::ORIGINAL ARTICLE:: *This is my article; you may Re-Post, but do not Claim as your Own* Essential Supplement # 1 : A Sports or 'Active Lifestyle' Multivitamin
Men : I recommend
MHP Acti-Vite, this is an amazing multi-vitamin with a very good absorption rate. It actually helps you stay lean and build muscle; by helping your body properly absorb nutrients from a meal and by increasing protein synthesis. This is just about the only Multi-Vitamin I have consistently noticed good results from.
Women : Many have said that
Opti-Women is a good one. You may want to look into it, many women have reported great effects from the supplement; as far as energy and endurance. A few of my Aunt's have also taken Opti-Women and seem to like the effects very much. The vitamin also contains many powerful antioxidants that may boost your immune system & metabolism.
Essential Supplement # 2 : Vitamin D
Vitamin D holds much promise in building lean muscle for both men & women. Vitamin D is actually a hormone that can help you burn fat and stabilize blood sugar levels. Vitamin D also has been shown to
increase free testosterone levels, thereby increasing muscle mass and further decreasing body fat. In addition to all this, Vitamin D
helps support a healthy thyroid. "Vitamin D is so important to important to thyroid health, that it's status has now been elevated to co-hormone". This is a statement from
Richard Shames, MD. Vitamin D also
helps improve the health of our circulatory system, and regulate blood pressure.
Essential Supplement # 3 : Omega - 3 Fatty Acids (DHA/EPA)
Many people underestimate the importance of fats in our diets. We need certain healthy fats; such as Omega-3's for proper health and energy levels. Omega-3 fatty acids; found in fish, are also crucial to the health of our nervous system and for proper circulation. Obviously, better blood flow means more strength for exercise, and a better working nervous system means less exhaustion and more energy & motivation.
Omega-3 supplements can help fight anxiety & depression as well, so if you are feeling down from the effects of your job or other stress, Omega 3's are a must have supplement.
Essential Supplement # 4 : Vitamin C Vitamin C can decrease levels of the stress hormone - Cortisol. Vitamin C can help block the muscle-destroying effects of cortisol, and improve cognition as well as workout endurance. Vitamin C also can be good for fighting asthma or allergies; which obviously would be counter-productive to experience when we are working out. Vitamin C can boost our immune systems and help us stave off the cold and flu, while staying fit. This is because Vitamin C acts to regulate the activity of macrophages and other immune components, in order to prevent degradation and protect cellular structure of the more important cells. In other words, Vitamin C creates a favorable shift in immune system activity.
Essential Supplement # 5 : Vitamin E
Vitamin E boost the activity of our pituitary gland and stimulates sex hormone production in both men & women.
Vitamin E does so by reducing levels of a hormone - Prolactin. Prolactin can cause fatigue when we have high amounts of it, it also
inhibits our sex hormones, thus by reducing prolactin we have an indirect increase in energy by stimulating hormonal output. Vitamin E also protects our cells from free-radicals, and prevents radiation damage.
IMPORTANT NOTE : Never supplement with Vitamin E listed as - (DL-Tocopherol Acetate). This is a synthetic, completely un-natural version of Vitamin E that can be dangerous. Only buy Vitamin E supplements that are - (D-Alpha-Tocopherol-Acetate), never (DL). Just read the label.
So that sums it all up. These are the essential supplements that everybody should take, active or non-active. The only exception is #1, just replace with a regular multivitamin if you get too much energy and you aren't that active. It shouldn't be a problem though.
