Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Supplements? Protein Powder? Workouts?

I get asked these kinds of questions all the time.

Do I recommend supplements? Vitamins? Well, yes and no.

I think most supplements are a complete WASTE of money, including vitamins. We pee out most of the vitamins we take, so they are a WASTE of your money. The only one I recommend is Juice Plus as it is actual food - 17 different fruits and veggies, and your body ABSORBS it ALL. Seriously - a no-brainer. You can take 17 different fruits and veggies in a pill and you're not taking it yet? WHAT? We ALL need more fruits and veggies in our diets. All of us! No, it doesn't replace eating real food, but it certainly helps bridge the gap of what we're not getting.
Go to www.ginamartinjuiceplus.com for more details, or contact me directly at ginatrim.martin@gmail.com
I do recommend pre-natal vitamins for pregnant or nursing moms (though you don't need it if you take Juice Plus)!
And I recommend fish oil. Make sure you get one that is easy to swallow and  that has NO mercury in it!
Whole Foods can be a good source for this as well as: http://drbillsformulas.com/
Dr. Bill is one of my favorites - be sure to get on his email list. I love his emails - funny, informative, and politically INcorrect. :)

What about Protein Powder? I think we're better off eating real whole foods as opposed to protein powders, but I know we can be short on time, or perhaps going to be someplace for several hours with no place to cook, so sure, protein powders/shakes can come in real handy. Now, with that being said, many of them are loaded with crap and chemicals, so be sure to read your labels.
A good one I recommend is Jay Robb's: whey protein isolate is used as the protein source and this material comes from farm-raised, pasture-grazed, grass-fed cows not treated with the synthetic bovine growth hormone rBGH. Also made with Stevia and no sugars. http://www.jayrobb.com/default.asp

I also get asked what are the best workouts? There is no real good answer to this because we are all so different and it depends on what your goals are.
If you're pregnant, elderly, rehabbing from an injury, your workouts are going to be different for sure.
Someone like my mom will walk for exercise as she does not care if she gets a six pack or has bulging biceps or toned shoulders.
But for the general gym rat, I recommend lifting heavy - meaning reps of 5-10, so that reps 8,9,10 are VERY hard to complete.
I recommend short intense bursts of cardio, NOT steady state cardio.
And I recommend including mobility in your workouts - whether that be stretching, yoga, Pilates,  foam rolling, etc. Take your time to perform mobility movements to protect your joints. Most people neglect this all the time. You'll be sorry as you'll miss your joints when they're gone!!!

Last thing I recommend? Stop digging your grave with your fork, and focus on whole, REAL foods, and not processed ones. I too need to focus on this one more. Halloween candy be damned! :)




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