1. Omega-3 rich fish oils
Fish Oil has been a hugely popular supplement over the years and shall continue to be so due to the number of invaluable benefits it brings us. Fish oil is very commonly used to improve fat loss results as it is said to help activate our fat burning gene. Fish oil has also been known to improve our mood, increase motivation, reduce depression and improve our capacity for memory.
Our brain is primarily made of fat and increasing our number of healthy fats in fact increases the strength of cell walls and speeds up the communication of messages between cells.
Fish oil is also extremely good for our skin, hair and eyesight.
We recommend taking 6-9g a day. (More if fat loss is the goal, but speak to a health practitioner for more precise amounts).
2. Multivitamin
Due to modern agricultural methods of farming, our soil has a fraction of the nutrient value it used to 50+ years ago. As a result our food only contains 20% of the nutrient density it once had. This means we are deficient in so many vitamins and minerals that help the body function optimally. Combine this with a poor diet, increased consumption of convenient processed foods and higher stress levels than ever before, we are in trouble. Multivitamins help fill that nutritional gap by adding to our diets (assuming they are healthy), and aiding in processes such as liver detoxification.
We recommend taking between 2-4 caps a day.
3. Zinc and magnesium (ZMA)
Zinc and magnesium can be bought separately and taken as “chelates” (a blend of several versions zinc/ magnesium). They are commonly taken together at night.
Zinc has been known to boost brain function, detoxify the brain of heavy metals, is a potent antioxidant, increase insulin sensitivity, improve cardiovascular health, improve male and female fertility and elevate mood and avoid depression. It also improves our sense of taste and smell.
Take what is says on the label. High dosage of zinc can be toxic.
Magnesium is responsible for over 300 essential biochemical reactions in the body, reduces stress, relaxes muscles and reduces post workout soreness.
Take 400-800mg of magnesium daily
Optimally take both of them with food as taking them on their own can lead to you feeling nauseous.
4. Greens Supplement
In a similar story to the multivitamin, we eat nowhere near enough vegetables to fulfill our body’s requirements to function optimally. We are encouraged to eat 5 a day, where in fact we need close to 20 a day just to break even.
A greens drink, is a fantastic way to help meet that daily quota. Greens drinks help with liver detoxification, improve skin and boost energy. These are best taken in the morning and/or during the afternoon. One tablespoon twice a day should do it.
5. Protein supplement
Protein supplements have become hugely popular in the gym world and are now more mainstream than ever. They do get some bad media, especially soy based proteins (which we are not a fan of), but they do far more good than harm.
Whey protein (ideally from grass fed cows), is a great way to re stabilize blood sugar levels and fill your body with nutrients post workout. They also contain immunoglobulins which help to boost the immune system.
However, if you are lactose intolerant (feel gassy or bloated after dairy/ milk based products), then try vegan proteins such as sunwarrior, rice and pea based proteins. They do not have quite the same nutrient value but are still highly recommended.
Protein supplements are best taken post workout, or if you have missed a meal (not an excuse to replace food due to lazy food prep). 25-35g for women and 40-50g for men is a good dosage post workout.
