Important Information Whether You Are Buying Or Selling Supplements

Image Credits: bonfirehealth.com

    When it comes to bodybuilding, losing weight, or just general health, supplements are a great alternative to go to when your nutritition is not up to your needed healthy standards. However, taking or selling supplements is not something to be played with, you have to be knowledgeable enough to understand what the product is for and the potential side effects it will have. 

    I sell supplements at my private personal training studio, Fit Science LLC. Before I even sold any type of supplement to anyone, I made sure I knew what they were, how to use them, and who can use them. You can not just give everyone the same thing that works for you, because people have health issues. Thanks to my new found mentor, Joe Cannon MS CSCS, he and his blog has the proof on the dangers of selling supplements. 

    I really have the upmost respect for this man, because the time he takes to research each supplement and "new diet fad" is enormous! I had the pleasure to chat with Mr. Cannon about his thoughts of people & personal trainers who believe they do not need to know anymore about the supplements, but the basics. He sent me an eye opener post from his blog, www.joe-cannon.com. In his post, he tells of a story of a personal trainer who recommends certain supplements that were not meant to be taken by this client. At the end, the client had a deadly reaction to the supplements, collapses during a personal training session, and later dies in the hospital. In the end, the personal trainer, the fitness center he worked at, the store he took her the buy the supplements, the makers of the differents supplements were all sued for 320 MILLION DOLLARS! As a result, many lives were destroyed. This woman was married and had two kids. All she wanted was to lose a few pounds and she died, because her personal trainer recommended supplements that were not good for her. 

 

    Being a NASM CPT, we are schooled in the benefits and precautions when recommending or selling supplements. In their text book, NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, it clearly states that "essential nutrients can be potentially toxic at some level of intake" (pg 453).  Too much vitamin A before and after conception, can lead to birth defects. High intake of vitamin D can cause damage to the kidneys, heart, lungs, and calcification of the blood vessels (pg 453). In addition, High levels of vitamin B, can cause damage to your sensory nerves. The same goes for minerals as well. In addition, NASM devotes a whole chapter of "Special Populations" breaking down issues your client might have. It is essential to know and understand what your client's medical situation is. Therefore, if your client has high blood pressure, you DO NOT give them supplements that will stimulate their heart rate.

 

   As a consumer buying supplements, make sure to do your homework as well! If you know that you have to take certain medications, make sure the person who is recommending or selling supplements understands your situation. In addition, consult with your doctor before beginning any type of regular regime of supplementation. Lastly, the best way to know that you will be taking care of properly, in my opinion, is buying from the person who takes to product and had a lot of success in fitness goals. They will have REAL testimonials from prior success stories. At least those type of sellers will know exactly what you need and will know what to do just in case a product does not work well with your system.

 

    As I come to a close, I just want to make sure that if you are considering selling supplements, you know that you will also be held reliable if something bad happens to your client. So, protect yourself and your client by taking the time to learn about the goods & bads of supplemetation.

 

 

 

Lucett, MS, PES CES, NASM-CPT, Scott C., Rodney J. Corn, MA PES, CES, NASM-CPT, Reed Humphrey, PhD, PT FACSM, Stephen J. Kraus, PhD,, Alan Titchenal, PhD, Paul Robbins, PhD, and Robert Cappuccio. "16 Supplementation." NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. By Micheal A. Clark, DPT, MS PES, CES. 3rd ed. Baltmore: Lippincot Williams & Wilkins, 2008. 449-61. Print.

    

Best Foods To Eat That Help Burn Fat

Image Credits: wonderfort.com

Best Foods To Eat To Burn Fat

  1. Water

•   It keeps you body hydrated and work efficiently
•   It boosts you metabolism and energy levels
•   Moisturizes your skin

  2. Protein

•  Chicken and turkey breast
•  Egg whites
•  Fish
•  Lean beef or bison
•  Pork
•  Salmon
•  Soy
•  Whey protein

 3. Spices, Caffeine & Tea

•  Black pepper
•  Black tea
•  Coffee or caffeine pills
•  Chili peppers or capsaicin pills
•  Ginger
•  Green tea

 4. Fruits & Vegetables With High Vitamin C Content

•  Apples
•  Asparagus
•  Bananas
•  Berries: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, & strawberries
•  Broccoli
•  Citrus: grapefruits, oranges, lemons, & limes
•  Kiwi
•  Leafy dark greens: kale, collard greens, salad greens, spinach
•  Mangos
•   Peaches
•   Peppers
•   Tomatoes

 5. Calcium: Dairy

•  Milk or Skim Milk
•  White cheeses: white cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack & Provolone
•  Greek or Plain yogurt
•  Cottage cheese
• All lot of Low-Fat and Low-Carb dairy products have lesser calories, but contains more fats and sugars than regular dairy products. 

 6. Healty Fats

•  Avocadoes
•  Flaxseeds
•  Nuts: almonds, peanuts, & walnuts
•  Olive or extra virgen olive oil

Making Soap!

     My newest adventure, making soap! This is my second batch of soap during its curing process. The picture to the left is 7 days cured. The one below is 2 weeks cured. This particular soap I created contains natural ingredients. This soap contains lavender, grapefruit extract, rose petals, bran flakes, coconut oil, cinnamin powered milk, vitamin E oil, and lanolin.
    I had originally thought my soap would be cured in 2 weeks. However, with all the rich ingredients I added to the soap, they are making the curing process slower. I believe this will take another 2 weeks. I can not wait to try it out! 

    Making your own soap is not only interesting, but it is also aids in a healthy lifestyle. It helps boost the immune system along with simple natural diet. There are not artificial chemicals in my homemade soap in which is a great step in being chemical-free. Below are the books I used in creating this old-world craft.

Natural Insecticide For Plants Recipe

                                           Image Credits:

                                          dezinerfolio.com

 Natural Insecticide for Plants Recipe

Ingredients:

1 quart of warm water                                                  

2 tb or organic liquid dish soap

1 large re-used spray bottle

 

Directions:

1. Warm up a quart of water on the stove or microwave. Pour the warm water inside the spray, then add the organic liquid dish soap. Shake it up and it is ready to use!

                                                                                                               I had a big problem with tomato worms attacking my bell pepper plants and I did not want to use any thing harmful to the plant or myself. This homemade insecticide took care of the problem!                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                    

21 Great Ideas From Wise Bread: Living Large On A Budget

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Image Credits: Wisebread.com

I was checking out my mail when I came upon this intriguing article on Yahoo.com about 21 things you should not buy new. This article is very important for those who are living on a tight budget. I for sure

am one of them. It gives you information where to buy used things (ex: Craiglist, Freecycle, & yard sales). You can get awesome deals on used items such as cds, dvds, gardening tools, furniture, cars, house, etc. Check the rest of the helpful things Wise Bread can help you with.

My Garden! June 2010

Cherry tomatos
I grew these in my garden in my patio!

Butternut Squash
I have now decided to move on from the container to growing a vegetable garden in the ground. Since I do not have room in my back patio, I dug up a bed at my Grandma's house.

It was a lot of hard work digging out all the weeds and grass, but seeing how well the squash plants I have planted are growing is the best reward.

In addition, this garden will get my Grandmother out of the house instead of gossiping on the phone all day! Ha ha ha.

Straightneck Early Yellow Squash

Early White Bush Scallop Squash

Black Beauty Zucchini

Nasturtium
This is actually an edible flower. I planted several of these at my Grandma's house. They produce yellow-orange flowers and the leaves have a peppery taste. The seeds can be pickled when they are still green as a substitute for capers. Great addition to salads!

They also have antiseptic and antibacterial properties. An infusion is often used for upper respiratory track and urinary infections.

Some of My Favorite Green Ideas from Planet Green

This is one of my favorite green websites. They always come up with great ideas on how the make your change over to the green lifestyle easier.

Here is things you should make instead of buying. read more

Do it your self beauty treatments. read more

Different uses for Alka Seltzer. read more

A homemade pizza stone. read more

65 easy green diy projects.read more

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

Homemade Hand Sanitizer
6 parts alcohol
4 parts aloe vera gel

Courtesy of Fitsugar.com read more

Homemade Liquid Dish Soap

Homemade Liquid Dish Soap
1 cup of shaved Life of the Party Natural Soap Special Suspension Formula
1 cup of boiling water
1/2 cup of lemon juice or vinegar
1 cup of water
1 medium size container
Instructions:
Step 1: In a medium container, add the shaved soap suspension formula and the boiling water. Allow to sit over night. The soap mixture will firm up like jello.
Step 2: Add the 1/2 cup of lemon juice or vinegar and 1 cup of water to the firm soap in the container and mix until desired consistency is reached. I use the blender to mix it together faster.

Homemade Deodorant

Homemade Deodorant

baking soda

petroleum jelly

cornstarch or orris root powder

Direction:

Step 1: Add 3 tablespoons of petroleum jelly to a small pan or pot and melt. Then, add 3 tbsp of baking soda and cornstarch (or orris root powder). Mix and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Step 2: Put the mixture in a re-usable container and allow to cool.

Application:

Step 1: You do not need a lot of this mixture. Use your index finger and apply enough to fill up the tip of the finger. Apply the deodorant cream in the palm of your hand and smooth out. Then, apply to your armpits.

I have tried this for a week and it works great. I do not need no more than 1 thin application of the cream. Make sure to put only a thin application of the cream when using.

Organic Counter and Floor Cleaning Solution

Homemade Cleaning Solution

1/4 cup of vinegar

reusable spray bottle

warm water

essential oil

Directions:

Step 1: Add 1/4 cup of vinegar inside an empty spray bottle. Fill up with warm water and add 20-30 drops of your favorite essential oil

Instead of buying expensive organic cleaners at the store, you can simply make it yourself. This solution is good for both the floor and counters. Be careful with marble, because vinegar might scratch it.

Handmade Hand Soap

Handmade Hand Soap

A. Life of the Party Natural Avocado Cucumber Soap Special Suspension Formula

B. Grater, spoon and a knife

C. Large container with a top

D. 4 cups of hot water

E. food coloring

Directions:

Step 1: Cut up 2 cups of the Natural Avocado Cucumber Soap and grate it up.

Step 2: Boil 2-3 cups of water. Place the grated soap in a large container and add the hot water. Stir it around and allow it to sit over night.

Step 3: The mixture should be firm. Get a spoon and mix up the mixture. Boil about another cup of water and add to the mixture. Stir and pour into a blender to make smooth.

Step 4: Add some color and essential oil (20-30 drops) to your liking. You can re-use the soap dispenser you bought from the store or your decorative one.

With all the problems with dangerous chemicals in our toiletries, here is an organic and environmentally conscious way to make some hand soap. Works just as good as the store bought stuff and is a whole lot cheaper.