NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
This Guide can help you to make wise Nutritional Supplement decisions. This is not by any means a complete guide to any and all supplements. Also any supplements recommended are not to take the place of a high quality Whole food nutritional program. **As with any supplements, please do your own research and consult with your physician before taking any, especially if you are on medications.
I have covered what I believe to be the 3 most important and Basic supplements for the “average” person to use and or consider using. I also include 2 other popular and in many cases “needed” supplements for you to review. There are many other wonderful and beneficial supplements available today for special concerns, but this guide will not cover those. You can find much more information and specifics on each supplement. And you can find much “conflicting” information. You have to decide for yourself what you “believe” to be true. Again these are only RECOMMENDATIONS based on my years of study and use of many different Nutritional Supplements.
I will recommend 3 different brands in this review that I personally have used and or am currently using. I have not used all of the different supplements by each of the companies, but I do believe that the products they produce are of high quality and can be trusted. You have to make your own choice as far as the Brand you use. Don’t be fooled though, with Nutritional Supplements the old saying is sometimes very true: “YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.” Realize though that even though this is true many times, just because a supplement cost more does not mean it is better.
I highly recommend you use brands you trust. Your locally owned “herb” or “vitamin” store is usually very informed about the best quality brands that use the highest quality ingredients and processing standards. So use those resources, at least to help you get started.
Again, these are only recommendations that are based on my personal study and use over several years. You must make your own decisions about what supplements to use and the brands. Nutritional supplements are just that: supplements. They are meant not take the place of whole foods, but to help fill in with an existing high quality whole food based Nutrition Plan.
Nutritional Supplement Company Brands I recommend
Garden of Life
Mercola Products- mercola.com
NOW Foods
These brands can be found at their home website and or by a general search. Garden of Life and NOW Foods are sold by many “discount” stores online.
These are only ‘my” recommendations. Yes there are surely other high quality brands out there. Many people ask me what I think about their brand of choice, and all I can say is “I know what I have found to be trustworthy sources for me and my family.” You have to make your own decision as far as brand choice. And I urge you to make sure to get sound guidance in choosing your brands for nutritional supplements.
#1 Raw, Whole Food Based MULTI VITAMIN & MINERAL
Most “experts” agree today that all people NEED a multi vitamin supplement as part of their daily diet.
This is best if it is “whole food” based. If it is it will say so on the bottle / package. This means, if it is a high quality one, that most of the vitamins, minerals, and green nutrients come from Raw, Whole Foods. Raw means it is not heated but cold processed therefore there is much less of the power of the nutrients lost during processing.
Best brands will include Raw Fruits, Veggies, Herbs, & “Green” superfoods
High Quality Multi can help:
Promote Optimal Health Fight Dangerous Free Radicals
Fill Nutritional Gaps Promote a Strong Immune System
“Raw Whole Food” is very important to look for as it is most likely going to be more powerful and “usable” by the body.
*I highly recommend against most of your well known “one a day” and other national advertised brands. This is definitely one of those things in life you don’t want to just go for the cheapest. You literally may be better off taking nothing compared to taking a “cheap” source.
Recommendations for how much and when to take:
Best advice is to follow the recommendations by the company on the package. Most recommend to take with food and divide your daily dosage between 2 meals.
#2 ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS (EFA’S)
Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Main source of supplements come from cold water fish.
The general recommended ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids that you should consume in your diet is 1:1. It is believed that many americans’ diets deliver a 20:1 or higher ratio. Most people get plenty of Omega 6 from sources such as cooking oils, nuts, nut oils, etc. So this leaves most with the very important need of including a form of Omega 3s into their diets. This severe “out of balance” ratio of essential fatty acids can cause many adverse health effects, one of the main ones being INFLAMMATION.
With high levels of mercury and pcbs in most commercially harvested cold water fish, even many nutritional experts warn against eating high amounts of fish in order to try to get more Omega 3 fatty acids in ones diet. This is where Fish Oil supplementation comes in.
Just as with all other supplements, there is a huge difference in quality with different brands. Some of the things to look for that can help with quality and body absorbancy: Molecularly Distilled, Enteric Coating.
Some of the positives that experts believe come from supplementing with high quality Omega 3’s:
Better Heart Health; Better Immune Support; Less Inflammation; Mood Support; Brain power: Body Fat Loss; many others
Recommendations
1.Fish Oil capsules or liquid form from a high quality brand.
*I use liquid Cod Liver oil (lemon flavored) in my breakfast shakes. This is NOW Foods brand.
2.Krill Oil capsules from a high quality brand.
Krill is an ocean food source, like a shrimp, that is very high in omega 3s and thought to be the best form for purity, potency, and absorbency by the body. You can find this great source from high quality brands such as Garden of Life, Mercola, and NOW Foods.
Take as recommended, with food
#3 WHEY PROTEIN
Many people simply don’t get enough protein in their diet. Taking Whey Protein in a supplement form can be a very easy and beneficial way to get more high quality protein into your diet.
Protein has many critical benefits in the body including: Maintaining and Building lean muscle; Stabilizing Blood Sugar; Controlling Hunger; Energy; Supporting Optimal Metabolism and Fat Burning.
High Quality Whey Protein comes from Milk. Just like with all other supplements you have higher and lower quality supplements. The source of the whey and the manner in which it is processed are huge factors that will determine how effective it is in your body.
General Recommendations
Whey Protein Isolate seems has much research supporting it as effective. When looking for a Whey Protein supplement it may include some and or all of the following: Whey Protein isolate; whey protein hydrolysate; whey protein concentrate; casein. Most combinations of any of these will be good. As with most all other supplements there are differing opinions as to which is the best. My main concern is the “brand.” If I trust the brand, then I trust that they use high quality ingredients and use high quality standards for processing the product.
One of the main things with Whey Protein you want to be watchful of is the “sugar” and or artificial sweetener content. My suggestion would be to find a high quality whey protein with “NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS” added and no more than 5-6 grams of sugar per 20+ grams of protein serving. The highest quality brands will usually use *Stevia as a sweetener as it is all natural and most experts say it is completely safe.
You can use a high quality Whey Protein in 1 or more of the following ways. And remember that your serving size (grams) can be from 20 grms to 40 grms, dependant on your weight and goals:
– Use 20+ grams in a breakfast shake
– Use 20+ grams mixed with water or organic / raw milk for a snack
– Use 20+ grams “””” for After Workout shake
**The above is based on most up to date info on whey protein. Another “level” is to go with Whey Protein from a pure organic, non-pasteurized, “grass fed”, source that uses no hormones or antibiotics to grow their cows. These products are usually going to cost you more, but they very well could be a great amount better for you and it is very likely that your body will utilize a much higher percentage. These brands that carry this type of product usually use the “concentrate” form versus the “isolate” form since that keeps the protein intact and closer to the way God intended it to be taken in.
Best sources for this high end product – Garden of Life, Mercola
OTHER SUPPLEMENTS
COQ10
Many People have low levels of COQ10.
Most prominent benefit seems to be to combat Heart Disease. Many doctors and nutritionists are recommending COQ10 to their patients now, especially if there is any concern or history of heart disease. This is a great nutrient for anyone that can help with energy and being proactive for overall heart health.
*Many STATIN drugs lower your body’s levels of COQ10, so if you take Statins this could be very important for you. **Check with your doctor before starting this or any other supplement.
Take as Recommended NOW FOODS, MERCOLA
VITAMIN D
It is estimated by some that 85% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to many health problems, sicknesses, and diseases.
The best form of producing Vitamin D in the body is through natural Sunlight. When expose to UVB rays, your body produces Vitamin D. So getting enough sunlight, most say 10 – 20 minutes per day, is the number 1 way to increase your Vitamin D levels.
Another good way to increase Vitamin D levels is through high quality supplementation. There are 2 main forms, D2, D3. Vitamin D3 is the best form for supplementation.
Take as Recommended Garden of Life, NOW Foods, Mercola
Remember
These are only suggestions and recommendations. You should always do your own study before taking supplements. One thing for sure is that high quality Nutritional Supplements can help to improve your health. The first 2 recommended, Raw Whole Food Based Multi Vitamin and Mineral and Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids are fundamental and should be the first ones you consider. Make sure and find a very high quality brand that you can trust. Be consistent and use supplements as just that: Supplements. They are meant to help fill in, not totally take the place of a high quality whole food diet.
GOD-BUILT
GODBUILT.COM