Building the Perfect Supplement Stack
What I Actually Take and Why
Last week I wrote about why most supplement stacks fail before they start. The short version: fix your gut, run your genetics, test before you guess.
This week I’ll detail exactly what I use and why.
Note that this is a great framework for you but not specific recommendations. This is my stack, built from years of experimentation, Nutrahacker genetic reports, and regular blood work. Yours will look different.
That’s the point: if you copy someone else’s stack without knowing your own genetics and deficiencies, you’re just doing the $60 billion guessing game I talked about last week with extra steps. As always, clear any changes you do with a health professional.
Why Categories Matter
Most people’s supplement setup is a graveyard of random bottles. They couldn’t tell you why they’re taking half of them. When something feels off, they have no way to troubleshoot because there’s no logic to the system.
I organize my stack into 5 categories. Each one solves a different problem:
Deficiency (filling what your diet can’t cover)
Longevity (protecting future you)
Energy (actual cellular fuel, not stimulants)
Nootropics (sharper thinking when you need it)
Relaxation and Sleep (winding down without drugs)
Physically, I organize by timing. Four small countertop drawers: AM, PM, Bedtime, Occasional. Each holds the bottles for that slot. I refill a pill organizer every Sunday morning in about 10 minutes.
One more thing before we get into it, timing matters more than most people realize. Some supplements compete for absorption if you take them together. Some are stimulating so they’re terrible before bed. Some are calming, which is pointless in the morning. The categories below include when I take each one and why.
Category 1: Deficiency (AM)
This is the foundation. If your basics aren’t covered, nothing else on this list matters. Remember from Part 1: your body’s master system is energy metabolism, and it’s nutrient-dependent. No raw materials, no output.
My deficiency stack is built directly from my Nutrahacker results, Cronometer diet tracking, and blood work. Here’s what I take every morning:
Electrolytes. Most people are chronically dehydrated in a way that plain water doesn’t fix. Modern filtered water strips out the minerals your body actually needs. I add an electrolyte mix to my first glass of water every day. I’m dead serious when I say that a lot of problems would go away if people were simply better hydrated.
There’s a hilarious guy on Twitter who swears this is why people in their 30’s four decades ago look like people in their 50’s now - nobody drank water back then and he shows the pictures to prove it. And importantly, water is just the delivery mechanism! It’s the salts and minerals that are in water that are what make the difference.
Vitamin D, 5000iu. Yes, the one that wrecked me for a year. Now taken correctly: with magnesium, off the PPI, and in a hypoallergenic form my body can handle. If there’s a single lesson from this entire series, it’s that the right supplement in the wrong context becomes the wrong supplement. I take it daily in the winter and every other day in the summer (assuming I’m getting sunlight which is the best source of Vitamin D).
Vitamin E as tocotrienols, 125mg. Not the standard form you see in most multivitamins. Tocotrienols are a specific type of Vitamin E with significantly better antioxidant and cardiovascular properties. Most Vitamin E supplements use tocopherols, which are cheaper but not as effective.
Phosphatidylcholine, 800mg. Supports cell membrane integrity and liver function. This one also pulls double duty in the energy category because healthy cell membranes are essential for nutrient transport. This also is a way for people that have the MTHFR mutation, like me, to get backdoor methylation support.
CoQ10, 200mg. Critical for mitochondrial energy production. Your mitochondria are the power plants in every cell. CoQ10 is the fuel they run on. Levels drop naturally with age, and statins actively deplete it, so if you’re on a statin and feeling fatigued, this might be why.
B1 as TTFD (aka thiamine), 100mg and B5, 100mg. TTFD is a fat-soluble form of B1 that crosses the blood-brain barrier much more effectively than standard thiamine. These support energy metabolism directly. If you have any sort of long-standing issue that you can’t seem to fix, I would definitely try 100mg of thiamine. The B5 is specific to my cortisol issues that I’ll mention below.
The B Vitamin Pulse. This one is specific to my MTHFR mutation, which means standard B-complex vitamins are basically expensive pee for me or an anxiety nightmare. Instead of daily B vitamins, I pulse once per week: hydroxy B12, B6 as P5P, and B2 as R5P. These are the active, methylated forms my body can actually use (except for B12, I cannot tolerate the methylated form).
If you have MTHFR (and roughly 40% of people have some variant), the generic B vitamins you’re taking might be doing nothing. This is exactly the kind of thing Nutrahacker flags for you. Note that some of us have to do a balancing act, this is why I pulse these and don’t take daily. If I have too little, I’m a zombie, if I have too much, it’s anxiety. Very hard to get this right for some of us but after experimentation I have the stack that works perfectly for me now.
Multivitamin. I generally advise against taking a multivitamin for the reasons I’ve already discussed: you don’t know what amounts, proper form of the vitamin you need and most importantly, which of the 20+ things in each pill are helping or hurting. That said, if you’re generally in bad health and don’t have time or finances to do the testing I recommend, you may want to trial a low dose of a very high quality multivitamin for a week or two to see if it makes you feel better. If it does, then you’ll realize that your issue is nutrients and you can start building your custom stack from there. I actually will take a multi once a week, especially if my diet has not been good or if I’ve been on vacation. This brand works for me and I only take 1 pill, not the 4 recommended. It’s high quality, has the forms that work for me and I tolerate it well. Think of it as a “patching” supplement to fill in the gaps if you need it.
Category 2: Longevity (PM)
These are the “future you will thank you” supplements. You won’t feel them tomorrow. You’ll feel them in 20 years when your cardiovascular system is still working properly and your peers are on their third prescription.
Vitamin K2 as MK-4, 500mcg. Directs calcium into your bones and teeth and away from your arteries, where it causes damage. Most multivitamins don’t include any or nearly enough K2. If you’re supplementing Vitamin D (and you probably should be), K2 is the essential partner most people skip.
Liposomal Vitamin C, 250mg. Liposomal means it’s wrapped in a fat layer that dramatically improves absorption compared to standard Vitamin C, most of which your body excretes immediately.
Lovaza. Prescription-grade Omega-3. Higher purity and concentration than over-the-counter fish oil because it has to meet pharmaceutical standards. Believe it or not, the generic version is actually cheaper than most of the high end brands you can get on Amazon so I’d ask your doctor for a prescription. If you can’t get a prescription, a high-quality fish oil or krill oil works, just check the actual EPA/DHA content, not just the total oil amount.
Bergamot. Supports healthy cholesterol ratios. Specifically targets LDL in a way that’s well-studied and complements other interventions. Worth discussing with your doctor before he puts you on a statin.
Low-dose aspirin, 83mg, every other day. Note the pulsing. Not daily. There’s increasing evidence that daily aspirin is too much for most people, but every other day still provides cardiovascular benefit with less GI risk. Aspirin has many other benefits if you can tolerate it and seems to be anti-cancer as well.
Situational: Berberine, 500mg. For LDL reduction and glucose control. I don’t take this daily. I use it when I destroy a pizza or blood work shows my numbers trending in the wrong direction. Berberine has research comparable to Metformin for blood sugar management, which is remarkable for a supplement.
NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine). Supports glutathione production, your body’s master antioxidant. Also helps with histamine clearance, which matters for me specifically given my high histamine genetics.
Category 3: Energy (AM/Situational)
I want to be clear about what this category is and isn’t. This is not caffeine or pre-workout. These supplements support actual cellular energy production. They build capacity. Stimulants borrow energy from tomorrow. These create more of it at the source.
Creatine, 5g. One of the most studied supplements in existence and still wildly misunderstood. Most people think it’s a bodybuilding supplement. It is, but it’s also proven to support cognitive function, memory, and mental energy. Your brain uses creatine for fuel just like your muscles do. At 5g per day, this is one of the highest-ROI supplements you can take. Very important if you have MTHFR mutation because 45% of your methylation system is dedicated to making creatine naturally in your body. So supplementing creatine gives your methylation system a much-needed break!
Phosphatidylcholine (listed in deficiency too). Healthy cell membranes mean better nutrient transport means better energy at a cellular level.
CoQ10 (listed in deficiency too). Mitochondrial support. If your cells can’t produce energy efficiently, no amount of coffee fixes the underlying problem.
Category 4: Nootropics (Situational)
Here’s where I need to make an important point, and it connects back to something bigger. Most nootropic content online treats brain supplements like cheat codes. Pop a pill, think faster.
If your deficiencies aren’t covered, your nootropics won’t do much. If your gut is broken, you can’t absorb them. If you’re sleeping 5 hours a night and running on cortisol, no amount of Ginkgo is going to save you. Nootropics on a broken foundation is like putting racing tires on a car with no engine. You’re optimizing the wrong thing!
This is a pattern I see everywhere, not just with supplements. People want the advanced tactic before they’ve built the base. They want the morning routine before they’ve fixed their sleep. They want the productivity system before they’ve figured out what they’re actually working toward. The stack has layers. The layers have an order.
When the foundation is solid, nootropics are the sharpening stone. I use these situationally for deep work, important decisions, or days when I need sustained cognitive output:
Citicoline CDP. Supports acetylcholine production, which is the neurotransmitter most directly linked to learning, focus, and memory formation.
Ginkgo biloba. Increases blood flow to the brain. Simple mechanism, well-studied, noticeable effect on sustained attention.
ALCAR (Acetyl-L-Carnitine), 500mg. One of the few supplements that crosses the blood-brain barrier effectively. Supports mitochondrial function specifically in the brain. Think of it as CoQ10’s more targeted cousin. This one also gives a nice energy boost as well.
Rhodiola, 100mg, stacked with L-Theanine. This is my favorite combination. Rhodiola is an adaptogen that supports focus and stress resilience. L-Theanine smooths out any edge (especially from caffeine), promotes calm alertness and is derived from green tea so it’s basically harmless. Together they produce a focused, clear state without any jitteriness. If you try one nootropic stack from this entire list, try this one.
Category 5: Relaxation and Sleep (PM/Bedtime)
This category exists because of my genetics. Nutrahacker showed me I have naturally high cortisol and low GABA. In plain English: my body’s stress response runs hot and my natural calming system is weak. Relaxation doesn’t come naturally. For years I thought this was just my personality. Turns out it’s chemistry, and chemistry can be adjusted.
Bedtime stack (daily):
Magnesium Glycinate, 240mg. The glycinate form is specifically chosen for sleep and relaxation. Glycinate doesn’t cause the GI issues that citrate can, and it has a calming effect on the nervous system. This is probably the single most impactful supplement in my entire stack for sleep quality. You are also probably deficient in magnesium (most people are) so this plugs a deficiency as well. Consider adding 200mg magnesium citrate in the daytime if you want to fully plug a deficiency.
L-Theanine with Inositol, 200mg. L-Theanine promotes GABA production, directly addressing my genetic weak spot. Inositol supports serotonin signaling. Together they quiet the mental chatter that keeps high-cortisol people staring at the ceiling or wondering why there are no words that rhyme with “orange” or “purple”.
Phosphatidylserine, 100mg. Specifically helps lower cortisol levels. For someone with naturally high cortisol like me, this is targeted intervention. If you suspect you have high cortisol, this is the one to try right away.
Situational bedtime (rough days): Taurine (1g), Glycine (1-3g), or extra L-Theanine (100-200mg). I rotate these based on what kind of stress I’m carrying. Physical stress responds better to Glycine. Mental stress responds better to extra Theanine. Taurine covers both.
PM support for histamine:
Zinc carnosine and histamine-specific probiotics are part of my nightly PM stack. These support gut lining repair and help manage histamine levels at the source.
DAO or Histaguard I take situationally before high-histamine meals (aged cheese, wine, fermented foods). DAO is the enzyme that breaks down histamine in the gut. If you get flushed, stuffy, or headachy after certain foods and can’t figure out why, high histamine might be your issue. This was invisible to me until Nutrahacker flagged it.
Bonus: The Detox Protocol
Twice a week I take an activated charcoal capsule 30 minutes before a sauna session.
The logic: sauna mobilizes stored toxins that get released into the digestive tract. Charcoal binds to them and carries them out before they recirculate. It’s simple, cheap, and adds nothing to your schedule if you’re already doing regular sauna sessions. I consider sauna itself one of the most underrated health interventions available, with a massive body of research behind it, and the charcoal just makes it more effective.
The Stack Is the System
Everything I’ve described here is a system. It was tested against data (genetics, blood work, diet tracking). It’s organized for execution (drawers, pill organizer, 10 minutes on Sunday). It has clear categories so I can troubleshoot when something isn’t working. And it compounds over time.
This is how I think about everything, not just supplements. Health, business, daily routines, decision making. Test, organize, iterate. Make the right action automatic and the wrong action difficult. That’s the core of what I teach in Zorga, my integrated life and business operating system at organize.io. Supplements just happen to be one of the clearest examples of the principle in action.
Your body is the platform everything else runs on. You wouldn’t run your business on a pile of random tools with no idea what each one does. Don’t do that with your body either.
If you haven’t read Part 1, start there. Fix the gut. Run the genetics. Then come back and build your own version of this.
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