The 7 Supplement Mistakes That Are Sabotaging Your Health (And Costing You Hundreds
Why your $200+ monthly supplement routine might be working against you
THE BALANCE ROUTINE
JULY 14, 2025
You're spending $200+ a month on supplements, taking handfuls of pills every morning, and still feeling off. Sound familiar?
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most people are doing supplements completely wrong. After three years of coaching women through their health journeys and making plenty of expensive mistakes myself, I've identified the seven critical errors that turn your supplement routine from helpful to harmful.
This isn't another "take more vitamins" post. This is about why your current approach might be working against you—and exactly how to fix it :)
The Supplement Industry's Dirty Secret
Before we dive into the mistakes, let's address the elephant in the room: the supplement industry doesn't want you to succeed with just a few high-quality products. They profit from confusion, complexity, and your willingness to try "just one more" miracle pill.
I learned this the hard way when I was spending $200+ monthly on supplements, organizing them in weekly pill containers, and still struggling with energy crashes and digestive issues. The problem wasn't that I needed more supplements—it was that I was taking them completely wrong.
Mistake #1: Terrible Timing (And Why Your Morning Routine Is Probably Backwards)
The Error: Taking everything at once, usually with your morning coffee on an empty stomach.
I used to take around 15 different supplements every morning and wash them down with coffee. Then I'd wonder why my stomach felt like it was on fire and my energy crashed by 10 AM.
Here's what I learned: timing isn't just important—it's everything.
The Fix:
Take fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) with meals containing healthy fats
B vitamins in the morning for energy (never at night unless you enjoy staring at the ceiling)
Magnesium in the evening for better sleep
Never take calcium with meals (it neutralizes stomach acid and blocks nutrient absorption)
Iron on an empty stomach (unless it makes you nauseous, then with a small amount of food)
My Current Timing Protocol:
Morning with breakfast: Vitamin D, B-complex, omega-3s
Between meals: Vitamin C, probiotics
Evening: Magnesium, zinc
Mistake #2: The "More Is Better" Mentality
The Error: Taking bigger doses of everything because if some is good, more must be better, right?
Wrong.
The Fix:
Start with one new supplement at a time
Give each one 2-3 weeks to assess its effects
Increase dosages gradually if needed
Listen to your body's signals
Red Flags You're Overdoing It:
Digestive upset after taking supplements
Feeling wired or jittery from B vitamins
Nausea or headaches
Expensive urine (bright yellow from excess B vitamins)
Mistake #3: Using Supplements to Fix a Broken Diet
The Error: Thinking you can out-supplement a diet of ultra-processed foods.
This was me three years ago—eating granola, oats, or cereal for breakfast, grabbing takeout for lunch, then taking 20 supplements, thinking they'd somehow counteract the damage.
The Reality Check: If your breakfast is toast and jam, no amount of vitamins will fix your energy crashes or reduce inflammation. You can't supplement your way out of a diet that's actively harming you.
The Foundation-First Approach:
Prioritize protein at every meal
Eliminate or drastically reduce inflammatory seed oils (they’re in almost all ultraprocessed food)
Focus on nutrient-dense whole foods
THEN add targeted supplements for specific needs
Supplements should support an already solid foundation, not serve as the foundation itself
Mistake #4: Falling for Cheap, Synthetic Supplements
The Error: Shopping for supplements at the grocery store based on price alone.
That $10 bottle of vitamins from the pharmacy might seem like a deal, but here's what you're actually getting:
Synthetic vitamins made from petroleum derivatives
Toxic fillers and artificial colors
Forms your body can barely absorb
Potentially harmful additives
What to Look For Instead:
Whole food-based vitamins when possible
Third-party tested for purity
Minimal, clean ingredient lists
Proper forms (methylated B vitamins, chelated minerals)
My Trusted Brands:
Thorne: Consistently clean, well-absorbed forms
Designs for Health: Professional-grade quality
Ancient Nutrition: Great for whole food-based options
Nordic Naturals: Best omega-3s I've found
Mag Glycinate from any reputable brand: Most absorbable magnesium form
The remaining three mistakes can be harmful if ignored. My paid subscribers get access to these critical insights, plus ancestral recipes + remedies, what I eat in a week series, science-backed research made actionable, and honest health journey updates.