33: Are Supplements All Hype or Are They Beneficial? Use These 5 Questions to Decide

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Are Supplements All Hype or Are They Beneficial? Use These 5 Questions to Decide

Welcome to episode 33 of Optimal Health For Busy Entrepreneurs.

Are supplements all hype or are they beneficial? This is what we’ll be diving into today. The supplement industry is like the wild wild west.

There are many reasons why people decide to invest in supplements. Some being performance-related and other reasons being related to general wellness.

No matter what, for entrepreneurs and leaders, supplements, in the right context can be beneficial to their superhuman entrepreneurial journey.

So today, I want to discuss a framework that I use with clients when it comes to deciding on how to choose supplements. These 5 questions will never have you wasting your time nor money again.

Listen to the episode here:

In today’s episode, you’ll learn:

  • My initial reasoning for buying supplements (and it’s a mistake that many still make today)
  • My answer to if supplements are good or bad
  • The 5 questions to use when deciding on supplements
  • An example of why I invested in BPC-157 to heal my gut
  • My exact foundational supplement protocol
  • And much more

Resources featured in this episode:

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Laws Of Success: 12 Laws That Lead to Mastery In Health and Nutrition

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“Order and simplification are the first steps towards mastery of a subject” — Thomas Mann

Laws Of Success: 12 Laws That Lead to Mastery In Health & Nutrition

We all are striving for mastery in health and nutrition. However, what usually follows is anything but mastery. Not because there’s a lack of talent or desire. But often times due to the strategy.

Throughout the years, I’ve faced a variety of issues ranging from mild depression, body image issues, creating boundaries, and obsessive food behaviors.

Unfortunately, I let fitness become my ruler and I was its servant willing to do any and everything for results. This worshipping of fitness at all costs may bring results for a short period of time. But in the long run, isn’t something that is sustainable to living a good and healthy life.

Over the years, there have been a handful of laws that have helped me navigate the balance of integrating fitness into a busy life that also meshes with my desired lifestyle. Here are the 12 laws of success that can lead you to mastery in health and nutrition.

1. Review your “why” daily to stay motivated about your goals

It’s important to get to the core root of why you want a particular goal.

Are you doing it for someone else (kids, family, partner, etc) so you can lead by example? Is it to prove a point to yourself that you’re capable of much more than people have given you credit for? Are you doing this because you need a personal spark in your life to change the paradigms of your everyday life?

Whatever it is, search deeper than just relying on looking great naked. That’s important, but transformations take time and you need all the ammunition possible to stay consistent and motivated while pursuing your goals.

If you’re searching for deeper meaning, start with asking yourself why three times about a desire for a particular goal.

2. Never resort to deprivation nor any other extreme measures just to lose weight

I tried a 28-day liquid diet in college where I had nothing but shakes. I lost 15 pounds at the end of it (mostly water).

However, on day 29, I ate nearly 100 pieces of sushi at the buffet and then got sick over the next few days.

Besides being sick, I had a supporting cast which consisted of extreme waves of mood swings, achy joints which made me feel 79 (not 19), and a reunion with my 15 pounds as soon as I started eating whole foods again.

Besides not going on an extended liquid diet, the moral of this story is to never sacrifice your long-term health for short-term gratifications.

A healthy approach to nutrition doesn’t feel like a struggle and “grind fest.

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3. Make fitness fit into your preferred lifestyle, not the other way around

Life is meant to have rich experiences. Fitness is a key component of being able to do those things, but it doesn’t have to become your ruler.

Lifestyle first, and then find the workout routine and nutritional method that suits your personality and preferences.

4. Seek improvements in your health and fitness out of love, not out of hate

I started working out weighing 165 pounds and became an athletic and muscular 200 pounds.

I should be happy, right?

Not exactly.

The problem was my mindset never changed. I was exercising and putting on muscle at times out of hate and not feeling enough as a man—not for health or enjoyment.

You can’t hate your way to losing weight and improving your self-esteem. If you don’t address your inner world, those perceived deficiencies will still be there.

5. Make sustainability and longevity the priority when making health decisions

Make decisions about your fitness and nutrition that lead to long-term success, not just a season of success.

6. Address your 4 pillars of fitness daily (physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual)

Looking at Instagram and browsing the various magazines on newsstands and you’ll notice that the only messaging is concerning the physical aspect of ourselves.

mastery in health and nutrition
Be mindful of your consumption.

But, there is more to us than just a physical body.

There’s a mental, emotional, and spiritual side of fitness that needs to be accounted for our overall well-being.

Challenge your mental world by improving your brain through reading and other cognitive tasks. When it comes to your emotional fitness, assess your relationships and the environments you find yourself in. And lastly for your spiritual world, look into meditation or some type of habit that allows for a space of inner reflection.

7. Place a premium on sleep

I know, maybe you’re tired of seeing this on every health article, but it’s important.

Weight loss, productivity at work, better (and healthier) relationships along with your mood improve when you’re getting optimum amounts of sleep on a nightly basis.

Try meditating at night, cutting off electronics 60-90 minutes before bed, having an orgasm (hello Oxytocin), or reading a hardcover book to help yourself fall asleep.

8. Commit to finding a team to support you and keep you accountable

Maintaining a fitness regimen while juggling work and your personal life can become overwhelming. Therefore, it’s important to find some accountability in the form of a gym partner, someone to check in with, or an online community to hold you to a high standard.

9. Establish personal boundaries in your life so you can show up as your best version

Before attempting to fill others bucket up, make sure to have your bucket overflowing first.

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What good are you to the world if you’re burnt out, overweight, moody, lethargic, and sleep-deprived?

Not addressing this is short-changing your potential impact on the world because the best version of you isn’t showing up.

Block out time for exercising, a quiet bath, meditating, or whatever else is needed to allow you to show up as the best version of yourself.

10. Remember that your food choices, not the specific type of diet are most important for long-term success

Paleo, Whole 30, Intermittent Fasting, Atkins, and the Ketogenic diet all work. At the basic foundation, if there’s a caloric deficit, then you’ll lose weight. If there’s a surplus, extra weight will arrive.

The key factor for nutritional mastery is making good food choices along with establishing a plan that suits your goals and specific lifestyle.

11. Recognize that consistency and commitment are more important than “tactics” & “life hacks”

It’s better to workout for 20 minutes a day than to overcommitment to 60 minutes and only workout one day per week. Set realistic goals and realize that repetition, time, and consistency are the true ingredients to long-term success.

12. Prioritize a way of eating that includes a plethora of micronutrients

Micronutrients (from your fruits and vegetables) contain a plethora of minerals and vitamins that boost your metabolism, fights against chronic illnesses, and helps your mental state operate at a high level.

Here’s a printable infographic with the 12 laws for you to save and refer to.

Laws of Success: 12 Laws That Lead to Mastery In Health & Nutrition

Why You Should Just Say “No” to Meal Plans

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“The first wealth is health.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Why You Should Just Say No to Meal Plans

As a Certified Sleep Science & Nutrition Coach, one of the first questions I’m asked by potential clients and strangers is “can I get a meal plan?”

My answer: “No, I don’t write meal plans anymore.”

Years ago, I would write each person a meal plan with the specific amounts of what was expected to be eaten. After all, it was a staple in the fitness industry. With that said, I realized there was one gigantic problem with handing meal plans over and expecting them to solve everything.

This only served as a prescription to the issue. Basically a Band-Aid to a deep flesh wound. Eat this item, at this exact time, and in this exact amount. It was very robotic.

This robotic approach works for a little bit for the average person and can be useful to the person looking for a rapid transformation with the perfect settings (think movie star preparing for a role).

I even had a meal plan at first when I started my fitness journey.

But, I ran into problems that many people will run into and that is you just won’t stick to the plan. Compliance is low and it’s not our fault the majority of times.

We’re humans, not robots after all. Life gets busy. The regimented meal plan gets thrown out the door when:

  • your kids get sick
  • you get sick
  • you have a hot date
  • your bosses expect (and sometimes demand) you to work late
  • work drained your motivation to do anything
  • it’s someone’s birthday (or a special holiday or event)
  • you have to travel for work or even leisure
  • you just don’t feel like drinking your 9am protein shake
Most meal plans are created with a short-term goal in mind leading to a temporary feeling.

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Last time I checked, life exists beyond a 12-week body transformation.

Lastly, you have the meal plan, but it’s complete rubbish. Willpower will only last so long before you’re sick of the process and potentially shout to the masses that healthy eating is bland and takes away all your favorite foods (this is a true story, a client long ago said this to me).

Unless you’re a professional athlete or getting ready for a physique competition, you don’t need to turn into a nutritional surgeon. Being precise and meticulous over every little grain is unnecessary.

Here’s how to easily get started in the right direction while maintaining your sanity

Think about where you currently stand in regards to your healthy habits. In this situation, think about what you’re already eating. Then think about how you could improve by just a tiny fraction right now.

Nothing drastic or going cold turkey over.

Only aiming for a small change and improvement in what you’re already eating and enjoying. One baby step at a time.

Think about the quality of your food as opposed to labeling something as “good” or “bad”. Food doesn’t need to be morphed into the same parallel as the battle between the Jedi & Sith.

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Your mission for today should you choose to accept: How can you make your meals just a little better today and beyond?

Here’s a past example of someone I consulted with:

It’s lunchtime and they’re busy, so sitting down and eating slow sounds as likely to happen as me walking on water will happen. Therefore, they grab a cheap juicy burger and fries that is greasy and convenient (and quick) along with a big cup of soda. And we’re not exactly sure if the meat is even real meat—not good for the hormones.

They want to improve this situation but completely overhauling the situation isn’t likely to stick.

Instead, they can simply improve this scenario by

  • going to a higher-end burger place where the meat is at least real meat
  • get a salad with the burger instead of fries
  • choose diet soda or water instead

Next stage of the game

  • Meal prep some burgers at home
  • prep your desired side dishes

This is a rapid improvement because you’re bringing quality homemade food into lunch along with knowing exactly what is in your food which increases the food quality.

Things will change dramatically over time if you continually aim for small improvements. Aim for singles instead of always swinging for the home run.

The game of nutrition is a long-term game.

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If this kind of style resonates with you or is something that will be of use to you, then you’ll love my online nutrition coaching system that is headed to the world soon. It’s small daily habits to keep you improving 1% each day along with me communicating with you frequently.