The Ultimate Recovery Stack
Recovery is everything, and the older you get the more important it is to slow down your aging train, repair damage and feed your cells properly. On this page I share a routine (stack) that you can incorporate for maximizing recovery, minimizing inflammation and optimizing your gut health.
This stack is part of the overall nutrition plan discussed in The 7 Pillars of Optimal Health and can be adjusted accordingly. The focus of this stack is inflammation and gut health, but it does not factor in minerals and vitamins. So make sure to read the article and create a comprehensive nutrition plan:
Use what you learn in the article above to build a plan of vitamins and minerals as the base alongside these tools so you can maximize your results. The body needs many ingredients to function optimally and today we need them more than ever because we live in a very toxic world and food is not what it used to be.
All of these products are high quality, well established by research with minimal to no side effects and can be used long-term. I use these products regularly. Any portion of this stack can be incorporated into your health routine, from one or a few products to the whole routine based on priorities and budget. Try to keep to the timings for optimal results.
Morning 1 (Upon Waking)
Liposomal NAD (1 TSP)
Liposomal Glutathione (1 TSP)
Comments:
NAD and Glutathione are powerful compounds for detoxification and cellular repair.
The Glutathione helps with heavy metal toxicity especially, and NAD is especially useful for people age 40 or above, since NAD levels drastically decline as we age which results in slower metabolism.
Try to take these without water for optimal absorption, or very little water.
Morning 2 (30 minutes later)
BodyHealth Perfect Amino (10g)
Comments:
The body uses essential amino acids for repair and for building enzymes. Most protein we eat is not going to be assimilated 100%, and it puts a digestive strain on the body.
Having an optimized blend of amino acids in the morning gives your body good building blocks, and also signals circadian cycles first thing in the morning. This you can take with 500mL of water for hydration after sleeping.
Take 30 minutes before eating anything so protein can be absorbed.
The Ultimate Morning Shake (30 minutes later)
Mix the below ingredients according to their parts. If you don’t want to mix them but rather have them separate, then use 1 TSP for a part and 1/2 TSP for 1/2 part. You can obtain the organic powders in the links below from high quality sources. Take the final mixture and put two heaping TBSP into a shake along with 1 avocado (or 3-4 TBSP of organic hemp seeds), and 3-4 TBSP of organic, non-fortified nutritional yeast. Add 500mL of water, sweeten with a few drops of monk fruit extract and blend. Consume immediately.
Organic Cacao Powder (1 1/2 Parts)
Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Powder (1 Part)
Organic Pomegranate Powder (1/2 Part)
Organic Cranberry Powder (1/2 Part)
Organic Acai Powder (1/2 Part)
Organic Maqui Powder (1/2 Part)
Organic Beet Juice Powder (1/2 Part)
Organic Psyllium Husk Powder (1/2 Part)
Organic Ginger Powder (1/2 Part)
Organic Nutritional Yeast Powder (3-4 TBSP)
Comments:
All of these powders are highly researched for their anti-inflammatory effects and their support for gut health.
The powders linked are from reputable companies that provide lab testing certificates and are relatively cost-friendly, ranging from about $0.90 cents per ounce to $3 per ounce.
Herbal powders are often contaminated so it is important to get organic, and even then some companies are more reputable than others.
You can tweak the recipe how you want as all these things are healthy and good. As long as you get a few of them in you’re doing well. Nutritional Yeast is a high source of natural B vitamins, fiber and protein, and hemp or avocado is also highly nutritious. Cocoa also provides natural copper which is essential for many things in the body. Alongside this shake I personally eat two pastured eggs in the morning with some Ezekiel bread toast and grass-fed butter.
With Breakfast / Shake
BodyHealth Omega 3 (2 pills)
BodyHealth Relief (2 pills)
Fatty15 (1-2 pills)
Comments:
Omega 3 is critical as a building block for many things and helps reduce inflammation, improves heart health, brain health and many other important health outcomes. This formulation also has a powerful antioxidant, astaxanthin, which enhances the effect.
Combined with Relief, a product that has anti-inflammatory powerhouses like Curcumin, Boswellia and Ginger, this is a potent anti-inflammatory dose right in the morning to help you through the rest of the day.
Fatty 15 is pure C15:0 (pentadecanoic acid), a recently discovered new fatty acid that is from the saturated family and found (in tiny amounts) in dairy fat primarily. It has been the subject of intense research and science is increasingly calling it the “third essential fatty acid” (alongside omega 3 and 6) because of its wide-ranging healing properties and impact on multiple systems. Fatty 15 is anti-inflammatory and has benefits for the heart, brain, liver, sleep, immune system, blood sugar and more. You can read all the benefits, mechanism of action and research in my article below:
After Breakfast (2-3 hours), 30-45 minutes before Lunch
Comments:
Mega IgG is a unique binding product that binds bacterial toxins and bad bacteria in the gut and helps to reduce inflammation by modulating inflammatory markers in the gut.
It is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, so it is very useful and researched for people with inflammatory gut conditions, but also as a maintenance supplement for optimal gut health. It is made from bovine serum, so do not use if you are allergic to beef. For more information on how to heal your gut specifically and the value of IgG, read my article on the topic:
Workout
BodyHealth Perfect Amino (10g)
L-Citrulline (2-3g)
L-Arginine (1g)
Creatine (5-10g)
Comments:
Prior to working out take amino acids and put them in water. This particular combination will give your muscles protein to uptake, along with great circulation for a better pump.
L-Arginine and L-Citrulline are cheap amino acids that increase nitric oxide, a vital chemical related to blood pressure and healthy circulation. They are not stimulatory (like pre-workout drinks) and are important for overall health also.
Creatine is one of the most studied substances for athletic performance and is great to take every day for overall health. 5 grams per day is the standard dose, with 10 grams having added benefits for the brain. You can take creatine before you work out along with these other amino acids, and on non-workout days take it in the morning.
If you want to make a “workout powder” take Perfect Amino, L-Citrulline and L-Arginine powders and mix them together in a ratio of 4 parts Perfect Amino, 1 part L-Citrulline and 1/2 part L-Arginine. That will yield approximately the amounts above. Take the final mixture and use 3 level tablespoons.
Lunch
Boron (1 pill)
Lauricidin (1/4-1 TSP)
Quercetin UltraSorb (1 pill)
Organic Ginger Powder (1/3 TSP)
Comments:
More anti-inflammatory nutrients after lunch continues your body’s fight against inflamm-aging. Some ginger to help digestion is always a good protocol after lunch and dinner, so keep a container of the organic powder nearby and have a little bit after your major meals.
Boron and Lauricidin are affordable and effective nutrients. Boron has countless anti-inflammatory and interesting properties and is non-toxic (read more about Boron here) and Lauricidin is a patented form of monolaurin, a fat derived from coconut oil, that has unique anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects in the gut.
Quercetin has lots of anti-inflammatory effects and helps to boost beneficial bacteria like Akkermansia, and it also stimulates the tight junctions in the gut to heal.
Dinner
Sunbutyrate (1 TSP)
PureHMO Powder (1 scoop)
Sunfiber GI Powder (1/2-1 scoop)
Pendulum Metabolic Daily Pro (1 pill)
Seed Probiotic (2 pills)
MegaSpore Probiotic (2 pills)
Floraphage (1-2 pills)
Organic Ginger Powder (1/3 TSP)
Comments:
Dinner is where I take all of my probiotics along with some prebiotic, because food helps to increase the pH of the stomach and carry these bugs into your colon. Night is also good, because it’s the last meal of the day and that gives the bugs the most amount of time to colonize.
This particular stack utilizes many powerful, research based products that are designed to shape your microbiome, reduce inflammation, optimize weight and metabolism.
Seed is an all-around probiotic with a patented delivery system that can reach deeper in the colon.
MegaSporeBiotic is a spore based probiotic that is acid resistant and helps to support probiotics with a unique mechanism by targetting negative bugs and helping the positive ones.
Floraphage is a unique bacteriophage product that also selectively targets the bad bugs.
PureHMO is a synthesized bio-mimetic compound (meaning it is chemically identical) made by specialized bacteria and targets beneficial gut microbes, especially of the Bifido type. It is a unique product that is highly researched and excellent for anyone struggling with SIBO or gut issues, because of its highly selective action.
Sunfiber GI powder is a specialized prebiotic fiber made from partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG), and the formulation also has a high dose of bifidobacerium lactis along with it. PHGG is interesting because it is very low FODMAP and ferments slowly. Research shows it seems to have a preferential effect on the positive bugs and not attract the negative bugs. It is the least offensive of the prebiotic fibers and most gentle on the gut. Still, if you a recovering from SIBO make sure to titrate up to the normal dose and see how you feel. Prebiotic supplements help to maintain your gut flora from all the probiotics you take.
Butyrate is a key compound that regulates inflammation in the gut, helping with leaky gut and other inflammatory situations, as well as helping maintain optimal gut flora by modulating pH. Sunbutyrate is a patented liquid butyrate that is very bioavailable and survives digestion to make it to the large colon.
Pendulum Metabolic Daily Pro is a live multi-strain probiotic that naturally replenishes the gut microbiome, optimizing metabolism to support a healthy weight. This targeted formula also helps break down fiber and increases beneficial postbiotics and hormones, such as butyrate and GLP-1, which help maintain blood sugar levels, metabolism and weight. The result? Less sugar cravings and crashes—just balanced, sustained energy throughout the day. Pendulum’s acid resistant capsule makes it more effective when taken with food because the food bolus helps to deliver it to the colon, so take it with dinner.
Before Bed
Glutamine (5g or 1 1/2 TSP)
Glycine (5g or 1 TSP)
Slippery Elm (1/2 TSP)
Marshmallow Root (1/2 TSP)
Taurine (2 pills) or Taurine Powder (1/2 TSP)
Comments:
Before bed and at least 2 hours after eating I take glutamine, slippery elm and marshmallow root to heal the gut lining. I also include other amino acids for recovery that have many proven benefits.
Taurine, a simple amino acid, also has unique anti-inflammatory and regulating effects and is great for blood pressure, heart health and digestion (bile).
Glycine is another very well studied amino acid that has a variety of recovery benefits and is super cheap. It is good for gut repair, blood sugar regulation, sleep, joints, skin, glutathione reserves and HPA regulation. It also helps balance the impact of meat in the diet by managing methionine and homocysteine levels.
You can mix the glutamine, slippery elm, taurine, glycine and marshmallow root into a combination of 3 parts glutamine, 2 parts glycine, 1 part slippery elm and marshmallow root. Out of the final mixture, take 2 level TBSP with plenty of water.
DISCLAIMER:
The information on this page is presented for your education and personal research. Health is a complex scheme that requires individual nuance. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any health-related decision.