We have shared with you our Basic Supplements and Weight Loss Supplements in earlier posts, but we are frequently asked which supplements we take for energy and pre/post workout supplements, so I'd like to share those supplements (this is part 1).

Here are a few of the Sport/Energy Supplements that we use:

1. Pre-Workout Energy

2. BCAAs

3. Joint Support

4. Protein Powder (will be discussed in Part 2)

5. Creatine (will be discussed in Part 2)

Isotonix® Acai Advanced Energy and Antioxidant Formula

Acai Advanced Energy (we just call it Acai) is made from a combination of acai (pronounced a-sah-yi) berries, guarana, yerba mate (pronounced ma-tay), mangosteen, pomegranate, green tea and essential amino acids. We love Acai because it offers the best of both worlds - similar to the OPC-3, it contains a powerful blend of antioxidants to help prevent free radicals (which are caused by air pollution, stress, intense exercise, processed foods, etc.) from damaging or killing cells, but it also provides a potent energy blend to help you maintain focus and just enough energy to get you through the day. We talked about the importance of antioxidants in our Basic Supplement post, so be sure you check it out.

It's unlike any other energy product we've ever seen on the market...it tastes great and it's isotonic, so you can be sure that it's properly absorbed by your body. This is one our favorites and I'm sure you'll love it too...it's a great replacement to coffee or soda when you need a "pick me up". I take it every morning with my multivitamin, calcium, B-complex, and OPC-3 (which come in a Daily Essentials Kit) in my own "isotonix cocktail".

intenseFX™ Quick Release Energy Tablet

intenseFX tablets are just that...tablets and look like a pack of chewing gum! They combine caffeine, amino acids, and B-vitamins for energy. Best of all...ZERO sugar, ZERO calories, and they're only 65 cents per serving!

When you need a quick, convenient energy source..this should be your go-to product. You can even purchase single packs or boxes!

Isotonix® Champion Blend Plus

This is another isotonic sport supplement that we love and is a MUST HAVE if you push your body to its limits with your training! The instantized BCAAs help promote healthy muscle growth/repair, muscle retention, and improve immune function (if you want to learn about BCAAs, check out this WebMD article).

It also contains a powerful energy boost through a blend of B-vitamins. Champion Blend Plus also contains the active ingredient Pycnogenol found in another one of our favorite products, OPC-3.

We typically use this product before and after exercise to improve exercise performance during your workout and repair and build your muscles after exercise. I always use this when I'm feeling a little sore from a workout - it works wonders in easing the soreness away!

Joint Health and Flexibility Kit

Any die hard fitness junkie will tell you that one of the most nagging pains from all the intense training is in your joints. All those miles logged on your runs and all those reps in the gym will eventually cause joint discomfort and limited flexibility and mobility which will keep you away from the activities you love or possibly even cause a serious injury.

Sure, glucosamine works to relieve some of that pain, but it's a small part of the overall equation to proper joint health. I take a combination of an isotonic joint support product to help rebuild damaged joint cartilage with highly bioavailable glucosamine and hydrate/lubricate tissues with hyaluronic acid. It also contains the powerful anti-inflammatory Pycnogenol (found in OPC-3 and Champion Blend BCAAs). Check out the following studies using Pycnogenol for joint health - Study 1, Study 2. Learn more about Pycnogenol here.

The joint health & flexibility kit also includes Omega-3 Fish Oil (900 mg EPA & 600 mg DHA per serving - more than any product I've seen on the market) and Curcumin Extreme. Fish oil (which we mentioned in our Basic Supplements post) is a powerful anti-inflammatory which works by reducing the inflammation agent in our bodies, C-reactive protein. Curcumin Extreme includes 400 mg curcumin and 167 mg broccoli seed extract - both are very strong antioxidants, but it also includes 100 mg selenium. Selenium is key in producing and recycling glutathione...if you haven't heard of glutathione then read this article from the NY Times by Mark Hyman, MD (it's an eye opener!).

Stay tuned for Part 2!

- Scott

P.S. Check out "The Gear" tab for Supplements Kits that are available.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product(s) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

** As always, check with your doctor or healthcare professional prior to taking on a supplement regimen or testing products to treat medical conditions. We are not health care professionals - this is for informational purposes only and does not override professional medical advice.

Clean Eat Education: Weight Loss Supplements

January 27, 2013SupplementsScott Carlson7 Comments

We get emails everyday from our readers asking questions about supplements so here is Part 2 of our Supplement series (you can also view our post on Basic Supplements & Sport & Energy Supplements). Before I begin, I want to clear up one thing before I introduce you to our favorite weight loss/weight management supplements. There is no magic pill for weight loss! You have to eat clean and exercise! However, we do use certain supplements to help reach our goals and fill in any gaps that we may have in our diet.

The supplements that we like are high quality and are nutrients like fatty acids, vitamins, minerals as well as herbs that your body needs to prevent the storage of excess fat...these nutrients can be consumed via a healthy diet, but it's difficult to do so with the ever decreasing amount of nutrients in today's food supply and the prominence of convenience foods (see our Basic Supplements post).

So, here are some of our favorite types of supplements to help you get your weight under control:

Digestive Support Supplements
Hormone Support Supplements
Nutrient Boosting Supplements
Meal Replacement Supplements

1. Digestive Support Supplements:

One of the key areas of effective weight loss/control is proper digestion. Without a healthy digestive tract, your body's metabolism becomes very weak as the intestinal flora is disrupted and your digestive tract tries to keep up with inflammatory stress. This causes a hormonal imbalance that forces your body to hold on to everything you eat. The good news is, this can be fixed by exercising and following a healthy and balanced diet (lean proteins, low glycemic index carbs, TONS of veggies, and fiber-packed fruits). The bad news is that this takes quite a bit of time, but this is where supplements come into play. Here are some of my favorite digestive support supplements:

Digestive Health Kit

This kit comes with digestive enzymes, probiotics, and aloe juice.

Digestive enzymes will assist in the breakdown, absorption, and utilization of food. Overweight individuals and those with metabolic disorders may be unable to produce the necessary digestive enzymes to properly absorb the nutrients that are vital to a healthy mind and body. Those on prescription medications or individuals addicted to diet sodas are also at a very high risk as those products can essentially halt enzyme production in the body. The digestive enzymes in this kit are in isotonic form, so this ensures they are completely absorbed and utilized by your digestive tract.

Probiotics are used to balance the bacterial content within the digestive tract...so, they basically ensure your body is equipped with the good bacteria needed to promote regular bowel movements, relieve bloating and constipation, support a healthy immune system, and combat inflammation which will set you up for success when trying to lose weight. The probiotics in this kit offer 10 billion CFUs from 10 different bacterial strains using patented technologies to help keep the products viable.

Aloe juice is another great supplement to help improve digestion and metabolism. Aloe is loaded with micronutrients that are vital to improving metabolism and this product will enhance the effects of the enzymes and probiotics. Aloe is also very effective at detoxification of the liver and digestive tract...this will help the body fight disease by boosting your immune system. This is also a great natural laxative...constipation can have a very negative impact on digestive health and metabolism.

You can buy each product separately by clicking the respective images above, but these three products all complement each other and purchasing the kit will save you 24%.

NutriClean® 7-Day Cleansing System

I'll be honest...a detox/cleanse is not for everyone. If you're already in pretty good shape and you've been eating clean, whole foods for quite some time, this product won't help you too much.

If you've been eating the very unhealthy foods of the standard American diet and you are overweight, this product will be a great way to jump start your weight loss journey and get your digestive system cleansed and renewed. The diet you've followed for years has thrown your digestive system out of whack, so a cleanse is necessary to make sure the cleaner lifestyle you're ready to follow is producing the results you desire.

Think of it as an oil change with a new air filter plus a fuel system and exhaust cleaning. This 3-step process will safely detoxify, cleanse, and purify the GI tract and liver/hepatic system. The diet for the cleanse is just fruits and vegetables with limited protein, so if you want the optimal results from the cleanse then you must be very strict about your diet. As the body detoxifies, you may feel the effects after a couple days with light nausea and headaches.

There is also a TLS Detox Kit available that comes with CORE (details below), Multivitamin, NutriClean® 7-Day Cleansing System, and Isotonix OPC-3®.

2. Hormone Support Supplements:

Another negative side effect of the high glycemic index/load, refined starch, and manufactured food diet most Americans have followed for years is a HUGE hormonal imbalance that makes it almost impossible to lose weight. Ever wonder why every time you go on a diet you lose weight quickly, but you plateau at a certain point, give up and regain all the weight you lost? It's because you never took the necessary steps to balance your hormones. I don't want to get too technical, but there are two specific hormones that either decrease hunger (leptin) or increase hunger (ghrelin). The more fat you have on your body, the greater the leptin production you have and eventually you become leptin resistant. Thus, you are always hungry and this causes the leptin resistance to spiral out of control (this is especially true for women whereas men are typically insulin resistant when they are overweight).

Clean eating and exercise will eventually normalize the hormonal imbalance in your body.

TLS® CORE Fat & Carb Inhibitor

TLS® CORE is an excellent product to help correct leptin resistance to assist you in managing hunger and it will also increase fat burning within your body (lipolysis). It helps manage hunger by promoting appetite suppression...one study using a key ingredient in CORE (LeptiCore) showed significant reductions in body weight, triglycerides, blood glucose, and C-reactive proteins (marker for high inflammation) as well as increased serotonin levels (read the study here). CORE will also inhibit the storage of carbohydrates and fat in the body which will promote normal insulin activity (another hormone involved in fat storage).

TLS® ACTS Adrenal, Cortisol, Thyroid & Stress Support Formula

Our world today is different than the one our early ancestors faced thousands of years ago. Our bodies have developed certain systems of dealing with the stresses faced by our ancestors and those systems are on constant overload these days with all of our responsibilities, distractions, and commitments we face. We have stressful morning and evening commutes, jobs, family events, social functions, bills, debts, and, what's worse, we're always connected because everyone has a smart phone or mobile device that forces them to constantly be "on alert" when someone calls, texts, or emails them. We weren't designed for this and we definitely weren't designed for the modern diet most of us follow...we are so far removed from what our body thinks we should be doing that it doesn't know how to cope with all of these stresses, distractions, and manufactured foods. It's no wonder that America is facing an obesity epidemic and it's only getting worse.

I could do an entire post dedicated to stress and the impact it has on our hormones, but I'll save that for a later date. The good news is that there is a product on the market that can help your body deal with these stresses and support healthy adrenal gland and thyroid function along with improved cortisol levels.

TLS ACTS Adrenal, Cortisol, Thyroid and Stress Support Formula

These areas are important to weight loss because they impact how much energy we have, how well we metabolize the foods we eat and how are body uses what we put into our bodies. Individuals with adrenal fatigue are constantly tired and typically crave high-fat sweets (cake, brownies, etc.) and salty foods (pretzels, potato chips, french fries, etc.). Adrenal stress was less frequent and inconsistent in our early days...now it's constant and it's suppressing our thyroid function and causing us to store fat (especially in our abdominal region). As I said above, ACTS will help your body adapt to stress, improve adrenal and thyroid function, and promote healthy cortisol (stress hormone) levels which may help minimize the impacts of stress like weight gain, constant cravings, inadequate sleep, etc.

This product doesn't simply cover up the true reasons for weight gain like other products on the market, it will attack the root of the problem which is your body's ability to adapt to and handle stress.

3. Nutrient Boosting Supplements:

There are some great supplements on the market to help you get the proper nutrients you need which I covered in my Basic Supplements post, so you may want to check out those products as well.

Another great supplement to help you get the right "fat-burning" nutrients you need is the TLS® Tonalin® CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid). CLA is a fatty acid that is naturally-occurring in meat and dairy sources, but is found in much lower quantities with modern day agricultural practices. CLA has been found to reduce body fat by utilizing it as an energy source and another research study done in 2012 found CLA to have a significant improvement in the Chron's disease activity index in patients supplement with 6 grams per day of CLA. CLA can also preserve muscle tissue to help you improve your overall body composition.

4. Meal Replacement Supplements:

Clean meal replacement supplements like Quest Bars are a great item to keep handy at all times to prevent you from succumbing to the physique-killing visit to your local fast food joint when you're short on time and don't have any prepped food. Quest Bars are loaded with clean whey protein (just over 20 grams) as well nearly half of your targeted intake of dietary fiber.

Keep these bars along with a snack bag of almonds around and you won't have to feel worry about feeling guilty for eating that 10 PM cheeseburger and fries on your way home from a late night at the office. We love almost every flavor, but our favorites are the Lemon Cream Pie and the Cinnamon Roll. Plus, if you buy the pack of 12 they work out to about $2.50 per bar...that's cheaper than the greasy cheeseburger and fries!

Protein shakes are another great meal replacement for when you are crunched for time or you run out of your clean food (because lets be honest, it happens!). You can check out our Clean Protein Powder post and also our Basic Supplements post for more information. We also have great protein shake recipes on the blog!

Please note that if you are interested in ordering any of these products, you can contact us at whitneycarlsonfitness@gmail.com for more details. By contacting us directly, we can offer you special DISCOUNTS and PROMOTIONS that are available to our readers. We can also answer any questions that you may have regarding these products and other supplements. If you purchase using the links provided it will ask "were you referred by a friend", please enter whitneycarlsonfitness@gmail.com.

Also, check out our Basic Supplements Post & Sport & Energy Supplements Post for more information!

Good luck on your weight loss journey! As always, we're here to help!

- Scott

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product(s) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

** As always, check with your doctor or healthcare professional prior to taking on a supplement regimen or testing products to treat medical conditions. We are not health care professionals - this is for informational purposes only and does not override professional medical advice.

Clean Eat Education: Basic Supplements

January 6, 2013SupplementsScott Carlson12 Comments

So, you've heard all about dietary supplements and their associated benefits, but you don't know which supplements you should be taking nor do you even know if they are safe. If you walk into your local health store, you are blown away by the almost endless supply of supplements and, not only that, you're forced to ask for advice from some teenager that, most likely, has no clue what to talk about.

Who needs supplements?

I'll be honest here...if your diet is perfect (high quality lean protein; 8 cups of water, 8 to 12 servings of fruits and vegetables per day along with clean, whole grains, healthy fats, and limited sugar, processed foods, and other junk), then you won't receive much benefit from supplementation.

The fact is, most people are too busy to have a perfect diet nor do most people enjoy downing a couple cups of veggies with every meal. This creates "gaps" in our diet that can lead to deficiencies which will lead to health issues down the road.

I've heard dietary supplements aren't regulated by the FDA, so I'm afraid of taking something that may be harmful to my health. Is this true?

Not quite. The FDA does regulate dietary supplements and other natural health products, but it does not force manufacturers to hold clinical trials and tests prior to being sold on the market. The FDA has the authority to ban any substances that have been linked to health concerns and adverse side effects (recently the FDA banned the sale of the stimulant 1,3-dimethylamine (a.k.a. DMAA) due to adverse side effects in a few individuals).

Moreover, when has the FDA ever proven its credibility when approving new drugs to be placed on the market? They failed to withhold approval of certain drugs like Crestor and restrict other drugs like Accutane. They announced their plans to combat obesity in America yet rates soar (some research has indicated that 75% of America will be obese by 2020) and they fail to require manufacturers to issue health warnings on soda labels. They have over 10,000 employees, yet only a handful are dedicated to policing food labels. Also, several FDA drug reviewers have recently pointed out that FDA management intimated and persuaded the reviewers to approve certain drugs even if the studies did not indicate they were safe for human consumption.

Thus, even if the sale of supplements did require increased regulation, I would not have any more confidence in their safety and effectiveness. If a product fails to meet its claims or is unsafe, it will not sell and the manufacturer will quit making the product. If a product is very beneficial to one's health, it gets a lot of medical attention to support its effectiveness and, next thing you know, Dr. Oz is promoting it on his show.

So, with all of the supplements out there, what are some basic supplements to help me fill in the gaps and live a healthier lifestyle?

Here are a few of the supplements that we use:

A good multivitamin
Clean protein powders
Omega-3 Fish Oils
An effective antioxidant formula

Multivitamin:

Isotonix® Multivitamin:

A multivitamin is like an insurance policy for your health and, as with any insurance policy, there are good ones and then there are terrible ones. Unfortunately, the terrible ones are the best selling multivitamins on the market. The One A Day formulas that are so prevalent contain ingredients that should absolutely not be included in your supplements...ingredients like food coloring, soybean oil, stearic acid (hydrogenated oil), mostly synthetic nutrients, and other binders and fillers.

We take Isotonix because the isotonic formula is absorbed by the body much better than pills and capsules (some studies have shown pills and capsules are only 20 absorbed after 20 minutes versus 90 percent absorption of Isotonix). Isotonic simply means "same pressure" as other fluids in the body. It simply works!!! I can literally feel the energy within minutes...it's amazing! We recommend the multivitamin without iron unless you have a severe iron deficiency.

Yes, it is a bit more expensive than other vitamins, but it is important to keep in mind that Isotonix are nearly 5 times more effective than vitamins in pill/capsule form. Your health is worth it!

Clean Protein Powders:

Protein is a very important part of a healthy diet. Our bodies are made up mostly of water and protein. Getting sufficient protein will help you improve your body composition when combined with a good workout routine. Not only that, it will help you regulate blood sugar levels, improve your immune health, provide satiety, and help rebuild and repair muscle and connective tissue. The problem is most people do not consume 6-7 chicken breasts each day, so protein powders are a great solution to filling in the gaps.

Again, the market is flooded with unhealthy ready-to-drink proteins and protein powders that are filled with nothing but junk. We have a couple posts that provide more information regarding clean proteins and reviewing clean milk protein powders, so check those out if you'd like more information.

There are basically two types of protein powders that we use - milk and veggie.

Below are our favorites:

Whey: TLS Whey Protein Shakes in chocolate or vanilla (If you would like to order this email us at thegang@heandsheeatclean.com and we can provide you with a Shake & Bake recipe eBook for free with your purchase!).
Veggie: Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Protein Powder in chocolate or vanilla and Vega Sport in chocolate or vanilla.

I'll also let you in on a little secret I have...it's called HumaPro and is a fantastic alternative to protein powders. HumaPro is made in a powder form and in a tablet form...I like the tablet form because it is very convenient and the powder uses artificial sweeteners. A serving is 5 tablets and is equivalent to 25 grams of protein (cost is only $0.60 per 25 g serving!!!). It is vegan friendly and perfect for those with sensitivities or are allergic to lactose, gluten, sugar, or preservatives.

Omega-3 Fish Oils:

Heart Health™ Essential Omega III Fish Oil

In case you've been living under a rock, Omega-3 fish oils have A TON of benefits and the benefits are backed by what seems like an endless amount of medical studies. Several studies have indicated that supplementing with Omega-3s helps reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, lower resting heart rate, improve blood vessel function, prevent stroke, heart attack, and may help control lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as play protective roles in individuals with cancer. Omega-3s are especially important for pregnant women as developing children need a steady stream of DHA (don't worry...the Heart Health Omega-3s are derived from sardines and anchovies and is tested twice for purity, so there is zero risk of mercury, lead and other contamination).

I love this brand because it is loaded with EPA and DHA (3000 mg - nearly 3x the amount of leading brands) and is fully derived from marine mammals rather than plant sources. It also includes the antioxidant vitamin E.

Antioxidant Formula:

Isotonix® OPC-3®

An antioxidant formula is needed because there are toxins and free radicals everywhere in our daily lives - in the air we breathe, the foods we consume, the water we drink, the daily stresses of life...it's simply unavoidable.

OPC-3 is an extremely powerful antioxidant formula that has natural ingredients that have been heavily researched and shown to help control several diseases and disorders without the harmful side effects of prescription drugs. OPCs are bioflavonoids (complex organic plant compounds) found in fruits, vegetables, and other plants that have been shown to be extremely effective in neutralizing free radicals (excessive free radicals lead to chronic inflammation within the body). It contains the only isotonic form of Pycnogenol (pine bark extract). One study using Pycnogenol alone had staggering results - 191% increase in walking distance in patients with osteoarthritis, 58% decrease in use of drugs which led to a 63% decrease in digestive issues, foot edema decrease in 79% of patients after 3 months (link to study). Another study found cyclists to have a significant increase in performance when consuming Pycnogenol prior to their performance (link to study). We've heard testimonials of people getting off of their blood pressure medications, reducing dosages of insulin with diabetic individuals, reduction in pain from lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, severe allergies, gout, eliminating asthma, and much more...just do a search in Google and you'll find all kinds of testimonials.

Here are some other potential benefits of OPC-3:

Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels
Helps maintain healthy circulation by strengthening capillaries, arteries, and veins
Helps maintain join flexibility
Helps promote cardiovascular health
Helps reduce mild menstrual cramping and abdominal pain
Supports healthy blood glucose levels
Promotes sinus comfort
Supports immune health

These are the four basic supplements that we use. Remember, eat clean and consume clean, effective supplements to be on your way to having more energy, less pain, and a greater outlook on life!

Quit aching and start living! Stay tuned for more posts on additional supplements.

Update: Here is our post on Weight Loss Supplements & Sport & Energy Supplements (Part 1).

- Scott

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product(s) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

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