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You’ve probably have heard a whole lot about superfoods at this point, but how super are they, really?

With all the marketing money and scientific jargon getting thrown around… It can be dang near impossible to tell fact from fiction. That’s why we’re here to cut through the clutter (as usual!) and give you some solid, simple info on superfoods. Plus, what they can do for your health. 

At its most basic, a superfood is simply a nutrient-rich food that’s particularly beneficial for your health and well-being. Doesn’t sound so complicated, right? 

Well, that part isn’t! Where it gets messy is determining exactly which superfoods will work best for your specific issues, as well as making sure you actually get what you’re paying for. 

Read on to learn what to look for, what to look out for, and why Vital Greens & Reds, in particular, is a top-tier option to boost your baseline nutrition. 

In This Article:

First, the Simple Answer: Why Do I Need a Superfood Powder?

Here’s a quick review of why almost all of us would benefit from adding a superfood powder to our supplement routine. Because, despite the fact most of what you see on these superfood labels is marketing, our bodies do require a diverse range of micronutrients to thrive.

1. We’re Just Not Getting Enough Fruits and Veggies

Don’t get us wrong — it’s not personal! It’s a systemic issue: Most Americans don’t consume enough fruits and veggies.

According to the CDC, only 1 in 10 adults (so, like, 10%) are actually getting the recommended amounts of fresh fruits and veggies each day.

2. This Is a Serious Issue

Fruits, schmruits. Is it really that big of a deal if you eat fewer fruits and veggies than is recommended?

Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding yes. It is a big deal, because our bodies need micronutrients to complete the various processes and functions that keep us alive. Not getting enough nutrients from your food can lead to what Dr. Neal calls “diseases of deficiencies.”

3. Superfood Powders are Realistic Solutions

In an ideal world, we’d all have plenty of the following: Time to plan our meals, access to nutritious foods, and verified health education to help inform our choices.

But that’s not the world we live in, is it? While it’s always best to get your nutrients from whole foods, incorporating a superfood powder into your diet can be a convenient way to boost your intake of essential nutrients and support your overall health and wellness. 

With Vital Greens & Reds, you can easily increase your intake of key vitamins and minerals while also closing any gaps in nutrition that may be missing from your daily meals, despite your best efforts.

Let’s Get Smart About Superfood Powders

If you’ve still got questions, keep reading! Because we’re diving right into what makes a superfood a superfood. Plus, why so many options on the market are actually just second-rate food products, not superfoods.

The key lies in the ingredients, of course!

Superfood Powder Ingredients: How Does Vital Greens & Reds Stack Up?

Sure, there’s a superfood blend on every shelf these days — but the market is flooded with questionably-sourced, poorly-formulated, and downright ineffective options.

(Think we’re joking? Do some research on the ingredients in your favorite superfood powder, and then get back to us. If it’s up to our standards, we’ll happily eat crow.)

To ensure you’re getting the best support for your health, you need carefully crafted dosages of well-chosen, bioavailabile ingredients.

Vital Greens and Reds - 8.46oz
Vital Greens and Reds - 8.46oz
Vital Greens and Reds - 8.46oz

This is where our Vital Greens & Reds stands out from the crowd.

While most blends contain synthetic, isolated forms of vitamins that aren’t easily utilized by the body, ours uses real food. Dr. Neal’s expert formula is packed with actual fruits and veggies like blueberries, acerola cherries, beets, and spinach — meaning each dose offers a broad spectrum of (non-GMO!) micronutrients. 

Paired with gut-restoring probiotics, essential digestive enzymes, and antioxidants, Vital Greens & Reds hits all the bases for maintaining optimal nutrient levels for a whole, active life. And thanks to our strict third-party testing, our supplements are free of all impurities and thoroughly batch-tested for quality and potency. 

And that’s where another key difference shows up: contaminants.

Superfood Powder Contaminants: How Does Vital Greens & Reds Stack Up?

But wait, how could something marketed as a healthy option contain distinctly not-healthy things?!

Here’s the unfortunate truth: Supplements, especially veggie-based superfood powders, often contain several common contaminants like bacteria, heavy metals, and pesticides. 

Bacterial contamination, for example, can occur if the veggie powder has been harvested or stored improperly. At worst, this can lead to food-borne illnesses or allergic reactions — at best, it simply undermines any benefit you might otherwise get from your veggie blend. 

Same goes for heavy metals: lead and mercury can also be found in veggie superfoods because they often remain in the soil where they were grown even if they weren’t directly added to the product.

Pesticides and herbicides, too, can contaminate veggie superfoods supplement powders if not removed during processing — and nobody wants to be eating pesticides, right?

Re: These contaminants? It should go without saying, but we’ll say it anyways. Our Vital Greens & Reds superfood powder was formulated to not only offer maximum absorption, but also to deliver results safely.

We source our superfoods from organic growers and, yes, we do actually test for heavy metals like lead and arsenic! Every bottle through strict quality control processes to ensure safety and potency. How many other brands can say that, and back up the claim too?

The Superfood Strategy: Getting the Most from Your Superfood Powder

Here’s the part where we teach you how to avoid wasting money on well-branded bunk.

When it comes to strategy, as always, we like to start with the bottom of the Wellness Pyramid, where the lifestyle domains live. Because while adding a superfood to your daily routine won’t hurt, it’s not going to make a major impact on your health without the proper foundation to support it. Sound familiar?

Sure, Vital Greens & Reds is our go-to solution for maintaining baseline nutrition in a busy world, and hits all the bases for maintaining optimal nutrient levels for a whole, active life. But it’s not magic!

Like we say again and again, you can’t out-supplement a nutritionally bankrupt lifestyle. So what can you do to boost your superfood, at the same time that it’s boosting you?

1. Diet, Diet, Diet

And to be clear, we don’t mean ‘go on a diet’ — we mean ‘be thoughtful and consistent about what you eat.’ 

While a superfood blend may well fill all your micronutrient gaps, it’s up to you to handle the macronutrients. We won’t go full dietician here (there’s Counterside Consults for that!), but we’ll say this: fueling up consistently with wholesome, nutrient-dense foods is absolutely necessary for building your wellness foundation.

Learn More: Mastering Holistic Nutrition: Dr. Neal’s Top 5 Diet Guidelines

2. Discernment, Discernment, Discernment

Not all superfood blends are made the same. Like we said above, many of the options you see on the shelves just aren’t up to snuff. In fact, they’re usually banking on their multimillion dollar marketing campaigns to do most of the heavy lifting.

Whether they contain contaminants, their ingredients are processed within an inch of their lives, or they simply don’t include real foods — there’s lots of ways to drop the ball. So don’t buy superfood powders willy nilly, alright?

3. Dedication, Dedication, Dedication

Okay, so, you don’t really need to become a Vital Greens & Reds evangelist to get the benefits. (We won’t stop you though!)

When we say dedication, we really mean consistency. While this won’t be new to anyone following our content, we think it bears repeating — consistency works better than perfection, every single time. It is incredibly important to be discerning, do your own research, and choose the highest-quality options available, but most important of all is sticking with it. 

Even the most powerful superfood blend (like Vital Greens & Reds) will only work optimally if you give it a fair shot. And that means incorporating it into your routine in a sustainable way so you can stay the course and see results.

Recap: Supercharge Your Superfoods

If you’re looking to improve your health and feel better, but just can’t seem to eat enough fruit and vegetables, you’re not alone! That’s why the superfood market just keeps booming — on paper, they’re great sources of natural energy and micronutrients. 

When it comes to the day-to-day, though, many of these options get caught lacking. 

Not Vital Greens & Reds, though! We stand behind Dr. Neal’s unique superfood blend because it’s made with organic, third-party-tested ingredients and carefully formulated to give you the boost you need (and deserve!). With none of the filler or contaminants, obviously.

With our 100% plant-based formula, Vital Greens & Reds offers a jam-packed nutrient punch that’s suitable for everyone (including vegetarians and vegans) — with just one scoop a day. 

Magnesium supplements have been trending for some time now — and for good reason. This simple mineral is critical for a lot (like over 300) of complicated processes in the body! 

As long as you’re getting the right form of magnesium in your supplements, you can expect to experience benefits in your sleep and relaxation. And with sleep being so very important for the foundational wellness we’re curating in this new year, this little hack can pack a big punch. 

But wait, aren’t there things we can do to improve our sleep aside from shelling out our hard-earned cash?

There are, and we’re so glad you asked. 

If you know anything about our rebellious approach to improving whole-person wellness, then you know that we always start with the lifestyle domains. AKA, the free stuff. 

Read on to learn the 5 things you should STOP doing right now to improve your sleep. Then, once you’ve cut the cord on these 5 habits, you can add a chelated magnesium supplement to your routine without wasting money. 

In This Article:

Sleep Simplified: What You Actually Need for Better Sleep 

If you’re looking for a TL;DR section, here it is. 

Because, despite the myriad of gadgets, gizmos, and gorgeous branding in the wellness world, there are only three things you really need to fall asleep and stay asleep. 

1. A Calm Mind. 

This first one probably seems pretty obvious, but in our fast-paced world that’s addicted to productivity, a calm mind can be hard to come by. While not every soothing practice or meditation technique will work for your unique brain, it’s crucial to find the ones that do. 

2. A Calm Body. 

The next step is to make sure your body follows in suit. We know now that the distinctly-Western myth of the mind-body dichotomy has been debunked, so let’s let science lead the way. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Calming your body starts with giving it the proper care it needs to naturally wind down in the evening.  

3. A Comfortable Environment. 

That 65-inch plasma TV in front of your bed? It might be totally negating all the hard work you’ve done to calm your mind and body. Hence why addressing environmental factors that can prevent you from winding down and getting deep sleep could just be the game-changer you’ve been looking for. 

With this in mind, we’re willing to bet that you already know the changes you need to make in order to cultivate these three things. You’re smart, and we like that about you. 

But, if you want the nitty-gritty strategy for creating a truly calm environment inside and outside, then don’t close this tab yet. Below are the 5 things Dr. Neal wants us all to stop doing so we can actually get better sleep. 

Getting Strategic: 5 Things to Stop Doing if You Want Better Sleep

Before you throw the remote for your bedroom TV at us, let’s take a brief moment to remember why exactly our sleep matters. (And why these 5 habits need to be cut, despite our white-knuckled grip on them.) 

We already know that sleep is foundational to our overall wellness. But when it comes to understanding the impact our sleep has on areas of life, has it really sunk in? Or are these concepts sitting on top of our brains like a wine glass on a Tempurpedic mattress? 

Better sleep leads to better stress management and digestion, according to clinical research, and we all need help with that in our modern culture. Plus, getting better sleep can, in turn, help give us the energy we need to do the other important things in our lifestyle domains. 

Like that consistent exercise routine we promised ourselves we’d start this year, or those incremental changes to our environment that we know will improve our experience of life. 

It’s almost like it’s all connected, right? 


So let’s focus on what’s within our control. That is, after all, the key to thriv-ival in 2025. 

1. Stop Watching TV in Bed

Per Dr. Neal’s top-tier advice, we used to just encourage folks to take their TVs out of the bedroom. And don’t get us wrong, this is still a crucial step! As the old adage goes, the bedroom should be for sleep and sex only.

The problem is that, these days, many folks are watching TV on other, more portable devices like laptops. So just to make sure we’re abundantly clear, we’re reframing this advice. Stop, as soon as humanly possible, watching TV on any device before you fall asleep.

Sure, a little binge-watching in the evening is fine. Just make sure your eyeballs get some screen-free time before you lay your head down to rest. Otherwise, you’re creating the perfect conditions for racing thoughts and elevated brain activity.

2. Stop Doom-Scrolling in Bed, Too

You had to know this one was coming next! It’s true that even our smallest screens, à la our cellphones, are guilty of blasting our eyes with brain-stimulating blue light. 

While the scientific evidence of this phenomenon was new and startling five years ago, it’s become old hat. Like, now even Buzzfeed writers are talking about how blue light from electronics can keep us up too late and disrupt our natural circadian rhythm. For goodness’ sake! 

But that doesn’t mean that breaking the habit has become easier. In fact, with the normalization of screens, it might be even harder. So give yourself a little time and a whole lot of compassion as you adjust your bedtime routine to be screen-free. 

3. Stop Eating Stimulating Foods At Night

Removing stimulating light from the evening hours is a great step toward a calm mind, but what of the calm body we mentioned above? 

It works in much the same way. The sweet treats you can tolerate, in moderation, during the daylight hours might be having a different effect on your body at night. We asked Dr. Neal for the no-nonsense answer on this, and here’s what we got: 

Stop eating and drinking stimulants — caffeine, alcohol, and heavy or sugary foods — at least 1-4 hours before bed. 

4. Stop Sleeping With Lights On

Turns out, nighttime light exposure of any kind can seriously impact multiple bodily systems — from glucose management to hormonal health and beyond. (Is it any wonder then that night shift workers are typically at a higher risk for metabolic and cardiac disorders?) 

The research on exactly why darkness is so crucial during our sleeping hours is still developing, but when it comes to how we’re impacted by it… The science is largely in agreement. In fact, even something as small as a singular night light has been shown to “acutely alter hormonal and metabolic responses in healthy participants.”

This isn’t meant to scare you, though, it’s meant to inspire you. By simply removing the light you’re exposed to while you’re sleeping, you can help calm your mind, body, and environment all at once. 

Start with a great sleep mask. Take it further with black-out curtains. Go nuts putting duct tape over that little green light on your smoke detector. The world is your pitch-black oyster. 

5. Stop Inhaling Allergens While You Sleep 

Thankfully, this small environmental change is pretty easy, too. If you want to give your sinuses a break while you sleep, all you need is a good mattress cover. 

(Assuming that you’re not sleeping with the windows open or trying to snooze next to a gaping hole in the wall.) 

Hypoallergenic mattress covers (and pillow covers!) can do wonders for your sleep quality, especially during high pollen and allergen seasons. The reason being, of course, that our mattresses are like carpet that we sleep on: They trap a lot of junk under the surface. 

And while we promised that this blog would be centered on things you can do for free, let us remind you that for the most part, it is! Sure, you might have to spend a small sum to get a good sleep mask and mattress cover. But these things, unlike most wellness trends, are worth the investment. 

You do spend about a third of your life sleeping, after all. 

Learn More: 5 Things to Do (Not Take) for Better Sleep

Recap: Better Sleep Starts Tonight 

Narrowing down this list to just 5 things to stop doing for better sleep was no small feat. 

In fact, there’s dozens — if not hundreds — of minor adjustments that you can make to your bedtime routine to improve sleep hygiene, duration, and quality. From mindfulness and breathwork exercises to non-toxic sheets and evening showers, there’s a lot that can be optimized. 

So the next time you get a bad night’s sleep, don’t panic! And definitely don’t start buying sleep support supplements all willy-nilly like. 

Instead, take a breath. Remember the 3 C’s and remember that we’re on your team. Click around on our blog for more holistic sleep tips, or schedule a Counterside Consult for free, personalized guidance. 

(As long as it’s well before bedtime!) 

If you’ve been paying attention to our content here, then you’re probably all revved up and ready to build a strong wellness framework — right?

Because this year is all about leaving the resolutions behind and starting a revolution instead. A revolution built on long-term, foundational wellness that actually makes a tangible difference in your well-being, that is.

And one of the key requirements for this kind of self-care revolution is, drum roll please, quality sleep! As you already know, sleep is a critical facet of the 5 lifestyle domains. Quality sleep is crucial for stress management, effective digestion, and energy cycles — because, big surprise, they all work together.

Right now, magnesium is sitting pretty at the top of the sleep supplements chart. So, in our typical rebellious fashion, we’d like to debunk a few myths. Because, if you listen to the hype, magnesium sounds a bit like magic — a panacea mineral that can help your sleep, relaxation, mental health and more. And it is!

BUT. There’s a catch.

Read on to learn which common magnesium pitfalls to avoid, how to get the most bang for your buck, our dosage recommendations, and more.

In This Article:

First: What is Magnesium?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, what exactly is magnesium, and why is it so important?

Magnesium is what’s known as an ‘essential mineral,’ that your body needs it for a whole variety of critical processes. In fact, magnesium plays a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, and affects everything from energy production and DNA synthesis to nerve function and muscle health. 

This humble mineral also impact blood glucose and blood pressure management, as well as contributing to the structural development of bones and bone density maintenance. So, while the dose may be small, magnesium is responsible for some really big things! 

Learn More: Magnesium Deep Dive: Doses, Deficiencies, and Dupes

Magnesium for Sleep, Stress, and Mental Health

Recent research also points to a connection between magnesium levels and mental health symptoms. How so? Well, people with depression and anxiety are also, more often than not, suffering from a magnesium deficiency. Thankfully, though, the relationship between magnesium and mental health symptoms appears to be a two-way street!

While total magnesium levels can be driven down by things like chronic stress and other lifestyle factors, clinical trials show that supplementing the mineral can have promising (and significant!) effects on a range of mental health experiences, particularly depression and anxiety. These studies also show that magnesium supplementation can even help address treatment-resistant depression, which affects up to 60% of people with clinical depression.

All that to say, basically, that we’re glad this mineral is getting its time in the spotlight. It really is great for sleep, stress, and so much more. So trend away, magnesium!

BUT even with a supplement as great as magnesium, it’s still possible to get duped.

Because, spoiler: Not all magnesium is created equally. If you’re looking for magnesium for sleep in particular, you’ll want to be equipped with the right knowledge before you shell out your hard-earned cash. But that’s why we’re here — to make sure you’re buying the ‘help’ and not the ‘hype’.

Learn More: Science-Backed Supplements for Depression: 3 to Know

Magnesium for Sleep: Mineral Forms & Why They Matter

Mineral supplementation is a little bit trickier than some of the other micronutrients our bodies crave. For example, as a mineral, magnesium itself doesn’t exist freely in nature — it must be stuck to something else in order to be chemically stable. That’s why you can’t buy a bottle of pure magnesium, but you can get something like magnesium oxide, magnesium malate, or magnesium citrate. 

When we talk about different ‘types’ of magnesium, then, we’re really referring to the ‘form’ of magnesium, such as ‘salt form’ or ‘chelate form’. So, while magnesium in its purest form is an undisputed powerhouse, how can you make sure you’re getting all the benefits? 

What a mineral is stuck to affects a number of its properties, but there are two in particular that we should worry about:

  1. The amount of the mineral you get at one time (the amount per capsule, for example).
  2. How much of that dose gets into the blood, and how much stays in the gut.

But how do you find the answers to these questions when the whole marketing machine is in motion against you? Thankfully, we’ve got all the info you need right here. 

Learn More: Understanding The Different Types of Magnesium Supplements

Why Does the Form of Magnesium Matter?

The most common forms of magnesium you’ll find include magnesium sulfate (like Epsom salts), magnesium citrate (another salt), and magnesium glycinate (a chelated version of the mineral). 

First off, any wellness expert worth their salt (pun intended) will recommend a chelated form of magnesium. Chelates have much better solubility than salt forms, meaning chelated magnesium can better penetrate the cell membrane, where it lends its mineral magic to proteins, enzymes, hormones, and the cells themselves. 

There’s lots of misinformation out there. Many sources will tell you that all forms of magnesium are “easily absorbed by the gut.” This is simply not true.

The truth is, salt forms of magnesium like magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate have very poor absorption. Only approximately 5% of magnesium from these sources make it into the blood, and 95% stays in the gut. 

“But what’s wrong with that?” you might say. “My gut could use some relaxation too!”

Well, sure. But probably not like this! Magnesium in the gut causes water to rush to the colon, resulting in faster, more watery bowel movements. So if you’re constipated, magnesium salt may well help you out. But if you’re looking for any of the other much-touted benefits… You’ll need to reach for a chelated option. 

When magnesium is bonded with a larger compound, like an amino acid, the absorption percentage skyrockets to 50% or more. (Which is about 10x more than magnesium oxide.) And not only does chelated magnesium offer way more absorption, but you get way more magnesium where you actually need it. 

It is important to note, though, that even the highest-quality forms of magnesium can cause GI side effects if you consume too much!

What’s the Best Form of Magnesium for Sleep & Stress, Then?

After all that, we can get right to the heart of it.

Can magnesium actually help your sleep? Our answer is a resounding “Yes! But…” 

Don’t get us wrong — if you’re sleepy, sleepless, or suffering from spasms, magnesium just might be the key to alleviating your symptoms naturally while also addressing root causes.

But, if you’re like most of us, and want the relaxing and restorative benefits of magnesium, rather than the GI side effects, you need to make sure to get the right form. That means chelated options like magnesium glycinate, taurate, malate, or — the best of the best — bisglycinate. 

And with all that hype-busting background info out of the way, we can finally offer Dr. Neal’s top recommendation: Our heavy hitter, Easy Magnesium.

Why Easy Mag? Well, it’s a chelated form of magnesium that’s bound to two glycinate amino acid molecules. With 125mg of elemental magnesium per capsule and some of the best absorption of all magnesium options, you can’t go wrong with adding this to your shelf.

Especially if you’re fighting stress, soreness, and sleeplessness. 

Magnesium for Sleep: When Done Right, It’s Worth the Hype

TLDR? Here’s a quick recap:

You can help your sleep, your stress, your blood sugar, your bones, and much more with just magnesium, but you need to get the right form.

A chelated form like magnesium bisglycinate offers excellent absorption and ensures that the minerals get where they need to go, rather than just clogging up your gut.

So with the new year underway, magnesium is an easy option to add to your wellness foundation to improve your sleep and a whole host of other things. As long as you skip the salts and snake oil and reach for a high-quality, tested, and effective option like Easy Mag.