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3 Reasons Why You Need Nutritional Supplements To Reach Your Goals

By Liz Modrell

There are three nutritional supplements that I consider to be very important in reaching your health and fitness goals. Training in the gym is important, but without proper nutrition you will never reach your goals. The three nutritional supplements I recommend are:

  1. Post Workout Shake - When you complete an intense workout, your muscle glycogen is depleted and muscle tissue will begin to breakdown, which is exactly the opposite of what you want. The only way to reverse this catabolic state and promote muscle growth is to consume a quickly digestible post workout meal within one hour of your workout.

    Your post workout meal must consist of a quickly digestible carbohydrate to replenish muscle glycogen and reduce recovery time as well as a quickly digestible protein to fuel muscular repair. The post workout meal should contain a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein to promote insulin production which delivers the nutrients into the muscles. Fat content of the post workout meal should be kept to a minimum, since fat intake will slow the absorption of the nutrients into the muscle.

    A good quality post workout shake is an ideal addition to your nutrition as they are easy to carry with you and a snap to prepare. Mix a little powder with water and you're set. Let's face it, after your workout, do you always have time to go home and fix a proper post workout meal within one hour?

  2. Whole Food Supplement - Do you consume 5-9 fruits and vegetables daily? Most of us do not. This is why a whole food supplement is so important. We don't always eat well balanced meals containing all the right nutrients in the right amounts.

    According to a new report by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, titled "The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements", ongoing use of whole food supplements demonstrated measurable positive impact in promoting good health and preventing disease. The American Medical Association has also recently evaluated the medical literature and has recommended that Americans consume a daily multivitamin in order to promote general health.

    Multivitamins are designed for the average, sedentary individual. Many times common synthetic multivitamins settle in the stomach and go undigested or are poorly absorbed and are rejected by the body as non-food items.

    A whole food supplement on the other hand, can fill in the gaps left by incomplete or inconsistent eating habits. Since whole food supplements provide our bodies with the nutrients found in whole foods, they are easily recognized and readily absorbed by the body and utilized for nourishment.

  3. Essential Fatty Acids - The poor quality nutrition of processed foods today create deficiencies in Omega 3 fats. Omega 3 fats help to reduce inflammation causing chemicals in the body. Many scientists think the low intake of Omega 3 fats contribute to heart disease, cancer and obesity. By consuming Omega 3 fats you will reduce the risk for disease and improve your overall quality of life.

    Nutritional supplements are a low cost insurance policy for good health. If you always eat perfect meals with perfect nutritient proportions at the perfect time, you do not need nutritional supplements. On the other hand if you are like most of us, it doesn't always work out the way you want. You don't eat perfectly and nutritional supplements can be a very important part of your every day nutrition to fill in the gaps left by your less than perfect eating habits!

About the Author:

Liz Modrell is a certified personal trainer with over 20 years experience working with those new to exercise, starting over, overweight and sedentary individuals in Burlington, IA and surrounding communities. Her website is http://www.uniquely-yours-personal-training.com