Why And How To Be Careful With Supplements And Good Ones For Health & Performance
As long as it's clean and a clear health benefit to you, certain supplements can work wonders for your health and performance.
SUNDAY JANUARY 23rd, 2022
Good evening all :)
Let’s talk a bit about health and performance boosters for an active and healthy lifestyle. Also, don’t forget to check out the ***COVID Resources & Information*** page included at the end of every post.
God bless.
When it comes to supplements I will always reinforce one simple fact…they do not take the place of real food. They are a tool to be used when and if necessary and appropriately. Timing, physical condition, circumstance, mindset, effectiveness, quality, and overall health status all play a role in determining what supplements to take and whether or not to even take or continue them. A cost to benefit analysis also needs to be done when settling on a supplement.
One thing to keep in mind is that your body has to process any substance you put into it. The body has six organs of detoxification which are the liver, kidneys, lungs, colon, lymph, and the skin. You don’t want extra substrate circulating in your system that your body has to go through the work of filtering and assimilating without a net benefit or clear unquestionable advantage to you. This is where the cost to benefit analysis comes in. If you’re placing stress on your organs without an improvement in your health or physical and mental performance, you’re hurting yourself instead of helping yourself and wearing out your organs faster. You also want to make sure that what you’re taking is clean and free from toxic preservatives and additives. Quite often a supplement would be great for you except for the fact that it contains some chemical agent that only serves to benefit the manufacturer and not the customer. People who have the mind to seek out and purchase health supplements are just trying to do good for themselves but don’t realize the accumulative effect that certain substances added to their supplements and food have. Something to keep in mind.
That being said, I will say that even if a supplement does have one or two additives, if the formula is healthy overall and provides you with science backed proven benefits, then I would’t write it off altogether. If you find something that clearly gives you a mental and physical edge yet has a few undesirable ingredients, you can mitigate that with an overall healthy lifestyle. Making sure you’re getting plenty of fiber to bind to and carry out toxins, eating mineral/vitamin and antioxidant rich foods, exercising to keep blood and lymph fluid circulating, drinking plenty of clean purified water to flush out toxins, sweating to help relieve the strain on your liver and kidneys and clear out toxins through the skin (heavy metals have been detected in sweat showing we can excrete these through our pores). Consider cycling your supplements and take some time off of them. Allow your body to rest and not become reliant or desensitized to them. All this can allow you to get the benefit of whatever good is in the supplement (or food) you’re consuming and detoxify from anything harmful in it. There’s a limit to everything though, so even if you live a healthy lifestyle I would still avoid any food or supplement with too many additives or chemicals. I limit it to two if I really can’t find a perfectly clean option but the other ingredients are good. That’s my rule, though. You can determine your own.
Unnecessary supplement additives include:
Magnesium stearate
Silicon dioxide
Sodium Benzoate
Titanium dioxide
Potassium Sorbate
Stearic acid
Simethicone
Talc
Citric Acid (different from ascorbic acid which is naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables)
Cornstarch (usually GMO)
Soybean oil (usually GMO)
Disintegrants (chemicals that make things “fast-acting”)
Hydrogenated oils
Coatings and glazes (similar to binders but are on the outside of a tablet to keep the supplement together)
Artificial preservatives (bonzoates, parabens, BHA, sorbates, sulfites, TBHQ)
These substances have been linked to allergies, shown to disrupt the gut microbiome, be inflammatory and many have been shown to be carcinogenic (cancer causing).
The following is not an exhaustive list by any means but are some supplements that I have personally found to be noticeably effective.
GLYCINE
Supports muscle growth
Contributes to a healthy mood and an overall sense of well-being
Slows effects of aging
Promotes healthy sleep
Creates collagen
Helps transport nutrients to be used by cells for energy
Fortifies the liver
Strengthens joints
Supports healthy skin
Heals lining of the GI tract
What it is: An amino acid found in skin, connective tissue and muscles
Foods it’s found in: Bone broth, gelatin, beans, spinach, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, pumpkin, meat, diary, fish, eggs
NAC
Detoxifies to support/protect kidneys and liver
Essential for making your body’s master antioxidant Glutathione
Promotes a healthy mood
Supports healthy brain function
Contributes to sexual health
Used to treat acetaminophen overdose
Promotes healthy skin
Reduces oxidative stress
Provides support for the lungs and respiratory conditions
Supports fertility
Stabilizes blood sugar
What it is: Dietary supplement made from the amino acid L-cysteine
Foods it’s found in: NAC cannot be found in foods but since it is derived from the amino acid cysteine (or cystine) consuming cysteine rich foods can give you much of the same benefits as NAC. Foods high in cysteine are oatmeal, lentils, eggs, sunflower seeds, chicken, tuna, beef.
*Note: It’s been reported that the FDA has banned the use of NAC in supplement form claiming that it is a drug and not a supplement. Therefore, it could be coming off the shelves in 2022 unless the nutrition and dietary supplements industries can prove that it was in widespread use as a supplement or food ingredient prior to the mid-1990s. This supplement is highly effective at detoxification and free radical protection through its mechanism of enabling the body to produce glutathione (the body’s master antioxidant). I would stock up now if this is the case to ensure you have a supply should you need or want it.
NATTOKINASE
Supports the heart & cardiovascular system
Powerful antioxidant
Circulation and blood flow support
Helps fortify the bones
Can relieve migranes
Reduce risk of Alzheimer’s
Has the enzyme serrapeptase to help breakdown scar tissue
Supports healthy sinuses
Can help heal varicose veins
What it is: Enzyme derived from fermented soy called Natto
Foods it’s found in: You can only get nattokinase from Natto and no other food (even other soy products) or in supplement form.
GLUTAMINE
Boosts athletic endurance
Aids in exercise recovery
Supports detoxification of liver
Combats sugar cravings
Protects against stress and fatigue
Support healthy metabolic function
Fortify immune function
Promote digestive and gut health
Contributes to overall health
What it is: Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the body
Foods it’s found in: chicken, peanuts, beans, cabbage, spinach, beets, dairy.
EAAs (Essential Amino Acids acids)
Helps boost athletic performance
Aids in building strength
Supports the muscles
Fortifies connective tissues
Promotes healthy metabolism
Benefits overall health & wellness
Regulates appetite
Improves sleep
Improves cognition
What it is: The nine amino acids (building blocks and smallest form of protein) that cannot be made by the body and must be obtained from food.
Foods it’s found in: meat, fish, eggs, quinoa, buckwheat, soybeans, hempseeds, blue-green algae, dairy.
ASHWAGHANDHA
Promotes healthy mood and concentration
Helps boost, testosterone, libido and support sexual health
Increases fertility
Assists in boosting energy and athletic endurance
Increases muscle strength
Works to benefit overall health
Relieves stress & anxiety
Promotes better sleep
A powerful adaptogen
Stabilizes blood sugar
Reduces cortisol
Lowers blood pressure
What it is: An Ayurvedic herb
Foods it’s found in: Ashwaghandha is a plant itself. It can be in whole form or obtained in powder or supplement form.
CREATINE
Contributes to increased muscle mass
Increases muscle hydration
Helps boost anaerobic strength
Supports the brain and cognitive function
Supports strong bones
Helps with injury recovery
Prevents age related muscle loss (sarcopenia)
What it is: A combination of the three amino acids glycine, arginine and methionine and is among the most well-researched and effective supplements.
Foods it’s found in: meat, fish, chicken, milk, cranberries