Where to Start

It's a ladder, not a menu.

Everyone asks me the same question. Not "should I take creatine" or "which greens powder is best." The real question underneath: there's too much health advice, where do I actually start?

Here's the answer. Each tier makes the one above it work better. And you don't have to be perfect at one to move to the next. You just have to have it mostly handled.

One rule before you scroll: this is not a purity test. I optimize so I can afford to be human. Pizza at 2am with people I love is not a failure of the system. It's the point of the system.

Tier 1

Sleep

If your sleep is broken, nothing else on this list works right. Your labs look worse, your hunger cues lie to you, your workouts cost more than they give back. This is why the first guide I ever wrote was about sleep and not supplements.

Start here: Sleep, the Foundation

Tier 2

Movement and food

Not a program. Not macros. Just the two questions that matter: are you moving most days, and is most of what you eat actual food? If yes, you're doing more for your health than any product can. If no, this tier is worth months of your attention before you spend a dollar anywhere else.

Start here: Move Most Days, Eat Mostly Food

Tier 3

Know your numbers

This is where most people start, and it's why most people quit. Labs and hormones are useful when tiers 1 and 2 are steady, because now your numbers mean something. You're not measuring chaos. You're measuring you.

Start here: Lab Values Decoded and Your Screening Roadmap

Tier 4

Fill the gaps

Supplements are last on purpose. They're the smallest lever on this page, and the most heavily marketed one. Once the first three tiers are handled, a short evidence-backed list can help. Before that, they're expensive insurance on a house with the doors open.

Start here: Supplement Basics