Week Seven - Supplements 101
We are very much "pro-real food" at Grand Health. If you can get all of your necessary nutrients from real, whole foods that's great! We often look to supplements to help fill gaps or to help achieve balance. We have narrowed it down to our top five supplements we recommend in general. If you have specific questions on supplements, comment below or shoot us an email!
The 5 supplements you should consider adding into your routine:
Fish oil: great for overall heart health, joint function, and nervous system function. Favorite brands: Nordic Naturals, Spectrum, Nutrition Dynamics. General dosage recommendation:
Probiotics: promotes healthy digestive tract and overall immune health. Favorite brands: Metagenics, MegaFoods, Jarrow. General recommendation: take on an empty stomach (ideally upon waking),
Vitamin D: health and function of cells, boost mood, ease muscle aches, build bones. Look for Vitamin D3. Favorite brands: NOW, Nutrition Dynamics, Whole Foods brand. General dosage recommendation:
Magnesium: relaxation mineral, improves sleep, helps with muscle cramps & headaches, precursor for neurotransmitters, building block for DNA. Favorite brands: Natural Calm, MegaFoods. General dosage recommendation:
Protein: because of the level of conditioning/activity you are getting, you may consider adding in some extra protein. It is extremely hard to get the recommended amount of protein from just foods (and can help round out some meals like smoothies!). Favorite brands: Nutrition Dynamics (Ultimate Natural Whey is a high quality, complete protein - no issues with food sensitivities), if you prefer vegetarian protein powders: Sun Warrior, Garden of Life, or Vega are good options.
Supplements for Performance
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Powdered carbohydrate source - great for your immediate pre/post-WOD meals. Our favorites are Endura by Metagenics and Vitargo S2 by GENER8. Both mix well with a protein shake.
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Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) - these are the building blocks to protein. When taken pre and post WOD they are reported to increase time to exhaustion, increase anabolic hormone release, preent lean body mass loss, and protect against muscle damage.
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Creatine - may increase athletic performance by delaying fatigue, helps build lean muscle mass, may increase speed and strength.