Leah Kirpalani: "Why I Stopped Taking All My Supplements..."
For a full decade, my kitchen cabinet resembled the supplement aisle at Sprouts. Rows of neatly stacked bottles with promises to balance my hormones, restore my gut, and clear my skin. Some were recommended by practitioners, others discovered during late-night internet rabbit holes – each one the elusive missing piece to finally feeling better. Or so I believed.
In my 20s, living in San Francisco with all of my chronic health challenges, I became fixated on finding the next big-name doctor, blog, and supplement that would finally “cure” me. The dopamine hit was real—the surge of hope each time I clicked add to cart or tore open a new package. With every tincture, capsule, and powder came the possibility of transforming my life. And for a while, that hope kept me going. It felt proactive and empowering. I felt like a detective, searching for the thrill of solving the mystery. But after years and years of trial without transformation, I became absolutely exhausted by it all.
I was investing more time researching ingredients than listening to my own body. I spent thousands of dollars on protocols that promised everything but delivered little. I lost energy obsessing over what to take with what, when to cycle off, and whether I was missing out on the latest adaptogen or peptide. I became so consumed by the pursuit of healing that I forgot what it actually felt like to pay attention to what my body was actually in need of.
It wasn’t until I tossed yet another expired, half-used bottle into the trash, drained of any hope - that I realized this approach was just not working. I had handed over my power, convinced that wellness lived in a bottle instead of within me.
So, I stopped, almost cold turkey. I let my cabinets empty. I made the conscious decision to return to the basics—the few non-negotiables that I knew, deep down, were the true foundation of my health:
- SLEEP – Deep rest that allowed my body to heal.
- MOVEMENT – Workout classes where the movement energized me and the music inspired me. I remember being in tears during every cool down, grateful for that feeling.
- WATER – As a non-negotiable, and even more than I thought I needed, infusing my cells with hydration instead of relying on bottle of electrolyte powder.
- SELF-LOVE – In the way I spoke to myself, nourished myself, and gave myself grace.
Food as fuel and pleasure – releasing the anxiety around "perfect" eating and simply enjoying the ritual of savoring, without stress.
To my surprise, I didn’t go backwards without my supplements. I felt clearer and even more connected to myself. It wasn’t a magic pill that finally made me feel whole – it was being kinder to myself. When I started living in gratitude rather than fear, my healing accelerated.
This realization is what ultimately inspired me to open Shop Good. It became a space where I could channel the lessons from my health journey – where wellness was not about quick fixes but about supporting people in reconnecting with their bodies. Today, I absolutely believe in the power of daily supplementation when it’s thoughtful and intentional – and made of quality ingredients. But more than anything, I believe in the power of self-trust.
If any of this resonates with you, I offer you this: instead of inundating yourself with things you have to take, do or even omit, seek out daily rituals that genuinely excite you – that you crave. Focus on quality over quantity and let your intuition guide you toward what your body is drawn to. Don’t be afraid to simplify, strip it back, and identify a few non-negotiables that fuel your bio-individuality.
TLDR: No supplement will ever be as powerful as the love, care, and gratitude you
can give to yourself.
xo,
LK