6. Vitamin D
As a kid growing up, chances are you got plenty of time in
the sun outdoors. That time in the sun
allowed your body to produce enough Vitamin D on a regular basis to help keep
you relatively healthy from the inside out.
Now that you’re older however, more of your day is probably based
indoors working long hours at the office or tinkering around the house. What
does that mean to your health? Vitamin D impacts just about every system
in the body. Its deficiency is linked to many health problems, including
obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, autoimmune diseases,
chronic pain and lowered immunity. When vitamin D levels have been chronically low, you might feel weak,
tired, achy and “out of it”. Most
experts agree that optimal levels of
vitamin D are 50-80 ng/mL or 125-200 nM/L.
The only way to truly know if you are within a healthy range is to get your
blood work done. From there you can decide if it’s appropriate to supplement
with Vitamin D. But before making that
decision, keep in mind that 20 to 30 minutes of time in the sun with
most of your skin exposed results in a production of over 10,000 IUs of Vitamin
D. Most people can benefit from 1,000 to 2,000 IUs of Vitamin D during the
cooler months if you’re getting minimal sun exposure, but may require closer to
5,000 IUs in the Winter when we’re least likely to get time in the sun. Most high-end multi-vitamins provide
up to 1,000 IUs of Vitamin D so it may be appropriate to find an additional
quality Vitamin D supplement to add into your daily routine. Once levels are restored within the optimal
range, rejoice as you enjoy your new found energy and mood, both of which will
help you live a more active lifestyle and perform better during your workouts.
A side note as we head into cold and flu season, ssupplementing with 2,000 IU of Vitamin D
every day could dramatically decrease the occurrence of cold and
flu symptoms. Not a bad deal for 1 tiny
pill a day.
7. Electrolytes/Coconut
Water
Electrolytes
are critical to your heart, brain, muscles and nervous system. They help maintain the “voltage” required to
carry the electrical impulses that constantly occur in your body in order to
maintain healthy communication between your brain and body. Fresh coconut water is one of the richest and
most natural sources of electrolytes. You
lose electrolytes when you sweat, and if they’re not replenished through food
or drink, your body and performance could suffer. The 5 electrolytes that coconut water
provides are potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium. These electrolytes play an important role in
regulating heartbeat and muscle function (contraction and relaxation), energy
transfer throughout the body as well as maintaining proper hydration on a
cellular level. While coconut water might
not have the same sweet taste that other electrolyte sports drinks offer, those
drinks are typically loaded with things you don’t want like refined sugars,
chemicals and artificial colors/sweeteners. Although you might not need to
supplement with coconut water on a daily basis, it’s important to keep in stock
for strenuous workouts lasting 60 minutes or longer as well as when you’re out
in the heat for extended periods of time.
8. BCAAs
Protein is broken down into organize compounds called amino
acids. There are 21 of these amino acids
in total. 13 of which are essential and
cannot be produced from other substances, and the remaining 12 called are
nonessential. Three of the essential
amino acids also fall into a small sub-group known as branched chain amino
acids (BCAAs) and include leucine, isoleucine and valine. While most amino
acids are broken down in the liver upon digestion, BCAAs are utilized by muscle
tissue to provide energy and offer a host of other benefits to your health and
performance. This less-known supplement helps support muscle building, fight
fatigue during high-intensity endurance and even improve mental function and
mood. For the men out there, research
suggests that the use of BCAAs result in heightened testosterone levels, predominantly
when taken along with strength training.
Research also suggests that those who supplement with BCAAs have a more
favorable body composition with enhanced fat oxidation during exercise. To keep the benefit train going, BCAA
supplementation has also been shown to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness
(DOMS) which typically occurs 24 to 72 hours following an intense bout of
exercise. To receive the maximum
benefits of BCAAs, I would recommend consuming 5-15g of this supplement split
up before, during, and after intense exercise.
9. Generation
UCan
Many of my clients over the years have commented to me on
how drained of energy they feel going into a workout as well as in general
throughout the course of their day. Much
of this lack in energy can be tracked back to how they regulate blood sugar,
which is largely impacted by diet and lifestyle choices. Trying to find a
significant source of carbohydrates to fuel your body and brain for your
workday and workouts, that doesn’t send your blood sugar levels on a roller
coaster ride can be challenging. Most of
us have experienced the 2-3pm carb-induced coma following a heavy lunch. This results from your body’s insulin
response to the digested carbohydrates.
When carbs are digested, your body releases insulin to absorb the sugars
in the bloodstream to be metabolized for fuel.
Often times, when your blood sugars spike significantly higher above
fasting levels following a carb-heavy meal, you’ll experience a crash in blood
sugar below fasting levels following the insulin response. Not only that, but when insulin is released
into your bloodstream, you in turn shut off your ability to burn fat as a fuel
source and increase the amount of stored fat.
So instead of fueling your body for the day or for an upcoming workout,
you’ve actually hindered your performance both physically and mentally, as well
as the results you should be gaining from the hard work you’re putting in. Insert Generation UCan here. This SuperStarch supplement provides
carbohydrate fuel with ZERO insulin response, allowing you to continue burning
fat as a fuel and sustaining normal blood sugar levels for extended energy over
the course of your day and workout. Not
only that, but your body will continue to burn even more fat following your workout
for a greater “after-burn” effect and quicker results. Outside of exercise, Generation UCAN can also
aid in appetite suppression and improve mood, helping you to make overall
healthier choices throughout your day.
The best times of day to take Generation UCAN are early morning, when
blood sugar levels are naturally highest, as well as 1 hour before exercise,
immediately following exercise, and around 2-3pm when you might experience the
afternoon crash. Personally I add this
supplement into my morning and post workout protein shakes (I workout in the
morning, so my morning shake acts as my pre-workout meal), and notice a
significant difference on days that I don’t take it with all other factors
being equal (sleep, stress, diet, etc.).
10. Melatonin
“I have a hard time
falling asleep at night.”
“I have no problem
falling asleep, but wake up frequently throughout the night for no reason.”
“When I wake up in the
morning, I feel as if I didn’t sleep at all and just want to stay in bed for ever.”
If any of these real-life quotes sound like you, then you
may benefit from a melatonin supplement.
Melatonin is created from the
amino acid tryptophan and acts to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm,
including sleep patterns. Its production is supposed to go up in the evening,
preparing you for a restful sleep. Many of us live a stressful and
high-speed lifestyle with an active night life.
These factors affect your body’s ability to produce melatonin at night,
which greatly influences not only the amount of sleep you get, but also the
quality of sleep you receive. Ideally, we need 7 to 8 hours of restful sleep to
recharge our batteries and reduce the effects of sleep deprivation, which I
highlighted in a previous blog
post. Taking supplemental melatonin about a half hour
before bedtime can help you fall asleep and achieve a deeper, more restful
sleep.
For more Fitness,
Nutrition, and Wellness advice contact Paul Wantuck or stop by the Fitness Center to
schedule a consultation and get started on the path towards a healthier you!
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