Food First. Then Supplements.
Food First. Always.
My approach is simple and evidence-based:
start with the basics.
Real food, consistent meals, and a diet that actually supports your lifestyle.
Supplements are exactly what the name suggests. They are there to supplement, not replace.
Adding supplements without getting the basics right is like putting a Ferrari engine into a Fiat Punto.
It sounds impressive, but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem.
“Adding supplements without fixing the basics is like putting a Ferrari engine into a Fiat Punto.”
Where Supplements Can Help
There are situations where supplements make sense:
increased physical or mental demand
limited diet or restrictions
specific deficiencies
targeted support for performance, recovery, or sleep
Used correctly, they can be effective.
However, for certain outcomes, it is often not realistic to reach therapeutic levels through food alone.
That’s where supplements become essential.
The issue is not supplements themselves. It’s how they are chosen and used.
Why It Gets Confusing Quickly
Walk into any pharmacy or browse online and you will see dozens of options for the same nutrient.
Take magnesium as an example.
You might see:
magnesium oxide
magnesium citrate
magnesium glycinate
magnesium malate
magnesium threonate
All labelled as “magnesium”.
But they are not the same.
Magnesium oxide is cheap and common, but poorly absorbed
Magnesium citrate is better absorbed, often used for digestion
Magnesium glycinate is typically used for relaxation and sleep
Magnesium threonate is marketed for cognitive support and is significantly more expensive
From the outside, this is not obvious.
So people either:
buy the cheapest option and get little benefit
or spend significantly more without understanding why
Quality Is Not Standardised
In Spain and across the EU, supplements are classified as food, not medicine.
That means:
no pre-approval for effectiveness
wide variation in quality between brands
differences in dosage, form, and absorption
Two products can look almost identical and perform very differently.
More Is Not Better
A common pattern is stacking multiple supplements without a clear reason.
This usually leads to:
unnecessary cost
overlapping ingredients
no clear outcome
In most cases, a small number of well-chosen supplements is more effective than a long list.
A Simpler Way to Approach It
A more practical approach looks like this:
start with food and daily habits
remove obvious irritants
define a clear goal
choose the right form of a supplement
keep it simple and consistent
That’s where supplements actually start to make sense.
Closing
Supplements can be useful tools.
But without context, they are often just expensive guesses.
If you’re unsure what actually makes sense for you, a personalised approach removes most of the confusion.
Want a simple supplement plan and access to practitioner-grade options?
→ Get your personalised guidance here (WhatsApp)