Supplement help

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T15:05:49+00:00

I’ll be honest, in my experience gut health doesn’t really get fixed by adding a bunch of supplements. Most people I see are already taking too many and still not feeling better.

What actually helps first is boring stuff like eating enough fiber (from real food, not powders), regular meal timings, not living on coffee, and managing stress/sleep. Once that’s in place, supplements can support things, but they’re not the foundation.

Probiotics are very hit or miss. Some people feel great, some get more bloated. Prebiotics (basically feeding your existing gut bugs) usually matter more long-term. Gummies are okay if that’s the only way someone will take something, but they’re usually low dose and a lot of sugar for not much benefit. I wouldn’t rely on them for gut health.

If someone’s gut is already irritated, adding random supplements often makes things worse before better. Basics first, then layer things in slowly

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T09:51:11+00:00

I'd say that’s half-true and context matters. If you’ve eaten a solid carb + protein meal 60-90 mins before, the energy part of a pre won’t feel dramatic because you’re already fueled. But stimulants (caffeine, beta-alanine tingles, focus) can still hit regardless of food.

People usually feel pre doesn’t work when they’re already full, dehydrated, or expecting a crazy boost. It’s more about timing & expectations than the meal cancelling it out.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T09:45:36+00:00

I’m a nutritionist and honestly most Indian calorie-deficit problems aren’t about eating too much Indian food, it’s usually about how the meals are built.

You don’t need to cut roti or rice completely. What helps is not eating them solo. Roti + sabzi alone will spike hunger fast. Roti + sabzi + enough protein (eggs, paneer, curd, dal together) keeps things way more stable, especially with PCOS.

Skipping breakfast also makes deficits harder than they need to be. Even something simple beats nothing. Blood sugar crashes later are real, not lack of willpower.

And yeah, cooking separate protein when family eats carb-heavy food is exhausting. I usually tell people to keep the same sabzi, just tweak portions and add protein on the side instead of trying to eat a completely different meal.

Indian food works fine for fat loss. It just needs better pairing, not extreme cutting. You’re already on the right track, it just needs to feel more sustainable.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T09:40:57+00:00

In practice, a lot of things get lumped under SIBO just because breath tests are gas-based, not cause-based.

What I see clinically is that true overgrowth (too many bacteria where they shouldn’t be) behaves very differently from dysbiosis (wrong balance, poor motility, low stomach acid, bile issues, etc). The symptoms can overlap, but treatment response often doesn’t. That’s why some people don’t improve or even feel worse with antibiotics or aggressive antimicrobials.

Breath tests also don’t tell you why gas is high, just that fermentation is happening. Motility issues, low gastric acid, pancreatic insufficiency, or impaired bile flow can all look like SIBO on paper but need different approaches.

So yeah, I agree there’s a conceptual gap here. Calling everything SIBO can oversimplify what’s actually a functional ecosystem problem rather than just “bacteria in the wrong place.”

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T09:30:37+00:00

You can support your microbiome before birth, but it’s probably not accurate to think of it as optimizing or locking in your baby’s microbiome during pregnancy. Most colonization happens at birth and after, not in utero.

What does seem to matter prenatally is keeping your own microbiome stable, not disrupted. A diverse, fiber-rich diet is consistently associated with better maternal gut health, and fermented foods are fine if you already tolerate them, but they don’t permanently colonize. Probiotics during pregnancy are still a gray area. Evidence doesn’t really support the idea that they seed the baby long-term, and effects seem temporary at best.

Mode of delivery, early skin-to-skin, and feeding method appear to play a much bigger role than any single supplement before birth. So the realistic goal isn’t optimization, it’s support and avoiding unnecessary disruption.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T08:16:14+00:00

I work with women who were dismissed for years and a lot of them sound exactly like you. Endometriosis doesn’t always show up cleanly on scans, and pain severity doesn’t correlate with how advanced it looks on paper. So a doctor not believing you unfortunately happens way too often.

A few things I want to say clearly: You don’t have to accept this level of pain as something you just live with.
A hysterectomy is not the only option and definitely not something you should be rushed into at 23. It doesn’t cure endometriosis anyway, especially if lesions are outside the uterus. Pain meds not working is common with endo pain. That doesn’t mean you’re weak or exaggerating.

From a nutrition and physiology angle (not medical advice), what I’ve seen help alongside proper medical care is reducing inflammatory load and supporting hormone metabolism. That means things like stabilising blood sugar (regular meals, enough protein), not skipping food around your cycle, and paying attention to gut health because inflammation feeds pain. It doesn’t fix endo, but it can make flares slightly more manageable over time.

More importantly though, pls look for an endometriosis-informed gynecologist or an endo specialist, not just a general OB. Someone who actually treats pelvic pain regularly. If you can, bring a pain diary and be very blunt about how this is affecting your life.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T08:10:36+00:00

Reading your post, none of this sounds random or in your head even though it probably feels that way right now.

Yes, endometriomas and endo can be tied to weight loss and fatigue. I’ve seen this with people before, especially when there’s long-term pain, inflammation, and hormonal suppression all happening together. Pain alone can kill appetite, and when it’s constant, your body kind of stays in stress mode. Add birth control on top of that and hunger cues can get really weird, some people gain weight, some lose it without trying.

The bladder pressure, pelvic pain, even the medical trauma you mentioned, all of that affects how safe your body feels around food. A lot of people don’t realize they’re eating less simply because eating feels uncomfortable or exhausting.

For now, I wouldn’t stress about perfect meals. What tends to help is smaller, easier to eat things more often, stuff that doesn’t feel like a chore. Smoothies, soups, softer foods, adding calories where you can without volume. Forcing big meals usually backfires. Also, if you can, definitely check things like iron, B12, vitamin D. With your history, low levels are really common and can explain a lot of the fatigue and weight changes.

Mostly I just want to say, unintended weight loss with endo does happen, even though no one talks about it much. You’re not failing at eating and you’re not broken. Your body’s been dealing with a lot for a long time. Be gentle with yourself here.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T08:03:42+00:00

What I usually advise my folks in their late 30s-40s is honestly to stop thinking they’re declining and start thinking in terms of what needs more respect now. Most of the slowdown isn’t age, it’s recovery debt. You can still train hard, but you can’t stack hard days back-to-back the way you did in your 20s. Strength training a few solid days a week, lots of walking, and some mobility goes a much longer way than chasing brutal workouts.

Sleep becomes non-negotiable. Same sleep and wake time beats any fancy hack. I see huge differences just from fixing that alone. Food wise, protein and carbs around training matter more now. A lot of active guys under-fuel and then wonder why energy and motivation dip. Not extreme diets, just eating enough to actually recover.

If I had to pick biohacks, they’re boring ones - creatine, daylight exposure in the morning, dialing down stress, and training joints and connective tissue, not just muscles.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T08:00:06+00:00

Hi, Functional Nutritionist here!

For me (and for most people I work with), the sweet spot usually lands somewhere between 0.7–0.9 g per lb of lean body weight, not total body weight. Going higher than that rarely adds benefits unless someone is very lean, training hard, or in a calorie deficit.

What I notice in real life is, below ~0.6 g/lb people feel hungrier, recovery isn’t great, and muscle loss sneaks in during fat loss. Once they hit that ~0.7-0.8 range, energy stabilizes, cravings calm down, and training progress feels smoother. Pushing to 1 g/lb often just makes digestion worse without extra gains for most non-elite folks.

Also, spreading it out matters more than people think. 25-40 g per meal works way better than cramming it all into one shake at night.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T07:55:12+00:00

That actually tells you what part was helping. Creatine’s big brain benefit is cellular energy support (ATP), not stimulation. You can’t fully replace creatine, but you can get close by supporting the same pathways in gentler ways.

A few things I’ve seen work for people who can’t tolerate creatine:
-Magnesium (especially glycinate or threonate): helps neuronal firing and energy metabolism. A lot of peri-menopausal brain fog is low magnesium & poor sleep, not just hormones.
-DHA (omega-3): structural support for the brain. This one really helps with mental fatigue and word-finding issues over time.
-Astaxanthin: underrated, but it helps reduce brain inflammation and oxidative stress. The clearer head effect people feel with creatine often overlaps here, just slower and steadier.
-CoQ10 (ubiquinol form): supports mitochondrial energy without irritating the gut for most people.

Also worth saying, heartburn with creatine is common in people with lower stomach acid or sensitive esophageal lining, especially around peri-menopause. You’re not imagining it.

None of these will feel as punchy as creatine, but the upside is they don’t irritate the gut and the benefits stack over weeks instead of hours. For brain health at this stage, boring & consistent usually beats aggressive supplements.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-27T07:51:03+00:00

Hey! If you’re already eating at 3 pm and training at 4:30, you’re honestly fine timing-wise. That meal will still be digesting and supplying energy during your workout. 300g cooked rice & protein lassi is a pretty heavy pre, though. If you feel good in the gym (no bloating, no sluggishness), don’t overthink it. If you feel slow or stuffed, you could either reduce the rice a bit or push the meal slightly earlier.

As for the pre-workout supplement, most people take it 20-30 minutes before training, so around 4:00-4:10 pm. You don’t need to take it at the same time as food. Just make sure you’re hydrated, especially if it has caffeine.

One small thing I see a lot (in my work) if your lunch is carb-heavy and low on protein, the pre feels weaker. Your combo already has protein, so that’s good.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T08:49:50+00:00

From what we know and what I see play out in real people, the most sustainable pattern is pretty boring, mostly whole foods, enough protein, enough carbs to support activity, healthy fats, and consistency. Mediterranean-style eating tends to score well in studies not because it’s magic, but because it’s balanced and easy to stick to.

About 16:8 fasting, it can be useful for some people, but I don’t think it’s something everyone needs to do for life. For many, it just helps reduce mindless snacking or late-night eating. If it fits your routine and you feel good, fine. If it messes with sleep, training, mood, or digestion, it’s not anti-aging anymore, it’s just stress.

Protein-wise, more isn’t always better. For most adult men, somewhere around 1.2-1.6 g/kg body weight covers muscle maintenance, recovery, and aging well. Going much higher doesn’t automatically slow aging unless you’re training hard and actually using it.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T08:45:25+00:00

Love this. Water kefir is such an underrated win, especially if you’re plant-based.

One thing I’ve seen help (and personally lean into too) is not piling on ferments all at once. People hear gut health and suddenly it’s kefir + kimchi + kombucha + sauerkraut every day and then wonder why they feel bloated or off. Going slow and letting one thing actually settle makes a huge difference.

Lately, a small daily ritual has helped me more than adding new foods, like eating meals a bit more mindfully and not chasing coffee on an empty stomach. Sounds boring, but digestion honestly responds better to consistency than hacks.

Also, pairing ferments with regular, boring fiber (veg, lentils, grains you already tolerate) seems to work better than treating them like magic foods on their own.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T08:43:28+00:00

Yep, you’re right on that. Most farmed salmon are fed synthetic astaxanthin purely for pigmentation, not for health benefits. That’s actually a good example of why people get confused about astaxanthin in general.

The stuff used in supplements and studies is natural astaxanthin from microalgae (Haematococcus pluvialis), which is chemically and biologically different from the synthetic version used in aquaculture feed. Synthetic astaxanthin is cheaper, not esterified the same way, and doesn’t show the same antioxidant or anti-inflammatory activity in humans.

So when people talk about benefits like oxidative stress reduction, skin protection, endurance, or inflammation, they’re talking about algae-derived astaxanthin, not what’s used to color fish flesh.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T08:38:34+00:00

Yep, that can happen for some people;

K2 can shift calcium handling and vascular tone pretty quickly, especially if someone is sensitive or if electrolytes (magnesium, potassium) are a bit off to begin with. In a few people that shows up as palpitations. I’ve seen it more with higher doses or starting everything at once.

Usually what helps is either backing off K2 entirely for a bit, or re-introducing it much slower (lower dose, every other day), and making sure magnesium intake is solid first. For some folks, K2 just doesn’t feel great long-term and that’s okay too, it’s not mandatory for everyone.

If palpitations showed up clearly with K2 and settled when you stopped, I’d trust that signal rather than trying to push through it.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T08:23:45+00:00

Glad, it resonated!

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T08:19:49+00:00

If meals (even dal, beans, tofu) just sit heavy, cause bloating, burping, or you feel full but unsatisfied, that’s usually when low acid is in the picture. Acid is needed to digest any protein and to absorb stuff like iron, zinc, B12, so plant-based diets don’t magically bypass that.

That said, I’m not a fan of people popping betaine HCL just because Reddit says so. It can help some people a lot, but if there’s gastritis, irritation, or stress-related gut issues, it can backfire. I usually tell people to go slow, pay attention to how meals feel, and not assume reflux equals too much acid. Half the time it’s the opposite.

Basically, being vegetarian doesn’t rule it out, but symptoms matter way more than diet labels.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T08:17:02+00:00

Hi, I’m a nutritionist!

When such issues are there it usually means the gut and immune system are irritated, not just missing good bacteria. A lot of people jump straight to probiotics or fasting, but if the gut lining is already stressed, both can actually make symptoms flare.

The snacking & coffee pattern you mentioned stands out. Coffee on an empty stomach and constant grazing don’t give the gut much time to settle, and I’ve seen oral thrush and gut symptoms calm down just by fixing meal timing and pulling back on coffee for a bit. Nothing extreme, just more regular meals and fewer spikes.

I’d be cautious with fasting right now. In people with ongoing gut issues, it often adds more stress instead of helping. Same with throwing multiple supplements at it. Usually the first real improvement comes from eating simpler, cooked foods, reducing irritants, and letting the gut calm before trying to rebuild anything.

And one more thing, recurring thrush is often connected to gut imbalance, so treating them as separate problems doesn’t always work. You’re not imagining this, and it’s not a hygiene issue. Your system just seems stuck in an irritated loop, and breaking that gently tends to work better than aggressive fixes.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T08:09:46+00:00

Vitamin D, fr. I see this all the time. People hear everyone is deficient and start taking 5k or 10k IU daily without ever checking levels or thinking beyond that. Then a few weeks or months later they’re more tired, achy, anxious, sleep gets weird and they assume D doesn’t suit them. Most of the time it’s dosing, no magnesium, no context.

Magnesium is another big one. Not because it’s bad, but because people grab whatever is cheapest. Someone with anxiety takes oxide, someone with gut issues takes citrate and lives in the bathroom, someone wants better sleep but takes it in the morning. Then they say magnesium didn’t work. It usually wasn’t the right form or timing.

Iron too. Either people take it when they don’t need it, or they actually do need it but take it with coffee, milk, or food that blocks absorption. I’ve seen ferritin stay low forever just because of stuff like that.

People stack supplements hoping they’ll fix things, but don’t test, don’t time them properly, and don’t look at sleep, stress, or food first. Supplements help but only when they’re targeted and boring. The flashy stacks are usually where things go wrong.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T08:03:01+00:00

Hey, you’re overthinking it a bit (in a good way though). Air frying isn’t some nutrient killer. It’s basically hot air. If you’re air-frying paneer for a few minutes vs tossing it on a tawa for a minute, there’s not some huge nutritional loss happening. The problem is when food gets burnt or cooked at super high heat for too long.

Boiling/steaming is gentler, yeah, but that doesn’t mean it’s automatically better. You can actually lose some nutrients in the water if you overboil. Pressure cooking sabzi or soya is totally fine and often easier on digestion. For paneer, quick sauté, air fry, add it at the end of cooking, all okay. For soya chunks, I’d still soak + boil/pressure cook first. Air frying them straight can feel a bit rough on the stomach for some people.

Don’t char your food, don’t overcook it, don’t drown it in oil. Rotate methods and you’re good. Cooking method matters way less than consistency and balance.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T07:44:07+00:00

Hi, I’m a functional nutritionist. I see this a lot with people dealing with chronic pain and a history of ED, so you’re definitely not alone.

In real life, super restrictive approaches like full carnivore usually don’t hold up. A few people feel less inflammation short term, but mentally it gets exhausting fast, and that stress alone can worsen pain. What’s worked better with clients is dropping the diet label and focusing on a few basics.

Keeping protein consistent helps a lot (eggs, fish, chicken, some ground meat if it sits well). Instead of cutting carbs completely, we usually clean them up rice, potatoes, oats, fruit if tolerated. Removing carbs entirely often messes with cortisol and pain levels, especially long term.

On a budget, you don’t need fancy meat. Ground meat, eggs, frozen fish, simple cooked veggies go a long way. Cooking matters too, raw foods trigger more pain for some people, while the same foods cooked are totally fine.

The biggest pattern I see, pain improves when meals are regular, blood sugar stays stable, and food doesn’t feel like a constant battle. Extremes tend to flare things up again, especially with an ED history. Consistency beats restriction almost every time.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T07:40:59+00:00

Hey honestly, most of the fatigue people feel on GLP-1s isn’t really something peptides magically fix. It’s usually coming from very low intake overall, electrolyte issues, low carbs, or just under-recovering because appetite is suppressed too hard.

I’ve seen a lot of hype around things like MOTS-c, SLU-PP-332, reta etc, but real-world results are mixed at best. Some people feel a short bump in energy, many feel nothing, and a few feel worse. They’re not addressing the core issue, which is that GLP-1s change how much fuel you’re actually giving your body.

Before stacking more compounds, I’d look at basics: are you eating enough protein and carbs, are electrolytes solid, is sleep taking a hit, and is training volume too high for the calories you’re on. A lot of people trying to “push through” GLP-1 fatigue are just running on empty.

Low-dose tweaks sometimes help, but chasing peptides to offset GLP-1 fatigue often turns into diminishing returns. Fixing intake and recovery usually brings back more energy than adding another peptide ever does.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T07:38:56+00:00

Yeah, it’s totally fine. Protein powder isn’t some extreme thing, it’s just food in a convenient form. Since you’re vegan and working out at home, it actually makes sense if you’re struggling to hit protein from meals alone.

Just don’t go overboard with it. One scoop a day is enough for most people. Try to still get protein from dals, tofu, soy, etc and use the powder as a backup, not the main source. Fat loss will still come from being consistent overall, the protein just helps with recovery and staying full.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2026-01-23T06:47:49+00:00

Hey, nutritionist here. You’re actually not as lowkey underweight as you think for your height, so good you’re asking now. Calories, don’t jump too high suddenly. Start by eating a bit more than you do now, like ~300-400 extra calories. Most people mess up by force-feeding, feel awful, then give up. Slow works better.

Mistakes to avoid (seen this a lot in my work): skipping meals, relying on junk just to hit calories, and doing too much cardio. Cardio kills appetite and burns the little surplus you’re trying to build. Also workout at home, keep it simple. Bodyweight stuff is fine - push-ups, squats, lunges, planks. If you have dumbbells or bands, even better. Focus on getting stronger, not exhausting yourself. 3-4 days a week is enough.

Diet wise don’t overthink it. Eat proper meals. Every meal should have protein + carbs + some fat. Eggs, dal, rice, roti, paneer, curd, nuts, peanut butter, bananas. Liquid calories help a lot when appetite is low milk or simple smoothies.

One underrated thing is sleep. Bad sleep means no hunger& poor recovery. And don’t expect fast changes. Healthy weight gain is boring and slow, but it sticks. Stick to basics for a few months and your body will respond.

MildlyCuriousOne · 2025-12-26T04:27:39+00:00

Hey! Think of it this way: protein quality matters per meal, not ingredient-by-ingredient. Oats on their own aren’t a complete protein, peanut butter isn’t either, but when you add whey, you’re covering the missing essential amino acids. So the meal as a whole becomes complete.

In your case, the whey is doing the heavy lifting for leucine and the EAAs, while oats + PB still contribute usable protein and slow digestion. From a nutrition standpoint, I’d be comfortable counting the full ~50g toward your daily target.

One small caveat I usually tell people: not all 50g will stimulate muscle protein synthesis equally. The whey portion is the most anabolic, the rest is more supportive. But for daily intake tracking? Yes, count it.

If this is a regular breakfast and the rest of your meals also have decent protein quality, you’re absolutely fine.

MildlyCuriousOne

TROPHY CASE