The Truth About Supplements

Vitamins, protein shakes, diet pills, energy boosters, sports drinks, meal replacements... the list goes on. Our world is filled with supplements claiming to make you bigger, smaller, faster, stronger, or healthier. But do you really need them? I just finished talking to a friend today who has been very overweight and is currently making incredible changes in their life to reach a healthy body weight. To help boost his weight loss success, a personal trainer recommended some pills to cut fat and decrease appetite. First off, most personal trainers don't have any education in nutrition, so they shouldn't be giving nutrition advice. Secondly, anyone who does suggest diet pills are thinking about your results and not your health. Most diet pills are really just glorified stimulants and diuretics. You could get the same results by drinking a cup of coffee and save a lot of money. If your ability to control your weight, and by extension, your health, are a problem then there are issues that need your attention more so than the "quick fix" of diet pills. Choose to explore those instead of exploring the isles at the closest "health" store (the irony is too much).

I taught a Grade 10 Physical Education class last year and facilitated a conversation on contemporary health issues. Supplements were among the issues I brought up. It blew my mind that 0 out of 32 students (that spoke up) didn't know what the word "supplement" even meant, yet most of them were guilty of drinking Gatorade, Powerade, Vitamin Water or Red Bull. All of these drinks are marketed to youth to improve athletic and academic performance, or just be a yummy beverage. I think by now most people know that Gatorade and Powerade type drinks are mostly coloured sugar water that don't actually contain the proper amount of electrolytes to replenish the body during exercise. The new con artist in town is Vitamin Water which claims to be a healthy beverage alternative because it has added vitamins. But, if you look at the nutrition label you will quickly see that sugar is at the top of the list, again. I think at this point in my post it is important to note that my friend who has lost over 50 lbs since January has essentially just cut down his sugar (a.k.a. "White Death") intake by eliminating pop, candy, etc, and increased his physical activity.

By working at a number of Fitness Centers and Gyms, I am around a lot of people that seem to think that Protein Shakes are synonymous with working out. It really is pretty sad how brainwashed people are about it. Without getting into too much of the science behind it I'll just lay it out for you. The average person only needs to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of your body weight. This translates to approximately 60 grams of protein per day for the average person. This is equivalent to 2 servings of protein (for example: 2 chicken breasts). Even an Olympic weight lifter only needs 1.8 grams per kilogram, and they are doing an extreme amount of weight training. By buying into all the marketing scams of increasing protein in order to bulk up or build lean muscle, you are not only wasting your money, but you are potentially damaging your body.

By choosing supplements over real food you are endangering your health. You can get all the vitamins, minerals, energy and protein you need from a balanced diet, not to mention fiber. The lack of fiber in so many peoples diets these days is evident from all the advertising with cereal and yogurt. There are even fiber supplements available. Guess what I'm going to say about that. Just make sure you eat less processed foods and more vegetables and fruits, and that's all the daily fiber you need. Did I mention already that real food tastes a lot better too? Well, it does.

Check out Canada's Food Guide for a good framework on how to eat a balanced diet.