Want to Live a Healthier and Happier Life?

Food Quality Not What It Use to Be

Now first things first. In no way can supplements (pills, powders, drinks, etc) EVER replace the role of a whole-foods based diet in our lives! They are NOT magic pills. Vegetables, fruits, grains, meats, and dairy all have micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) that give our body what it needs to function daily. Whether that is building muscle, giving the brain clarity to be alert, or helping the body to have clean energy throughout the day, FOOD is our first and main source of energy for our body.

With that being said, in today's society food has been tainted, sprayed with heavy pesticides, and altered from its original state, making it very difficult to get all of the vitamins and minerals we need through a whole-foods based diet alone. Sometimes it is just outright dangerous to eat some of the junk that is out there. Don't get me wrong, I know many people who eat clean, whole-foods and are able to get their daily intake of nutrients safely. But these people are very detailed in what and how much they eat everyday, and it can get a bit tedious making sure you are getting the exact amount of raspberries or broccoli you need or else you're short in your vitamin A or C for the day!

Easier Way to Get the Nutrition We Need?

So the question is this. Is there a simpler and safer way to get the nutrients we need without necessarily getting it from a whole-foods diet alone? The answer is yes! This is where supplements come in very handy in helping live healthier, happier, and better lives! Now that we have a basic understanding of how the body works in the terms of food, lets talk about supplements— are they worth the money, and how do I know that the ones I'm taking are actually working.

If you're one of those people who is looking for a faster and healthier way to get the nutrients you need but you have a hard time scarfing down broccoli, carrots, and spinach ALL day, then you need to find a way to NOT totally replace those foods, but to help aid in getting the nutrients those foods offer. The word supplement literally means "something that completes or enhances something else when added to it." However, I am not saying to completely cut out the fruits and vegetables and replace them totally with just vitamins, pills, and powders. But rather I am saying add these components to what you are already eating to "enhance" the lifestyle you are trying to live. For example, if you are trying to lose weight but have a problem with hunger control, there are supplements out there that will actually help curb your appetite so that you don't get those "hunger pains" for that craving that gets you every time and slows down or inhibits your progress towards your goal. Supplements are very useful when used correctly and understood properly in terms of how and when to use them.

Are Supplements Actually Worth the Money?

In all actuality the answer to this question is "it depends". Just like any commodity or product you have excellent, mediocre, and of course terrible or low-grade. The decision for you is are you going to get your money's worth for what you are buying! Top notch supplements are NOT cheap because they will actually help your body get closer to the results that you are heading towards. The old saying is, "what you put in your body, is what you're going to get out of it." You have one body, and one life.

It's interesting that people will spend a little over a $1,000 for a new phone, $300 for a new watch, $200 for a pair of sunglasses, or even $50 for a pair of pants. But yet when it comes to their health they want to pay $10 for a multivitamin, $20 for protein powder, and they won't pay for a gym membership, or buy healthy food because it's "expensive", which is a complete myth by the way. These are all excuses and prove that the priority of that person is not really their health! And then what's really going to be expensive is the outrageously priced medication, surgeries and hospitals bills they will eventually need because they didn't take their health seriously. Health above all!

What is Pharmaceutical-Grade?

So if you're going to buy supplements, buy the best, and in my opinion, pharmaceutical-grade! What does that mean? "Due to the addition of various other substances, no product is 100% pure. Pharmaceutical-grade products MUST exceed 99% purity (natural sources) and contain no binders, fillers, excipients, dyes, or unknown substances. Fewer than 3% of the products on the market are pharmaceutical-grade." Did you read that correctly? Yes! Less than 3% of products on the entire market are pharmaceutical-grade. That means that MANY and sadly most of these companies give you products that are mediocre or average at best!

If you NEED supplements make sure you get the best you can find because you're putting those products into your body and you want to make sure that you take great care of this body because you only have one! Will it be a bit pricey or expensive compared to other products? Yes, but it will most definitely be worth your health over the next several years, and more than that.

Are Your Supplements Actually Working?

So how do you know if the supplements you are taking are helping you? Very simply, I believe this can be explained in two ways.

The first is, over a decent period of time (2-4 weeks), you will notice your body responding to the product you're taking. For instance, there are studies that claim magnesium helps with muscle recovery and relaxing the muscles. If you're taking a magnesium supplement that has this claim, and if you notice your body recovering from workouts, or not being as sore as long while doing the same routine, then it can almost definitely be attributed to that product you are taking, especially if you are on the same routine or training/eating plan and it's the only supplement you recently introduced into your regimen. Which leads to my second point.

Don't introduce multiple supplements into your body at the same time that are in the same category. For example: protein powder, BCAA's, and creatine ALL state that they will help build muscle and boost muscle recovery. Now if you've started taking all three of these supplements at the same time, and after a reasonable amount of time you notice your body recovering better and muscle is building, how can you tell which of those supplements are actually working? Is it the protein powder, the creatine, or the BCAA's? You wouldn't be able to tell, right? No! So the best way to see if you need any of those is to introduce one supplement at a time, and again give approximately 2-4 weeks to see if it is actually achieving the claims it's making!

Make sure that YOU are taking control of your health by eating clean, whole-foods, and taking high-quality supplements. These two things will greatly assist you in having a healthier and happier life! I hope this article helps you have a better understanding of supplements and the role they play in helping us achieve our goals!

Ben Piña

Ben is a personal trainer in the Baton Rouge area and contributes health and wellness lifestyle articles to SupplementRelief.com sharing what he has learned from his own pursuit of a wellness lifestyle and experience and lessons learned from his clients. Ben offers the complete line of over 150 NuMedica professional-grade-supplements to his clients. Learn more about Ben and how you can get NuMedica as part of your healthy lifestyle!