To Vitamins or not to vitamins? That Is The Question.

Throughout most of my adult life, I was never a pill popper. I attributed this behavior to the fact that I was fairly lazy. I also couldn't really feel the effects, and therefore couldn't really understand the benefits of taking vitamins and/or supplements.

Until recently!

I began serious weight training 2 years ago, when I decided to build towards a body building competition. It seemed absurd, at the time. A 45 year old woman, with no job, began going to the gym, 6 days a week. I was required, by my personal trainer, to take vitamins. Vitamin C, D, and a B-complex (which included all the essential B vitamins, in one) were taken in the morning while supplements such as ZMA, L-Glutamine, and melatonin, were taken at night. Melatonin wasn't really required but a low-carb diet prevented me from adequate sleep and therefore, adequate recovery and cell regeneration couldn't be properly achieved without the added supplementations.

Fast forward to a year later, I continued to take supplements and vitamins, long after the competition ended. Workouts and an intense fitness regime became integrated and steadfast into my lifestyle. For some reason, I decided to "give my body a break" from supplements and vitamins, believing that maaaybe, it's just all in my head, like a "placebo" effect. I also believed that my body had developed a tolerance. So, going "back to basics" was my new goal!

I began my two-week cleanse. No vitamins. No supplements. Just workouts and water. Lots of water.

Only one week into my so-called detox, I felt very low energy, despite having eaten foods that were intended to supply these vitamins, naturally. In addition, my workouts suffered tremendously, not just in frequency, but in the intensity. The reason for the low energy and subsequent muscle aches and pains was due to the fact that my body did not have enough time to recover, between workouts. Pre-detox, my body would take about 24-48 hours to recover. A few days into my detox, my body was taking at least 3-4 DAYS to properly recover and begin the next workout. I was wiped out: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I began to feel these symptoms for a few days and they seemed to have progressively worsened.

A week and three days in, I reinstated my vitamin and supplement routine. Literally, within 24 hours, I began to feel like a human being, again. I felt the blood flowing, the energy rising, my focus clearing, and my sleep deepening.

There is a moral to this story:
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
An old adage that rings true on many levels and aspects of life.

It was a good lesson, though, in testing my limits.

If you are following me and plan on investing into a good workout program, here is a list of vitamins and supplements I take:

VITAMINS:
AM
Vitamin C
Vitamind D3
B-Compex

PM
ZMA (Zinc Magnesium Anabolic mineral support)
Co-Enzyme Q-10
L-Glutamine

SUPPLEMENTS:
pre-workout = none
intra-workout (during) = BCAA + hydrator
post-workout: Vanilla Whey Protein Isolate or Vegan Protein Powder (of your choice). I use PROFI Pro Health Vegan Protein, Chocolate (my fave). You can get PROFI vegan protein here:

www.profiprohealth.com
and use PROMO code: TA001 to get 10% OFF every order!!

In closing, my final thoughts would be to try these out for yourself. Although every physical body is the same, we all function and retain hormones in different ways. Give yourself at least two weeks to notice any difference.  Then, let me know what you think!!

Good luck!