Smart Supplementation
Supplements are called supplements for a reason.
They are not called primaries.
They supplement and assist in helping our body digest and use food more efficiently. They help us recover quicker from exercise, allow us to progress toward our goals in our busy lives, sleep better and they can help us in living a healthier, longer life.
Supplements does feel like a bad word at times right?
The first thing that comes to my mind are pushy vitamin store guys, giant tubs of protein, the pill containers your grandma has for all of her meds…but filled with every kind of vitamin or supplement under the sun, eating no food, fat burners, Bro Science and spray tans.
Sound right?
If you think about it, people supplement their diet with so many unhealthy vices…pop, smokes, alcohol, crack…okay that’s aggressive. But, you get my point.
Everything is relative to any situation. We all supplement our lives, diets, income with something.
Food is King…or Queen.
Supplements should be used to help fill in nutritional gaps where your eating falls short.
They don’t replace what’s on our plates, but they can enhance it.
I know that I make more sound nutritional choices than most about what goes on my plate and then into my mouth. I am not bragging, I just have more knowledge in that area and I am more mindful of it. That being said, I’m still human, shocking I know. I have good days and bad days when it comes to my nutrition just like everyone else on the planet. I have nutritional gaps and holes. This is where I rely on supplements to help fill those gaps and to make sure my nutrition is as well rounded and complete as possible to support my goals and come close to sniffing my potential during my short time on this rock.
Let’s take a walk…
My goal is not to drive you to my page for a sale. My goal is to always educate and let you make the best decision that’s right for you. Which is why I am a horrible salesman, honestly its true.
If I can educate you and help you to understand what is necessary to supplement and what is not, well then maybe I can save you some money by trimming the fat in your GAINZ cupboard. If you’re currently not supplementing anything, well when the time comes you’ll be armed with the knowledge to cut through the BS and execute a decision that’s best for you.
But, if you’re still in doubt and if you have questions, drop me a line and I’ll shoot you straight.
So, first and foremost…
No supplements are FDA approved. So, don’t get caught up in the rhetoric when people say they are bad or unnecessary because they aren’t FDA approved. Supplements aren’t a food or drug used to treat a condition…hence why they aren’t FDA approved. Lightbulb!!
So, do look at ingredients, do your own research, find credible sources and or people for your information; make sure you jive with the company and culture and look to see where and how the products are manufactured. Because although supplements aren’t FDA approved, lots of reputable companies will use varying levels of FDA approved manufacturing facilities.
I use 1st Phorm products for a few reasons.
I really dig the company, people and what they stand for.
They use the highest quality ingredients and manufacture them in a high level FDA approved facility.
Everything is made in the USA along with free shipping…HUGE!
1st Phorm is active in many different areas helping kids who are less fortunate and give back to local and global communities.
There are no “Pro” athletes pushing products, just everyday life athletes.
They taste amazing, I’ve never felt better and they are keeping me on track with my goals.
Here are my essentials…
Micro Factor/Opti-Greens 50 (Daily Stack)
This helps fill in my nutritional gaps, to make sure my boxes are checked nutritionally from a foundational level. If you want to build a solid house you need a strong foundation, same goes for your body. This has a multivitamin, probiotics to boost immunity and regulate bathroom habits ☺, Omega 3s to help fight inflammation and great for joint, brain and heart health. A fruit and veggie capsule. Coq10 which is a powerful antioxidant to help fight free radicals, but also helps us produce more energy and run more efficiently at the cellular level and improves our bloodflow and cardiac function.
Opti Greens 50 - A powerful blend of low temp, non GMO, non-synthetic phytonutrients, botanical superfoods, digestive enzymes and probiotics. 80% of our immune system lives in our gut. If our gut biome is on point, we will get sick a lot less frequently. And I don’t eat nearly enough leafy greens, this is my secret weapon to help bump that up!
Level-1
In our Western Civilization Life it is very easy to consume carbohydrates and fats. Protein is the most essential nutrient for muscle growth and muscle retention. And everything you see when you look in the mirror is made up of protein. Want to drop some body fat and inches?? Odds are you need to eat more protein. Want to add some pounds of muscle to your frame?? Yes, you probably need to increase your protein intake.
Adequate protein intake is key to make sure you are supporting the muscle mass you do have. Shoot for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. If you weigh 200 pounds, shoot for 200 grams of protein. For a deeper dive on this, shoot me a message.
The more muscle you do have, the better you look, the better your clothes fit and the better you feel. The most significant impact is on your metabolism. Which is a big deal. More muscle means you burn more calories. Muscle is very metabolic. Level-1 is 24 grams of great tasting sustained assimilation whey protein. Geek speak, your muscles are fed over an extended period of time. I love mixing up a Level-1 shake once a day to break up the monotony of my meals and snacks. I mean no one likes chewing all day. It’s fun to experiment and blend up shake to treat your taste buds and muscles to dem GAINZ!!
Ignition/Phormula 1(Post workout stack)
Allow me to contradict myself from an earlier statement. A Post Workout shake is the only time food gets trumped. After your workout your muscles are depleted, like a sponge after all of the water has been wrung out. It’s starving for nutrition and that is why this is an important time to start the recovery process. Liquids are digested and absorbed faster than food, hence why the Ignition/Phormula-1 combo is the perfect tool for that job.
Ignition has 46 grams of dexanhydrous glucose for an insulin spike post workout. Nerd Alert!!! Why is this insulin spike so important you ask? This insulin spike alerts the muscles that workout is over and allows the doors of the muscle to open so the proper nutrients can get in to repair and rebuild the damage to the muscle. Look at it this way…Protein is the nail, Carbohydrates are the hammer that pound the protein into the muscle. These are simple fast acting carbs which will also help to restore the muscle glycogen your muscles burned while working out.
Phormula-1 is a whey protein isolate that is cross flow micro filtered using low heat which allows for maximum assimilation speed to the muscles. The tandem of Ignition and Phormula-1 is an ideal combo because it supplies the muscles with the needed carbs and protein in the right ratio to help speed up recovery and mitigate soreness.
Supplementation can be a confusing topic. One that I feel a lot of people get pressured into.
Do your research, reach out to someone who knows more than you and will give you their unbiased opinion and trust your gut.
Lastly, make sure that whatever you are taking is absolutely necessary for you and your goals.
Less is more!