This information is mostly for men but it’s good information for everyone to know… and ladies…I know you’re reading this OK.
Men have a tendency to “eat on the run” and believe me, what they choose to eat isn’t always the most healthy of choices. I’m not sure if it’s strictly a ‘guy thing’ or not but regarding eating habits, one  study I found referred to the probability of men developing nutritional ‘blind spots‘ in their diet. That is – they will favor only certain foods, say burgers or steak and some form of potatoes. I’m sure the ladies out there have the same issue but today I’m focusing on one of the few and rare problems we men have. What? OK. OK.  I’m Just kidding. Don’t roll your eyes at me girls – just read on…
As you can see, favoring one food type means missing  out on a lot of valuable nutrition and that can become quite a problem. Your body, as most of us all know, needs a supply of vitamins and minerals to function properly. So if your diet isn’t what it should be you may have to resort to supplements. For me, a multi vitamin just doesn’t cut the mustard. If you don’t have the time to eat right – at least get the proper supplementation to help keep you healthy.  Please remember they are supplements – not substitutes.  Just note …
Nothing will replace nutrition from good, wholesome, well balanced meals.

These are just suggestions OK. What and how much of anything you take depends on you, your lifestyle and your diet…and probably your budget.

Greens
What is the one thing men think about most throughout the day? Eating greens, right?  No? Oh! OK, I must have missed something there. Actually, eating greens is probably the furthest thing from a guys train of though so that’s why they  need to supplement. Greens are great for alkalizing because of their calcium and magnesium pack a powerful punch when it comes to nutrients;
- They contain more vitamin A than carrots
- They contain more vitamin C than oranges
- They contain more vitamin E than whole wheat
- They contain more vitamin B2 than milk
- They contain high-quality proteins with a good amino acid profile
Greens provide assimilable essential alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium that are found in insufficient quantities in fruit, nuts and seeds, not to mention other more conventional, acid-forming foods.
I’ve tried several brands and guess what – they all taste like…grass. But I drink them anyway. My personal favorite -Aim Barley Green. It’s smoother and doesn’t clump, making it a little easier to to drink.

Saw Palmetto.
Lets face it, the years are sneaking past us and the media keeps throwing the fear of BPH ( benign prostate hyperplasia) at us every chance they get. Thats sort of an indication of problems with your prostate. ( be sure to get second and third opinions  if you are diagnosed with high BPH ) Often, this causes the feeling to have get up and go to the washroom at night but only a trickle comes out. Korean studies show that men taking 320 mgs of Saw Palmetto daily saw their BPH symptoms reduced by 50% after 1 year.
There are many good sources of Saw Palmetto ( some with combination of other herbs) in most health food stores. I , again, prefer the AIM product.

Lycopene.
This nutrient is found in Tomatoes. From what I understand, you get the biggest bang for your dollar if the tomatoes are heated rather than sliced cold and thrown into a salad or sandwich. I love cooking mine up with my eggs for brekky. Lycopene is a powerful anti-oxident that may reduce your risk of prostate cancer according to many recent studies. Guys – you really, really don’t want any problems with your prostate – the ‘love life’ may suffer greatly  – if you get my drift. So get moving on this one OK. it’s also of great benefit to your vision.
15 to 20 mgs per day is usually recommended.

Probiotics
Probiotics are a healthy bacteria ( yes we need bacteria in our bodies!) in our digestive system that helps break down the food we eat, so we get the full benefits of it. There are 60 trillion of the little critters down there. I haven’t had time to count them all but there’s a lot. Proper digestion is important in many aspects of your helath – the immune system, detoxification and energy levels.
My choice is from Dr. Mercola.

Co-Q -10
This is something that causes a little bit of confusion. Coenzyme  Q-10 has been sold for years and usually has been the cheaper, oxidized form Ubiquinone.  Your body has to convert this into Ubiquinol to be utilized properly. Ubiquinol is a little more expensive to produce  so naturally more expensive to buy.
Ubiquinol, the active antioxidant form of CoQ10, is essential to the body’s natural production of cellular energy and provides powerful antioxidant protection to cells. Without it, the body cannot sustain energy. The body’s ability to naturally produce this vital nutrient is diminished over time. This makes it vital for good heart health.
Once you’ve passed the late twenties, the body has trouble producing it’s own Ubiquinol so it’s a good idea to start supplementing.
Recommended dosage is usually around 200 – 300 mgs per day for a few weeks and then ease down to about 100 mgs per day. Look around – the health shops have plenty. Read the labels!

Omega 3.
Over looked – mis-understood – confused with all the media hype. Our brain is made up of somewhere between 40% and 60% fats and more than half of that is Essential Fatty Acids. Omega 3 is called the Super Unsaturated Fat – it’s essential because our bodies don’t make it and Heath professionals world wide feel it is the one nutrient we are missing the most in our diets. It’s good for everything! Heart, brain function, reducing inflammation, vision – even digestion. It’s also been shown to help children and adults with ADD and ADHD greatly improve their health. Even MS patients are raving about the results from a proper Omega 3.
Omega 3  also really helps get the blood flow moving much better – and guys – you know what that means!!
We are not fish and we are not plants. Taking this Essential Fatty Acid from a plant or fish means you are getting the wrong molecular chain structure that the human body needs. Are walnuts, flaxseed oils, eggs and all  good for us? Of course. But to get the real benefits of the Omega 3 you need to get it in the proper, healthy form in the right balance with Omega 6. Right now I know of only one source that does that and that’s Auum Omega oil, made here in Canada.

And that’s about it. There are hundreds of supplements on the market. They can be very specialized and you should get proper information from a qualified Nutritionist before starting anything out of the normal and basic supplementation.

Firstly try to improve your diet. Then with these basic supplements you should be able to maintain a good, healthy body.

Stay well – and smile.
Coach Doug.

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