Nutrition & Supplements: An Individualized Approach to Supporting Your Health

Nutrition is one of the foundations of health, but knowing what—and how much—to eat can feel surprisingly complicated.

Add supplements to the conversation and it can become even more confusing. There are thousands of products available, countless opinions about which vitamins and herbs you "should" be taking, and a constant stream of new information about what is supposedly essential for optimal health.

My approach is simpler: start with the individual.

Nutrition and supplementation can be powerful tools for supporting health, but there is no universal list of supplements that everyone needs. The right approach depends on your diet, health history, symptoms, medications, laboratory findings, life stage, and goals.

Sometimes the best place to start is with a dietary or lifestyle change. Sometimes a supplement can provide useful support while those changes are being made. And sometimes supplementation is particularly helpful when nutritional needs are difficult to meet through food alone.

The goal is not to take as many supplements as possible. It is to identify where nutritional support can meaningfully contribute to your health.

What does individualized nutrition mean?

Individualized nutrition means moving beyond generic advice like "eat more vegetables" or "take a multivitamin" and considering what is actually relevant to you.

Your nutritional needs can be influenced by many factors, including:

• Your usual dietary pattern

• Your energy and protein needs

• Your age and life stage

• Digestive function and nutrient absorption

• Physical activity

• Metabolic health

• Medical conditions

• Medications and supplements

• Laboratory findings

• Your personal preferences and circumstances

• Your health goals

For example, the nutritional priorities of someone working on blood sugar regulation may look very different from those of someone recovering from cancer treatment, managing digestive symptoms, or entering a new stage of life.

There is no single "perfect diet." A useful nutrition plan is one that is nutritionally appropriate, evidence-informed, realistic, and sustainable for you.

Food is the foundation—but supplements can have an important role

Food provides much more than individual vitamins and minerals. Whole foods contain fibre, protein, essential fatty acids, phytonutrients, and countless other compounds that work together to support health.

For this reason, dietary and lifestyle changes are often an important part of long-term care.

But "food first" does not have to mean "food only."

There are many situations where supplements can be useful alongside dietary changes.

For example, a supplement may help when:

• A nutrient deficiency has been identified

• Nutritional needs are increased

• A nutrient is difficult to obtain in sufficient amounts through food

• Absorption may be impaired

• A therapeutic dose is needed

• Dietary changes are likely to take time to implement

• A supplement can provide useful short- or medium-term support while longer-term habits are being established

In other words, supplements don't have to compete with healthy eating.

Sometimes a supplement is the bridge that helps support you while you're building the habits that will serve you long-term.

Do I need supplements?

Maybe—and maybe not.

Some people can meet most of their nutritional needs through a varied, balanced diet. Others may benefit from targeted supplementation.

Rather than starting with a particular product, I prefer to ask:

What are we trying to accomplish?

From there, we can consider whether food, lifestyle changes, supplementation, or a combination of approaches makes the most sense.

For example, someone with a documented vitamin B12 deficiency may need supplementation. Someone with low iron who hasn't responded adequately to oral iron may require a different approach. Someone working on cholesterol or blood sugar may benefit from dietary changes alongside a targeted supplement where appropriate.

Supplementation should have a reason behind it.

When might supplements be particularly helpful?

When a deficiency has been identified

Laboratory testing can sometimes help identify nutritional deficiencies or insufficiencies and determine whether supplementation is appropriate.

Common examples include:

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin B12

• Iron and iron stores

• Folate

• Other nutrients when clinically indicated

Testing isn't necessary for every nutrient or every person, but when a deficiency is suspected or supplementation is being considered at higher doses, laboratory information can be useful for guiding treatment and monitoring response.

When dietary intake isn't enough

Even a healthy diet may not always provide everything your body needs in the amounts required.

This can happen because of dietary restrictions, appetite changes, increased nutritional needs, food preferences, or simply because some nutrients are difficult to obtain in therapeutic amounts from food.

For example, someone following a vegan or vegetarian diet may need particular attention to nutrients such as vitamin B12. Someone with certain health conditions may have increased nutritional requirements.

The goal isn't to replace food with supplements. It is to identify where supplementation can fill a meaningful gap.

When digestive function affects nutrient intake or absorption

The gastrointestinal tract plays an important role in breaking down food and absorbing nutrients.

Digestive concerns, changes in bowel function, certain gastrointestinal conditions, previous GI surgery, or other factors affecting digestion and absorption can sometimes influence nutritional status.

In these situations, it may be helpful to look beyond dietary intake alone and consider whether nutrients are being adequately absorbed and utilized.

When dietary and lifestyle changes take time

Some health goals require meaningful changes to eating patterns, physical activity, sleep, stress, or other aspects of lifestyle.

Those changes are important—but they don't always happen overnight.

A targeted supplement can sometimes provide additional support while someone is working toward longer-term changes.

For example, someone working on cholesterol may be making gradual changes to increase fibre and improve their overall dietary pattern. A fibre supplement such as psyllium can sometimes provide additional support in the meantime.

This doesn't mean the supplement replaces the dietary change. It can be part of the process while the dietary change becomes sustainable.

Supplements for metabolic health

Nutrition and supplementation can also play a role in supporting metabolic health.

Depending on the individual, this may include concerns such as:

• Blood sugar regulation

• Insulin resistance

• Type 2 diabetes

• Cholesterol and triglycerides

• Blood pressure

• PCOS

• Weight management

Dietary strategies may include increasing fibre and protein, improving the overall quality of carbohydrate sources, incorporating more minimally processed foods, and finding an eating pattern that is realistic to maintain.

Targeted supplementation may sometimes complement these changes.

For example:

Psyllium and other sources of soluble fibre can help increase overall fibre intake and may support bowel regularity, cholesterol levels, and aspects of blood sugar management.

Inositol is commonly used in the context of PCOS and has been studied for its potential effects on insulin sensitivity and reproductive health.

Berberine has been investigated for its effects on glucose metabolism and other metabolic markers, although it can have significant physiological effects and is not appropriate for everyone.

Omega-3 fatty acids may be considered in certain individuals based on dietary intake, cardiovascular risk factors, triglyceride levels, and other clinical considerations.

These examples illustrate an important point: the same supplement can have a very different role depending on the person taking it.

Supplements for digestive health

Nutrition can also be an important part of managing digestive concerns such as constipation, loose stools, changes in bowel frequency, or other changes in digestive function.

The first step is understanding what may be contributing to the symptoms.

Depending on the situation, nutritional strategies may include adjusting fibre intake, fluid intake, meal timing, or the types of foods being consumed.

Supplements can sometimes provide additional support.

For example, psyllium is a soluble fibre that can be useful in both constipation and certain forms of loose stool because of its ability to absorb water and influence stool consistency.

Flaxseed can also be a useful source of fibre and other nutrients and may be incorporated into a broader dietary approach.

The appropriate type and amount of fibre varies between individuals. Increasing fibre too quickly, particularly when fluid intake is inadequate, can sometimes worsen digestive symptoms.

What about supplements during cancer treatment?

Nutrition and supplementation can be particularly nuanced during cancer treatment.

Your nutritional needs may change during treatment, and symptoms such as nausea, changes in appetite, taste changes, constipation, diarrhea, or difficulty eating can make meeting those needs more challenging.

This is an area where individualized nutritional support can be valuable.

I have a separate article dedicated specifically to nutrition during cancer treatment, which goes into greater detail about maintaining nutrition, protein intake, managing treatment-related symptoms, and adapting nutrition to the different stages of treatment.

Supplements can also sometimes have a role, but the context is particularly important during cancer treatment.

Some vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other supplements can interact with medications or affect biological pathways relevant to cancer treatment. For this reason, supplements should be reviewed in the context of your specific diagnosis, treatment regimen, medications, and goals.

More isn't necessarily better—and a supplement that is appropriate in one situation may not be appropriate during another.

How do you choose the right supplement?

Choosing a supplement involves much more than deciding which nutrient sounds beneficial.

I consider several factors, including:

1. What are we trying to accomplish?

There should be a clear reason for using the supplement.

2. Is there evidence that it can help?

The quality and amount of research varies considerably between supplements and health conditions.

3. What dose is appropriate?

A nutrient can be beneficial at one dose and problematic at another. Higher doses aren't automatically more effective.

4. Which form should be used?

Different forms of the same nutrient can have different absorption, tolerability, and clinical effects.

5. How long should it be taken?

Some supplements may be useful for a defined period, while others may be appropriate for longer-term use depending on the individual's needs.

6. Could it interact with medications or other supplements?

This is particularly important when taking multiple supplements, prescription medications, or cancer treatments.

7. How will we know if it is helping?

Where appropriate, symptoms, laboratory markers, or other measurable outcomes can help determine whether a supplement is actually providing benefit.

Why supplement quality matters

Not all supplements are created equally.

Products can differ in:

• Ingredient forms

• Dose and concentration

• Extraction methods

• Standardization

• Quality control

• Contamination testing

• Third-party testing

• Stability and storage

Two products with the same ingredient listed on the label may therefore not necessarily be equivalent.

When recommending supplements, I consider both the evidence for the intervention and the quality and formulation of the specific product.

Can natural supplements have side effects?

Absolutely.

Vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other supplements can have meaningful physiological effects. This is part of why they can be useful—but it also means they should be used thoughtfully.

Potential issues vary depending on the supplement and can include:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms

• Effects on blood pressure or blood sugar

• Effects on blood clotting

• Changes in laboratory values

• Interactions with medications

• Interactions between multiple supplements

• Toxicity at excessive doses

This doesn't mean supplements should be viewed negatively.

It simply means that "natural" and "safe" are not interchangeable terms.

The same principle applies to conventional medications: what matters is whether the intervention is appropriate for the individual, at the right dose, for the right reason.

What does a nutrition and supplementation consultation look like?

A consultation begins with understanding you, rather than starting with a list of supplements.

Depending on your goals and concerns, we may review:

• Your current diet and eating patterns

• Symptoms and health concerns

• Medical history

• Medications and existing supplements

• Relevant laboratory testing

• Digestive function

• Physical activity and lifestyle

• Your goals and priorities

From there, we can identify practical dietary changes and determine whether targeted supplementation may be useful.

This might mean recommending several changes at once—but it might also mean starting with one or two manageable steps.

The goal is to create a plan that is evidence-informed, practical, and sustainable.

The bottom line

Good nutrition is not about following the perfect diet, and supplementation is not about having the longest possible list of products.

Nutrition and supplements work best when they are individualized.

Food and lifestyle changes provide the foundation for long-term health, while targeted supplements can sometimes help address deficiencies, support specific health goals, or provide a bridge while longer-term changes are being established.

Whether you're working on metabolic health, digestive symptoms, nutritional deficiencies, healthy aging, or navigating cancer treatment, the right approach depends on your individual circumstances.

The goal isn't to ask, "What supplements should everyone take?"

It's to ask:

"What does this person need, and what is the most appropriate way to provide it?"

Interested in nutrition and supplementation support?

If you're looking for help understanding your nutritional needs, making realistic dietary changes, or determining whether targeted supplementation may be appropriate for you, an individualized consultation can help create a plan based on your health history, goals, and available evidence.

Book an Appointment →

Important note

Nutritional and supplement recommendations are individualized and may not be appropriate for everyone. Supplements can interact with medications and may have side effects or contraindications. This article is intended for general educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical advice.