The Road to Health: Supplements with real benefits

According to the PMR agency report on the dietary supplements market in Poland in 2020, a record increase in sales was recorded in March. Such results were undoubtedly influenced by the coronavirus pandemic, which affected the whole world and made us pay more attention to our health. Nevertheless, we have always been eager to reach for dietary supplements. Before buying, it is worth considering whether we really need them, and if so – it’s good to think about what product to choose. We addressed the topic of supplements in yesterday’s live meeting on my Instagram with Łukasz Sieńczewski, a dietitian, and I encourage you to listen to this informative conversation ?

 

First of All – a Balanced Diet and Physical Activity

At the very beginning, I would like to emphasize the most important point: no dietary supplement can replace a well-balanced menu and we should always remember this, no matter why we decide to use a particular product. Many people ask me about supplements that will help them effectively reduce body weight. In this case, I always point out that the key is: a proper diet and regular physical activity. Of course, a well-chosen supplement can support the weight loss process as much as possible, e.g. in a situation where we observe a gradual stabilization of body weight and still want to continue with the reduction. Then we can think about including a supplement that will additionally “boost” the metabolism. You can find these types of capsules and many more in my store HERE. 

 

Do I Need Supplements?

Each of you has to find their own answer to this question. Why? It’s because it all depends on individual needs, diet, and health condition. For example, people on a vegan diet should definitely include vitamin B12 supplementation in their diet, which can be found in animal products. If your health condition indicates the possibility of deficiencies of specific ingredients, e.g. you have problems with concentration, hair loss, broken nails, you feel tired quickly, then you may need additional support in the form of iron supplementation. However, in this case, it is always best to see your doctor and have blood tests, as many of the same symptoms may indicate different health problems. Do not only deal with the symptoms, but first of all look for the cause of their occurrence.It is the best way to effectively get rid of them. 

In the autumn and winter period, when we spend most of the time indoors, it is worth taking vitamin D3, which I wrote more about HERE. It turns out that many people suffer from deficiencies of this vitamin, which is a consequence of the changing lifestyle, when we spend less and less time outdoors and in the sun, thus limiting the percutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3.

Another important issue for you is immunity and supporting it through personalized supplementation. At this point, I would like to emphasize once again that the basis is a balanced and varied diet. However, if you want to additionally support your body, especially when you often suffer from infections and colds, you can consider products with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and (obligatory) the already mentioned vitamin D3. These ingredients will surely be helpful. Also, remember about the natural immunity boosting products that you already have in your kitchen. You can read more about them HERE.

 

Training and Supplements – Is It Necessary?

The Fighter Challenge continues. I am very happy that so many people regularly do the workouts I have prepared for you on. A week ago you could listen to a live session with Łukasz about peri-training nutrition, which you ask about very often. We also mentioned supplements that you can include in your diet if you do intense, regular training sessions.

Our viewers asked lots of questions on the subject of protein supplements. Is it necessary? Here the answer is not clear again, because it depends. In this case, factors such as the time of training, the time since the last meal, organizational possibilities, your individual protein requirements will be important. For example, if you have little time after finishing training, and you did it late in the evening and you do not want to burden the digestive system before going to bed, a shake with the addition of a good-quality protein supplement will be a very good choice. The situation will be similar if you have an exceptionally high demand for this macronutrient and it is difficult for you to cover it with your diet. You can then add small amounts of protein to different meals throughout the day to meet your needs more easily. You can also find vegan protein supplements in my store HERE.

What else is worth trying? If you want to boost your exercise endurance, you can choose simple caffeine, which is effective in this respect. In addition, the above-mentioned omega-3 fatty acids, creatine or beta-alanine can also be helpful. The consumption of these substances before training can be an additional, energetic stimulus for you, which will have a positive effect on the effectiveness of the training. These substances will support fat burning and will increase your endurance through a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. Beetroot juice, which I love, can also be a natural supplement! It will make your blood vessels wider, allowing the working muscles to get more oxygen.

 

Weight Loss – What Really Works?

Proper diet, along with physical activity, is the most important part in the process of reducing excess body weight. Jas I mentioned at the beginning, sometimes it can be beneficial to include additional safe and effective ingredients in the diet that will support this process. Below you will find some of them.

 

Green Tea Extract

Many studies show that regular consumption of green tea extract in conjunction with a proper weight loss diet can provide additional benefits. This substance affects the metabolism and absorption of lipids. In addition, catechins contained in green tea inhibit the absorption of glucose, which may be important in the case of carbohydrate metabolism disorders. 

 

Cinnamon Extract

Studies in animals and humans indicate that compounds present in cinnamon extract regulate blood glucose and lipid levels, and may also increase insulin sensitivity. This substance can therefore be especially helpful in the case of people suffering from insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, or those who have a family burden indicating the possibility of such problems in the future.

 

Capsaicin

The last substance I would like to mention is capsaicin, found naturally in chili peppers. You’ve probably heard the statement that in order to speed up your metabolism, you should enrich your menu with spicy dishes. Capsaicin is responsible for this, among other things, as it can increase the oxidation of fats. Moreover, there are indications that it can increase the feeling of fullness after a meal, which is quite important in the weight loss process.

 

Summary

As you can see, many substances that can support your body can be found in natural foods and spices. It is worth using them in your daily diet. However, many of you may have additional needs, e.g. if you undertake intense physical activity, have special needs related to your health condition or want to increase your exercise capacity and support the weight loss process. Then it may be a good idea to support in the form of a high-quality supplement. However, remember that it should only be a supplement to a well-balanced diet ?

 

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