Essential Supplements
Part Three of a Five Part Series
Originally Published in our Online Newsletter
DISCLAIMER: I understand that the author is not a licensed
health care professional and will not have examined me or discussed my health
condition with me. I also understand that the author did not intend this information
to be medical advice. I do acknowledge that any and all information I read in the
following article is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from a
health care professional. I do agree to consult with a licensed health care
professional before beginning any diet, exercise, or supplement program to verify
that I am in good health and that any suggestions will not cause me harm. I will
read all labels for any product that I might use, and if I experience any unusual
symptoms after following any suggestion, I will immediately stop taking the product(s) and call a licensed
health care professional. I hereby release Affordable Supplements, Inc. and the
author of this article from any liability related to any information that I read.
The Essential Supplements - Part Three
For the next several newsletters, I'll
be discussing what I consider to be
the essential supplements. Supplements
that anyone from a weekend warrior to
a serious lifter should consider using
to make the most of their efforts.
Here's Part Three of the Five Part Series....
Last issue, I reaffirmed my belief that
glutamine
comes in second only to protein.
#3 gets awarded to a supplement that
is often overlooked and was overlooked
by myself a couple of years back. It's
time to correct that error...you may
even suggest that it needs to be #1 or
#2 itself.
I'm talking about Essential Fatty Acids.
Whoa, the uninformed say, who wants to
actually put more fat in their body? -
well this is the good stuff. We all need
essential fatty acids to walk, talk, eat,
and breathe. We just can't function
without them.
While all of us are certainly capable of
eating some fat, we don't necessarily get
enough of the essential fatty acids for
optimal athletic performance. There are
many supplements available including The Total EFA,
Structured EFA,
Omega Stak, and
Organic Flax Seed Oil. I'm currently
using Organic Flax Seed Oil softgels myself.
Here are some of the benefits that
athletes have been reporting when
supplementing with Essential Fatty Acids:
- Enhanced athletic performance
- Improved stamina and endurance
- Shortened recovery time
- Reliable source of energy w/o increasing body fat
- Reduced muscle soreness
- Increased oxygen uptake & utilization
This is just the tip of the iceberg as
far as total benefits of EFA's go, but you
certainly get the idea. Overall, EFA's are
one of the most inexpensive and healthful
supplements available that athletes both
young and old as well as male and female
should consider adding to their regimen today.
Here is some additional information from
Health From the Sun:
WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS?
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are polyunsaturated fats that are necessary for a
healthy lifestyle. Like vitamins and minerals, EFAs are essential nutrients that
we must get from foods or dietary supplements. There are two families of essential
fatty acids, the Omega-3 family and the Omega-6 family. Since these fatty acids
are not interchangeable in the body, both must be supplied in the diet.
WHY ARE EFAs IMPORTANT?
EFAs are important components of cell membranes where they maintain proper
fluidity and flexibility. They are also the building blocks for prostaglandins -
chemical messengers that regulate cardiovascular function, brain and nervous
system functions, fat metabolism, skin health, joint flexibility and inflammatory
response.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM EFA SUPPLEMENTATION?
Everyone! Experts agree the typical western diet is deficient in Omega-3 fatty
acids. Most people do not eat enough food rich in Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
like fish, walnuts or dark green leafy vegetables. On the Omega-6 side, most
people get enough Omega-6 Linoleic Acid but they fall short with Omega-6
Gamma-Linoleic Acid (GLA) because it is rarely found in foods. Instead,
the body must rely on its ability to make GLA from dietary Linoleic Acid.
Unfortunately, stress, a poor diet, alcohol, advanced age, and disease all
interfere with the ability to make GLA.
To read about our selection of Essential Fatty Acids, click here.
Click Here to read Part IV of the Essential Supplements Series.
Click Here to read Part II of the Essential Supplements Series.
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