Welcome to “My Supplement Formula,” our interview series that explores how high achievers use nutrition to unlock their potential. Check in each month to get an exclusive look into the supplement routines of the world’s greatest athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs.
For our inaugural interview, we caught up with Sara Quiriconi, a.k.a. @livefreewarrior—actress, model, host, writer, producer, and entrepreneur.
Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
Present day, I’m based out of Los Angeles as a professional, actor, writer, voiceover artist, producer, and entrepreneur. A performer and creator since birth, I’ve always been very active, imaginative, a performer and on the go.
However, backing up the timeline a bit, before I got into any kind of career or profession, I struggled in my teens with anxiety and mental health issues, along with food and alcohol addictions. In my late teens, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer of the blood system with varying unknown causes. Shortly after treatment and being given an “all clear” pass from the Oncology team, I went back to college graduating with a high-honors degree in journalism, advertising and graphic design.
Jumping into the corporate creative world I excelled in design, marketing, and advertising; later leaving it behind and finding inner peace and solace studying yoga, mindfulness, nutrition, and holistic health. After so many years of struggling to accept my body, I started seeking out ways to heal and embrace my body. This took me back to creative storytelling and performing through the arts choosing to inspire others to never settle, live on purpose with purpose and to live free.
What type of supplement regimen do you practice? What types of vitamins, minerals, and other supplements do you take?
What’s so interesting is, I’ve taken supplements for a long time now. That element hasn’t changed. I’ve always been one to avoid medications when possible and opt for more “natural” solutions.
The word supplement can be general, so what I’ve taken over the years has certainly changed. From a generic and probably not-so-clean multivitamin and calcium pill to present day supplements that are pure, vegan when possible, sourced sustainably, without additives or fillers, and from companies that have high standards, my inquisitive, critical eye for quality certainly has changed.
Most days I’ll take a combination of all or a combination of the following: Turmeric Antiinflammatories, Vegan Omega-3 or fish oil, Ashwagandha in the evenings, iodine drops in lemon water in AM, mushroom extracts (Lion’s mane, Turkey Tail, Reishi, chaga), Probiotics, Athletic Greens Powder in Water and Better & Better Toothpaste twice a day.
What inspired you to take these particular supplements?
No pun intended, but my gut. There was an intuitive feeling that, compared to pills to heal my skin issues, digestive health, lower anxiety or help me sleep, I knew there had to be a better way. Being a cancer survivor, wanting to take charge of my health, I started doing research, reaching out to experts, interviewing others in the field, writing papers and articles on such topics, leading podcast interviews, studying books, taking online courses and diving deep into the web for opinions, studies and reputable information.
In short, I got curious and started asking WHY. With trial and error on the findings that came up, I became a keen observer of my own body and how it reacted to these supplemental changes over time. The positive ones I’ve kept up with, and the ones that I didn’t notice much difference or had the opposite effect I let go. We’re all so different and each of our bodies unique that it would be impossible to offer a one-size-fits-all approach to supplements and well-being. So, trial and error and simplification would be my greatest tips to finding your own supplement groove.
How do your supplements impact your performance and daily life? How do you feel?
I didn’t feel it all immediately; however, not having to take medications for the majority of my life, I’ve worked to take supplements that help to balance myself and mindset with stress, improve and heal my immune system naturally when I need to, preparing for travel and boosting my immune system naturally (I barely ever getting sick, improved sleep and overall better energy with a more positive outlook on life and circumstances that come my way.
What do you know about supplements that you wish you knew 10 years ago?
Look for clean sources of product. Read the packaging and labels, but also do your own background check and research online or even calling the companies in addition to just reading the marketing jargon on the box. Simplify your routines, it doesn’t have to be complicated, humans complicate life. If it has “may contain…” stay away. If it’s advertised by the government or on TV, most likely I’ll stay away. Sugar-free has many stipulations, look at ingredients labels. The fewer ingredients the better. A “multivitamin” won’t cover all your nutritional needs in life.
Smile more. Fret less. Love hard. Play more. Think less.
Sara Quiriconi
