The Supplement Industry is a Multi BILLION dollar industry. And with good, reason – The sleazy supplement salesmen and saleswomen are excellent at selling their bullshit.
Ask any of my clients which supplements I recommend that they take, and they themselves will tell you that I’m extremely conservative when it comes to using these so-called performance and health enhancement proprietor blended powders and pixie dust pills, filled with cheap fillers and ingredients that I can’t even pronounce.
Food First
First of all, I want to state for the record, that I am without a doubt a true food guy. No I don’t think we can get all of our essential nutrients through foods alone, however I don’t think you need to have an entire pharmacy of pills and powders on hand in your kitchen to get the job done either.
If you’re working with a budget, then my suggestion is to first spend the majority of that budget on wholesome nutrient dense foods, before walking into your local GNC Store (FYI don’t buy your supplements at GNC either. It’s at least a 40% mark up for what you can go and purchase online for the exact same products).
Now if you still have a bit of funds left over after your fridge is stocked and cabinets are full OF CLEAN FOOD, then my recommendation is to purchase supplements that you yourself may actually need.
But What Do I Need?
A good whey isolate protein powder is not essential, however it does make getting in your protein that much easier and is great for people who are lactose intolerant and/or vegetarian, and therefore don’t consume any meats.
Vitamins and Minerals are great, but only take what YOUR BODY is deficient in. For example, if you’re constantly low on energy and live in an environment that lacks a lot of sun (Vancouver comes to mind here) then perhaps you might need to start taking 1000-2000iu each day of Vitamin D.
Get sick a lot? Perhaps taking some Vitamin C on a daily basis (BEFORE YOU GET SICK, NOT AFTER) will help boost your immune system and allow your body to fight off potential airborne viruses and diseases.
If you’re like me and don’t consume too many healthy fats in your diet, then you’re going to want to ensure that you get these fats in some how. Vitamins such as Omega-3s and Evening Primrose Oil are excellent additions to any dietary program that lacks essential fats.
Remember, all of the above are just examples. My point is that there are a lot of fantastic supplements out on the market, but the majority of them you most likely don’t need and don’t really offer any additional benefits that you can’t already get from following a well balanced Nutritional Plan.
As for your weight gainers, fat burners, mood enhancers and whatever other placebo pills the sleazy supplement salespeople might try to sell you, I recommend substituting all that garbage with good old fashion EXERCISE!!!
So How Do You Spot a Shitty Supplement?
If the supplement in question makes any promises and/or claims backed by no real scientific research (as in studies NOT DONE by the Supplement Company selling the product themselves), contains ingredients that you’ve never heard of, or even worse, uses the word “proprietary blend” anywhere on the bottle, then you’ve just spotted a shitty supplement.
And remember, if you don’t truly need this supplement to begin with, then don’t buy it.
As for myself personally, I do enjoy using a few BCAA powders, and pre-workouts mixtures. I most certainly could and have lived without both though, and have managed quite well. These are more of a luxury for me to take, and luckily for me, are within my budget. As for my own vitamins and minerals, I take what I feel that I’m deficient in. I listen to my body, do my own research, and construct a trial and error process to find out as to what works and what doesn’t work for me.
And truth be told, I use the exact same methods, when designing a Supplement and Dietary Plan for my clients. I listen to my clients and try to help them figure out what they may and may not be deficient in. I don’t tell them to go out and buy thousands of dollars worth of supplements, nor do I tell them to take nothing at all. I base my advice and recommendations off the information that they provide me with pertaining to their health and their training goals.
Don’t Become a Sucker For Supplements
I wrote today’s blog in hopes that many of you won’t fall victim to the same supplement scams that I fell victim to many years ago. If I only knew then what I know now about this shady and deceitful industry, I probably would have saved myself alot of wasted time, frustration and money.
If I could offer one piece of advice when it comes to purchasing supplements, it would be to learn the science behind the supplements you are choosing to purchase. Educate yourself as to what really works and what doesn’t. We live in an age where ignorance can no longer be an excuse when it comes to purchasing a product or service. Find real online reviews by real consumers. Read the research behind the listed ingredients, and only purchase your supplements from reputable brands.
Hopefully today’s blog will help you become more able to spot a shitty supplement…….
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance