Why Most Energy Supplements Fail

Without fail, I open my email each morning to at least 3 offers for “life-changing” energy supplements.

“Brand new, never before seen in public formula for 100X more energy!”

“The ONLY supplement you’ll ever need again!”

“The secret nutrient for massive energy and focus is now available!”

For goodness sake, are people still falling for this?

Well, absolutely!

The supplement industry was estimated to earn $163.7 billion dollars in 2022!

And, Google “supplement trends” and you’ll see that supplements are on par with fashion, hashtags, and Instagram influencers.

Energy supplements are a health tool, though.  And I’m rather frustrated with how many people are swindled by the natural health industry that promises “magic energy in a bottle”. 

Supplements & Me - How I Fell For the Hype Too

Yeah, I’m guilty of tripping over myself to click “BUY” on the latest new energy supplement promise, too.

When you’re as exhausted, defeated, frustrated, lost and alone as I was in my battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, you’ll pretty much do anything to try to ditch the brain fog, low energy & feeling like you’re just wasting your life away.

I was drawn wholeheartedly to any promise of higher energy quickly - the empty promises, the miracle cures, the farfetched results that even I had trouble wrapping my brain around.

If the marketing gimmicks mentioned “energy”, you bet I was all over that new trend!

My Energy Supplements Pharmacy

About 10 years ago, there was a point where I had about 20 different energy supplements on the go. 

My pre-holistic nutrition understanding of supplements led me to Walmart or the local health food store; one time I even bought into an MLM scheme just to get access to a bundle of powders, pills & tinctures.  (P.S. None of this worked.)

Then, once I began my holistic nutrition certification, suddenly I was tossed into a world of nutrient, adaptogen & symptom information that had me thinking,

“Oh wow, I resonate with all these symptoms; therefore, I must need all these nutrients in supplement form too!”

Ever felt this same way? (You’re not alone…)

Oh boy…Yep, I fell for every single angle when it came to energy supplements. 

And the aggravating part in all this?

I had NO idea if any of these so-called energy supplements were even working!

All I knew back then was that I believed the hype of “more is more, take me, me, me!”  And I did.

I tried as many different supplements as I possibly could.

The Turning Point

There was one time when I remember waking up groggy every morning, worse than I’d been in over 5 years.

And my energy was tanking hard every afternoon again.  I’d already significantly improved it and felt like I was on the right path to healing…but then suddenly I felt like I was back at square 1.

My first thought? 

Yeah, you guessed it…I need a NEW supplement to foster higher energy!

Something in the latest round of research on which new pill to pop triggered a stopgap in my brain, though.

I read that too much zinc can deplete copper, and low copper can cause extreme fatigue.

Hmmm, do I take copper now OR do I drop my zinc?  Dilemma!

Don’t ask me why, but at that moment it hit me that perhaps living on 20+ supplements wasn’t the best option.

So, instead of rushing out to the vitamin store and grabbing a bottle of copper,

I ditched the zinc.

And within a week felt 200% more energized & focused.

Discovering the Truth About Energy Supplements

At that moment, I took a good, long look at what supplements I was taking and how I was feeling and realized…

I wasn’t feeling any different despite all these pills and powders.

I was actually made a couple of HUGE mistakes in my quest to beat chronic fatigue: 

1.   My supplements weren’t at all focused on the true causes of my fatigue. 
2.   I kept believing that all supplements are safe & effective for everyone, when really so many are toxic and designed to fail.

The Energy Supplements You Truly Need

During my 2000 hours of studying holistic nutrition science and physiology; and the 2000+ hours spent examining and experimenting to uncover the root causes and reversal of chronic fatigue & burnout, 

I discovered that most people only need about 5 supplements at a time.  

Because when your nutrition is laser-focused on healing your root cause imbalances & refueling your nutrient gaps, 

Your energy supplements only need to top up the tank, so to speak.

They only need to focus on that root cause too.

It’s pointless and a waste of money to take supplements for a symptom that’s being triggered by your root causes of exhaustion.

It’s dangerous to take high doses of nutrients that target a single symptom or lab result.

It’s damaging to overdose on some nutrients because they deplete other critical ones, upsetting the delicate balance of fuel needed for high energy.

How To Buy The Best Supplements to Boost Energy

The most important thing to ask yourself before buying any energy supplement is this:

Will it support the ROOT CAUSE imbalance(s) that are causing my exhaustion?

If the answer is “I don’t know” or “no”, pause, and ask for help.  (We can help get you started with an Energy Nutrition Gap Analysis Session - click here to book.)

If the answer is “yes”, then always make sure you’re choosing the highest quality, moderate potency version of the nutrients or support you need.  A great place to start is with a dedicated natural health food store; a great place to avoid is your local supermarket or fitness supplement shop.

Common Root Causes of Chronic Exhaustion, Burnout & Brain Fog

In my work, the 2 main root causes of chronic viral infection fatigue are:

Chronic low-grade inflammation (+ oxidative stress)

Dysfunction (or weakened) stress response

Together, these will turn off energy production at the mitochondria level. (That’s where 90% of your energy is made.)

You may hear that gut inflammation, hormonal imbalances, personal beliefs, poor detoxification, or lack of movement cause fatigue, but this is still a very, very superficial approach because all of these problems are also caused by inflammation and a weak stress response.

Don’t fall for the fluff!

Inflammation & Stress feed into each other to create The Fatigue Cycle.  This Cycle needs to be broken first in order to fully heal your energy.

My Top 5 Starter Energy Supplements

My clients all come from a different place - background, health complaints, symptoms, and stress levels.

Yet there is one thing that they all have in common - the Fatigue Cycle.

To help them refuel the important nutrients for higher energy, here are the top 5 supplements I recommend every client, and you, start off with:

• A good quality multivitamin / mineral complex
• An additional full B complex
• Vitamin D
• Magnesium malate and/or glycinate (or a combo)
• Omega 3 fatty acid (EFA/DHA)

If you’re further along on your energy healing journey, you can also consider:

• Zinc
• Vitamin C (for stress)
• Extra protein 
• NAC (N-acetyl cysteine)
• Coenzyme Q10

Just remember, supplements aren’t a “magic pill” - they only work for you if you’re working for yourself by eating in alignment with your energy goals.  If you’re struggling to put all these pieces together and understand where to begin, let’s work together to identify your root causes first.  Click here to book a session with me.