for vitamin C. Vitamin C needs fluctuate based on demand - You may want to add extra vitamin C if you: Get sick frequently or are fighting off an illness; Are under high physical or emotional stress; Have increased inflammation or slower healing; Want additional support for skin, joints, or connective tissue. A great add-on if needed: Thorne Vitamin C

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s are critical for reducing inflammation, supporting heart and brain health, maintaining healthy joints, and protecting blood vessels. Most modern diets are severely deficient in omega-3s and overloaded with inflammatory omega-6 fats, creating an imbalance that stresses the body over time. Supplementing with a clean, plant-based omega-3 helps restore that balance and supports long-term cardiovascular and metabolic health.

Recommended: Vivo Life Omega-3

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein — and therefore of muscles, bones, enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, skin, and immune cells. Even people who eat enough protein may not be getting the right balance of essential amino acids needed for repair and regeneration, especially as we age. Supplementing essential amino acids ensures the body has the raw materials it needs for daily repair, strength, and resilience — without taxing digestion.

Recommended: PerfectAmino

For the Allergy sufferers out there

NAC: This helps thin mucus, so it doesn’t build up or drip into your throat. Best taken earlier in the day. Recommended: Thorne NAC

Quercetin Complex: This keeps your sinuses calm and open, so you sleep better. Best taken in the evening. Recommended: Thorne Quercetin

What to AVOID:

❌ Folic Acid
Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate that many people cannot convert properly... leading to unmetabolized folic acid building up in the body and interfering with normal cellular function.

❌ Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)
Cyanocobalamin is a cheap, synthetic form of B12 that requires conversion... making it less efficient and more taxing than active forms.

❌ Pyridoxine HCl (Vitamin B6)
This inactive form of B6 must be converted into its active form... and in excess can contribute to nerve irritation instead of supporting nervous system health.

❌ dl-Alpha Tocopherol (Synthetic Vitamin E)
This synthetic form is not as effective... and does not provide the same cardiovascular benefits as mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols.

❌ Artificial Colors, Sweeteners, and “Candy-Like” Gummies
These often contain cheap dyes, additives, and sugars that can disrupt blood sugar, gut health, and absorption.

Free Resources

Here is a really cool (and free!) website called supp.co ... that helps you keep track of all the supplements you’re taking in one place. You plug in your vitamins, and it automatically totals everything up — showing if you’re low, right on target, or possibly getting too much of anything. It also scores supplement quality and ingredients, which is amazing for cutting through marketing noise. I’ve been using it to double-check my own routine, and it’s been super helpful for clarity and peace of mind. No pressure at all — just a really great tool if you want an easy, organized way to see how everything fits together.