Dr. Axe's Personal Supplement Routine (and Why)

By Dr. Josh Axe

I consider my morning routine to be one of the most important aspects of my overall healthy lifestyle, considering it sets me up to win the day.

On most days, I spend the first part of the day focusing on my spiritual growth, my family and my health, including by making sure that I eat energizing, balanced meals and supplement smartly.

With this routine, I find that my focus and productivity stay high, I’m able to remember my goal of serving others and making earth a more heavenly place, and that I ultimately spend time on what's important.

I also know that by prioritizing a healthy diet and supplement routine that I'm doing my best to keep myself feeling young.

Related: What Is the Right Superfood Supplement for You? Take Our Quiz

The Areas of My Body That Need Support

Like many adults, I’ve got a lot on my plate each day: I often have a hectic schedule, I try to work out just about every day in some capacity, and it’s important to me to eat healthy, home cooked meals as much as possible. Additionally, it’s essential that I spend time with my wife and daughter and do other activities that I find to be relaxing, such as getting outdoors each day.

The physical and mental demands that my lifestyle places on me mean that it’s essential that I focus on maintaining my health in a holistic way — including by eating, exercising and supplementing in a way that takes care of my gut, immune system, joints, back, energy, and so on. This is where my morning routine really comes in handy, since it checks off so many boxes in terms of providing my body with the nutrients and energy it needs.

Today, in addition to my diet, I focus on taking a variety of supplements to reach my peak level of health. I want to live to be over 100 years old, and feel good running around playing with my kids and grandkids!

When it comes to my diet, I often refer to the way I eat as a combination of a Traditional Chinese Herbalism diet along with a diet that incorporates certain Biblical diet principles.

Gut health is the area of my health that I focus on the most. The reason being: The gut is critical for nutrient absorption, which affects all other areas of the body.

Immune health also starts within gut health, so by taking care of my gut microbiome — via habits like eating probiotic foods and taking soil-based probiotics — I’m better able to support my healthy immune system. Finally, gut health is connected to the health of the brain and joints as well, so a well-functioning gut is critical for keeping me feeling positive and vital.

While I love being active and am in great health and physical condition, I also have to take into account that, like many people, I’ve suffered from former sports injuries in the past, including a torn ligament in my ankle, bulging disc in my low back and an AC joint shoulder incident. I was able to navigate these, but they sure made me realize the importance of taking care of myself!

I have used food like bone broth powder, turmeric and omega-3 fats — plus functional movement exercises and natural treatments like stem-cell therapy and PRP, Active Release Technique, infrared light therapy and Graston technique — to help keep my body strong and healthy from the inside out. Of course, everyone’s different and you should always consult your healthcare professional prior to starting any new dietary or lifestyle regimens.

Another reason I am so passionate about healthy living is because of my main mission in life, which is to “help the health of people and help heal the planet with the power of superfoods.” I know firsthand that superfoods can support healthy digestion, immune system, joints and more in a way that contributes to a greater quality of life.

My Supplement Routine

On a typical day I wake up at about 6:30am and start my morning routine by doing my “spiritual triathlon” — which consists of prayer, being grateful to God for all of the wonderful blessings in my life, reading something that’s growth oriented (often from the Bible) and sometimes also meditating.

Then I have a collagen superfood smoothie, take my Ancient Nutrition supplements, play with my daughter, Arwyn, and talk with my wife, Chelsea, for about 15–30 minutes. This is all before I begin my daily workout.

I start my workday at about 9am once my workout is over. Before the day gets going, I make sure I’ve had something nutrient-dense to eat. My favorite meal to kick off the day is a protein-packed shake, which I take my supplements along with.

My favorite superfood morning shake includes: 1 scoop Multi Collagen Protein, 1 scoop Bone Broth Protein, 1 cup berries, and 1 scoop Organic Supergreens powder.

At this time I’ll also take the following supplements: SBO Probiotics, Turmeric Tablets and Multi Mushroom Tablets.

Later on in the day, after my morning routine is mostly completed, I drink a combination of an Organic Supergreens powder along with matcha green tea. I love the energy that both greens and green tea provide me, so I try to incorporate them into my routine just about every late morning or afternoon.

I also take adaptogens, including reishi mushroom and astragalus, for extra immune system support and nervous system support.

Why are these the products that make a daily appearance in my supplement routine?

I believe that Bone Broth Protein and Multi Collagen Protein taken together, along with a healthy diet, is the best way to keep skin, joints, hair and nails healthy, especially as one ages.

In addition to the supplements mentioned above, to support my healthy immune system, I’ll take elderberry, echinacea, zinc, vitamin D and vitamin C — all of which support a healthy immune response and immune defenses, in addition to promoting antioxidant activity and healthy neuron function.

I’m a big fan of functional mushrooms and adaptogens, including ashwagandha and astragalus, because these supplements are beneficial for promoting a healthy immune system and healthy response to stress. They can also promote restful sleep and help give me the clearheadedness and motivation during the daytime that I need to tackle my daily to-do list.