Supplements

Here are 24 Reasons We Need Supplements as cited in “Fitness – The Complete Guide” written by Fred C. Hatfield of the ISSA.

1. Poor Digestion – not chewing well, eating too fast.

2. Hot coffee, tea, and spices – beverages that are too hot as well as spicy foods cause inflammation of the digestive linings.

3. Alcohol – Liver and Pancreas damage

4. Smoking – irritant to digestive tract

5. Laxatives – poor absorption of vitamins and minerals from food.

6. Fad Diets – disgarding whole groups of food causes vitamin deficiency.

7. Overcooking – destroys heat susceptible vitamins.

8. Food Processing – freezing food reduces Vitamin E levels.

9. Convenience Foods – excessive refined carbohydrates causes unbalanced diet and deficiency in B-group vitamins.

10.  Antibiotics – fight off friendly bacteria.

11.  Food Allergies – omission of whole food groups due to allergies causes deficiencies.

12.  Crop Nutrient Loss – soil on farms is deficient in trace elements.

13.  Accidents & Illness – causes deficiencies depending on the injury.

14.  Stress – increases requirements for certain vitamins causing a deficiency.

15.  P.M.S. – women benefit by supplementing Vitamin B-6

16.  The Teen Years – deficiencies due to rapid growth.

17.  Pregnancy – higher demands for nutrients.

18.  Oral Contraceptives – decrease absorption of folic acid and increase need for B Vitamins.

19.  Light Eating – not enough nutrients taken in throughout the day.

20.  Aging – generally have a low intake of vitamins and minerals.

21.  Lack of Sunlight – insufficient amounts of Vitamin D for invalids, shift workers, etc.

22.  Bio-individuality – Wide fluctuations in individual nutrient requirements from the official recommended daily intake.

23.  Low Body Reserves – some vitamins have low reserves in the body.

24.  Athletics – additional stress of the body requires additional vitamins.

In general, there are many, many different supplements you’ll find in the stores.  The best guidelines is to be sure that you are getting 100% of your daily recommended. If you have questions you should speak with your Physician regarding the addition of extra supplements to your diet.

As a rule I recommend the following to my clients:

Multi-Vitamins – Be sure to take a good multivitamin everyday, especially while training, because physical stress can lower your resistance initially and allow your defences to break down.  No need to get “Mega-Vitamins”.  Use something that has 100 RDA that you can buy at Walmart or your grocery store.

1. Vitamin C – I strongly recommend taking an additional Vitamin C tablet each day.  Again, this is because your defences are lowered due to the physical stress you are placing on your body.

2. Protein Shakes – You can substitute protein shakes for portions of your meal plan but do not have them every single meal.  Try to find a low carb shake somewhere in the range of 5 grams of carbohydrates.  I recommend MRM low carb whey or MRM Low Carb.

3. Digestive Enzyme – These are helpful when you start adding additional vegetables and fruit into your diet.  I recommend MRM Digest-All and take one tablet with each meal.

4. Adding fish oil to your diet provides your body with healthy Omega’s.  I suggest one to two tablets per day of MRM Smart Blend.

5. Fat Burners – I do recommend fat burners but many people I know have had great success with them.  There have been too many different types on the market and then removed due to health issues.  I would suggest you seek your physicians advice when it comes to taking these.

6. Amino Acids/Glutamine – Taking a Glutamine Powder before bedtime helps your muscles to recover more quickly and assists in the re-building process.

The first tip I want to offer you to survive the holidays is to drink LOTS of WATER.  Water is very important to a weight loss plan and is VITAL to keeping your body operating properly.

It is a principal component of your body – 60%!!  And every system in your body depends on it.  It flushes toxins from the body and transports vital nutrients to the cells.  If you are not properly hydrated you will begin to feel drained and tired which is NOT a good thing when you are beginning a new workout program.

To meet basic needs, everyone should consume at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day.  This is to cover basic needs such as water that is lost due to normal functions such as breathing, sweating and bowel movements.

Beyond that – if you are exercising, if you reside in a dry area, or in an excessively hot/humid area, or if it is wintertime and you are indoors a lot using heated air, or if you are taking medications that tend to dehydrate, or if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you have a medical condition you need to accommodate for those additional fluids that are lost or retained.

My recommendation for water intake is to consume 8-10 8 oz. glasses of water… A great way to achieve this is to keep a bottle or cup of water near you at all times.  You will find that as you get into the habit of having it nearby you will have no problem consuming the proper amounts of water and you will be surprised how often you take a sip!  I keep a 64 ounce “Thirstbuster” cup handy so that I know I’ve at least consumed the recommended amounts and will refill during my workout.

Holiday meals and treats tend to contain a lot of sodium and sugars.  To keep your body from retaining fluids, it is imperative that you drink water to flush out all of the excessive salts and sugars.  When you are at a holiday gathering, try to avoid drinking anything but water.  This will help you stay hydrated, keep your calorie consumption down, and help to avoid the bloating.

One more thing…we’ve all seen the ads for Gatorade, Powerade, etc. advertised as another way to replenish fluids during excessive exercise.  These beverages do help to replace the **electrolytes lost when you perspire, however, many of these beverages also contain excessive calories.  You need to be sure that you account for these calories when you are trying to lose weight or you will defeat the purpose of training.  These beverages wouldn’t be necessary for a weight loss/weight training workout unless you were working out in excess of 60 minutes.  They are extremely beneficial for someone who is doing an endurance-style event such as a triathlon or marathon.

Lastly, do not, DO NOT substitute energy drinks, soda or tea in place of water!  These types of drinks can actually dehydrate you so try to avoid them if possible.

An amazing thing will happen when you start consuming proper amounts of water, too!  Your skin and hair will feel better, your mouth won’t be so dry, your sinuses will remain moist as they should be and you will become more energetic so go get that cup of water, (or not), and drink up!!

**Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis within the body. They help to regulate myocardial and neurological function, fluid balance, oxygen delivery, acid-base balance and much more.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water-electrolyte_imbalance)

Until Next Time…