If this is your first visit to a sports supplement site, you might be feeling dazzled by the choice! Where should you start? How do you work out what will help you? The truth is, there’s no need to splash out on a huge range of supplements at the start of your journey. We’ve narrowed it down to just five items – and we’ll explain why they’re our pick of the bunch.
Supplements like ours aren’t just for athletes, or even for serious gym goers. Health supplements are useful for anyone of any age, whether or not you train for a sport. In fact, some would argue that supplements are more important if you don’t exercise regularly, because they can act as a natural health boost to support your body.
Whatever your relationship is with exercise, your body has its own specific needs. We are all different, with individual goals and routines.
But the fact is that some supplements and food can help you feel stronger, fitter, and healthier whatever your goal might be.
5 Supplements Everyone Can Benefit From:
Whey Protein
Everyone can benefit from stocking up on a bag or two of whey protein (your only challenge will be choosing a flavour!) Whey protein is simply protein, derived from dairy, delivered in a convenient powder form. There’s nothing magical or mysterious about it, but it’s a convenient way to get a “protein only” snack into your day. if you struggle to eat enough good quality protein, whey protein is a great solution. You can drink it on the go, or add it to meals and snacks (stir it into Greek yoghurt or add it to your porridge). Whey protein is digested quickly so it’s a good choice of protein for after training. It helps your body recover, helps build muscle tissue, and can even be useful on a fat loss diet (a healthy and satisfying way to sooth your sweet tooth!) What’s more, a quality whey protein concentrate is cost-effective and is easy to store.
Vitamin C
When you start training hard, your immune system might struggle to keep up. Training is a stress, and can leave you more prone to getting ill. In fact, it’s quite common for people to pick up coughs and colds when starting out in the gym, or suddenly training more intensely. So it makes sense to pay extra attention to your immune health. Take high-dose Vitamin C to give your immune system a helping hand and to protect your cells against oxidative cell stress. Avoid the fizzy types of Vitamin C which often come with sugars and other unnecessary extras. Just take a basic, but well-dosed, Vitamin C tablet.
Vitamin D
Our bodies can’t make Vitamin D unless we expose our bare skin to enough bright sunlight all year round. The only other way to keep our Vitamin D levels topped up is from diet – but this is tricky, too, because you’d need to eat an odd combination of certain foods! So it really makes sense to pop a little Vitamin D pill every day. Vitamin D has so many important functions, from bone health to hormone health, and it is even thought to play a role in mental wellbeing. Taking Vitamin D makes good common sense if you live in a dark and gloomy climate like ours.
Peanut Butter
There’s a reason most gym goers are nuts for peanut butter (and it’s not just the taste!) Peanut Butter – and all nut butters – are a powerhouse of whole food goodness. Make sure you choose one which is just nuts – avoid those with added oils, sugars, salt, or flavourings. Pure nut butter delivers all the natural goodness of nuts, including healthy fats, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. And it’s such a versatile healthy food. Whether your goal is packing on muscle and size, performing well in your sport, or losing body fat, nut butter can help. Be mindful of the calories and adjust your portion size accordingly. Now which type of nut butter will you choose?
Greens Powder
Greens formulations have come a long way since they first gained popularity. Today’s greens supplements are delicious and easy to use. In fact, we offer greens formulas as both a powder and tablet options. Whichever you choose, you’ll be sure that your greens supplement is giving you total peace of mind. We all know that we should be eating more vegetables, leafy greens, fruit, and berries. But who has time to buy, prepare, and cook a massive range of different veggies every day? A good greens supplement gives you a carefully balanced selection of vitamins, minerals, and plant micronutrients so you don’t have to worry about the scope of your real veggie intake.
About the Author:
Nicola Joyce has been writing for (and about) sport, fitness, nutrition and healthy living since 2004. She’s also a keen sportswoman: her background is in endurance sport but she now competes as a natural bodybuilder, most recently winning a world title with the INBF. When she’s not writing content, she can be found blogging. Follow her here www.nicolajoyce.co.uk and on Facebook & Twitter (@thefitwriter) too.
