We recently became an affiliate for All Star Health. It got me thinking about supplements. Supplements is a pretty broad term that can cover a lot of things. So it’s really hard to say that you are for supplements or against supplements, in general.
Here is what I DON’T like in the supplements category:
- A certain popular hormone that promises rapid fat loss when combined with a 500 calorie diet. I won’t mention its name for fear of being overloaded with spam.
- Fat burners that claim to help you lose lots of weight. While they may provide some additional calorie burning power, the bulk of your results will come from exercise and good nutrition.
- So called miracle pills, which claim you can eat whatever you want and not gain weight. If that were really true why are 2/3 of Americans overweight?
- The latest antioxidant fad. Antioxidants are good for you, but taking super doses in pill form probably won’t do what the manufacturers are claiming, usually weight loss.
Here is what I DO like in the supplements category:
- Multivitamin – Hard as we try, getting everything we need nutritionally in food can still be a challenge. A good multi can help cover some of those gaps. Plus as an athlete you may need more than the average RDA.
- Calcium (for women) – Again, something we usually don’t get enough of so I highly recommend it.
- Whey Protein – Based on my own experience and various literature I have read, I find a whey protein shake post workout can be very helpful in meeting your fitness goals. It gives you an easily digested source of protein when your muscles are most ready for it.
- Condition Related Vitamins or Minerals – I will give you a great example. Last summer out of nowhere I started to have an irregular heartbeat. I have never had issues before with my heart in my life. The doctor found nothing wrong, even after an exercise stress test and a scan of my heart. On my own I started to review any changes that might have occurred in my diet around the time the issue started. The only thing I could find was I had started taking a different calcium supplement, one that didn’t have added magnesium. I went back on the calcium with magnesium and in a month or so my condition went away and hasn’t been back since. If you have an issue that can be treated with additional vitamins or minerals, after consulting with a physician, I recommend trying it.
- Protein Bars – I guess technically not a supplement, but you can find them at the same places you buy your supplements. Not something you should rely on, but they are great when you are on the go. Just look for one that has a good balance between carbs, protein and fat and doesn’t have a lot of added sugar.
- Vitamin D – This is a new one to the list. A lot of research is starting to come out about the link between vitamin D deficiency and a host of conditions, one being obesity. Since everyone started wearing sunscreen all the time, Americans are becoming more vitamin D deficient. While I won’t recommend a specific dosage, I will leave that to experts like Dr. Weil, I would recommend checking it out.
If you are looking for a great place to pick up any of these supplements, or any others you might be taking currently, I would like to suggest All Star Health. I have been a customer for a couple of years now and they have all the major brands at outstanding prices. For example the whey protein powder I use would cost about $34.99 at one of the more popular supplement stores. I buy it at All Star Health for $17.65. I go through a lot of protein powder (although not as much as my husband), so it saves me quite a bit of money. The service is also outstanding. I have never had an issue and the items arrive quickly and safely to my front door.
So check out All Star Health and see if they can save you some money on the supplements you are taking. When you do, please use the link from our site. Every time you do it helps us stay in business and me doing what I love to do-helping you live healthy and fit!
