This has been bothering me for years, you know, you hear that a research study has been conducted and they find that eggs are bad for you, and then back in the 1980s, it was highly recommended that people each more carbs and those folks started packing on pounds (probably they added too much oil to their pasta dishes, who knows), and the low-fat items which are indeed low fat, but they are loaded with chemicals and carbs to get them that way, and tonight on the news, there is now a research report that says people are passing away from vitamins and supplements. The vitamin manufacturers did report they have seen an increase in this, but don't know why. This was on the Ticker on Fox News.
So does the general population really follow these trendy research reports? I know I have always been skeptical of any report. I remember back when I was a child I saw very few overweight people; there weren't a lot of fastfood places to eat; we ate balanced meals and snacks were fruit. Not anymore it seems. And the only reason why I am large is because I put in more than I spend (well, duh).
There was a report that did get my attention several years ago and it came from the Mayo Clinic. They reported they found that sunblock caused some skin cancers. Now, this was squashed after being on the news for a few short days, but their study really went into detail and it had been conducted for over 15 years. A friend of mine who is a dermatologist in California agrees with this study in some cases. He says he is finding an alarming number of cancers that are attributed to overuse of sunblocks. His recommendation is to cover the body with lightweight clothing, stay in the sun only 2 hours a day for the vitamin benefits, and to use nothing over a 15 sunblock.
So, even though after being on this island for six years now, and having ate more fish than is probably in the sea, I am longing for enchiladas and anything beef because I haven't seen a study yet on enchiladas.
Thoughts?
Donna
Donna,
I think if you search hard enough, you will be able to find something on how enchiladas are bad for you! There are all kinds of studies done with all kinds of correlations made and connections drawn regarding one's health. Studies on health benefits of this and that are coming out daily and for every study that says something is good for you, there's a whole bunch that disprove the original study.
We all know the basics:
smoking is bad
most anything in excess is bad for you
exercise is good
I could continue... :dedhorse:
Bottom line is you know what is best for you and what works best with your body. Be smart, make informed decisions, and you should be fine.
My personal philosophy is somewhat tainted, as I work in the food industry, but life is too short to drink diet soda and eat crappy food. :banana:
Re: Vitamins.
Truth be told, you are far better off getting your vitamins from food anyhow. Eat right and don't worry about popping pills unless your MD tells you to.
True in theory. I unfortunately don't eat right all the time. I try....but lets be honest.....most of us don't eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day. I just read that only 12% of Americans 45-64 regularly consume what is considered to be a good diet. Thats pretty sad. Athletes need even more nutition to fuel and repair our bodies!! Our diets are so important to our overall health...especially long- term! The Omega 3 fatty acids we all need for heart health are almost non existent in the average American diet.
Since I began taking vitamins, I have noticed a huge difference in my health and energy level. I know my training improved immensely too. I have not had a bad cold in two years! (I hope I didn't just jinx myself!) :dunno: I'm pretty passionate about the supplements I take because of the difference they have made in my life! :groovy:
True in theory. I unfortunately don't eat right all the time. I try....but lets be honest.....most of us don't eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day. I just read that only 12% of Americans 45-64 regularly consume what is considered to be a good diet. Thats pretty sad. Athletes need even more nutition to fuel and repair our bodies!! Our diets are so important to our overall health...especially long- term! The Omega 3 fatty acids we all need for heart health are almost non existent in the average American diet.
Since I began taking vitamins, I have noticed a huge difference in my health and energy level. I know my training improved immensely too. I have not had a bad cold in two years! (I hope I didn't just jinx myself!) :dunno: I'm pretty passionate about the supplements I take because of the difference they have made in my life! :groovy:
I have been told to take Omega 3. My ART guy told me to take it for my shoulders. My eye doctor told me to take it for dry eyes, so I just started.
As to glucosamine, I know there was a recent study about its efficacy. But that study involved arthritis. Plus, we all know how reliable and biased some of these studies can be. I had another chat with my ART guy about that supplement. He thinks you keep taking it. But he's a bit more on the homeopathic side.
I also recall Coach T saying to take Coenzyme Q10, thinking that most people need more as they age. I don't know about that one.
I eat pretty darn well most of the time, with an occasional lapse. But I do have one diet coke a day.
Beth:
What supplements do you think help the most? I've also read that calcium at bedtime is good for sleep.
Regarding water, I have found that my body tells me when I need to drink. If I am not thirsty, I don't go chugging away a bottle of water just because. I was glad to see that article in USMS by the way...very valuable indeed.
Beth:
What supplements do you think help the most? I've also read that calcium at bedtime is good for sleep.
I take Advocare products: CorePlex (multivitamin with ALA, Lutein, Lycopene and CoQ10), OmegaPlex (Omega 3 Fatty Acids), and Joint ProMotion (Glucosamine, MSM, Gotu Cola Extract and White Willow Extract) for my joints. I also take an Amino Acid supplement called Catalyst right before I workout to maintain my muscle tone and give me more energy for my workout. These products have really helped me! If you want to know more about them, please pm me.
B6, Zinc, Valerian root, Chamomile, Magnesium and Melatonin help insomnia. I've had pretty good results lately with taking a supplement with these ingredients at bedtime. I've also heard Calcium is good for insomnia....heck its something we all need anyway for bone health.
I have been told to take Omega 3. My ART guy told me to take it for my shoulders. My eye doctor told me to take it for dry eyes, so I just started.
Omega 3 is a natural antiinflammatory. That's why it is so good for all parts of the body!
I'll pretty much put anything in my body and believe just about every marketing claim made. In addition, I take more than I should because I know it annoys my two favorite posters on this forum.
I take a performance multi vite, flax seed oil, fish oil, coq10, glucosamine. I've also recently taken a few free samples of something allegedly supposed to increase my focus. Last weekend I took a vial of something called ZipFizz before I swam, which really turbo charged me for about 45 minutes.
Beth - who makes this Catalyst product?
I'll pretty much put anything in my body and believe just about every marketing claim made. In addition, I take more than I should because I know it annoys my two favorite posters on this forum.
I take a performance multi vite, flax seed oil, fish oil, coq10, glucosamine. I've also recently taken a few free samples of something allegedly supposed to increase my focus. Last weekend I took a vial of something called ZipFizz before I swam, which really turbo charged me for about 45 minutes.
Beth - who makes this Catalyst product?
Advocare makes Catalyst. I'll pm you more info! I also take an energy drink called Spark (Advocare also) that is phenomenal right before I swim....in fact I'm getting ready to drink it and go swimming right now!! :groovy: I'll pm you when I get back.
Did you read the article about hydration in USMS Swimmer? I thought it was pretty interesting: www.usmsswimmer.com/.../feature.pdf
The basic theme of the article is that many people go overboard with drinking water and the idea that you need to drink 1/2 gallon of water per day is most likely hogwash. Just drinking when you're thirsty is usually enough.
I didn't read it Kirk I will. I should perhaps modify my "plenty" to mean elimnate half non "just water beverages" in your day, and just have a glass of water, when you're thirsty instead of a soda etc. I've cut soda down to one with lunch and a small glass with dinner. No noticeable change...
I have heard too that too many Red-Bull type drinks are bad for your kidneys.
Like Geek said, just drink when you're thirsty and make some of it water IMHO. Look at your dog...he's thirsty he drinks...if he's not he isn't chugging down 8 bowls because the vet said so...at least I don't think my dog is. :)
B6, Zinc, Valerian root, Chamomile, Magnesium and Melatonin help insomnia.
None of these help me at all unfortunately. But now I've also read that calcium supplements might not help that much on the osteoporosis front ...
Oh well, I'll just keep eating my enchiladas.
Someone on my team used to drink the "5 hour energy" drink" right before racing. She thought it helped. I've used it, but have no idea if it works or not. I'll stick with the Omega 3. I've been told Omega 6 is bad. I started putting flax seeds in the batter whenever I made bread. The kids hated me ...
