.png)
Functionally Speaking
Welcome to Functionally Speaking— the podcast where two clinicians share one brain cell and way too many opinions.
We’re here for the nuance, the hot takes, the facts your certification skipped over, and the occasional spiral into chaos. If you’re a health coach, practitioner, or clinician who’s slightly functional (just like our mitochondria and our recording process), you’re in the right place.
We’re not here to sugarcoat the science or pretend there’s one right way to do this work — we’re doing it our way. Unfiltered. Slightly feral. And always with love for the humans we serve.
Let’s get into it.
Functionally Speaking
28. Are We Overprescribing Supplements? A Practitioner Reality Check
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Are we reaching for bottles before we’ve truly addressed the basics?
In this episode of the Functionally Speaking podcast, we have a very honest conversation about the supplements we see most overused, overhyped, and misunderstood in practice. We’re not anti-supplement—far from it. But we are pro-context, pro-foundations, and pro-clinical reasoning. We talk about where things like DIM, oregano oil, berberine, zinc, and greens powders can absolutely make sense…and where they turn into shortcuts that bypass the real work.
In this episode, we cover:
- 02:12 Why we’re talking about the most overrated and misused supplements
- 03:28 DIM — when it’s actually appropriate, understanding estrogen pathways, and why it’s often thrown in too quickly
- 07:14 Oregano oil — “kill phase” pitfalls, chronic use mistakes, and why timing matters
- 10:07 Berberine (aka “Nature’s Ozempic”) — blood sugar benefits, gut impact, and why it should be cycled intentionally
- 13:39 Zinc — high-dose mistakes, nausea, mineral imbalances, and how to decide when it’s truly needed
- 16:51 Long-term zinc mistakes — copper depletion risks and choosing better forms
- 18:00 Greens powders — when they’re overrated, when they’re overused, and when they can actually serve a purpose
- 21:14 Fat burners — appetite suppression, elevated heart rate, and the money-grab marketing behind them
- 22:15 Biotin and “hair, skin, nails” formulas — why more isn’t better
- 24:06 Pre-workout formulas — hidden caffeine and what clients forget to disclose
- 26:26 Honorable mentions — iron and multivitamins in the right context (but not indefinitely)
- 28:46 Wrap-up, how to connect with us, and what’s coming next
Connect with Unconventional Collaborative:
Join Us: https://unconventional-collaborative.mn.co/
Website: unconventionalcollaborative.com
Instagram: instagram.com/unconventional.collaborative
Connect with Laura Ligos:
Website: https://thesassydietitian.com
Instagram: instagram.com/thesassydietitian
Connect with Danielle Kepics:
Website: https://www.empoweredmindbody.co
Instagram: instagram.com/danielle.kepics
The information in this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or qualified provider with questions about your health and never delay seeking care because of something you heard here.
Nothing shared by Unconventional Collaborative is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease, and supplement statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This podcast does not create a doctor–patient, provider–client, or supervisory relationship.
All practitioners are responsible for interpreting and applying information within the legal and ethical scope of their own training and credentials. If unsure what falls within your scope of practice, consult your licensing or certifying body.
Unconventional Collaborative and its contributors assume no responsibility for outcomes resulting from use or misuse of this information.
