Supplements

I've found it necessary to supplement my diet for a variety of reasons, though essentially it's because even the best diet cannot assure that you get everything that you need to function at an optimal level.

My basic supplement recommendations include:
Fish Oil - 4,000 mg/day. This has anti-inflammatory properties and really helps improve mental functions.
Fiber - 1,000 to 2,000 mg/day. Our diet is fairly low in insoluble fiber, so we supplement to avoid getting plugged up. Colon cancers are becoming a bit too common, so this is good insurance.
Vitamin D - 4,000 mg/day during times of the year when we don't get adequate sun exposure. During the summer there should be no need to supplement if you are getting 10 minutes of sun exposure around noon everyday. This supplement amount is based upon a recommendation by the Vitamin D Council. Visit their website to learn more about this important nutrient, as it has tremendous health consequence for everyone.

I take a couple of supplements specifically to improve a condition known as Raynaud's Syndrome. These were recommended on an alternative medicine site and while they haven't cured the disease, they seem to have improved my cold tolerance, allowing me to commute in relative comfort by bicycle at temperatures as low as 8 degrees Fahrenheit for a half hour at a time:
Taurine (an amino acid) - 1,000 mg/day
Magnesium - 250 mg /day
The Magnesium seems to have had the added benefit of greatly reducing the amount of cramping that I used to experience while doing intense exercise in high temperatures. Experts claim that the majority of Americans eat a magnesium deficient diet, so you may want to consider this inexpensive supplement.

And I take a supplement for joint and bursa pain and inflammation, rather than taking "Vitamin I" (ibuprofen, which has some very nasty long term side effects):
Triple Strength glucosamine/condroitin - 2 tablets/day (for joints). This really helps lubricate the joints, but you need to take if for several weeks at an adequate dose to notice any improvement.
In the past I've taken Borage Oil (2,600 mg/day) to also help with hip bursa pain. I wasn't convinced that it helped any more than Fish Oil.

A number of supplements are purported to help lower blood pressure, including Grape Seed , Turmeric and the amino acid L-citrulline. All of them seem to have helped to keep my blood pressure at excellent levels, though increasing my intake of fruits and vegetables has had a more profound effect. I currently only take Grape Seed (200 mg/day) and Turmeric (500 mg/day).

In my cycling and strength training I also use the following:
GABA (an amino acid, 3 g per workout), prior to intense workouts only. In conjunction with intense exercise it has been shown to increase the production of human growth hormone, but this has not been definitively proven. It's an inexpensive supplement, so while I can't know for certain that it works, it's worth risking a few dollars in the hope that it does. I did see very significant performance improvements the first year that I used it.
Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl L-Carnitine (800 & 400 mg/day, respectively) for the purported benefit of increasing the number of mitochondria in your body, a particular problem for aging cyclists. I haven't used this enough to have an opinion of whether it works or how well it works and haven't seen the research that would back up this claim.

I attribute my ability to live relatively pain free and to generally avoid common illnesses to frequent intense exercise, my diet and the supplements that I take regularly. I can't say for certain that the ergogenic supplements that I take to improve my cycling performance are having the desired effect, but at the same time they are safe and relatively low cost supplements, so I find the risk to be worth the potential reward.

Slim Tree

It's New Year's Resolution time once again. My subscription to Healthy Cooking provided a link to a website that is new to me, Slim Tree. Though I haven't had much of an opportunity to check out the content, it offers free viewing of a number of exercise videos. They have videos on Pilates, Yoga, cardio workouts, martial arts/kickboxing workouts, abs workouts, aerobics, strength training, etc. The videos are available in 1, 5, 10 and 20 minute blocks, which makes it easy to customize things to your individual needs or to supplement your existing exercise routines.

Since these are mostly body weight exercises, this site provides a very inexpensive way to get or stay in shape. At most you'll need to invest in some hand weights (dumbbells) and perhaps some resistance tubing. And if you don't have a comfortable exercise surface, you might want to get a yoga mat.

Enjoy!

An Easy Side or Salad

It always great to try new recipes to build a library of healthful recipes, but you need a small number of quick and easy options to round out a meal. One of our favorites revolves around two ingredients - cucumbers and tomatoes.

The simplest variation is equal parts diced cucumbers and tomatoes with an olive oil and balsalmic vinegar dressing. From there you can add a can of salmon, tuna or chicken to make a full lunchtime meal.

Adding a few grapes to the basic cucumber and tomato combo is an easy way to sweeten it up a bit. Be sure to slice the grapes in half to release some of the flavor and to make it easier to spear the grapes with your fork. We often use a pre-made dressing with this, usually a greek dressing that we buy at Fred Meyer. Or make your own Greek dressing, as follows:

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Enjoy this great snack, lunch or dinner side salad!

Gilad

A big key to staying lean is having a regular exercise program. You don't have to exercise for hours a day to stay lean and fit. You'll find that just half an hour a day for a few days a week is enough to increase your muscle mass, which will help you to burn more fat. Last year I used routines from Cyclo-CORE to get in shape and lower my body fat percentage. While I will likely go back to those routines when cycling season starts up next year, I've decided to go with a Bodies in Motion program by Gilad, who has a daily program on FitTV.

I actually followed his show on weekends for a while last year before getting on the Cyclo-CORE program. I enjoyed it, but wouldn't always remember that the show was on, so it was a bit hit or miss. So this time I've invested in his Quick Fit program. It has a 12 week plan for increasing your overall fitness and a very minimalist (read: not too complicated) eating plan to help you get lean and fit. There's lots of exercise routines, so things should stay fresh through the entire program. One of primary benefits that I am looking for is to get rid of my hunched over, sit-at-the-desk-all-day posture. My posture improved a lot using Cyclo-CORE last year, but I'm betting that this will do the trick in the next 12 weeks.

If you have satellite TV and get FitTV, I highly recommend that you find a workout routine that interests you. There is a ton of stuff there to entertain and motivate you, you just need to tune in once in a while. On DirecTV its on Channel 261.