How to have a great day at work: the three supplements that can give your day a boost

In her regular column, business founder and wellness expert Nicola Elliott looks at one thing we can all do that will make our nine-to-five feel happier and healthier

Yes, the industry is a bit like the Wild West at times, but supplements can have some real benefits (Getty)

When people discuss wellbeing, the subject of supplements will almost always come up. This is frustrating because it assumes you can feel instantly better by taking a pill, and that’s just not true – your wellbeing should be a toolkit of many elements. There is no silver bullet. 

Furthermore, the supplement industry is like the Wild West at the moment, filled with brands that promise the earth and deliver very little and products brimming with cheap filler ingredients – diluting any benefit down to almost nothing.

But there are three brands I do trust (I have really researched this market) because they really are full of the best quality ingredients: Wild Nutrition, Equi London and Bare Biology. Oh, and whilst we’re at it the best “food shake” that’s way more than a protein powder is from Supernova. 

There are also supplements that I take daily because the latest research shows many of us lack key vitamins and minerals.

First up is magnesium. The latest research shows that over 70 per cent of us in the West are deficient in this “wonder mineral” needed for over 360 functions in our body. Why are we deficient? Because modern food production kills it, and stress depletes it pretty quickly too.

When you think on a typical day many of us are running on adrenaline and empty – often grabbing fast food for lunch – you can see how that works out for us.

Henrietta Norton, founder of Wild Nutrition, tells me that even relatively raised progesterone and oestrogen levels reduce magnesium, so it’s super important to supplement during hormonal changes such as perimenopause.

For everyone, it’s the key mineral for supporting circadian rhythms to produce melatonin for sleep and has been shown to aid sleep initially and increase the length of quality of sleep by a further 20 minutes on average.

I take magnesium supplements about two hours before bed and it’s why I use bath and body products with magnesium in it. We typically lose about 120mg through our urine anyway – so load yourself up. 

My second go-to supplement is omega 3s. It’s no wonder this is what almost all nutritionists recommend no matter what age, sex or stage of life you’re in. Unless you are eating very good quality and wild sources of mackerel, sardine or wild salmon you’re probably deficient.

Remember, not all supplements are born equal... (Getty)

I recommend the ones that have been independently tested so no mercury, oxidised, or rancid plastic (no joke, these can be found in many cheaper high street fish oils) and also they are a decent strength. The benefits are huge.

Omega 3s will support heart and mental health and there are positive studies around certain fatty acids helping to lower inflammation – a game changer for short and longer-term brain health.

And lastly is vitamin D. Only 10 per cent of this can be achieved through diet and our bodies can only produce it naturally when exposed to direct sunlight (hard to control in the UK winter).

It's another vitamin with multiple functions: it helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus, which not only are the main building blocks for strong bones, but also aids your immune system, boosting resistance to viruses which we can all be susceptible to catching in the workplace.

So, whatever you take, remember not all supplements are born equal so do your research before you pop any pill.

‘The Four Ways to Wellbeing: Better Sleep. Less Stress. More Energy. Mood Boost’ by Nicola Elliott, founder of Neom, is published by Penguin Life at £16.99