5 Steps to Becoming a Supplement SUPERSTAR!

SO often people tell me about the latest and greatest supplement they are taking or the best new energy drink they are consuming, and it got me to thinking...the majority of people do not even know exactly WHY they are taking something, let alone WHAT it is! 9 times out of 10 people are taking a supplement because they had a friend who took it, their favorite celeb is drinking it, or they found it in a magazine.

I decided to create 5 Simple Step to Becoming a Supplement SUPERSTAR! Follow these to save you time, SSS, and your HEALTH!

1. WHAT'S YOUR GOAL? Are you looking to bulk up, lean out, or maybe you just want silkier hair and stronger nails? Increase your calcium consumption, but you hate milk? Whatever it is, identify your main goal or reasoning for wanting/needing a supplement. Does the supplement claims match up with what you are looking to achieve? For example, I'm looking for something that is quick and easy to take before my workouts to give me more energy without feeling jittery.

2. SCAN THE SUPPLEMENT FACTS LABEL - Do you know what each of these ingredients are and/or how much is safe? Identify which ingredients are questionable or seem too good to be true. Example: When looking at the supplements facts for E&E, it contains 200 mcg of Vitamin B12 (333% of the % Daily Value). At first glance, I thought WOAH! So much B12!! How much is too much? What if I am already consuming a large amount of B12 in my diet? If you do not know what an ingredient is, LOOK IT UP! According to NIH.gov (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/), those over the age of 14 years old only need 2.4 mcg of B12! However, while it may interact with some medications, no upper limit has been set because there is no evidence that excess consumption of B12 produces adverse side effects.

3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! After you have scanned the label, pull out your iPhone or tablet and get to work! Use credible resources to look up the ingredients/vitamins/minerals you do not know about. I hate to burst your bubble, but you are not going to get the best advice from bodybuilding.com or bloggers who claim you can loose 15 lbs by Friday. Websites ending in -.gov or -.org are going to be more reliable than -.com sites in general. My favorite website is National Institute of Health which provides a list of supplements and all sorts of info including what it is claimed to do vs. what there is actually scientific evidence for.

4. CAN YOU GET IT FROM FOOD FIRST? So maybe you hate milk, but you could possibly still be obtaining enough calcium from other areas of your diet such as cheese or yogurt. A supplement should be a SUPPLEMENT to your diet, NOT a replacement! Usually, nutrients are better absorbed through food form anyways vs. a pill or powder. Some individuals may have deficiencies due to their diet or other genetic factors, in which case a dietitian may recommend a supplement. Example, yes, I can get the same effects of a preworkout from a cup of coffee, but sometimes I am in a rush in the morning before workouts, literally ROLL out of bed and to the gym! In this case, I personally can benefit from a powder form mixed-in-water pick-me-up.

5. COMPARE BRANDS - To save you money, compare brands! We will stick with the calcium example...calcium is calcium, so why not get the generic target brand calcium chews to save some money compared to the fancy girly pink skinny girl calcium chews? Why splurge on an expensive post workout shake when chocolate milk delivers the perfect protein to carbohydrate ratio (true fact!) ?! HOWEVER, do not just assume all supplements are the same, especially with BLENDS! For example, one preworkout may contain 10 mg of caffeine, while another may contain 100 mg of caffeine. BIG difference which could have a BIG impact on your health depending what it is.

*Always consult your doctor before taking any new supplement!

 SAFETY FIRST! :)

BONUS TIPS

• Do your research. This could end up saving you BIG money by just taking a few minutes to compare brands, or figure out if you even need a supplement (ex: not getting enough in your diet). More importantly, it could interfere with other medications you are taking, and cause serious complications. Always consult your doctor before taking anything!
• Look for third party certification. These are non-biased, outside companies, who conduct research and give their stamp of approval. Companies usually have to pay to get this seal of approval, so it may not be on all supplements, but it is a good thing to look out for. NSF and Consumer Lab are some examples.
• Use credible sources. Websites like NIH.gov (National Institute of Health) and Consumer Lab are great places to start.  NIH lists many supplements with information on each. Consumer Lab does AWESOME reviews on all things we use as consumers. Here you can find reliable studies on different supplements, energy drinks, protein drinks, and more. It does require a subscription to full access, or you can pay to look at just one review in particular.
• E&E works for me! It is easy to digest and quicker to drink (especially for my early morning workouts) compared to drinking a cup of coffee. It gives me that extra OOMPH to get me through higher intensity workouts like Insanity, Turbo, or even PiYo, and definitely longer distance runs. You probably won't see me drinking this before restorative yoga or anything where I need to relax! It's reasonably priced (especially with my Beachbody coach discount) for this super senior ballin on a budget.
•  Click here to order your own! --> then go to shop, nutrition, E&E