Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from Simon Burslem of the Bodybuilding Warehouse.

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Weight loss is something that we tend not to think about when we talk about weightlifting and bodybuilding. We commonly perceive these activity’s as a way of increasing a body’s muscle mass and it is likely that we believe the sole aim is to become as big and strong as possible. Although not far from the truth, one thing that we tend not to think about is the fact that many bodybuilders also need to lose weight and in particular body fat. In order to become successful as a bodybuilder you want your body to be in the best physical shape possible. You wouldn’t want a load of muscle coupled with fat, no sir. You want 100 per cent pure muscle.

Weight loss can be one of the trickiest and most difficult tasks when it comes to bodybuilding. You would be working out and trying to keep your muscles nice and strong but also trying to burn off any unwanted fat. You may have got too big and want to tone it down a little, but how exactly can this be achieved? Well, just as there is with weight gain, supplements are also available in order to help you to lose weight and with the process of losing any unwanted fat.

Although there are a number of supplements out there that can help you to lose fat and weight, fat burners are perhaps the best supplements when it comes to bodybuilding and losing weight. They are also among the most popular. Fat burners are essentially an over the counter drug that burns calories by increasing the rate of a body’s metabolism. Fat burners can be described as “thermogenic” in the way that they create heat through metabolic stimulation. Fat burners increase your metabolic rate by a few percentage points in order for your body to burn off more calories than it usually would. This is therefore useful for those who are working out as when they are doing so, their body will be working harder in order to burn off calories and therefore lose weight. By using fat burners to complement your workout you will be sure to lose that unwanted fat in no time.

Fat Burners generally come in capsule form and can be split in to a number of main categories and these are: Thermogenic Fat Burners (often appetite suppressing), Stimulant Free Fat Burners (or “stim-free fat burners”), Fat blockers, and Thyroid Based Fat Burners and each have their different merits. Thermogenic fat burners are useful as they often lead to a loss in appetite, whilst also improving a person’s energy levels and this is ideal for someone looking to lose weight. Each of the other types of fat burner can be used in conjunction with thermogenic fat burners in order to increase their success. Fat blockers on their own, decrease the amount of fat and in some cases the amount of carbohydrates that are absorbed by the body during each meal.

If you are looking to decrease the amount of fat on your body in order to be in the perfect shape then fat burners are ideal. They can be fairly cheap in comparison to other bodybuilding supplements and can help to keep you in the best possible shape. Of course you could always try and help yourself in other ways too, you could try and ignore those fast food urges, stay away from the sweets and lay off the cheese board. If you wish to complement your workout with fat burners then you can find them in most good bodybuilding stores or you can simply search for them online.

Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from James Brighton who writes regularly on the topic of supplements.

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So you want to lose weight, or get fit. For most people the first thing that they turn to is the local gym, or more often than not the latest fad diet that all of the celebrities are following. How many of us tried the Atkins Diet after the press went crazy over all the celebrities who started to follow it! Some people will find that either one of these activities works well, or even both in conjunction in a properly guided fitness regime. You might even find results immediately, and never look back, but for others fad diets and gym regimes can lead to a cycle of yo-yoing weight and fitness, whilst never really achieving what you want. This leads to some turning to supplements. But are they really worthwhile? For some of us, and I know I’m the same, that little boost could mean the difference between success or not, as a few weeks in the gym can make you feel brilliant – but it’s worthless it you don’t keep going!

The myth explained?

Can supplements really help? Or is it simply a myth that is perpetuated by the companies who produce them? The commercial supplements that are available throughout the world can be used for a variety of different things, perhaps you want to get bigger muscles, or recover from illnesses quicker. I know plenty of teachers who swear by certain remedies to stop them catching colds from the kids, after all, we all know that working closely with children leads you to the inevitable day off if you’re not careful! Are they a myth though, it’s important to work out both sides of the argument:

A MYTH?

• Without the right guidance they can cause problems for your general health.
• They’re actually a placebo?
• Involved in a fad diet promotion, and they don’t actually benefit anyone.
• Only work with effort that would give you the same results anyway.

REAL HELP?

• Can be a great aid to a regime.
• Can help prevent illnesses – even Doctor’s will advise you to take something like Echinacea to avoid colds.
• Give you a boost in confidence.
• Can give you that extra effort needed to reach your goals.

I know myself that taking those extra supplements down the gym might not make me feel like Hulk Hogan but they give me an extra push to losing weight and getting to the position I want to be in, and surely that’s a help? Without things like that I don’t know I’d have the commitment to my goals, so whilst that may be the placebo affect in action, I’d argue that supplements could help. If you tend to buy supplements online then you can get them extremely cheap, and perhaps that will be a boost to your idea of taking them or not.

Don’t expect instant results

Everyone knows someone who has the aim of getting fit, lean and muscular, but they ended up becoming the complete opposite because of supplements. That’s why the myth continues, so it is important to remember it’s not a quick fix. A supplement might aid your results but they wont give you an immediate result that you can see. You need to put the work in as well. Imagine if you were just eating a huge steak everyday, however nice it is, and not putting in the work – you’d soon see the adverse affects. And that’s what will happen if you start taking supplements but don’t change your lifestyle as well! The same could be said for supplements for your health, without changing your diet you might not see the results that they can offer.

Placebo or not, they can help

Supplements might be a myth, but if you put the effort in, either changing your diet or getting that fitness regime in place, they can be a great addition. It’s easy to take a pill or the various other supplements on offer, what’s harder is changing yourself. If you are determined you can reach your goal, and if supplements are a placebo, they can still give you that little boost you might need to lose weight, get fit, and be happy.

About the Author:
James is trying to understand how supplements can help him, and wrote this article to explain his thoughts on the myth of supplements. He regularly reads supplement reviews to try and find a supplement that will work for him.

Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from personal trainer John McKiernan who writes for the website Supplement Helper.

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Natural bodybuilding consists of bodybuilding without the use of steroids or pro-hormones. Just because you’re not using steroids or pro-hormones though, doesn’t mean there aren’t supplements that provide great results without any risks or side effects. Today most natural bodybuilding supplements on the market include combinations of the same ingredients over and over again with different marketing labels. Those ingredients are protein, amino acids, creatine and energy boosting supplements such as caffeine and herbal stimulants.

To simplify even further I’m going to leave out creatine and pre-workout supplements because some people experience side effects with creatine. It has been known, in some cases, to cause kidney damage as well. Energy stimulants are not necessary for bodybuilding, but can be helpful, before workouts, to increase energy and endurance. Many people, however, have unfavorable side effects when using stimulant based supplements.

I’m going to keep this article focused on only the supplements that have absolutely no side effects or risks whatsoever. Luckily, those are the same supplements that will give you the best results and are the most vital for muscle growth and workout recovery.

The three supplements I’m talking about are protein powder, glutamine and branched chain amino acids. All three of these supplements are closely related. Protein powder is simply chains of amino acids bonded together. Glutamine and branched chain amino acids are two of the amino acid groups that make up the protein chains. So, essentially, natural bodybuilding supplements are all just amino acids.

1) PROTEIN POWDER

There are three main types of protein powder which are discussed below:

Whey Protein

Whey protein powder is a very high quality and fast acting form of protein that is best taken immediately before and after workouts. The body uses this protein to repair damaged muscle fibers and thus increase muscle size and strength. The quality of the protein is a reflection of the completeness of the amino acid profile. No form of protein out there has as complete an amino acid profile as whey protein.

Casein Protein

Casein protein is a slow acting protein that also helps the body recover from resistance training and other workouts. The benefit of taking a slow acting protein is that the protein stays in your system longer and thus creates an anabolic effect. Any time the body doesn’t have the necessary protein to synthesize it goes into a catabolic state and breaks down muscle tissue. Casein protein will help the body avoid ever going into a catabolic state, by keeping protein in your system, readily available for long periods of time.

Protein Complex

To consolidate your protein supplement into one that contains both whey protein and casein protein you can buy what is known as a protein complex. Protein complexes are a great way to simplify your supplement stack while getting multiple sources of high quality protein that can be taken at any time of the day.

2) GLUTAMINE

Glutamine is an extremely powerful anti-catabolic agent. Glutamine helps the body recover from workouts faster and keeps the body in an anabolic state. Glutamine’s specialty is in healing. The healing effects of glutamine are so powerful that it is even used in hospitals, for burn victims. This healing property also works on damaged muscle fibers, to help rebuild them after strenuous workouts. Glutamine is known as a conditionally essential amino acid. This means that “the body can make enough glutamine for its regular needs, but extreme stress (the kind you would experience after very heavy exercise or an injury), your body may need more glutamine than it can make”. If glutamine levels are low, while training, the body begins to break down muscle to get glutamine back. Two thirds of the free-form amino acids within the muscle tissue are comprised of glutamine. This should be an indication of exactly how important glutamine is, in relation to muscle existence.

3) BCAA’s

The other one third of the free-form amino acids within the muscle tissue are comprised of branched chain amino acids. Again, this is an indicator of how vital these amino acids are. Branched chain amino acids are comprised of leucine, isoleucine and valine. It is impossible for the body to synthesize protein without leucine. The reason it is so important to supplement branched chain amino acids is that they fall under the category of essential amino acids. There are nine total essential amino acids, which the body cannot produce. It is vital to get all of these essential amino acids through diet and supplementation. On top of that “exercise may increase the BCAA requirement”. None of the essential amino acids are more important than BCAA’s. Without proper BCAA intake muscle building will be put to a halt altogether. Without BCAA’s, protein cannot be synthesized and without protein being synthesized, muscle cannot be built.

SUM IT UP

To sum things up, our necessary supplements for muscle building and workout recovery include a high-quality protein complex, branched chain amino acids and glutamine. The next time a hyped up bodybuilding supplement comes out, check the ingredients. I guarantee you’ll see at least one of these three supplements on the list. Bodybuilding supplementation doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, the simpler you make it, the more effective it can become. By focusing your attention and resources on only the supplements that will provide the greatest results, you can simplify your life and maximize your results.

About the Author:
John McKiernan is a personal trainer who enjoys researching information on bodybuilding, supplements, diets, health tips and more. He is the owner of Supplementhelper.com where he shares knowledge and advice about popular bodybuilding and health supplements.

Hello everyone.  Today’s article is a guest post from Predator Nutrition who sell a range of competitively priced protein supplements on their website.

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A bewildering array of different types of dietary sports supplements are available online and in specialist shops these days, all of them claiming to help boost and quicken muscle development in weightlifters, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. So what are the best products on the market?

First of all, instead of “what is the best product?” a better would be: “what is the best product for me?”

Bodybuilding supplements help bodybuilders develop greater muscle mass whilst also improving cardiovascular performance during training. Weightlifters and some fitness enthusiasts will also benefit from the addition of the same types of supplements, but the amount and combination required for each type of routine will be very different and will also depend on your individual body type and goals.

An intricate combination of body type, goals and training determines the supplements you will benefit from taking, so the optimum combination can be tricky to ascertain at first.

For bodybuilders, there are some great weight gainer protein supplements available to help enhance muscle build. Sports supplements such as amino acids, whey protein, nor androstenediol, guggulsterones and DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) are widely available.

Similarly, weightlifters use nutritional supplements to help them push past that all-important burn to build muscle, reaching and going beyond their limits. Weightlifters can combine supplements such as protein powders, nitric oxide and testosterone boosters, whether highly experienced or at the beginning of their career. Supplements can assist both bodybuilders and weightlifters alike in their quest for bigger muscles and a more sculpted body.

However, if you’re simply looking to tone up, then proceed with caution. These muscle-gain products probably won’t suit your needs, so while you may feel like you’d benefit from quicker results, taking a cocktail of nutritional sports supplements probably isn’t the right route for you to go down.

Protein Powders

The essential building block for muscle, protein is found in milk, fish, meat, dairy, soy and vegetable products, with the four types used in supplements being whey, casein (both from milk), egg and soy – the first three being the most widely-used. Protein powder shakes are a perfect meal supplement, helping sports people cram into their diet the sufficient protein levels required to achieve their goals.

Low carb, low calorie, low fat protein shakes are available for weight loss while maintaining muscle mass, while high protein, high calorie but low fat powder is available for muscle building. If you’re just using protein shakes as a meal supplement, then a protein powder with medium carbs and medium calories will do the job.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is the most commonly consumed type of protein supplement on the market.  It’s easily digestible, has an extremely high biological value, and is relatively inexpensive.

More easily digested than any other type of protein and relatively inexpensive, whey protein’s amino acid profile is better matched to muscle proteins than any other food and has been proven to boost the body’s immune system. With the highest value in providing branched-chain amino acids, whey protein may also help stimulate muscle growth by increasing insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).

Because whey protein is the fastest-absorbing protein of them all, consuming it before and after workout routines is best. Consuming it in the morning with another type of protein (poached eggs, perhaps) is also recommended.

Egg Protein

Eggs are unmistakably one of nature’s best muscle-building tools. The biological value, however, of whole eggs (yolk and all) is actually higher (100) than egg protein (88) – so the consumption of egg protein is actually seen by some as sort of a misnomer and a bit of a waste of money.

That said though, egg protein is a great alternative for milk and soy protein allergy sufferers, has a high amino acid profile, is low calorie, low fat and low carbohydrate, and because it is absorbed at a rate in between that of whey protein and that of casein protein, egg protein can be consumed at virtually any meal.

Casein Protein

Not as well recognized as whey protein, casein doesn’t have as high a biological value as its milk-based counterpart, but can be just as beneficial.

Of all four of the protein powders, casein contains the highest amounts of the amino acid glutamine, which helps athletes preserve muscle mass and aids immune system function. Also, it’s digested more slowly than whey (and therefore ideal protein to consume before bed or for lengthy periods between meals), so is more thoroughly absorbed.  Plus, because it possesses anti-catabolic properties the amino acids from casein stay in the blood for a relatively long time.

A few months ago Orbana Healthy Energy got in touch with me and asked if I would like to sample their product.  After a long delay, I am finally getting round to reviewing their product.  I will be breaking this Orbana Healthy Energy review down into the following sections:

• 1) PRODUCT OVERVIEW:- In this section I will be discussing Orbana Healthy Energy and outlining its proposed health benefits.

• 2) HOW DOES IT TASTE?:- In this section I will be discussing how Orbana Healthy Energy tastes and how this taste compares with rival brands.

• 3) NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN:- In this section I will be providing a full nutritional breakdown of Orbana Healthy Energy and comparing this to other leading energy drinks.

• 4) GOOD POINTS:- In this section I will be sharing what I liked about Orbana Healthy Energy.

• 5) BAD POINTS:- In this section I will be discussing what I disliked about Orbana Healthy Energy.

• 6) DOES IT WORK?:- In this section I will be answering the key question; “Does Orbana Healthy Energy live up to its claims?”

• 7) OVERALL RATING:- In this section I will be summarising the review and giving Orbana Healthy Energy an overall score out of 10.

1) PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Orbana Healthy Energy is a powder based energy drink.  Unlike the majority of its competitors, Orbana claims to be both healthy and provide energy.  It contains no caffeine, colours, preservatives or sweeteners and contains high levels of amino acids, complex carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.  Orbana also claims to delay fatigue for up to 2 hours and provide all the benefits of an energy drink, a hydration drink and a recovery drink in one.  Finally, it is environmentally friendly because it requires less fossil fuel than liquid beverages to transport.

2) HOW DOES IT TASTE?

For a powder based drink, Orbana Healthy Energy tastes surprisingly good.  In fact it is probably one of the best tasting supplements I have sampled.  The flavour is very similar to Lucozade except that it is still and tastes of pineapple.  Orbana Healthy Energy tastes much better than many of the leading energy drinks, health drinks and sports drinks on the market.  If it was sold in the shops then it would definitely hold its own in terms of taste.

3) NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN

As I discussed above, Orbana Healthy Energy claims to offer the unique proposition of being an energy drink, a healthy drink, a hydration drink and a recovery drink all in one.  But just how does it compare to its competitors?  The table below provide a full nutritional breakdown of a 100 millilitre (ml) serving of each of the following:
- A) Orbana Healthy Energy.
- B) Leading Energy Drink.
- C) Leading Fruit Drink.
- D) Leading Hydration Drink.
- E) Leading Protein Drink.
- F) Leading Sport Drink.

As you can see, Orbana Healthy Energy has a very good nutritional profile.  It contains more carbohydrates per serving than all the leading competitors, making it an excellent source of energy.  In terms of amino acids (which facilitate the growth, maintenance and repair of your muscle cells after an intense workout), Orbana Healthy Energy is second only to protein drinks.  It also contains a good mix of minerals and vitamins which have multiple health benefits.  In addition to this, Orbana Healthy Energy contains creatine which can increase energy levels during workouts.

4) GOOD POINTS

1) It has a good nutrient profile:- As discussed in the nutritional breakdown above, Orbana Healthy Energy contains a great mix of amino acids, carbohydrates, creatine, minerals and vitamins.  It has the best nutrient profile by far when compared to leading competitors.  Most importantly, the amounts of nutrients it contains are within the recommended daily allowance (RDA) which means you will not be in danger of mineral overdose or vitamin overdose when taking Orbana Healthy Energy.

2) It tastes good:- In my opinion Orbana Healthy Energy tastes much better than most energy drinks and slightly better than most sports drinks.  As I already said, if Orbana Healthy Energy was available on supermarket shelves it would be one of the first drinks I looked for because of its flavour.

5) BAD POINTS

1) It is relatively expensive:- Even when you buy in bulk, Orbana Healthy Energy comes in at just under £2 per serving.  Even the leading energy drinks, fruit drinks, hydration drinks, protein drinks and sports drinks come in at around £1 per serving which makes Orbana Healthy Energy quite an expensive choice.

2) There are more competitive health supplements available:- As a direct competitor to off the shelf energy drinks, Orbana Healthy Energy is nutritionally one of the best.  However, there are better and cheaper health supplements available on the market.  For example, if you shop around you can get high quality creatine for less than 20p per serving, high quality protein for less than 50p per serving, high quality vitamin and mineral mixes for less than 20p per serving and high quality energy mixes for less than 35p a serving.

6) DOES IT WORK?

Unfortunately, I did not feel that Orbana Healthy Energy significantly boosted my energy levels during my workouts.  I did notice a slight, temporary lift whilst drinking Orbana Healthy Energy but nothing substantial enough to improve my workout performance.

7) OVERALL RATING

5/10

I think the main problem with Orbana Healthy Energy is that it tries to be too many things.  Whilst it does some of these things quite well (for example, it provides you with quite a good mix of minerals and vitamins) it does not really excel in any area.  If you are looking for energy, then there are better and cheaper pre-workout mixes available.  If you want amino acids, protein shakes contain a much richer blend at a much lower cost.  Even as a direct competitor to off the shelf energy drinks such as Lucozade and Red Bull, Orbana Healthy Energy falls short because it is almost twice the price.  Although it is nutritionally better than many off the shelf energy drinks, it does not warrant such an expensive price tag.

Hello everyone.  Today’s article is a guest post from Jennica who guest blogs for a number of different sites on a variety of different health and fitness topics.

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Herbal pills can help in natural obesity control by reducing appetite and boosting metabolism, but is it harmless to use? Are the so-called natural ingredients used in herbal pills safe?

Diet pills are immensely popular with people around the word, including well-known celebrities. Most have taken diet pills while giving a shot at losing weight easily instead of facing the ache of physical fitness exercise along with reducing intake of calories.

The whole thing works in a straightforward way; toss down an herbal weight loss pill and allow the natural ingredients do their magic either by restraining hunger or by enhancing metabolism to burn up calories quicker.

Let’s take a look at hoodia and bitter orange, two of the most common constituents used in herbal diet pills and see whether they are harmless to use.

A lot of herbal diet pills and weight loss supplements use extracts of bitter orange peel (Citrus aurantium) which has a chemical known as synephrine. This chemical improves metabolism and burns the calories quicker owing to its thermogenic properties. Bitter orange is extensively used as an alternative to ephedrine, which has been banned by the FDA owing to its dangerous side effects.

The Hoodia plant of the Kalahari Desert allegedly used by Africans to suppress hunger during extended hunting days is commonly used in diet supplements that claim to hold back appetite. Meanwhile, we don’t have any real evidence that this is effective. Although we don’t know any Hoodia side effects yet, the long-standing effect of this appetite suppressant is unheard of.

Producers of these weight loss pills habitually make deceptive claims that the natural ingredients are always safe. For instance, supplements using synephrine or bitter orange are promoted as ephedrine-free. Although Synephrine has been established as “safe” through lab animal testing, we have not seen a lot of research that supports the so-called safety.

Actually, Synephrine in the semblance of Neo-Synephrine has been obtainable ever since the 1940s as a therapy for blocked nose with a caution of possible side-effects such as anxiety, elevated blood pressure, greater than usual heart-rate, and hazy vision. No diet pill ads talk about the study that links bitter orange to the source of cardiac arrest, which happened in a middle aged old woman who never had any cardiac problems before.

Safe Diet Supplements

Eventually, taking any supplement, whether natural or artificial, to suppress appetite or increase metabolism in the hunt for quick slimming has its hazards and folks with cardiac problems may perhaps be more susceptible. It is essential to visit a physician before using any herbal supplements for weight loss so that any likely side effects like amplified blood pressure and heart rate can be supervised appropriately.

Be Careful While Buying Diet Pills

The claims of diet pills may appear smart, but you should always be cautious about any secret diet pill. Tossing down diet pills may appear easier than doing a work out, but it is better to visit a physician prior to using any diet supplements.

In one of my recent articles I stated that I did not think multi vitamins were necessary.  I also said that it was very difficult to overdose on vitamins from food alone and that overdosing is normally the result of excessive vitamin supplement consumption.  After reading these articles you probably think I am completely against the consumption of vitamin supplements.  However, this is not the case.  Whilst I am generally against multi vitamin supplements (for the reasons discussed in my article) I do feel that other vitamin supplements are valuable tools in certain situations.  In this article I will be discussing four factors that can make vitamin supplementation necessary.

1) ALCOHOLISM:- Alcoholism and heavy alcohol consumption can lead to a person becoming deficient in any of the thirteen vitamins.  This is sometimes due to the poor diet consumed by alcoholics but generally a result of organ damage that is caused by excessive alcohol consumption.  Whilst I do not think vitamin supplements should be used to support heavy drinking they can be useful tools for recovering alcoholics.  They may also be necessary for alcoholics who have suffered permanent damage to their liver, pancreas or intestinal tract, all of which make it more difficult for the body to absorb vitamins.

2) DISEASES AND GENETIC DISORDERS:- There are a number of diseases and genetic disorders that can affect your body’s ability to absorb vitamins.  Stomach problems can lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency because absorption of this vitamin requires a substance called intrinsic factor to be present in the intestine.  If you have a problem with your stomach that inhibits the production of intrinsic fact then you may not be able to absorb enough vitamin B12 even if you are consuming the recommended daily allowance (RDA) through your diet.  Cancer, chron’s disease and liver disease are other conditions that can contribute to a vitamin deficiency.  Therefore, if you suffer from any conditions that affect your body’s ability to use vitamins you may need to take advantage of vitamin supplements.

3) MEDICATIONS:- There are a number of medications that can interfere with vitamin absorption.  Certain antibiotics can destroy the bacteria responsible for producing vitamin B7 and vitamin K and this may contribute to a deficiency.  Oral contraceptives and painkillers can impair your body’s ability to absorb vitamin B9.  Anticoagulants (medicines that thin the blood and prevent it from clotting) can also inhibit the absorption of vitamin K.  Therefore, if you are using any of the above medications you may need to supplement your diet with certain vitamins.

4) PREGNANCY:- During pregnancy your vitamin requirements will be increased.  Not only will you need to get enough vitamins for yourself but you will also need to consume enough for your growing baby.  Sometimes diet alone may not be enough to get the required vitamins for the two of you.  In these situations vitamin supplements may be required.

Overall, I believe that diet should be the first choice when it comes to getting your vitamins.  Supplements should not be used as an excuse for poor eating habits.  However, I understand there are factors that can compromise your ability to get the required levels of vitamins from the foods you eat.  In these situations vitamin supplements are useful and may even be necessary.

If you do think that you need vitamin supplements, go talk to your doctor first.  As I have discussed previously you can overdose on vitamins and in most cases supplements are the cause.  Your doctor will be able to advise you on which (if any) vitamin supplements you need based on your current health and any medications you are currently taking.  Using this advice you can then get the vitamin supplementation you need without over doing it.

What do you guys think?  Are there any other factors I have missed that may make vitamin supplementation necessary?  Do you always try and get your vitamins from food sources?

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Although you should try and get your vitamins from food where possible this is not always possible.  Sometimes supplementation is required.  In this case you should check out Vitabase who offer a fantastic selection of vitamin supplements at fantastic prices:

Multi vitamins are one of the most popular health and fitness supplements around.  Even people who are not really into their fitness tend to purchase these supplements.  A lot of my friends take a daily multi vitamin but would never consider purchasing protein shakes.  I myself started purchasing multi vitamins when I moved out of my parent’s house to make sure I was getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of each of the thirteen vitamins.  I used to pop a multi vitamin in my mouth each morning and never thought twice.  However, I recently wrote some articles on each of the vitamins and this made me want to take another look at multi vitamins.

As I mentioned above a lot of people purchase multi vitamins because they want to make sure they are getting the recommended amount of each type.  In principal this is fine.  All the vitamins help the body perform essential functions and a deficiency can lead to a number of adverse side effects.  However, if you look a little deeper into the marketing claims made by multi vitamin supplment companies problems start to arise.  Below I will be discussing five of my biggest multi vitamin concerns.

1) MULTI VITAMINS INDIRECTLY PROMOTE POOR DIETARY CHOICES:- A lot of multi vitamins state that you need to take them because modern diets are rich in highly processed foods that do not contain adequate vitamins.  A multi vitamin will therefore allow you to correct the balance and top up on these missing vitamins.  So in other words these supplements are providing an excuse for poor dietary choices.  I know from experience that many people use multi vitamins as a reason to avoid fruits and vegetables and eat less healthy foods.  I have heard a numerous people say things along the lines of; “I don’t really like fruits and vegetables but it’s OK because I take multi vitamins”.  Whilst a poor diet will probably benefit from multi vitamin supplementation I do not think the right message is being sent out.  Instead of seeing multi vitamins as a magic pill for people who make poor dietary choices they need to be encouraged to eat healthier, vitamin rich foods.

2) MULTI VITAMINS ENCOURAGE OVERDOSING:- A lot of people read about the benefits of multi vitamins and get the idea in their head that the more they take the healthier they will be.  This is because many multi vitamin supplements fail to provide adequate warning about the possible consequences of overdosing.  Overdosing on water soluble vitamins is generally not a huge problem as the body excretes any it does not need (although it can lead to some unpleasant side effects such as headaches).  However, overdosing on fat soluble vitamins can lead to much more serious complications.  The body stores any excess fat soluble vitamins in the liver and fatty tissues for later use.  If these stores become too big they reach toxic levels which causes a number of problems.  Getting too much vitamin A can weaken your bones and stunt your growth.  Overdosing on vitamin D can lead to calcium deposits which cause significant damage to your body’s organs.  Consuming too much vitamin K can lead to your liver and red blood cells becoming damaged.  Whilst this problem is not specific to multi vitamins (you can overdose on vitamins through your diet) they are more concentrated than food sources and therefore make overdosing easier.  You do not hear of many people eating 10 apples a day to try and be healthier but most people think nothing of popping a few extra multi vitamins.

3) MULTI VITAMINS MAKE YOU MISS OUT ON OTHER IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS:- Taking multi vitamin tablets often means that you miss out on other important nutrients.  For example if you take a multi vitamin and skimp on the fruits and vegetables you will be missing out on a lot of dietary fibre.  If you consume a multi vitamin because you do not like nuts then you will be missing out on a lot of omega 3 fatty acids which are also required for good health.  Vitamins are not the only thing you need for good health and a lot of people that take multi vitamins forget this.

4) MULTI VITAMINS CAN BE UNBALANCED:- When I started writing about vitamins one of the first things I did was look at my current multi vitamin supplement to see what it contained.  I assumed it would contain 100% of the RDA for each of the thirteen vitamins.  However, I was quite surprised to see that it was very unbalanced.  It contained 100% of the recommended allowance for vitamin A but a huge 1000% of the RDA for vitamin B12.  Whilst this is not a huge problem as B12 is water soluble (and therefore very difficult to overdose on) the same supplement also contained 200% of the RDA for vitamin D which could lead to dangerous calcium deposits.  Furthermore, this is just one supplement.  Other supplements contain completely different concentrations of the various vitamins meaning they could potentially contain toxic levels of fat soluble vitamins.

5) MULTI VITAMINS DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT YOUR CURRENT DIET:- On top of the fact that different multi vitamin tablets contain different concentrations of each vitamin, most people do not think about their current diet when taking these supplements.  Your current diet may contain the RDA for certain vitamins and be lacking in others.  If you take a multi vitamin to fill these gaps you will also be overdosing on the vitamins for which your diet contains adequate levels.  People eat so many different foods and I don’t think one tablet can be relied upon to fill the various gaps in different people’s diets.

6) MULTI VITAMINS CAN BE TOXIC:- Many multi vitamins are synthetic which means they are laboratory simulations of natural vitamins.  These synthetic vitamins often contain a number of toxic by-products which can be damaging to your health.  This means that not only do multi vitamins encourage you to take potentially toxic doses but in a lot of cases they contain toxic ingredients too.

7) MULTI VITAMINS CANNOT BE ABSORBED AS EASILY:- Your body is designed to absorb vitamins in their natural form and often struggles to absorb synthetic versions.  Therefore, even if you are getting the RDA of the various vitamins through supplements you are unlikely to be getting the full benefits that natural alternatives would provide.

Since I wrote my original articles on vitamins I have not touched my multi vitamin supplement.  The main reason for this is that I did not know how damaging overdosing on certain vitamins could be.  After doing my research and finding this out I did not want to take the risk.  People may have a genuine reason for being deficient in certain vitamins.  For example, certain medicines can interfere with the absorption of vitamin K.  In these instances supplementation for that specific vitamin may be required.  However, I do not think ‘one size fits all’ multi vitamins are the answer.  Everyone eats differently and therefore has different vitamin requirements.  My advice is to look at your current diet and then try to address the vitamin deficiencies by adding some additional foods.  For example, if you are lacking in vitamin A try and add some liver, milk, carrots or spinach to your diet.  Not only will you be topping up on vitamin A but you will be getting some dietary fibre and other important nutrients too.  If there is a genuine reason that you cannot get the RDA of certain vitamins from the foods you eat then get some supplements that provide you with just those vitamins.

In my opinion you should not try and substitute real, whole foods with synthetic tablets.  You can get adequate amounts of each of the thirteen vitamins by eating a healthy, well balanced diet and getting some sunlight each day (for vitamin D).  There will be exceptions where your require a supplement for a specific vitamin but overall diet should be the focus when getting your RDA of the thirteen vitamins.

What’s your opinion on multi vitamins?  Do you currently take them?  Has this article made you rethink your approach?  Do you have any counter arguments that promote multi vitamins?  Are there any other adverse effects I have missed?

Supplementing your daily diet with protein shakes is an effective way to lose weight. Indeed protein has been linked with a temporary boost in metabolism and a suppressed appetite suppressed appetite. Protein shakes are also great for bulking up or toning your existing muscle. However, having the same shake every day can get boring quite quickly. In this article I outline how you can make your protein supplements a little more interesting and provide a couple of quick recipes.

A great way to spice up your protein shakes is to add fruits such as apples, oranges and mango juice. Milk is another good addition with regular milk, soy milk and rice milk all interesting options. What’s more these additions to your protein shake help pack in extra nutritional value. Frozen fruits are a particularly good source of nutrition because they keep their nutritional value for extended periods. Plus, they can be used as natural ice cubes to give your shake body and thicken it up a bit. There are many more things that you can add to your protein shake. Just let your imagination run wild.

If you are struggling for inspiration here are a couple of quick recipes:

1) TANGERINE CREAM:
- 12 oz. Tangerine Diet Rite
- 4 Ice Cubes
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 to 3 scoops vanilla protein powder

2) ROOT BEER FLOAT:
- 1 can Diet Root Beer
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 4 ice cubes
- 1 to 3 scoops vanilla protein powder

I hope this article has helped you realise that you do not have to stick to the tried and tested chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavours with your protein shakes. Protein shakes can help you lose weight, tone up or bulk up but that does not mean they should be bland and uninteresting. Mix it up a bit and get creative or if you prefer check out these additional protein shake recipes.

A key factor in any effective diet is controlling hunger pangs. Once you can control your hunger you have mastered the difficult part. The remainder of the diet should become relatively easy to tolerate. But how do you go about controlling hunger? There are a number of ways but in this article I will focus on how protein shakes can be used to reduce hunger cravings.

Protein shakes are not just rich in protein but most also have a high nutritional value. Studies show that protein can boost your metabolism temporarily and can suppress your appetite. Therefore, by drinking protein shakes you can take advantage of all these benefits without consuming the excess fat associated with many solid protein sources such as beef and cheese.

HOW DO PROTEIN SHAKES WORK?:- A major function of protein is to build and maintain lean muscle mass. However, protein in the form of meat is often more difficult to digest. Solid food proteins can take over an hour to digest and reach the muscles. That’s where protein shakes come in. They take around half an hour to digest and are much easier on the digestive system.

Protein shakes can be consumed after working out to help the body heal and strengthen muscles. Hence, they are very popular with bodybuilders and athletes. However, as discussed earlier in this article protein can also boost your metabolism and suppress your appetite. Therefore, you can also drink protein shakes in the morning to rev up your metabolism or during the day to suppress your appetite and continue the calorie burning process.

DRINKING PROTEIN SHAKES FOR DIETING:- When dieting you can use protein shakes to replaces certain daily meals and snacks. For example, if your normal routine involves eating breakfast at 8am and a bag of crisps at 10am you could substitute this bag of crisps for a protein shake and maybe a banana too for some slow release carbohydrates. Not only will this be a much more nutritional snack but it will also stay in your system longer and keep you feeling full for longer.

Although protein shakes are a great dietary supplement you should try to drink a maximum of two per day. It is OK to replace a couple of meals or snacks each day but you do not want to have a diet which consists completely of liquid. Solid foods are still important and contain other important nutrients and carbohydrates that are not found in protein shakes. Plus, most people cannot handle the thought of consuming all their calories in liquid form so it helps to keep you sane. Finally, although increasing your protein intake is a good way to lose weight, excessive protein consumption can be damaging to your body and your health.

Overall, protein shakes are a great way to supplement a healthy diet. They will help your body burn excess calories and keep you satisfied for much longer than a chocolate bar or other sugary snacks. However, remember that protein shakes are a supplement and not a food replacement. They should be used to complement a healthy diet and not consumed in excess.