By MACROS | Published on August 18, 2017
You can’t out-supplement a bad diet; well, that’s what you’ve probably been told over and over agin by every respectable nutritionist and doctor out there.
However, let’s reverse engineer that statement because it’s also telling you that your exercise performance can get absolutely everything it needs from the whole foods section of the supermarket.
And when you consider that taking creatine for a few weeks can increase your muscle power by 15%, or having a caffeine pill before a workout can boost your endurance by a staggering 17%, well, there aren’t any foods that can boast those benefits, so supplements clearly have their place.
A weak diet isn’t necessarily thanks to a distaste for vegetables, nor is it always a conscious decision.
Think of it this way: if 12pm saddles you with non-negotiable ravenousness and you only have the handful of coins you dug out from under the sofa cushions, you can still grab a meal deal at a drive-thu.
But go to an organic market and ask a teller what you can get for the same money, and you’ll be lucky if you get offered a litre of expired goat’s milk and a coupon to McDonald’s.
You see, the ever-hastening pace and cost of life means healthy eating doesn’t always fit your schedule. So if vegetables and lean proteins have become an afterthought then the question that needs asking is: can a bad diet be made moderately respectable by good supplementing?
Well, what follows are the supplement strategies that can help you improve your health if you absolutely insist on eating like a four-year-old. And if you’re smart enough to already eat healthy but you treat yourself to the odd cheat meal, then these tactics will help you activate damage control mode when the time comes.
Either way you win because you’ll be a lot wiser, healthier and fitter.
Is your multi-vitamin a lie?
Sportsman or not, multivitamins are at home in just about every household. They claim to fill in any gaps in your nutrition, and not boost sports performance, so their main selling point is actually longevity and improved ability to fend off disease.
However, is the science at odds with the marketing claims? Well, researchers, who published their results in the American Journal of Epidemiology, undertook a groundbreaking study that followed almost 200,000 multivitamin-users over an 11 year period. They found that there was no decrease or increase in mortality from all causes, such as cardiovascular disease or cancer, between those people who took multivitamins and those who didn’t.
In short: multivitamins did nothing for life expectancy. Zero benefit. So if they’re doing nothing and you’re chucking them down your throat like candy to counterbalance your KFC obsession, well, Colonel sanders’ offerings are still going to have a pervasive effect inside your body.
There is also a worrying psychological aspect because it’s thought that people who take multivitamins feel they have more junk food and exercise lay-day credits than those who don’t. Sadly, the Grim Reaper doesn’t factor in these supposed get-out clauses when he’s hard at the grind.
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The lesser of two evils
Supplement manufacturers by law have to state their product is not a replacement for real food, but if we can send dudes to the moon on powdered Sunday dinners then isn’t it logical that humans have progressed enough to make the ‘pill-diet’ possible?
“Astronauts’ diets have been carefully formulated by top scientists to make sure no micro or macro nutrient is overlooked,” says Dr Jerry Liu, a nutritionist and food chemist.
“On a global scale this is actually done very successfully in animal models, with cows eating a mix of whole foods and artificially added nutrients. And you go on to enjoy their steaks as part of your balanced diet.”
Hell, even your pet pooch has his diet created in a lab and he’s living longer than ever.
“In theory, you can live on supplements, but the DIY approach will no doubt leave you with serious holes in your dietary requirements because you won’t have the tech to monitor how much of each nutrient your body is absorbing,” adds Dr Liu.
Even though product boxes are monitored to make sure they’re truthful, you can’t be 100% sure you’re getting what they claim to contain.
“Often the processing process destroys many of the unstable micro-nutrients and digestive enzymes your body needs to absorb these nutrients,” Dr Liu continues.
In other words, real organic food guarantees health, but you’re taking a risk by trying to supplement yourself healthy – unless your bedroom is built by NASA.
“Obviously, if you’re eating badly then taking something like a green supplement is going to be significantly better for you than not taking it,” explains Dr Liu. “Many green supplements are getting frighteningly close nutrient levels to real foods, but they’re not quite a match just yet.”
So take them to put something healthy back into your body, but remember that they’re not sure enough bet just yet to risk your neck on.
Helping hands
Dutifully sticking to a nutrion strategy doesn’t always dish up world-class results. Occasionally getting a little lax with your diet is not just an extravagance – but a necessity.
Cheat meals can actually help you stick to your diet, found research at the University of Illinois, US. The break from restricting calories helps keep you on track.
“Looking forward to a cheat meal at the end of the week keeps people disciplined and actually has the power to speed up metabolism and burn more calories,” says Moodie Dennaoui, nutritionist to world-champion boxers such as featherweight Billy Dib.
But if you want to gorge on cheat meals that would make The Rock envious then you’re presented with an opportunity to out-supplement a bad meal. “There is a lot of scientific evidence behind the effectiveness of carb blockers on the market, and to a lesser extent fat blockers have also shown some promise,” says Dr Liu. “Supplements with white kidney bean extract can reduce the number of calories you extract from your cheat meal.” Another option are fat burning supplements such as Dymatize’s Dyma Burn Extreme which promotes energy while supporting fat burning.
So, just as you mentally prepare for your big burger blowout, you should also plan to reduce its ill-effects by using these supplements. But what about long-term periods of junk food binges, such as a holiday, where you’re regularly visiting restaurants and buffets?
“Taking a fibre supplement can be very beneficial because processed foods lack this nutrient and it helps to push the food through your digestive system,” says Dr Liu. “This means the toxins won’t be in your system as long as they would have otherwise.”
It may not be a great long-term strategy, but it will certainly help you come back from a holiday with a tan instead of belly.
It’s all in the name
So, If you’re washing down pizzas with an extra-strength green super-drink then you’re definitely cushioning the blow.
Yes, today’s supplements can almost do the job of a king-sized salad, but it still can’t quite match it.
“Fresh foods are alive ad the nutrients are as concentrated as you’ll ever eat,” says Dr Liu. “You may get 1,000 micro grammes of spinach from a teaspoon of a green supplement, but that’s never going to outshine the benefits of fresh food.”
Mother nature isn’t a girl who can be bested just yet and supplements remain supplements – not substitutes. So be a man and eat like a man, not a child.
