Welcome to Wellness Wednesday where in-house nutrition coach, Coach Diana Leigh, answers YOUR questions about health.
Got a question you want to see answered here? Submit it on the AMA form.
Let’s jump into it!
Q: Should I be taking supplements?
A: The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, and they profit off the idea of a quick and easy fix. Ideally, you should be getting all of your key vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from real whole foods. Then you should be tested for deficiencies and only then should you supplement based on proven data.
That’s not to say there aren’t a few supplements I recommend to most of my clients. Because of the advances we’ve made as humans to mass produce our food and no longer being hunters and gatherers, it’s become increasingly difficult to get all of your key vitamins naturally.
- Multi-vitamins are an excellent way to get in the basic needs in conjunction with a healthy diet.
- Our diets tend to be higher in Omega-6 (inflammatory) oils because we consume a greater amount of processed foods, but fish oil can help balance the ratio with more Omega-3 (anti-inflammatory) oils. But reducing overall Omega-6 oils must also happen.
- Being indoors during the work day, living in cold or gloomy climates, wearing sunscreen, and other factors affect our ability to naturally absorb Vitamin D, so most people can benefit from supplementing.
- Vitamin C and Zinc have been shown to help boost the immune system and have become popular during the pandemic because they have shown to minimize the severity of COVID. To be clear, they will NOT prevent COVID.
Quality of supplements is CRUCIAL. It’s important to get well made supplements so your body actually absorbs the amounts it needs and so you don’t flush your money down the toilet. You can view rankings of supplements at https://labdoor.com/rankings.
To test for vitamin, mineral, and nutrient deficiencies, talk to your doctor or you can order an at home testing kit.
Q: What are your thoughts on pre-workout?
A: Pre-workout can either be helpful or simply being used as a bandaid for bigger problems you’ve got going on.
Before running to your nearest GNC, you need to consider the factors that affect your energy levels:
- Are you eating enough to fuel your day-to-day movement and workouts?
- Are you getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night?
- Are you drinking enough water?
My clients who focus on the above 3 items don’t need to rely on pre-workout for their exercise. They already feel energized from maintaining healthy habits that promote energy. A pre workout snack with a mixture of carbohydrates and some protein can do the trick a lot of the time if you’re running low on fuel.
Let’s say you’re already working on those 3 things and you’re nailing them but you’re still lacking energy to hit the gym – this could be caused by simply having very busy and/or stressful days due to your job or family life. Then in this case pre-workout can be a helpful supplement.
If you’re going to take a pre-workout supplement, do your research and get a quality supplement with quality ingredients that are scientifically backed.
According to Stack.com, here’s what to consider when selecting a pre-workout:
- Effective ingredients include: caffeine, creatine monohydrate, beta-alanine, Vitamin D, magnesium, peak ATP, beetroot
- Ineffective ingredients: glutamine, BCAAs, arginine, D-Aspartic Acid, agmatine sulfate
- Avoid: DMAA, synephrine, “proprietary blend”
- Proceed with caution: amount of stimulants within a single scoop
IN SUMMARY: Today’s overall theme is you should focus on nailing down your health habits – nutrition, sleep, movement, recovery – before reaching for supplements as a quick fix.
Coach Diana Leigh is a Precision Nutrition certified coach who uses habit-based coaching to help her clients get stronger and feel amazing in their bodies without the restriction and overwhelm of dieting. For more helpful tips, follow her on Instagram @coachdianaleigh.