Words Have Meanings

One head line reads: One Third ofAmericans Lacking Vitamin D 

The another: Most Americans Get EnoughVitamin D

In a literal sense, they agree.

Another example: Deaths of 9 Alabama Patients Tied to Intravenous Supplement 

Said another way: Contaminated IVsolution suspected in 9 patient deaths in Alabama 

It is interesting how the same facts can be communicated with such different effects. I am often asked for my opinion on some piece of news or legislation. My response is always the same. What is the source of the information and what is the interest of the creator of that information. Before I react I say “Follow the money”.

Don't let the headlines and articles be the only thing you look at.

Ease Up a Little

Errands to run. Appointments to make and keep. A job you hate. Let alone the simple math that a typical person is awake for 16 hours a day and working that job for 8 hours, plus commute and prep. Stress is a very real problem for most of us. I am often asked if there is anything that can help you deal with stress but not “dope” you up?

Yup.

I believe that exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Studies have consistently shown that exercise has a positive impact on mood and mental health. It does not matter if it is light walking, lifting weights, or yoga giving yourself the “me” time and letting yourself enjoy it is extremely important to your health.

I also use Holy Basil . It was recommended to me by a friend who used it to get through a divorce. It has not effected my personality, but has allowed me to deal with stressful events without becoming emotionally invested in it.

Holy Basil is available in many forms from capsule to tea. As a tea it has a distinctive flavor that I enjoy, but it is an unusual taste. For convenience I use a pill form daily.

Taking control of your stress will positively impact your entire life and let you get the most out of the 6 non-work related hours in your day.

Help With a "Regular" Problem

One of the things that surprises me daily involves the way people will come to me for help with “bathroom” problems. Most start out dancing around an concern, trying to be delicate, but many are so frustrated that they just tell it like it is. They have decided to try a probiotic because of some commercial they have seen on the television, but which of products available should they try?

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live in your small and large intestines, which provide many health benefits. In taking my probiotic daily, I find that I never have those “bathroom” problems most people say they occasionally suffer.

When selecting a probiotic there are 3 factors I look for in a good product:

Number of CFU's

A good probiotic should have a large number of culture forming units (CFU) in each dose. There are more bacteria in the digestive system than cells in the body. Adding more via a probiotic supplement will require a number in the billions to support your wellness goals.

Several different strains of bacteria

We have hundreds of different strains of bacteria in our digestive tract. There are very few of those that are available to supplement. To achieve the support you want from you supplement, I suggest you search for a product that contain several of the most dominant strains in the gut.

It must deliver the bacteria to the small and large intestines.

The small and large intestines are an alkaline environment. The bacteria that you are supplementing are bred to live in that environment. If the supplement you are taking does not protect the bacteria from the acids in the stomach, they are slaughtered before they ever have a chance of helping you.

For these reasons, I find that most probiotic supplements in a liquid or chew-able form are a bad selection. Be sure to make your health care provider a partner in your decision, as “bathroom” problems could be symptoms of larger health problems.

Fundamental Supplements for Fitness

Say you want to add a few pounds of muscle, or a lot of muscle. What if you wanted to lose a few pounds of body fat? No matter what your body shaping goals are, having a solid supplement foundation will help you achieve the look you want.

Anyone trying to change their body's composition - for any reason - should start their program with 4 fundamental supplements that will help them achieve their goals. You can build a house without a hammer. It probably is not easy but it can be done. The same applies to proper supplementation.

The first and most important supplement anyone who has any goals for their body, fitness, weight, general health, energy levels, and so on, is protein. You can't build that house without lumber for the frame. Taking in the correct amount of protein will let your body repair and build new muscle in response to your exercising efforts.

“What's the best kind of protein?” you say.

The kind you eat. Eat your protein as much as possible. However a protein shake after exercising is a very good idea. Protein shakes are more rapidly processed by the body. When you are done exercising your body will be primed for protein. Faster is better at this time.

Building a house is not easy. The more effort you put into this project the better your results will be.

Trouble Sleeping? -- Try ZMA

I am frequently asked for help by people who are having difficulties sleeping. There are many supplements on the selves in the store and people are not sure which to try first. They are also concerned about becoming dependent on a pharmaceutical sleep aid. How much sleep can you get when you are worried about sleep?

If you are one of the half of Americans that have difficulty sleeping, I suggest you give ZMA a close look. ZMA is a combination of zinc aspartate, magnesium aspartate, and B6. I like this for sleep because it also supports your bodies magnesium needs.

This is a popular supplement for body builders who use it to raise testosterone levels and replace vital minerals they using during exercising. Don't let that scare you off! I know as many people, both men and women, using this multi-tasker for sleep. Just follow the dosing instructions on the bottle and have a great, and restorative nights sleep.

Be prepared for VERY wild dreams!

Troublesome Reporting

I found an article that bothers me.

The headline reads “Top Ten FitnessMyths”. Now that to me sounds like a helpful piece of reporting, and I read the article. I would like to say that it was full of solid information and useful suggestions. I would like to say that in reading the it I was inspired to make corrections to my own personal workout routines. I would like to say that Santa brought me a new pony. All are of equal validity.

Not going into the accuracy of the piece, I will leave that for another time. All it really did was create more excuses for people to avoid eating right and exercising. There was no references for the “facts” presented. When you click on the various links in the piece an ad pops up, big help there.

The sad part is that there were some valid OPINIONS in the article and a few I personally subscribe too. For example:

10. Crunches are the best way to get a six-pack

    Everyone, from the average civilian to elite level athletes, has been fooled by the same misconception. Doing crunches and sit-ups are not the best way to get a six-pack. Having a visible six-pack is almost entirely a function of body fat and minimally a function of abdominal development. We all know the rail-thin guys that have a shredded midsection. Contrast the overwhelming majority of powerlifters who have insanely strong core muscles but don’t sport a six-pack. Intuitively, we all know this, but when we start to feel saggy in the midsection, we go straight for the ab exercises. Contrary to popular belief, training a muscle group will not burn fat locally. This means that doing ab exercises won’t burn fat from your midsection. Save yourself the wasted time and probable back pain -- the best way to get a six-pack involves making better dietary choices and doing high-intensity interval training.

This is largely true. To show a “6-pack” men need to have around 9% body fat, women around 12%.

You also need to have your core muscles defined. Read here: you gotta work them!

To cap it off on this same page was an and for an article where the reporter lost an incredible amount of body fat by eating a “super berry”.

A myth is a myth.

A weight management plan that works

One of the most common things I am asked would have to be “How can I lose weight?”. This question is fundamentally wrong. If you care what the scales says I suggest you throw it out, that way you can not here it any more. What you should care about is the way you feel and look. If you feel and look healthy chances are the scale would not matter anyhow.

That said, I have laid out a weight management plan for many people that they have used to lose fat and build muscle. This is designed to start a body shaping lifestyle and does not end when a goal is achieved. Ending a weight management plan will guarantee a return to the unhealthy place you started from, or likely take you to a worse place.

This is the plan I have laid out: 

1. Set your alarm at least 15 minutes earlier. Go OUTSIDE (fresh air/ cool temps/ more oxygen) and just walk for that time. This turns on the metabolism and lets the body know that you need more energy (calories)
2. Complete your morning routines, including a good breakfast ( go ahead and eat, you will burn it during the day)
3. 2 to 3 hours later eat about 100 calories – protein or fresh fruit (remember, protein does not have to be meat, cottage cheese is ideal)
4. 2 to 3 hours later it a solid sensible lunch – lots of fresh foods carbs are OK but try to avoid processed food
5. 2 to 3 hours later eat about 100 calories – same rules as before
6. 2 to 3 hours later it should be about dinner (depending on when your body clock is trained to eat). This needs to be your smallest meal of the day! You will must likely store every calorie you consume at the dinner table so go for the proteins. The body tends to not store them as fat. Fresh vegetables are also the right plan. This the the meal that carbs and fats are your worst enemy-this includes starches like potatoes.
7. If you need a snack after dinner make it protein. (cottage cheese is again ideal because it is a slowly digested protein that can also be low in fat)

When ever you feel hunger and start reaching for a snack out side of this ask yourself “Am I hungry or am I eating out of habit?”.  Fifty percent of your appetite is habit eating. It takes 6 weeks to break a habit and 3 more to make a new one.

NO CARBONATED BEVERAGES AT ALL! INCLUDING BEER! In the first 4 weeks of the diet. Then only rarely after that! They are a treat and should be used as a mental reward for your successes.

As far as exercise goes:

Walk or bike as much as possible. You can make all the excuses you want and sometimes they really are valid but they are still excuses. (This is my biggest problem.)

Take a:

Multivitamin

Extra vitamin D

Omega 3 

--Remember exercise is important but you can not out run the calories or out train the diet.

Welcome!

“When you explain things, I can understand them.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

...and my personal favorite “You should teach.” 

After hearing these sentiments for years I decided to start this blog. I am a lay person who lives with feet in both the “health and wellness” and medical worlds. In the last few years I have worked to expand my understanding of the use of supplements to improve the quality of my life and that of people around me.

This is my place to share my beliefs and opinions about the use of supplements to achieve personal goals and to present them in a way that is easier for others to understand. It is easy to become overwhelmed with technical data, study results, incomplete news reports, and outright sales pitches. I hope to give people a place to improve knowledge to better themselves.

As I am not a doctor, I will not diagnose or prescribe anything. I will speak of studies, explain the way supplements have been shown to work, and suggest research paths that will meet a goal. I also will give my take on the last news of the day.

Welcome and Enjoy