Success Warrior: The Blog That Embraces ADHD

Success Warrior, What Supplements Do You Take?

I am about to head out to spend the day playing disk golf.  I'll update you on how the day went tomorrow, hopefully with some more pictures and videos.  For now, let me just grab something from my inbox to use for today's blog post.

By the way, if you ever have a question for me, you can leave it in the comments or you can send me an email (link in the right sidebar).

Today's question: What supplements do I take?

I am pretty much a minimalist when it comes to supplements.  I experiment with different ones a bit just to see if I come across something that I think will help people.  I use myself as a guinea pig.  There have been very few things that I feel comfortable recommending to people but the question of what I personally take is easy enough to answer.

The first is no secret for those of you have read my posts that include my food journals (something that I will go back to when life slows down a bit).  Shakeology is the cornerstone of my supplementation and has become even more important to me as my food intake has dramatically decreased.

It has whey protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, super green foods, digestive enzymes, and prebiotics.  I usually drink this for breakfast and then sometimes again as an afternoon snack.  I don't do that very often but it's an option, especially if you're looking for an extra boost in the weight loss sector (which I'm not).  It's not recommended that you take 3 a day for more than 3 days because the ingredients in Shakeology help keep you regular.  Regular is good.  Constant is bad.

I could do a whole post on this (as a recent email reply I sent can attest) but let's keep these short and sweet, say that I don't go a day without this shake, and move on.

 

Next up is Controlled Labs White Flood.  I use this as a preworkout drink.  It's a caffeine/NO mixture to help get my heart started in the morning.  I have tried others but I always come back to this one.  What I like about this one is that it does what I want it to do and nothing more.  Many of the other preworkout drinks out there have other ingredients in them that aren't necessarily bad (like creatine and glutamine) but I tend to add those from other sources if I feel like it.  This is strictly a cup of joe.  This is to get me revved up for the morning workout and can be used as an early afternoon pick me if you find yourself sliding toward siesta-ville when you really have other things that need to be done.

 

Speaking of creatine and taking it on it's own, I am currently taking Axis Labs Creatine Ethyl Ester.  I tend to cycle on and off of creatine and this is one of the reasons that I like my preworkout drink to be free of the extra stuff.  That way I can keep taking my usual preworkout drink while I mess around with other supplements.  Creatine is one of the supplements that I can recommend that people take.

 

Last but certainly not least is good ole Vitamin D-3.  I've mentioned D3 quite a few times on this blog and I'm sure that I'll mention it again.  I usually don't take it in the summer because I'm in the sun so much but my doctors have told me to go ahead and take it anyway.  My recommendation is 2,000 IUs per 100 pounds of bodyweight.  My doctors don't necessarily endorse that but when I told them how much I take, they were happy with it.  If you do get plenty of the sun on a good portion of your body, you may not need this.  If your lifestyle or your extreme ease in getting sunburned (Hi Chili and Ninja) keep you from getting sun on your body, it would be a very good idea to supplement with D3.  The cool thing about it is that it's cheap.  The link I have here is for 240 soft gels with 2,000 IUs each and it costs less than 9 bucks.  Taking two a day and this bottle is going to last you for several months.  It's one of the best things that you can do for your body that is finally getting some mainstream attention and it's really inexpensive.  Don't worry about being too exact with the amount because you're not going to overdose on D3.  That's why I suggested these 2,000 IU soft gels.  Take one in the morning and one in the afternoon (even if you're only 150 pounds) and you're set.

And that my dear readers is it for the moment.  This list may vary slightly over the year but not by much.  I may drop the creatine for a while.  I will probably add glutamine in September but other than the guinea pig stuff, this is it.  I used to take a multivitamin (another supplement that I feel good about recommending) but the Shakeology covers that for me now.

 

One other thing that I can recommend is using Bodybuilding.com for your supplement purchases.  I have been ordering all of my supplements except Shakeology from BB.com for about 10 years now.  Back then, I actually wrote down the prices of what I wanted and then went to a GNC to compare prices.  I have never bought anything in a GNC ever again.  Shipping is about 6 bucks (way less than I would spend on gas to get to a store) and I almost always have my order on my doorstep in two days.  They have their act together when it comes to getting your order out the door.  I get confirmation of my order immediately, a notice that they have the order ready for delivery shortly after that, and a FedEx tracking number that same day.  It's a thing of beauty.

Do you need supplements?  In today's world where being in the sun is shunned or difficult to accomplish and where many of the fruits and vegetables that we eat aren't as nutritious as they used to be, I would recommend a multi and Vitamin D3 to everyone.  Beyond that, it's a matter of what you are trying to do with your fitness and how much you're willing to spend.  I tend to stick to the basics: multi, D3, creatine, and glutamine plus my cup o' joe.  KISS.

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Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

A Prescription for Vitamin D3

On top of everything else yesterday, the doctors prescribed Vitamin D3.  They didn't actually write a prescription on a prescription pad but wrote it on an 8.5 X 11 piece of paper.  That's a lot of space to write:

Vitamin D3 2000 IUs

Apparently, Vitamin D3 is good for helping with pain management.  Who would have known?  Oh yeah, I remember.  I already knew.  At least, I knew about it as far as things like arthritis go. 

They told me a couple of places to get the stuff on the cheap and I told them that I get my Vitamin D3 from BodyBuilding.com.  I told them that I wasn't currently taking it because I was out in the sun a lot.

"Getting it from the source," one of them said.

Apparently that wasn't good enough because they still want me to take it.  This could be a lack of trust in my ability to get out in the sun or something.  I'm telling you though, I'm out there a lot.  Also, the doctor made sure to tell me that face and arms weren't good enough but you had to expose as much skin to the sun as possible.  Something that I already knew.  I assured him that I expose as much as is legal to do.  Well, okay, I'm not out there in a speedo and the current style of shorts is almost down to the knees but I run around topless *all* the time.  I'm getting pretty dark too.

The lack of trust could also be because the doctor's office is in Salt Lake, the Mormon Mecca, and Mormon's aren't allowed to prance around in short shorts and topless (or even tank tops).  So, while I assured them that I get plenty of sun, they live in a culture that shuns the sun.  On top of that is all the propaganda against the sun that is actually working against the health of people.  People were supposed to be in the sun and Vitamin D3 is absolutely essential to good health.  People have been told to stay out of the sun and if they have to go outside, they should cover up with clothing or SPF 9,000 sunblock.  The doctors probably have to deal with trying to undo the brainwashing and it's just easier to have people take a little pill instead.  Vitamin D3 pills are tiny too and it also comes in liquid form if you really hate pills.

I told them that I take Vitamin D3 starting in the fall and I quit when the sun comes out in late spring.  All of that wasn't enough to convince them and they told me that they still wanted me take Vitamin D3.  That's when one of the doctors went out and grabbed a piece of paper to write down what it was and the amount to take.

I told them that I actually take at least4,000 IUs a day because in what I've read, the suggestion is 2,000 IUs per 100 pounds of body weight.  I'm about 200 pounds so that's 4,000 IUs.  I know I've covered this before on this blog but I thought I would put it out there for the new readers.  When I told them this, they both said, "Excellent" in unison.  This is good because I've had a couple of people ask me if 4,000 IUs is too much.  If it were, I think my doctors would have spoke up.  Instead, they gave me two thumbs up and now I'm taking Vitamin D3 in the summertime.  It seems like a waste but luckily D3 is cheap so that's okay. 

To me, it still feels redundant.  Trey had swimming lessons this morning.  While he was swimming, I laid out his towel on the grass, took off my shirt, and caught some rays.  That was after I had mowed the lawn and gone around the trees and edges with a weed-eater, also topless.  You already know Trey's rules for basketball and one of those is that we have to play topless. 

I have joked for years about being a follower of Ra but it's really not very far from the truth.  While we were out running errands the other day, Trey asked me if the Sun was God.  I told him that many people believe that it is.  Some of the Christian traditions like Christmas are based on the Sun, even though most of them don't like to admit that anymore.  I've covered this before too so I won't go into it now but there is a reason why there is a fixation on the Sun of God.  The Sun gives life to man and without it, we would all fall into darkness and die.  Praise be to the Sun!  Hallelujah and Amen!

As if I (or you) needed another reason to get enough Vitamin D, here's another one to add to the list.  It can help fight back against pain.  So, get out in the sun or take the supplement.  It's on the list of things that are Dang Good For Ya.

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I am an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HEREto learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Coach Corner - 25% Discount

The first and most obvious benefit of being a Team BeachBody Coach is the fact that you get 25% off of all your BeachBody purchases.  25% is huge and if you are going to be making several purchases or buying supplements each month, it's going to pay for itself and then some to be a coach, whether or not you intend to take an active role in the coaching or not. 

No one is required to do any coaching or business building as a "coach".  It's there if you want it but I know several people that have signed up under the coach option simply to get the 25% discount because the savings on their monthly purchases exceed the $15 membership fee.  It's a simple financial decision if you are going to be using BeachBody products.

That is initially why I joined up for coaching.  I save money each month on every purchase from BeachBody and my savings exceeds the membership fees.  If you like BeachBody products (and really, what's not to like here people?), then it's just plain silly not to upgrade your BeachBody account to "Coach".

Fuel for the Fire Friday - Detox

"Do you know how hard it is to shave your legs when they are quivering?" Tia asked me this morning.

In all honesty, I don't but I do like knowing that I can make my wife's legs quiver.

Today we did legs and shoulders.  It's a muscle-quivering workout that hits the legs from top to bottom. 

Anyway, you can't spend too much time surfing around health sites without running into information on different ways to detox the body.  I'd like to jump on the band wagon and give out a bit of information about detox that isn't going to cost you much money (unlike most of those other websites).  My advice comes in two parts.  You could do either part but this detox program really works better when you combine the two together.

1.  Drink water.

This is vital and is a double-whammy.  First, water is just plain good for you and it's what the human body was supposed to drink.  Forget that whole 8 glasses thing and just keep water close at hand all day.  You'll probably be surprised by how much you drink if it's close by. 

Second, when you drink water, you're not drinking something else.  Soda pop is one of the biggest contributors to the health problems of this country.  People who drink the sugary kind are overdosing their bodies on sugar and doing incredible damage to their system.  I don't think people have any idea about how much sugar is in a 20 ounce drink.  If you drink diet drinks instead to avoid all that sugar, you're taking in chemicals that just aren't supposed to be in the body and some studies show that diet drinks still trigger the insulin response just like sugar so there is some doubt about how beneficial they are.  People who switch to diet drinks may be reducing calories and so they might see weight loss but they might still be doing a lot of damage to their bodies.  Many people report symptoms similar to MS when they drink diet drinks.  Yikes!

2.  Sweat.

You can sweat a lot of the garbage out of your body.  Obviously, my favorite way to induce sweat is through exercise because it has other benefits but you could also hop in a sauna or tanning bed to work up a sweat.  You could do all of them if you wanted.  Not at the same time.  That might be a bit much.

Don't forget to drink more water if you're going to sweat. 

Combining these two together will do wonders for detoxing your system.  If you're looking to detox, I would start here before adding any kind of herbs to your diet.  Nutritional supplements are just that, supplements.  They are supposed to be used in addition to doing the basics. 

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I am an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life.  BeachBody also offers their affiliate program for people who want to make a little extra money on the side.  You don't have to be an expert on fitness.  You just need a personal desire for better fitness and a willingness to help others.

Feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.