We all think of nutritional supplements as ways to improve our fitness and performance in the gym but in reality they can be used for far more than that. I’ve used nutritional supplements throughout my career to vastly improve not only my day to day life but also my performance at work, throughout this blog I’m going to list and explain those such supplements.
- Core Nutritionals HARD EXTREME (Anti-Oestrogen/Cortisol Agent)
Many people get confused with this category and automatically assume oestrogen & cortisol blockers are for bodybuilders, I was one of these people until last year. What changed you may ask? My lifestyle, I became a father, I work 10 hour days 6-7 days a week and I want to be the best I possibly can be in the gym. So to say I was finding balancing work, my family, nutrition and training hard would be an understatement, that’s when I realised my cortisol levels were high.
When put under serious mental or physical stress, your body produces a hormone called Cortisol, in small amounts it can be good for you however in excess it can cause you to feel tired, de-motivated and perform poorly in the gym! This is exactly how I was feeling, I was pushing my mind and my body to its limits and it was fighting me back or rather telling me that something was not right. Due to the stress that my body was undergoing from both mental and physical aspects, I quickly realised that my cortisol levels were high, from here I started taking Core Nutritionals HARD EXTREME.
Core Nutritionals HARD EXTREME formula:
As you can see from the above formula, the product is packed with clinically dosed anti-oestrogen and cortisol ingredients designed specifically to keep you calm, sleeping well and performing at your best throughout stressful times. Aside from that it’s also perfect for losing some extra water weight! Cortisol can cause you to hold excess water and so using HARD EXTREME can actually dispel that water from underneath your skin revealing a leaner looking physique. If you’re wanting to use HARD EXTREME for that benefit, I’d highly recommend stacking it with either SHRED or BURN from the Core Nutritionals range, perfect for losing excess body fat.
Check out Core Nutritionals HARD EXTREME here: https://a-listnutrition.com/collections/core-nutritionals/products/core-nutritionals-hard-extreme-pineapple-strawberry?variant=36185157927078
- Ambrosia Ritual PM
The second supplement I use on my list without fail, everyday, is Ambrosia RITUAL PM. What is it? It’s a sleep aid but probably not like the ones you’re familiar with. If you work hard, you know full well that sleep is hard to come by, so add a new born baby into the mix and you could say my sleep on a daily basis is minimal to say the least!
I used Core Nutritionals HARD EXTREME as mentioned above to help control stress levels and to essentially help me relax, this actually did benefit my sleep as I took 3 scoops (1 serving) pre bed. After a while though it simply wasn’t cutting it, my sleep needed to be more concentrated and more efficient in a short period of time (4-5 hours). I needed to get a deep R.E.M. sleep on a daily basis to maintain my work rate & lifestyle. I knew Ambrosia had been formulating a sleep aid but I didn’t have my hopes up as most sleep aids produced in the USA are banned over here due to the ingredients they like to use which are primarily sedative based. When I found out that it was UK & EU compliant I brought it over immediately as the formula was very interesting, instead of being a sleep aid that simply knocks you out like most (which can be poor for your health long term), Ritual PM helps you get to sleep but also keeps you asleep and enables you to wake up feeling refreshed.
I was all over this as you could imagine and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Check out the formula below:
Ambrosia Ritual PM:
Based off the formula, you can really see how RITUAL PM has been designed to relax you with the huge dose of magnesium glycinate chelate which is specifically used for relaxing your muscles & body. That coupled with the Sensoril ashwagandha will enable you to find it easier to drift off to sleep with both your mind and body being relaxed. As you go further down the formula, it gets really interesting with some ingredients you don’t often see but some that I found to be extremely effective through my own personal use. Affron enables you to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day, a prominent effect from Ritual PM and one that I was very sceptical of when I read it on the label but it sure does just that. Then finally Citrus Senensis Extract enables you to improve your Circadian rhythm, what does that mean? It’s essentially a part of your body’s internal clock which largely dictates at what time in the day you start to get tired. So if you have quite a poor Circadian rhythm, you will start to feel tired earlier on in the day, where as if it’s good you will feel tired in evening/night. It could also be affected by your sleep cycle which was my case, late nights, early mornings, I was getting tired around midday. However, using this ingredient in Ritual PM has enabled me to get less tired throughout the work day, meaning I’m far more alert.
In summary,Ritual PM helps you relax pre-bed, ensures you wake up feeling refreshed and helps you get through the day without feeling as tired! This stacked with HARD EXTREME has been doing wonders for me in regards to my sleep.
Check out RITUAL PM: https://a-listnutrition.com/collections/ambrosia/products/ritual-pm-sleep-deep-rise-renewed
- 1stPHORM OPTI-GREENS 50
Now, I know I said the supplements listed in this article would be lifestyle based but this guy is a bit of a hybrid. Not only is 1stPhorm OPTI-GREENS 50really good for your overall health but can make you feel incredibly good on a day-day basis.
For a long time, I really struggled with digestive issues due to being lactose intolerant, of course I avoided dairy the best I could but it was still pretty taxing on my stomach causing me to get bloated and to feel uncomfortable. When I say OPTI-GREENS 50made a huge positive impact on my day to day digestion, it doesn’t really do it justice. Now I’m not saying that if I were to drink a glass of milk I’d be totally fine but in my average day to day life I was feeling much more comfortable and no stomach issues at all. This enables me to work harder on a day to day basis whilst feeling no bloat, uncomfortable stomach issues or anything of the sort.
1stPHORM OPTI-GREENS 50
Another fantastic positive that I have found with OPTI-GREENS 50is that you get very sustained natural energy via their glycemic balance blend. It’s quite noticeable to be honest and something that I was very surprised about when I first took it. The glycemic balance blend enables you to utilize carbohydrates better via improving your insulin sensitivity, this extra energy is a nice positive to help get my day started as I typically take it first thing in the morning with my first meal. In summary, it’s a product I can happily recommend to all of you reading this and say it will help you on your day to day routine particularly if you don’t eat enough veggies!
Check out 1stPhorm OPTI-GREENS 50: https://a-listnutrition.com/collections/1st-phorm/products/opti-greens-50
- Bare Performance Nutrition STRONG REDS
Very similar to the products above, Bare Performance Nutrition STRONG REDSis a multi-purpose product and one that I love to use every single day for both its benefits in improving everyday functions of your body but also protecting your immune system.
When you are pushing your mind and body to its limits, with a relatively small amount of sleep, your immune system will take a beating! Especially at this time in our history, where we have a pandemic at large, it’s more important than ever to make sure you are protecting your health. I know from my perspective, I would hate to get sick, it’ll mean I can’t go into work, help my team, be around my family and various other obstacles as well. Therefore, a product like STRONG REDS is essential to ensure you fight off free-radicals with a strong immune system, ESPECIALLY if you work hard in OR out of the gym.
Bare Performance Nutrition STRONG REDS:
In summary, BPN STRONG REDS uses powerful anti-oxidants and fruits to ensure your immune system is protected to the best of your ability ensuring you can spend less time being sick and more time getting results!
Check out BPN STRONG REDS: https://a-listnutrition.com/collections/bpn/products/bare-performance-nutrition-strong-reds-strawberry
- Core Nutritionals ZONE
Now the final supplement on my list is probably the more self explanatory one for improving your day to day life, Core Nutritionals ZONE. This supplement is for those times where you simply just need to get it done, when you have a tonne of work, revision, gaming, housework any form of activity that requires a lot of concentration this guy just gets you in the ZONE.
How does ZONE do this? Through a small amount of caffeine and a formula packed to the rafters with nootropics! Seriously this thing is loaded with them, but what are nootropics? These are ingredients that can cross the blood-brain barrier to amplify your mental focus, cognition and in long term use, memory. Nootropics are fantastic to use as they have no effect on your heart rate, therefore will not lead topotential risks like high blood pressure if used every day! From my own experience I know that I have benefited hugely in terms of improving my work rate & efficiency from Core Nutritionals ZONE and I’m excited to see the longer term benefits like improved memory.
Core Nutritionals ZONE
Check out Core Nutritionals ZONE
