why i chose ritual + my favorite supplements

Everyone has a daily routine and a lot of those might include an IV of coffee, quiet time, and if you’re way more motivated than me most mornings then you’re hitting the gym. It’s a ritual. While I would like to sit here and tell you about my perfect morning routine and that I start my day with energy, I don’t. I used to be a morning person, but over the years that has changed. I’m working on it! I recently have tried integrating morning workouts back into my life. Trent usually has to drag me out of bed half asleep, but hey at least I’m trying. I think one of the biggest misconceptions about health is that as long as we workout, we can eat whatever we want. If there is one thing that I’ve learned it’s that you can’t out-run a bad diet! So in an effort to make the best of my morning routine, whether it includes exercise or not, is to make sure I’m giving my body the nutrients it needs.

This means I always have a healthy breakfast: plenty of protein, healthy fat and carbohydrates that my body can use as fuel for my day. However, there are some nutrients that we can’t get enough of through diet alone. This is where my favorite supplements step in. Here are my top four must-haves:

Naked Whey Protein: This whey protein is from all-natural, grass fed cows from small dairy farms around the United States. I love that there are only three ingredients: whey protein, vanilla (yes, they use real vanilla) and it’s sweetened with organic coconut sugar. I can make a variety of shakes or even bake with it! Plus, it’s not overly sweet and it blends so well. It’s hormone free, no rGBH or rBST, soy and gluten free, GMO free, and their processing is acid and bleach-free. As an extra bonus: in addition to 25 grams of protein per serving, you also get 5.9 grams of BCAA’s (branch chain amino acids) which stimulate protein synthesis. If you want to learn more about BCAA’s check out this great article from Bodybuilding.com.
Organic MCT Oil: We’ve all heard about the benefits of coconut oil (and maybe some downsides of coconut oil), but MCT oil is essentially a concentrated form of coconut oil that focuses on the healthy fatty acids. Usually MCT (or medium-chain triglycerides) make up 62-65% of the fatty acids in coconut oil according to this article, but this product allows you to take a pure form of them so you get 100% of the benefits. It’s been said that MCT may help your body burn fat for energy (a.k.a. Ketosis), plus it definitely helps keep you regular. I usually throw it in my protein shake, but I’ve also added it to my coffee. There is a great recipe here for “Bulletproof” coffee.
Collagen Peptides: Did you know that women’s peak bone density is around age 18? That age is the perfect time to start investing in your bone health. While most of us are late to the game, there is no time like the present to get started! Collagen peptides are an easy way to support bone healthy every day by adding a scoop to your protein shakes, coffee (see above recipe) or a glass of orange juice. I love the Sports Research brand because like their MCT oil it is non-GMO, preservative free, flavorless and sourced from great ingredients. The only ingredient is collagen peptides derived from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows. Plus, you get 10g of protein with each scoop!
Ritual Multi-vitamin: There are so many multi-vitamins that advertise as being the best, having all the goods, and being life-changers in a bottle. What caught my eye about Ritual vitamins is their commitment to transparency. If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know that is a key word for me. I’ve become more aware of the lack of transparency and regulation in personal care products through my work with Beautycounter. While I’m not perfect (and I don’t try to be) I want to be able to make the conscious choice of what I put in my body without all the smoke and mirrors. Ritual does for the vitamin world what Beautycounter is achieving for personal care products: clean, safer vitamins that focus on the key nutrients you need and nothing you don’t.

Ritual vitamins contain 9 key ingredients: Vitamin B12, Folate, Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2 MK7, Vitamin E, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Boron, Iron and Magnesium. They’re non-GMO, vegan, gluten & soy free, plus no synthetic fillers or colorants. Most importantly they work hard to source the best forms of each of these ingredients from reliable, safe resources that you can trust. That is enough to get me to sign up for their monthly subscription. I won’t sit here and tell you I felt refreshed or energized by them because I honestly struggle with lack of energy on a daily basis, so I might not be the best to speak on that. But I can tell you that Ritual made it so easy to make sure I had a reliable daily vitamin that I felt good about taking.

Hope you all have a fantastic week! If you have any questions about how to integrate these supplements into your life or about clean beauty from Beautycounter, please feel free to reach out to me or comment below.