Whole Foods VS Supplements & everything in between.
by Craig Cassidy
| One Fight | Fighters Nutrition & Motivation
Everybody seems to have an opinion about whether supplements are good or bad, beneficial or not, and whether they have a place in an athlete’s nutritional habits vs whole foods.
In my opinion hands down whole foods are better.
Earth grown nutrients. If it walked the earth or was grown from it- it’s better. In saying that I own two supplement stores and I don’t do anything I don’t believe in so obviously I’m a fan of supplements, I also recommend my athletes use certain supplements (where needed and beneficial)… ‘But you said whole foods were better?!’
Whole foods are better, where possible. Where they fit your budget, your lifestyle, and availability in quality.
Unfortunately problem being, whole foods today, as opposed to 50/years ago, 100/years ago, are deficient in essential nutrients, due to over farming of soil, time it takes from paddock to plate, our fruit and veg is not fresh. Add this to the way we prepare our fruit and veg sucking more of the little left nutrients out (chuck your microwave to the dump)… By the time we put these whole foods into our mouths there’s little to no real nutritional value. Even if we were to go organic (assuming you can find it let alone afford it) it’s still very rarely fresh, and there is no nutritional difference Organic or Conventional.
Meat- an even bigger problem. Organic meat or grass fed (assuming it really is), is so expensive. Most average people cannot afford to eat 100% organic, especially an up and coming athlete with no million dollar contract. So we can safely say you’re not getting all your needed nutrition from whole foods.
Keeping that in mind, you are more than likely deficient in a few, if not a lot of essential nutrients (not macronutrients… micronutrients). This is especially the case if you’re a high performance athlete. Deficiency will cause problems in performance, and Sleep issues, which in turn affect recovery and performance. Problems in Hormone production and brain function, also affecting performance and responsiveness… And this is just to mention a few problems that may evolve from nutrient deficiencies.
How do we fix this then?!
SUPPLEMENTS… What is a supplement? It’s a specific product to fill an area of lack in your nutrition.
Maybe it’s a protein shake because you don’t have time (or are to lazy) to prepare all your meals for eating every 2.5-3hrs. It may be a specific supplement to help combat a deficiency.
A few supplements I recommend to most of my athlete’s; Magnesium for sleep, cramping, recovery, maximises testosterone and other sex hormone production, decrease inflammation, improve digestion, increase insulin sensitivity, helps brain function and fights depression.
Fish oil capsules, to prevent Omega3 & 6 deficiency, also a great anti-inflammatory.
A greens/ superfood supplement, to help get the phytonutrients lacking in fruit and veg, alkalize the body, great anti-inflammatory also contains adaptogens to help our adrenal glands become more efficient at the production of cortisol to help us deal with our stressful environment (decreased cellular sensitivity to stress).
A blend of fibre, often lacking to those on a high protein diet, helps us to regulate blood sugar, also helps clear (detox) the system of toxic by-product… All these products help with fat loss, muscle gain, performance, and general health and well-being- and as you can see a large majority if not all people) would be deficient in certain nutrients and would benefit massively from supplementation.
All that being said, always eat with your goals in mind.
Each of my athletes/ clients are treated individually, based on lifestyle restrictions and their individual environment/ needs.
You should always do your research, making educated decisions based on what works for you, and what you need. Always seek professional/medical advice before starting any new nutritional program or supplement regime
To wrap it up, what are you going to take away from this? Maybe actually focus on getting healthy, nutritious whole foods in your diet. If that’s already the case (you’re in the top 5%), start doing some research or approach a professional to see what you’re deficient in and what will improve your health and performance… Gaining the edge on your competition- it’s that extra couple of percent that can be the difference between a contender and a champion 😉
For more information contact:
Craig Cassidy
W: One Fight
Ph: 0412005681
