Tuesday, May 21, 2013

No supplement will replace diet

I don't like to beat a dead horse when it comes to talking about nutrition. First off, I am not a nutritionist. I have a moderate idea of what is good to put into my body, and what to avoid. I have tried different things, and listened to a variety of different people and have modified my diet to follow a primarily Paleo principle. I eat lean meats, vegetables, and nuts, I avoid gluten etc...I realized quickly that the lack of carbohydrates did not provide me with the energy to push through the day, so I added some carbs to my diet, aside from the veggies. I added a moderate Protein Weight Gainer, that has a low amount of sugar, and a decent amount of carbs and protein. I want to build muscle, and have found this to be the best thing for me. I also take BCAA powder with plenty of glutamine, that assists with decreasing muscle fatigue, speeding up recovery and lean muscle building. Fish Oil and Multi Vitamins round out my daily routine.  Now is this the best combination a person can take into their body? I am not sure..but it works for me, I notice results, and I have never felt better. I see little to no negative effects, so I stick with that until something changes my mind. I see the ads for the expensive supplements, mainly protein, and so far, my opinion on this is as follows:
I began Crossfit three years ago, upon joining I saw people consuming a drink out of a shaker immediately following their workout. I inquired what this elixir was, and found out about the benefits of taking protein supplements. I ventured to my local supplement store and was quickly sold on "their best protein ever" a whopping $70. Surely this would get me jacked in no time. Guess what....no dice. I felt better after workouts, that goes without question. The benefit of taking protein immediately following a workout is proven, and I stick by it. But $70?? Do I need this high grade supplement for what I am doing? I found out soon enough that there are different qualities of protein, that is for sure, but I am not training for the Olympics. I just need to get something in my body so that it does not feed on my muscle after a workout.  I see so many people put so much thought into buying the expensive protein. " Oh I would never buy that cheap stuff...not for my body", yet these are the same people that will throw down a case of beer on the weekend, the same people that eat fast food here and there. That one cheeseburger you had at Mcdonalds or 32oz Dos Equis, as a "cheat day" is worse for you than consuming an entire 4 lb container of that "cheap protein". Keep that in mind. There is no need to put race fuel in a 2006 Toyota Camry that you won't even change the oil on.  I feel as though people look at supplements as an easy road, a magic pill or powder that will make everything easier....and they might for a little while.......but I am not happy with a little while.
My point is, diet is paramount before anything. Focus on eating right, once you have that down, then look to higher quality supplements. Take your vitamins, take your fish oil, and get some sun every now and then.

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