Fueling for Performance:
Unlocking the Right Combination of Foods for Your Body

You may have noticed some of the propaganda in the mainstream media over the last year focusing on the so-called dangers of nutritional supplements. It is not a coincidence. In typical media and governmental fashion, the topic has been sensationalized and polarized, all with intent to discredit the validity of nutritional supplements and open the door for more regulation. And this is a very disturbing trend to see! Of course, all the controversy is good for the media (fear can do wonders for their sales and ratings).

Today was a landmark in my athletic career (if not in my life). I walked into a cardiologist’s office for a stress test, with the goal of determining the cause of the intermittent and mysterious heart flutters I have experienced over the past year.  Needless to say, these have been a bit alarming in the wake of some other 40-somethings that have had heart problems in recent years.

In my last blog, I put forth the idea that in the wrong application, exercise (particularly endurance exercise) can be hazardous to your health. I also described the basic hormonal implications of different types of exercise (short, intense bursts of activity boost hormone production; slower, prolonged activities suppress it). Now that we know what we're up against as athletes, let’s take a look at what you can do to optimize your training and preserve your hormonal resources.

Some people are interested in nutrition, but I am a sports nutrition nut! Those who know me know my many experiments. In an attempt to avoid back surgery in college, I became a vegetarian. To try and be a yogi capable of standing on my head for 2.5 hours, I became a raw vegan. After college, I began my endurance athletic purists by enhancing my body’s acid blocking capacities; I started drinking alkaline water. Some confuse my smoothie concoctions with a science lab experiment.

If you are not aware by now, the FDA and "Big Pharma" have joined forces in a legislative push toward classifying, evaluating and regulating nutritional supplements as toxic compounds. Should their efforts be successful, the resulting paperwork, mandatory fees and general "red tape" will be more than any small or medium-sized supplement manufacturer could ever hope to absorb. The upshot is that they will have to immediately stop producing their products.

Researchers at Creighton University Medical Center recently reported that much higher daily doses of vitamin D are needed to prevent serious disease than previously thought.

Optimal levels of omega 3 fatty acids are one of the most critical health and performance factors in your body. They are critical for supporting healthy levels of inflammation, maintaining a strong immune system, increasing tissue oxygenation and improving athletic recovery, among many other potential health and performance benefits.

If you're like many of our new Bioletics clients, you might not know that fat is something you don't need to fear. A common misconception is that becoming overweight is the end result of eating too much fat. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, eating more of the right kind of fat can actually help your body burn more pounds of unwated body fat. And the good news doesn't stop there! Fueling your body with omega-3 fats can: 

• Improve your digestion.

• Reduce your sugar and carbohydrate cravings.

• Increase your energy and improve your mood.

Here at Bioletics, we've noticed that dietary supplements and their proponents have been receiving some negative press lately.  And we thought you should know that these misguided journalistic efforts may be linked to a larger and even more nefarious plan--a plan that would virtually eliminate the production and sale of vitamins and other nutrients in America.