Product Review: N.O. Xplode

With the summer months coming up, this time of year brings me questions from people who want to get in shape for the warm weather. Referred to as “cutting” or “getting cut up”, people are really saying the want to lose fat and keep or build more muscle. They are hitting the gym and exercising regularly. It is not uncommon, while in the gym, to hear people talking about the supplements they are using.

Pre-workout drinks are one of the most commonly used workout supplements. They are meant to provide your body with the tools it needs to get a better workout. Over the next few weeks, I will review the products I have tried, in an effort to give you an idea of what to look for and how to make your own selection.

One of the top selling pre-workout drinks in the market place is N.O. Xplode. Around for several years, BSN has recently updated the formula to version 2.0 adding beta alanine to the formula. I would only recommend this product to someone just starting out. It uses a combination of caffeine and sugar to deliver a sense of energy for your workout. I call this product the “training wheels” of the pre-workout world. It gives the user a sense of what a pre-workout should deliver.

My tolerance to stimulants is well known by the people asking me for help, and I personally do not feel any effect from this product. I would compare it to drinking a cup of coffee before you hit the gym. Keep in mind, that was what a pre-workout was just a few years ago. I did not notice a pump or increased vascularity from the product. Nor did I feel an increase in focus.

If you are very new to the world of stimulants or pre-workouts, using N.O. Xplode will work for you, however, there are much better pre-workouts in the market place for less money.

One note on my reviews: I am not paid by any supplement company, so I have no reason for anything less than an honest representation of the effects a product has on me.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

It seems like I get asked every day, by someone new, about sleep. Frankly, most of them are so stressed about not sleeping, I cannot imagine how they could fall asleep anyway. There are plenty of sleep aid sites on the net, I like this one. It puts me to sleep every time.  That may not help everyone, however.

Many people recommend exercise to help with sleep. This really does work, but do not exercise late in the day. This works best if you can work out early in the day. This is also a great way to stimulate the metabolism to burn more calories throughout the day. Exercise also works to reduce your stress load, which may be impacting your ability to sleep.

In the past, I have also suggested you try ZMA. Again, this has worked well with me. It promotes good restorative sleep. It also does not leave me groggy in the morning after. Be warned, the dreams it promotes are just plain strange.

Most people try melatonin first. I suggest trying about 3 mg to start. You can safely go up from there, but most have success there. Like ZMA, most do not feel groggy the next day. Unlike ZMA, I did not have the dreams. If you do use melatonin, once you have a solid sleep pattern established it is time to back down the dosage. By slowly reducing the amount you use, you will teach your body to produce your needs itself.

Nighty night!

Questioned about Gall(bladder)

I have been asked recently to look into help for those with gallstones. I admit this is not an area I have a wealth of knowledge in, it was time to put on my researcher beanie and get to work.

First the basics. The gallbladder is a small organ whose primary function is the excretion of bile during digestion. Bile aids in the breakdown of foods. There, now you are all experts.

I help people with digestive issues all the time. Digestive complaints are one of the areas that the mainstream have accepted supplemental help. We have all seen those TV spots for the lactose free milk. Lactose intolerance in adults is very common and not a lot of fun. When people come to me, one of the things I suggest trying for some digestive complaints are multi-enzyme supplements. Picking the “best” is a shot in the dark because of all the variables involved, so I suggest trying the cheapest available that covers your needs, i.e. if you are lactose intolerant, then be sure it has lactase in it.

However, when someone has had their gallbladder removed, I suggest Digest Gold from Enzymatica. Expensive, but this is where most people have ended up through trial and error anyhow. As there are around 500,000 people who have their gallbladder removed each year, this is not a rare suggestion from me.

But, that does not really answer the question I was asked. If you have pain, see a doctor. If the doctor says gallstones after testing and you do not want the surgery, your options are limited. Conventional wisdom is clear fluids, no fatty foods, and watch your overall cholesterol. I have found little to add, sadly. As bile is produced in the liver, I would suggest a liver cleanse of some kind - it may not be helpful, but is less invasive that surgery. These are the kinds of things that support overall good health, anyhow so they are of little help.

If you do have your gallbladder removed, a digestive enzyme can help you maintain a healthy diet with the verity that you want.

Sometimes You Just Get Sick

It could be said I use a considerable amount of supplements to support my health, wellness, and fitness goals. This is a topic my spouse and I discuss on a regular basis. The conversations usually start with me being asked what that new supplement is, and why would I take it? The answer has a direct bearing on the way the rest of the conversation is going to go.

Although I am exposed to hundreds of different people everyday, most of them sick or getting sick, I am generally very healthy. I have not had a bout of cold/flu in years. This streak came to an end last week. When I get sick I can usually pinpoint the factors that broke down my immune system. In this case they include: 1 sick spouse, 7 stress filled days at work, 1 night at the local cigar bar. Hey, I got bad habits too.

So here is the Vita-guru with a sinus cold. My battle was mild and short compared to my spouse's, and I credit that to the supplements I regularly take for my health. I blasted the cold with extra vitamin C, lots extra, and my old standby oil of oreganol from North American Herb and Spice.  My personal experience with this product have made me a staunch proponent. My spouse used both it and the nasal spray from NAHaS as well. She is now a believer, not too happy with the way it felt in application, but a believer.

While we were both recovering, my wife comes to me with a nasal wash tool, similar to a neti pot. The concept of these devices is simple. Shoot saline solution into one side of the nose, and out comes the crap locked in your sinuses through the other side. In the spirit of full disclosure, I believed she was just trying to get even with me for the oreganol nasal spray. This is not my favorite procedure. The EWWWW factor makes me shudder still. With all that said...Shit worked! My sinuses have never felt better, my snoring is well diminished, and I feel pretty good.

Chalk one more up for the spouse's team!

Supplements and the Tebow Effect

The Dietary and Supplement Health and Education Act makes me say: “Supplements are not meant to treat, cure or prevent disease or illness.” This is a law enacted by congress in 1994. So, I have a question. After 18 years why is this still a headline: “Study: Vitamin D Has No Clear Benefit for COPDPatients”? By law the supplement industry cannot make this claim, so who is?

The article goes on to say that vitamin D does have some effect in the population at large, particularly in those with vitamin D deficiencies, but it does not work when you drill the numbers down. The writer cannot seem to reconcile this discrepancy. If it is overall beneficial, why not at the individual levels?

I have seen the same argument used to say correcting the diet of the population will not impact levels of type 2 diabetes, even though science has shown time and again it does in the individual. Why does it not work in the population at large?

I will henceforth call this the Tebow Effect, after the Denver Broncos “star” quarterback. For those who are not familiar with this chap, and because it is fun, I will explain. Tim Tebow is by stats one of the worst pro quarterbacks to ever be on a team. The man is just plain awful. He, however, won quite a few games this year. How is this possible? Other teams had demonstrably better quarterbacks, but lost several games to our hero.

When you look at the stats, no sane person would bet on this guy. But a game is more than one guy. The variables of the individual game were a greater impact to the outcome that one train-wreck of a player. The same works for the impact of supplements to the population. On the whole, studies indicate better health but when you drill down other things impact the findings in stronger ways.

The moral of the story is good supplementation supports good health, or Tebow is really, really awful. I kinda like both, but you choose.

Calories In Versus Calories Out

Big surprise here, eating too much causes weight gain. Thanks. Great. Got it. Really!

A recent study shows that even eating a high protein diet was unhealthy if it was excessive. It was still better than a comparatively excessive diet of processed high fat/ high carb diets, however. The high protein diet showed weight gain and the protection of lean muscle not found in the other diet.

What the study ultimately showed was that a balanced diet was the success to weight management. It comes down to a simple equation: calories in versus calories out equals weight change. No special “diet” required. No, you do not have to eat only protein, give up carbs, eat only foods that begin with the letter “Y”, or whatever new fad diet the industry can figure out to foist on desperate people tomorrow.

It is simple. When looking at your plate, it should have a handful of protein from a good whole food source, the same amount of good carbs, and fill the rest of the plate with vegetables. A balanced diet high in vegetables and fruit has been shown time and again to be the key to good health and weight.

Need a snack? Fresh fruit is a winner. Berries or nuts are also a great option, providing potent antioxidants or healthy fats. You do not have to starve to lose weight - in fact, if you are, you are in danger of storing calories. Just pick healthy foods and exercise.

Low T, the Latest Craze That All the Guys Are Getting

If commercial TV is any guide, then Low T must be sweeping the nation. You can't tell what it is, but hey, if you are a guy, it must be a terrible new disorder. Thanks to commercial TV, men are self diagnosing a condition and then looking to solve this issue themselves.

Low T is short and more easily pronounced than low testosterone. It is not new, it is not a disorder, it is the natural progression of aging if you are a man. Your testosterone levels are at their peak in your late teens though your middle twenties. From there, it gradually drops for the rest of your life. This is a natural process, it is what happens, so do not let the commercials make you think you are different or alone. You can ask your health care provider to run a test, or try one of the OTC tests that are available.

There are several supplements that support higher testosterone, having many studies and years of use, they give reliable results. Among the most common is Tribulus, an herbal supplement that causes the body to produce more testosterone. The next to look for would be Fenugreek, another herbal that is most known for the increase in milk production it causes in nursing mothers. Oddly, an extract of fenugreek also causes an increase in testosterone.

The latest and most popular supplement to enter the testosterone games is D-Aspartic Acid. It is an amino acid that has been shown in clinical studies to raise testosterone levels by 40% in as little as ten days. Those kind of significant results ensure its popularity with exercise enthusiasts.

I would look for a combination supplement that has these ingredients in it to raise my testosterone levels. Higher testosterone makes it easier to lose fat and build muscle, increase competitive energy, and as well as other more personal advantages.

One last thing about raising testosterone levels: There can be side-effects. Funny how those are not mentioned in the commercials. They can include higher DHT and anger issues. While rare, you should be aware and take steps to prevent issues.

Bad Diet Equals Bad Brain

A recent university study showed a link to the presence of vitamin B, C, D, and E and Omega 3 fatty acids and better overall brain health. This was a study conducted on older Americans, so they also found a stronger link between higher trans fats and bad brain health and cognitive function.

Really, eating a diet of fruits, vegetables, and fish is good for you? Seems I may have heard that before, like a zillion times. More importantly, we can now add brain and mental health problems to the list of things that eating a diet of rich, fatty, fried foods is linked to.

So lets take a look at the score board.

“Bad Diet” has garnered:

-Obesity

-Inflammatory disorders

-Coronary disorders

-Poor brain health

-Poor mental health

But, they taste so good! Good thing we have drugs for all that stuff.

“Good Diet” has collected:

-Active life

-Good overall health

-Good mental function

But, you get to miss-out on all those fun drug side effects and drug interactions that people are dying for.!

My question really comes down to: Can anyone explain why cleaning up your diet is not this year's resolution?

What Does Normal Mean?

The other day I was talking with a guy about a recent trip to the doctor. He was skeptical about supplements, but his doctor suggested he try something. He was telling me about his conversation with the nurse. She had asked him if he got up during the night for a bathroom run. Being a man of a certain age, he said once or twice a night, just like every other man in his 40's. He then gave me the old “nudge, nudge, wink, wink”. In his mind, having BHP was not only inevitable, it was fine. He was sure that since Western medicine has ignored this issue, there must not be anything that can be done.

I am over 40. The only time I wake up is when my dog wants out. No, those intersleep potty breaks are not fine. Why would nature require sleep, then also require it to be interrupted? Restless, tired animals have a special name in the wild:

FOOD

I have been using a saw palmetto combination supplement for years. Safe and effective, it supports the body's control of DHT. DHT is the stuff that causes prostate issues and has been linked to things like male pattern baldness. The body converts excess testosterone into DHT. It is believed plant sterols like those from saw palmetto inhibit the production of the enzyme that causes that conversion.

This bit of info was lost on the gentleman, because he had his mind made up about supplements. Christmas Eve, a friend was making the same complaint. I gave him a week's supply. On the Tuesday after the holiday, he called me and asked me to get him more. Seems he had slept the night through the last two nights for the first time in years.

It also stands to reason that if your body is not converting Test into DHT, you still have it to use. I wonder why I am seeing TV ads for Low Test drugs these days?