I’ve been working from home the past three days doing an online course in order to acquire more skills for my job and let me tell you, self-motivation is hard-work! Only having a set amount of time to do it though does spark the adrenaline a little, and obviously wanting to pass the exam at the end of it!
Anyway, on to more interesting things.
I was asked if I would review some products from the vitamin supplement online store Simply Supplements. I happily agreed because I don’t take any supplements and with marathon training trucking along I thought I could do with any help I could get!
Their website also has a cool blog which goes into some details about different bits and bobs to do with health, fitness and weight-loss (and marathon training!).
I chose three different supplements to trial:
L-Taurine 600mg
I chose this product because it’s apparently very good endurance and supports the maintenance of muscle.
From the website: “L-Taurine is concentrated in muscle tissues and the central nervous system, and is one of the few amino acids that contain sulphur…Through its high vitamin B6 content, L-Taurine is also believed to improve the body’s transportation and metabolism of protein and iron.”
Thoughts? It sounded great! I also read the reviews from other customers, which were all positive and along similar lines. Obviously I need to take the supplement for longer than the two weeks I’ve been taking it but no ill effects and my marathon training still continues to go well. My long runs have felt strong as well.
Aloe Vera 6000mg
Aloe Vera is supposed to be good for digestion, promoting good bacteria in the gut and maintaining a health pH balance.
Thoughts? I actually don’t have any digestion issues, apart from the occasional bloat from too many apples or too many vegetables (I’m looking at you, sprouts). This wasn’t the reason why I chose this supplement. I’ve heard aloe vera is great for many different things, one of those being inflammation. As a runner doing high mileage (for me!!) I wanted something to help with recovery and reduce injury (though I know a bit of inflammation isn’t bad). Again, so far so good. The tablets are nice and small as well so easy to take.
Omega 3 1000mg Capsules
Omega 3 is great for the brain, heart and eyes. You’d usually find the omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in oily fish, flaxseeds, nuts, etc. and can be a tricky one to get the recommended daily dose if fish and nuts don’t rock your world (though sprouts have a good dose apparently!).
Omega 3 helps normalise blood pressure, cholesterol levels and can help reduce heart disease. And it can help maintain a good brain and good eyes.
(Fun but gross fact: a common causes of excessive ear wax is a deficiency in omega 3 fatty acids)
Thoughts? If I could eat oily fish (or all fish in general really) on a daily basis I would, but fish is expensive. It’s also harder to put into everyday recipes. I’m a huge fan of taking these supplements because now I’m no longer feeling guilty that I don’t eat a huge amount of fish (or nuts – I like pistachio nuts, but most nuts are a bit of a problem for me as I can’t stop at a small handful!)
I like that fish oils are from clean ocean waters and are subject to stringent environmental measures that protect the surrounding eco-system. However the product isn’t vegetarian as it contains gelatine. The tablet is also quite big but it’s easier to take because it’s smooth and shiny, if that makes sense??
Tablet sizes
Simply Supplements is a great online store as it just has so many different things. I had trouble deciding what to go for and judging by the reviews, there are a lot of happy customers.
What supplements do you take (if any)?
What pill do you think they should invent? I think they make a “keep on running” pill which stops all injuries from happening . Or a “I never need to wash my hair again” pill…but I’m sensing I’m edging away from reality now 😉
Are you able to take large tablets? My dad can take tablets without water. This is amazing.
I probably rattle with supplements 😉 Not really, but I’ve had to take huge calcium tablets, along with D3 and K2 to help with my terrible bone density. It has improved a bit though, so obviously they’re doing something. I also take a vegan multi and vegan omega 3. I suppose with fish oil tablets they just go with a gelatin capsule as the product wouldn’t be suitable for veggies anyway (and I’ll poke ‘veggies’ who eat fish in the eye…)
I would like a complete nutrition pill. Seriously, I wish I never had to worry about food and could just pop a pill so I could get on with my life. Never having to eat or think about food again would be fantastic and remove so much angst, stress and anxiety. They’ve been touting such a concept since the 1960s, so it boggles my mind that they haven’t come up with something by now. A ‘run faster’ pill would be great, but I’d feel as though I was cheating with that. If you Google EPO doping then you’ll see that they already do have a kind of ‘keep on running’ supplement 😉
I can swallow most pills without water, but my calcium tablets defeat me in that respect. It’s strange because I couldn’t take tablets at all when I was a child and had a huge fear of choking on them. It’s a good job I outgrew that!
Jess @ One Step Closer recently posted…Blackpool Marathon and Sunderland Half Race Photos
Haha re: the comment about fish-eating veggies.
I could never just take a pill for food. I love the whole food process far too much. Preparing, eating, enjoying, socialising with…(sounds like I talk to my apples, I don’t…). But I can understand your point of view.
You make a good point on the run faster pill – there’s nothing more satisfying than knowing you earnt your PB yourself.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…150 parkruns and a glamping experience
I don’t take any supplements regularly, although sometimes I think I should. But there are so many to choose from! It’s knowing where to start!
These tablets I take at night if I can’t sleep are so large that they regularly get stuck in my throat and I still feel them there the next day. It’s unbearable! I’ve contacted the company but of course they never replied!
Aimee @I Live Healthy Today recently posted…Fear Food Friday – I eat a Mars Bar!
That’s my problem – there are too many pills and supplements you “HAVE” to have to be healthy. It’s a bit mind-boggling.
Urghh big tablets are a nightmare. I’d probably chop them in half!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…150 parkruns and a glamping experience
Omega-3 fatty acids – I CRAVE THEM, thus I eat fish every day, ALL DAY – ha ha ha! Seriously. Canned seafood for lunch, salmon for dinner, that’s a perfect day for me! LOL!
GiGi Eats recently posted…This Chick Gets A Makeover: Chick-Fil-A
I wish I could eat fish all day every day but it’s expensive 🙁 I do love tinned salmon. SO tasty.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…150 parkruns and a glamping experience
I didn’t know that about aloe vera. I might look in to taking that, as I do have a lot of digestion problems.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy recently posted…Comment on How To Eat More Fruit and Vegetables by David @ Spiced
All the reviews raved about how much it helped! Worth a shot!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…150 parkruns and a glamping experience
Thank you for the blog. Never tried aloe vera. Interesting observations.
I do a fair bit of endurance training and always take extra Vitamin C. Hard long training efforts suppress the immune system. It seems to help, I have three young kids and get fewer colds than I probably should with them around!
David @ Ordinary Superhuman recently posted…Make Every Meal Count – How To Optimise Your Daily Nutrition To Enhance Your Training
Good point about vitamin C for helping the immune system!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…150 parkruns and a glamping experience
Most tablets aren’t vegetarian (obviously fish oil ones aren’t, but I mean things like the iron can be from animal sources too) so I always get vegan ones to be on the safe side.
I had some huge antibiotics once and had trouble swallowing them- someone at work gave me a tip to look sideways as it opens the throat, and it really hurts.
I have ones I take when I remember- a multi vit, a probiotic one and magnesium (to help with sleep) but I don’t take them every day.
Maria @ runningcupcake recently posted…Whipsnade stampede 10K (run like a bear has escaped)
Aloe Vera is a great remedy to use and has been throughout the millennia. Although I would like to point out Dannii that while Aloe Vera can be consumed, you should first check with your medical advisor. Aloe Vera can also be a natural laxative and lower blood sugar levels. This is especially something that Diabetics should watch out for. There are may great benefits of using Aloe Vera and the consumption of it most certainly has its place, however one should always check first. There are still inconclusive results from Aloe Vera studies about the effects of Aloe Vera and whether or not they are indeed an alternative to conventional medicinal methods. This is a great post nevertheless, so please keep it up.
I regularly take vitamins and try to get a full set of amino acids from the diet and additionally take Glutamine, it helps to maintain immunity. Thank you for an interesting post.
Very informative. Thanks for sharing
http://greathealthylife.com/