Pre-Workout
IDLife Pre-workout
It's difficult for me to find a pre-workout drink that does not make me feel queasy. What you consume before your daily workout can make all the difference in achieving the goals you desire and minimizing the time necessary for your body to recover.
If you want something that is straight 'energy' for your workout without additional amino acids, branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), vitamins, minerals, enzymes and nutrients, take a look at IDLife Energy.
L-Glutamine
The jury is out on this. L-Glutamine is one of the most abundant amino acids floating around in your skeletal muscles (more than 60%). It may help with reducing muscle deterioration, however there are reports for and against. Most of the against say it doesn’t help at all. It’s fairly cheap, so I used to take it prior to my morning workout (now I get it in the IDLife Pre-workout supplement mentioned above).
During Workout
Beachbody Results and Recovery
At one point, I only drank this after my workout. With Insanity I drink it during my workout, and with P90x I’ll mix half into my workout drink and finish the rest after. It’s designed with a specific ratio of protein to carbs that your muscles need to help recover faster.
When I do strictly weight lifting I usually only have a protein drink during my workout (such as About Time Protein Powder from Amazon).
After Workout
Creatine
There has been a lot of research around Creatine and has been proven to help add muscle and strength in over 80% of people who utilize it correctly. It's also found in the ID Life supplements, so I no longer order this independently.
IDLife Post-Workout
During intense physical activity, tissues get damaged at the micro-level and if left unattended could lead to an increased risk of injury, muscle loss and fatigue. Post Workout provides a high quality complex of proteins, vital electrolytes and antioxidants to address workout recovery, and proper nutritional support for your body’s muscular and nervous systems.
Also, Beachbody Results and Recovery is an excellent choice.
Breakfast
Shakeology
I used to have this every morning, I have since switched to taking IDLife's Shake as I take ID Nutrition and do not want to exceed daily recommendations for nutrients.
IDLife Nutrition
I highly recommend looking into IDLife's Nutrition program. It utilizes 7,000+ published studies for over 4 million possible combinations for nutritional supplementation. If you have medications you take, or medical conditions, it'll take those into consideration with creating a nutritional supplementation recommendation.
My wife and I both take IDLife's nutrition with auto-ship every month. This has helped me with my energy considerably, I would often "crash" around 2pm every day, and since I've been taking this, I haven't had that issue. I also no longer have heart burn issues (cleared up after about a month). After taking it for about 90 days with IDLife Shake I saw an increase in weight loss, maybe my body was missing nutrients it needed or was detoxing itself, but my weight (after 6 months of trying) is finally coming off!*
Calcium
If you do not get enough Milk, take Calcium supplements. You have bone growth up through your mid 30’s. Also, if you have any chance of a bone disease or a family history of arthritis I would recommend taking Calcium. I’ve also heard those with pale skin can have a chance for bone related issues in the future but I have not researched this. A good way to check if you need Calcium is if your finger/toe nails are brittle.
I currently get my calcium through the IDLife Nutrition program.
Previously I took Caltrate (Chewable) which you can find in local stores, it’s also supplemented with Vitamin D.
Vitamin C
You should be taking this even if you are not working out. Now, I do get asked, “Is too much Vitamin C harmful?” It’s unlikely. The upper limit is somewhere around 2,000 mg a day. If you take megadoses of Vitamin C you could have symptoms of diarrhea, nausea, headache, cramps, vomiting, etc. Generally, any extra will be flushed out in your urine. Vitamin C can help reduce or prevent colds, but this is assuming you have been taking it for awhile. There are a lot of proven benefits. It's an antioxidant, keeps your gums healthy, and helps your immune system (which is important as working out will require a lot from your immune system in order to help rebuild). The recommended RDA does is close to 100mg a day, but other experts recommend taking 500 mg a day.
I get this through the IDLife Nutrition program as well. I used to buy chew-ables such as Nature Made.
Pre Lunch and Pre Dinner
IDLife Lean
I started taking this when my weight loss hit a plateau. It helped me to kick-start it again. Lean is a natural way to boost metabolism, increase thermogenesis, and promote the preservation and development of lean muscle mass. If you are stimulant sensitive, this may be an option for you.
Lunch
IDLife Shake
I switched from Shakeology to IDLife Shake with ID Nutrition. I couldn't afford to take everything, so I have the Shake for lunch now with some beef jerky. This combination has worked amazingly well. Between lean and this, I haven't had any more plateaus.
Before Bed
Omega-3
I prefer fish oil over flax seed for omega-3. Studies have shown that DHA and EPA may help reduce the risk of heart diseases. With the diets in the U.S. we get plenty of Omega-6 but not enough Omega-3 to balance the ratio which should be somewhere around 1:1. However, we get close to 16:1 ratios. Having that high of a ratio promotes cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Omega-3 has been shown to reduce inflammation, which helps with my knees. I’ve said this in other postings, but I can notice when I forget to take it.
Beachbody has Core Omega-3 gel capsules which I recommend. I also took Coromega Omega 3 before bed due to my difficulty in swallowing pills; Coromega Omega-3 Supplement, Orange Flavor, Squeeze Packets, 90-Count Box
.Now I get this through the IDLife Nutrition program
IDLife Sleep
I have significant issues falling and staying asleep at night (you can read my IDLife Sleep Review here). IDLife SLEEP helps me to fall asleep and STAY asleep. It has a tri–phasic approach assisting your natural sleep cycle.
I used to take Melatonin and also tried ZMA in the past.
Sumary
As you can see, there are a lot of supplements that you can take to help keep you at your peak health and performance. IDLife is mentioned a lot. It covers most of my nutritional needs during the day. I no longer have to purchase Vitamin B , Calcium, Spirulina, Vitamin D, Omega-3, et cetera from stores or online (see the full list here). Now, I can get everything in a monthly shipment. I recommend taking the IDLife Nutrition assessment and making a decision for yourself.
This should cover the majority of your nutritional needs.
* last updated November 2015.
