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Supplements
Health | February 03, 2015
When it comes to supplements, I look at them as they are – supplements. In other words, I don’t look at them as magic substances that will make me stronger, better, faster, slimmer, or sexier. They are a convenient way to get the nutrients my body needs, when real food is not available. There are two major categories of nutritional supplements: essential nutrients and nonessential nutrients.
Essential Nutrients
Essential nutrients are those that we need for normal physiological functioning and are present in food. These nutrients must be digested, since the body doesn’t have the capacity to make them itself.
Although no supplements are absolutely essential, low intake of calories, macronutrients and micronutrients are common due to our busy lifestyles. For bad days and times when food is not readily available the 3 staple supplements are always good to keep on hand.
3 Staple Supplements
1. Protein supplement – Pre-workout Protein Blend with Botanical Fat Burner (Zuzka brand)
Great for smoothies and frozen desserts.
I also use whey vanilla and chocolate protein you can also use in baked desserts.
The one I use most commonly is flavorless chocolate and vanilla flavored Jay Robb.
Food equivalent: Any complete protein source including meat, fish, poultry, egg whites, etc.
2. Greens Supplement – I use premium quality Supreme Greens.
Food equivalent: Vegetables, Fruit.
3. Fish Oil Supplement – EFA (Zuzka brand) that you can buy in my store – it’s balance blend of omega-6 and omega-3
Food equivalent: Salmon, anchovy, sardine, flaxseeds, chia seeds, enriched eggs, grass-fed beef, walnuts.
Nonessential Nutrients
Nonessential nutrients are food based nutrients that either your body can make itself, or nutrients that aren’t needed for normal physiological functioning. While they’re obviously not on the top of the nutritional priority list, they’re still very popular, because some of them produce positive benefits when used specifically to enhance certain physiological responses. Here are some examples of nonessential nutrient supplements:
- Caffeine – prior to your workout to improve Central Nervous System (CNS) output
- Green Tea Extract – daily during fat loss periods to stimulate metabolism
- Creatine – daily during high intensity training to increase energy and lean body mass
- CLA – daily during fat loss periods to stimulate metabolism, and down-regulate leptin (satiety hormone) during weight loss phases.
Private Member |
Excellent and thanks…. off to the Vitamin Store:-)
Private Member |
I could never understood what the creatine is good for.. it reminds me of those big guys bodybuilders 😛
I just bought whey protein isolate. And I was thinking..do you drink your protein shake always after exercise? Do you also mix it with carbs? Because like today I drank the whey and I wasn’t really hungry for next 2 hours and I don’t want to force myself to eat carbs.. cause I read that we should drink carbs/proteins right after exercise ? I don’t know if its true though..
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
I drink only the vita-whey in water right after exercise because it’s just a pure protein without any carbs and it’s only15g and 50cal. That gives me the protein my body needs for immediate recovery and then I have my 2 hour window to have an actual meal with carbs. I don’t drink the protein every time, only when I know that I’m not going to have my meal in less than 30-45 minutes after the workout.
Private Member |
This is very helpful, thank You Z 🙂
Private Member |
I really love creatine. I don’t use it now as often as I used to when I was lifting heavy 5x/week. I never really thought to use it now. If anyone tries it, prepare to gain a few lbs in water. It can cause you to retain water. I used the brand Concrete which didn’t really make me retain water.
Zuzka, I have a question. What is a good substitute for whey? That’s just as effective for when you’re lifting and doing your workouts? It messes with my stomach BAD. I’d like to avoid this HA! Thanks!!
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
I would have to suggest pea protein, because it’s easily digestible and hypoallergenic. Whole foods has a good choice of pea protein that also come in flavors. I also tried to bake with the vanilla pea protein and it works great.
Private Member |
Great article! 🙂 Actually I jsut bought a package of fish oil. I remember I read in a previous article on the site that if I keep the capsules in the freezer, there will be no fishy taste in my mouth after taking fish oil sups. Now I read the label of the product and it said I should store it in room temperature. So what shall I do now? Can I still put the in the fridge? Any advice? 🙂 thanks!!! Have a great day 🙂
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
I’d still go with the freezer to avoid the fishy taste. If you think about it, you can freeze basically any food – that’s how we keep certain foods fresh and long lasting.
Private Member |
Hi Zuzka! Thank you so much for your answer! 🙂 If you say it is still okay, I will definitely keep them in the freezer! 🙂 (I love your new site, by the way! Congratulations and thank you for your amazing work! 🙂 Greetings from Hungary! 🙂 )
Private Member |
I support your nutritional beliefs and follow them with great success. But I disagree fully when it comes to Vita Source products. This company has so much false information on their website that I cannot give them any credibility. They basically claim that the nutrition in today’s fruit and vegetables has declined to such a level that you cannot get all necessary nutrients without supplements – more specifically THEIR supplements. They also make a false claim that “the average amount of iron in various vegetables had dropped by 80% between 1948 and 1963.” Not true….it was found that the body cannot absorb iron from certain foods as well as previously thought, not that the foods themselves lack iron. This type of misleading information is all over the site, to the point where I cannot write it off as an overeager marketing strategy.
On top of that, nowhere on their website do they say where their products are manufactured…which leads me to believe it is outside the US. Not that it matters…but I’d like to know ahead of purchase where the product is manufactured.
Their products may be very good – I have not tried them. I simply disagree with the way this company talks about a “healthy lifestyle” and lures customers to their products. I do not trust a company that uses cheap marketing and twisted truths to sell their product.
Private Member |
dfw, tx
Zuzka, do you recommend taking the Vita Enzymes Plus? I am taking the whey protein and the Supreme Greens after my workout. I don’t know if it’s beneficial to take the digestive enzymes during my meal 1-2 hours later. Also, do you think it’s okay I just take 1 fish oil supplement or I have to take 2?
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
It depends on what I eat during the day. If I’m not getting any omega 3 from my diet in the morning, I take a fish oil in the tablet. And if I’m not getting any omega 3 at the evening in the form of a fish for example then I take another one. Tonight I had a salad with salmon (yum) so I didn’t have to take fish oil 🙂 to answer your first question, I haven’t even try the digestive enzymes, so if you will, would you mind letting me know how is it working for you?
Private Member |
dfw, tx
Thank you so much for the response and yum I love salmon!! I received the digestive enzymes yesterday and will you an update after trying it out for a few weeks. 🙂
Private Member |
dfw, tx
Hi Zuzka. I wanted to give you an update on the digestive enzyme I am taking. It’s been over a month and I find that at it does help me absorb the foods I eat, but it makes my skin really itchy. I am going to finish the rest of the bottle, but since it makes my skin irritated I am not going to take it after that.
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Thank you so much for the feedback. Are you sure you want to continue taking the supplement? It seems like it’s giving you some allergic reaction.
Private Member |
dfw, tx
You’re welcome Zuzka 🙂 You’re right I should stop it completely. I just hate for it to go to waste :-/
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
You can contact the company and tell them what happened and ask them if they’d be willing to give you another product in exchange. I’m sure they would be happy to send you maybe the greens supplement or the protein instead to make up for the bummer.
Private Member |
dfw, tx
That is a good idea. I will contact them 🙂 I love the supreme greens and the whey protein! Thank you Zuzka for all you do!
Private Member |
Zuzka, what do you think about adding L Glutamine and L-Carnitine to a supplement list. I read this on another fitness site and had some benefits to it but wanted you knowledge also. Thanks in advance:-)
Private Member |
I am wondering if you know much about different type of tea detoxes and what one you think work the best?
I know this is a little of topic for supplements! Maybe you could do a post about this??
–Kali
Private Member |
I was wondering can I add the vita whey protein powder to coffee? I read in some article that it may denature it and in another article that its okay. Thanks in advance.
Private Member |
Hello Zuzka,
The only supplements I had before were just the multi-vitamins from health store. I have been working out for 6 months now but I have missed gym as I would be sore and couldn’t make it to gym next day. I have gone 127lbs from 134lbs in all this time, but I don’t see much results with my tummy area. I really want to loose weight around this area and see some definition as well. As I work 8 hours a day, sometimes I don’t find time to cook food, and end up consuming same food same day.
Please suggest if I would go for the supplements you have mentioned would be help and don’t have any side-effects.
Thank you
Jasmine