Healthy Lifestyle

Supplements can have real benefits on a busy schedule.

There are tons of them out there, and a lot of them you probably don’t need. Get the scoop on supplements so you can make a more informed decision before dropping your hard earned cash on some products.

Supplements can be tricky.

Sometimes you can’t get everything you need from food, especially with your busy schedules. 5 minutes to eat breakfast or traveling all week for a business trip. That’s where supplements come in. The nice thing about them is that they help fill the gaps when you know you aren’t going to be able to get everything you need from food either for a day or for a certain amount of time.

The best way to determine if you need to be taking supplements is look at your nutrition and see if you’re getting everything you need. Are you eating enough food, is your diet diverse or are you eating the same thing over and over, and are you getting your fruits and veggies? If no, then supplementing may be to your advantage. You don’t have to always supplement, it might be all the time or it might be part-time. It’s not all or nothing here.  So don’t feel bad if you aren’t taking a vitamin every day or if you didn’t finish that protein powder in the 30 days as recommended.

Aside for a multi-vitamin and fish oil, my stance is take them when you need them and don’t when you don’t have to. It’s also very individualized so if you feel amazing taking them even if you’re eating is looking pretty solid, then by all means.

In the Jacked & Sassy Podcast, we talked quite a bit supplements and their role in your fitness plan.

There are 2 types of supplements, essential nutrients and nonessential nutrients.

Essential Nutrients.

Essential nutrients are those found in food that your body needs for proper functioning. Meaning, your body can’t make them on its own and needs to get it from somewhere. Examples include, proteins, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (nutrients from plants). These are generally found in food, so a supplement of them is not technically needed. But with busy schedules, it’s a great option to maintain proper functioning and a consistent level of goodness when you’re falling short in those areas.

Nonessential Nutrients.

These are nutrients that your body can make on its own or aren’t needed for proper functioning. These include creatine, glutamine, caffeine (say what?), tyrosine, and green tea extract to name a few. If someone tries to tell you that you need these for general health and fitness, they’re probably just trying to sell you something. They aren’t needed unless you have specific sport and body composition goals or you need something to make you friendlier in the morning (coffee).

What to look for when getting your supplements.

Since I’m a nerd, I like to look at the research and peer-reviewed information instead of mainstream magazines and newspapers (again because they’re just trying to sell you something). See if the company does research on their products and what that process looks like. You can always call the company and ask them about their research and how they test their products. A good place to check is pubmed for research on supplements you’re interested in trying.

As a side note, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate supplements so you really do want to do some research. Companies can put whatever claims they want on their labels and it’s not tested. Another thing to look at is interactions with current medications. Look for company’s whose supplements have been tested and certified by third parties such as the NSF or www.consumerlab.com. Choose supplements with few ingredients (preferably ones you can read).

6 Supplements Worth at Least Looking at.

Protein: milk or plant based. Great option if you’re traveling a lot, need something quick for breakfast, or are working on upping your protein intake.

Fish oil: high omega-3 content (at least 30% EPA and DHA). These can be taken daily and are a great option if you don’t like fish much or are concerned with the high levels of contamination in our fish supply. Take some time to see where the fish used in your supplement was sourced. If you don’t like fish or are allergic, algae oil is a great option too.

Greens: usually blended up fruits and veggies into a powder. Use these when veggie intake just isn’t going to happen, or if veggie intake is on the lower end. You can easily add a scope to your protein shake or smoothie.

Multi-vitamin/multi-mineral: probably should be taken every day as it’s difficult to get all the vitamins and minerals each day through food. I’m not a doctor and can’t tell you to take one, but I do encourage it. Take with meals and on days when food intake isn’t that great.

Protein-carbohydrate drink: not really needed in my opinion for most of you, but look for a ratio of 2:1 protein to carbs. Use during high-intensity exercise when the goal is muscle gain or athletic performance.

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs): leucine, isoleucine, valine, found in protein rich foods. Use during high-intensity exercise when fat loss or muscle preservation is the goal. Likely your protein powder will have BCAAs in it already.

Brands.

I have tried the following 3 brands:

Shaklee for their protein and their vitamins (and they are awesome!) They do a lot of research and development and test their products and the sources of their products regularly and don’t tolerate any level of toxic chemicals in their products. They are gluten free and vegan. And are sponsoring some of the athletes in the Olympics!

Garden of Life – I’ve tried their RAW meal and was impressed with how few ingredients they have in them, but they did have a recent recall. One of their employees gave me the run down on their vitamins. They have one that includes greens in it too. Pretty impressed by them, and the nutrition certification I have (Precision Nutrition) recommends them.

Vega – great option for vegan protein, not gross or grainy.

Precision Nutrition also recommends: Exos Performance Nutrition (now known as Thorne). I’ve done some research on them and am in the process of trying their products.

How or are you incorporating some form of supplementation in your fitness plan?

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