Supplements we recommend!

We find the world of supplements to be an unregulated dark and scary place filled with mysterious and sometimes worthless items, but once in a while we sometimes stumble upon a hidden gem!  Today's post is all about the supplements we recommend taking and currently take ourselves.

Here we go:


Fish Oil

• Why it's important
• It is an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are an essential fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties, thus lowering the effects of most inflammatory diseases.
• We need Omega 3's to combat the massive amounts of Omega 6 (pro-inflammatory) available to us in the western world.
• Omega 3's have been shown to significantly reduce cardiovascular disease
• Do not use a flax supplement or any other plant based supplement for your Omega 3's as plant based Omega 3's come in the form of ALA, which our body cannot use and must convert to the usable form of EPA/DHA.  We are terribly inefficient at converting this and most is wasted in the process.
• Take more fish oil if you are sick or just starting a Paleo diet (ie 2+g) and less if you are healthy and not inflamed (ie 1g)
• Our favorite brands are Nordic Naturals and Carlsons, both of which can be found at Whole Foods Market.  
• If you eat fish 3x a week or more then you probably won't need to supplement.  Just make sure that the fish is wild caught and not farm raised.  

Vitamin D

• Why it's important
• Vitamin D is important in combating autoimmune issues, Diabetes (type I and II), bone health, promoting calcium absorption in the gut, reducing inflammation and many more functions.
• The best place to get it is from the sun and if you cannot be out in the sun for at least 20 minutes a day it would be wise to supplement with Vitamin D. 
• Use about 1000 IU a day 

Magnesium

• Why it's important
• Magnesium helps maintain muscle and nerve function, bone health, it supports the immune system.
• it calms the nerves and  relaxes the muscles allowing most people to overcome many different sleep issues.  I've seen quite a few people stop taking sleep aids when supplementing with Magnesium.
• Start off with 0.5g right before bed then each week increase by a half a gram until you've reached 2g.  The reason I like people to ease into this is, because Magnesium is a diuretic and if you take too much to soon you will be in and out of the restroom more often than you would like!
• The natural way to get extra Magnesium is from green veggies as the center of the Chlorophyll molecule contains Magnesium 
• Our favorite supplement for Magnesium is Natural Calm. 

Protein Powder

• I'm really not a fan of liquid nutrition, because of the glycemic load exhibited by it.  I would rather people eat Sweet Potatoes for recovery and some chicken breast or any other solid protein.
• If you must take a protein powder, because we lead busy lives then I would suggest two brands of protein:
• Stronger Faster Healthier Whey
• It's made from antibiotic free, Grass fed, Grass finished cows.
• They also sell some pretty good and tasty fish oil!

• Marks Daily Apple Primal Fuel (more expensive, but probably the best)
• Antibiotic free, Grass fed, Grass finished cows
• It contains Fats from Coconut
• It also contains Prebiotics (Soluble Fiber) (not to be confused with Probiotics)

That is really all you need to take!  I know I know it's crazy talk that you don't need to visit GNC 14 times a week to pick up 26 different types of supplements and you don't need that extra trip to Home Depot to pick up a reinforced shelf to hold the massive amounts of pills required by "conventional nutritional wisdom".  With the saved money from this you can pick up some Primal Fuel!

~Coach Chandler, from my blog at www.StoneAgeFuel.com~

 Always consult a physician before starting a fitness program or changing your diet. Information found on this website is meant to support, but not replace your relationship with your physician.