A supplement you can lose with...

Supplement makers often pass their product off as "sports nutrition." Quite frequently supplement makers put a lot of money into marketing but very little money into research. 


But there is one supplement that has an abundance of research supporting its benefits. And it's one of the easier supplements to take and in addition to that is found as a very common addition to many recipes in "Gourmet Nutrition." (A little more on that AWESOME cookbook later!)


Fish oil, or more specifically omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, has a huge amount of research on it. Much of the research outlines the benefits of fish oil as an anti-oxidant and a free-radical eater.


But research also supports fat loss as one of the benefits of omega-3 supplementation.


A 2007 article in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that 6 g/day of fish oil and 45 minutes of exercise combined to decrease fat mass and that even taking fish oil alone increased lean muscle mass (important for us all attempting to increase our metabolism!).


Fish oil also serves to prevent muscle breakdown following strenuous exercise. The cardiovascular and blood lipid benefits of fish oil were an increase in HDL (good) cholesterol and a decrease in triacylglycerol as well as improving arterial compliance meaning that arteries and blood vessels were more pliable and provided less resistance to increased blood flow. This equates to lower blood pressure.

The take home here? Get yourself some fish oil and begin a supplement schedule. The study used 6 grams/day for their supplementation. However, up to 12 g/day has been found to be safe. I myself take 9 g/day to preserve muscle and improve cardiovascular health and function.

Be sure that your fish oil is from wild caught, ocean salmon, anchovy or sardine that are antibiotic and hormone free. A safe alternative to fish oil is krill oil. This can be purchased at health food stores or ordered online. When keeping fish oil, i recommend keeping it in the refrigerator so that the oils stay cold and do not denature from being at room temperature.


Keep in mind that and omega-3 supplement is not the end all to your weight loss problem. Instead it is just one piece of the puzzle. Take it in addition to altering your nutrition and eating habits. An easy way to change your dietary habits is to purchase a quality cook book that is geared towards weight loss. 


My recommendation for that is "Gourmet Nutrition." Gourmet Nutrition is the "Cook book for the fit food lover" and it is terrific. I have a copy and 29 other people in our Hi-5 FitCamp have purchased one, including both of our physical therapists! 


Gourmet Nutrition is a cook book that gives you the tools to wage your war on fat! Why would you not want that weapon? Now the list price from Amazon for Gourmet Nutrition is $39.90. I looked into shipping and it was $7 for shipping. So if you buy it from Amazon, you're looking at spending $47 for this book. 

However, we will be making another bulk order within the next week and when purchased as a part of our group, your price drops to $35 shipping included.

If you'd like to order this "secret weapon" in the fat loss battle, send me an email at aaron@pairmarotta.com. I will be placing the order next Wednesday so let me know ASAP!!


Here's to your health!

Supplements cannot fix THIS...

Perhaps it is TV commercials, magazine ads, and other forms of advertising that somehow get us thinking that we can take a pill and it will magically make everything else go away.

We are told that we need to take a multivitamin, or fish oil, or CLA pills, or weight loss pills, or metabolism boosters, or...whatever.

Here is the thing: If you haven't refined your eating habits, then taking those supplements will be like pouring a bottle of water into a molded, algae filled, waste filled lake.

And here's the real kicker...when you clean up the lake, you won't need the bottle of clean water, figuratively speaking. When your eating habits are dialed in and you are doing the things listed below, you won't need to take any supplements because your vitamin, mineral, fatty acid needs will be met.

So here are 5 meals to eat, from breakfast to dinner, that would constitute a quality day.

1. Breakfast - 2 slices of whole grain toast, tablespoon of peanut butter, medium banana, glass of grapefruit juice/water (50/50).
2. Snack - 1/2 cup blueberries, small container of vanilla bean yogurt, cup of tea
   
3. Lunch - Small cup of minestrone soup, 5" turkey sub, water
4. Snack - apple slices + 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
5. Dinner - 4 oz salmon, 2 cups of romaine/spinach salad, 1/2 cup black beans
   

Indeed the amounts will vary based on your caloric needs, but the day listed above has plenty of fat, protein and carbohydrates, along with a variety of vitamins, minerals and anything else you could think to supplement your diet with.

Again, when you are eating a complete diet there is minimal, if any, need for supplements. Supplements are meant to supplement the diet. They are not meant to replace part of it.

So record your diet, write down how much, and how often you are eating. This will give you a more clearer picture of what you are eating and what you might be missing.