The supplement industry sometimes seems like the wild wild west, where you’re left feeling like there are more questions than answers:

Should I take fish oil? Isn’t it good for reducing inflammation and heart health? What’s better? Pill form or liquid?

Or:

Discover supplements that benefit your specific needs with Supplement Advisor

The supplement industry sometimes seems like the wild wild west, where you’re left feeling like there are more questions than answers:

Should I take fish oil? Isn’t it good for reducing inflammation and heart health? What’s better? Pill form or liquid?

Or:

I have recently started the Ketogenic diet. Is it true I should be taking multivitamins and a folic acid supplement because I’m no longer getting folic acid from grains?

Or:

I’m a menstruating woman who doesn’t eat red meat. Should I be taking an iron supplement? And doesn’t Vitamin B12 play a role in red blood cell health, too, helping fend against becoming anemic? Should I take that, too? Do I need a B12 supplement too?

Enter Supplement Advisor’s free assessment test.

Supplement Advisor is a web-based company designed to empower health-conscious people to improve their cognitive function, as well as emotional and physical potential through simple and personalized supplement guidance designed by their advanced AI, ultimately helping you navigate through the wild wild west of the supplement industry easily and quickly.

One way they do this is through their assessment tool, a tool that lets you to either take a full assessment, or select a particular area to see if you might benefit from taking a supplement. The areas include:

• Memory
• Motivation
• Focus
• Mood
• Energy
• Learning
• Sleep.

How it works:

Let’s say you’re curious if you might benefit from taking a magnesium supplement to help regulate your blood sugar levels and stop you from having energy crashes in the middle of the day. And if so, what products might be best for you.

Giving you these answers is exactly what Supplement Advisor’s tool is designed to do.

All you do is select energy, hit submit and answer a few questions, such as:

• Do you feel fatigued throughout the day?
• Do you need an extra boost to get the most mileage out of your day?
• Does caffeine give you any nervousness or restlessness?

After answering the questions, the AI engine—which will continue to get smarter and smarter as more people take the assessment and the database grows—quickly analyzes your responses and offers various recommendations in terms of what products might be best for your specific needs.

Sleep

Because fifty to seventy million people in the United States suffer from some kind of sleep disorder—from having trouble falling asleep, to insomnia to sleep apnea—one of the most common reasons to take a supplement is for sleep.

On top of the natural products, nine million Americans take prescription drugs to help them sleep.Prescription drugs, however, can come with some side effects, including gastrointestinal problems, prolonged drowsiness during the day, daytime memory and cognitive performance challenges or various allergic reactions.

A better option for many is a melatonin supplement.

Why is it better?

Melatonin is a hormone the body produces naturally. It’s responsible for regulating your body’s internal clock by responding to lightness and darkness.

When it gets dark out, melatonin increases in your body and lets you know it’s bedtime by attaching to receptors in the brain that help you relax and feel tired. During the day, on the other hand, your body makes dopamine, which signals you to release less melatonin, thus helping keep you awake.

When you select sleep on Supplement Advisor’s assessment tool, it once again, puts you through a series of questions, including:

• Does stress cause you mild sleepiness?
• Does it take a long time for you to fall asleep?
• How difficult is it for you to achieve a sufficiently restful sleep routine?
• Do you have trouble falling into a deep sleep?
• Do you experience restless sleep?
• Lucid dreaming in the REM stage has shown to be helpful with reducing stress and dealing with trauma. Would you be interested in lucid dreaming more often?

From there, you’re given a list of options of various products that might help your particular sleep concern or deficiency.

Giving it a try

As a writer, my focus needs to be one point to handle long days staring at a computer. I tend to be really focused and motivated in the morning, but fade after 2 p.m. before I have completed all my work for the day.

I decided to give the tool a try to see if there was something I could take to improve my focus.

The tool asked me:

• Do you experience attention disruption when your brain is stressed and overworked?
• How easy is it to attend to one task or stimuli while ignoring distraction?
• Are you able to maintain your attention on one task for a long time?
• Are you able to attend to more than one task simultaneously?
• Are you able to shift attention from one task to another without losing focus?
• Do you feel able to focus intently enough to create goals and monitor your progress?

I answered no to the first question, as usually being stressed out and overworked lights a fire under my bum. Similarly, I find it easy to ignore distractions and can remain focused on one task for a long time, so I also answered no on the second and third questions, as well. The final question was also a no.

Where I struggle is with focusing on more than one task at a time and definitely with shifting attention from one task to another without losing focus, hence I answered yes on the fourth and fifth questions.

What the tool recommended as the top product: A probiotic-fermented Vitamin B complex for energy, brain and mood support (it also recommended various other Vitamin B complex options).

(Funny enough, my naturopath also recommended I take a B Vitamin supplement. I’ll call that a win).

I decided to take it a step further and also selected the motivation assessment, as sometimes it’s not that I lose focus so much as I lose motivation in the final couple hours of my work day. I was then asked:

• Do you feel like you want to crawl in bed and watch Netflix all day?
• Is your sleep and nutrition regular and adequate?
• Are you a stressful person? If so, does it influence your decisions?
• Is your blood sugar high?

Supplement Advisor’s recommendation: Mane Brain’s brain-boosting power, a supplement is designed to help you feel more energized, alert, focused, and less forgetful.

Take the assessment now.

The post Discover Supplements That Benefit Your Specific Needs With Supplement Advisor appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I’ve been eyeing the Epsom salts from Dr. Teal’s Therapeutic Solutions at the store for a while now, so I was excited to recently have the chance to give them a try and write a review. Tough job, right? By combining benefits of pure Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) with essential oils, Dr. Teal’s products offer an advantage over just soaking in Epsom salts after a hard workout. I got to try the “Comfort and Calm” and “Relax and Relief” soaking solutions. Here’s a bit about each.

• “Comfort and Calm:” This is a blend of Epsom salts and chamomile oil. Chamomile oil is an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent with soothing qualities to relieve tension, which makes it ideal for fighting muscle fatigue or soreness. I like to use this soak before bed after a hectic or particularly stressful day or a strenuous workout.

• “Relax and Relief:” This soak combines Epsom salts with eucalyptus oil and spearmint oil. These are two of my favorite oils to use around the house for cleaning, since they have a fresh scent as well as anti-fungal and anti-bacterial qualities. Whereas I would describe the chamomile bath as relaxing, I think this one is better coined as ‘invigorating.’ Both eucalyptus and spearmint also offer relief from colds, nausea, and other ailments. This soak was helpful for me when I was dealing with morning sickness.

Dr. Teal’s also offers two other varietes of Epsom salts – lavender and amber vanilla – in addition to foaming baths, milk baths, and foot care products. If you are dealing with an injury, the First Aid line of products might be ideal for you. Dr. Teal’s has a fragrance-free U.S.P. Epsom salt for muscle tension, as well as an aromatherapy soak that contains rosemary and mint.

The soaking solutions have a variety of other applications besides soaking in the bath for twenty minutes, luxurious as that may be. You can also use the bath salts to exfoliate your skin by mixing it with body wash and massaging it into your skin. My daughter has dry skin and I found that just adding it to her bath water went a long way in easing her symptoms.

There were a few factors about these products that were less than perfect. First, when I initially opened the bags I thought the scent was a bit overwhelming. However, although the fragrance is strong in the bag, it mellows out quite a bit when you add it to your bath water. If you want a fragrance-free version, the First Aid U.S.P. salts might be a better option. My only other complaint about the product was that the bag didn’t seal very well on the “Relax and Relief” bath soak.

Other than that, this is a high-quality product at an affordable price. Not only did it relieve muscular aches and pains for both myself and my husband, but it also made my skin soft and helped me get some much needed relaxation. I also appreciated that it didn’t leave any residue in my bathtub to clean up. Now I just need to get some more.

Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt Soaking Solution is available for $6.99 at Drugstore.com.

The post Product Review: Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt Soaking Solution appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In a recent study in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers looked at over 52,000 people with no known history of diabetes to see how magnesium affected blood sugar. What they discovered was simple: a higher intake of magnesium resulted in lower fasting blood sugar and lower fasting insulin levels. However, as simple as the result is, the effects are profound.

First, this would be a major advantage for those looking to get lean. If you’re having trouble with that last bit of fat or just getting started with your weight loss the most important thing you need to know is that low insulin is to your benefit. When your insulin levels go up, even a little bit, it dramatically curbs the utilization of fat for fuel. Anything that brings down your insulin a little, especially your fasting insulin as in this case, will be a major benefit to you. Now when I say “fasting insulin” I mean essentially any time it’s been longer than three hours since you last ate. In other words, even while you sleep magnesium will help ensure more stable blood sugar and a better balance of fuel utilization.

There’s also a popular trend in nutrition right now called intermittent fasting. This is the practice of fasting for a period of time on a weekly or even daily basis. The blood sugar lowering and stabilizing effect of magnesium will not only help a person fasting to realize better long term balance in their blood sugar, but also more energy when it comes time to be active. The reduced blood sugar will likely spare your glycogen stores for when you really need them, creating a preference for fat as a source of fuel. This might even have the benefit of increasing aerobic enzymes, thus improving your cardio ability. That last bit is my own personal conjecture, but in my experience this seems to be true.

I would only be concerned for someone suffering from hypoglycemia, which is not covered in this study. However, I’d wager that magnesium doesn’t just lower blood sugar in healthy people, but may also help keep it steady and balanced for someone suffering from hypoglycemia who hasn’t been able to eat in a while.

If you haven’t taken a magnesium supplement or focused on getting an adequate supply in your diet, this should be your wake-up call. It’s an important nutrient with numerous health benefits.

References:

1. Adela Hruby, et.al., “Higher Magnesium Intake Is Associated with Lower Fasting Glucose and Insulin, with No Evidence of Interaction with Select Genetic Loci, in a Meta-Analysis of 15 CHARGE Consortium Studies,” The Journal of Nutrition, 143:3 (2013)

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Magnesium Helps Balance Blood Sugar and Lower Insulin appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

PurePharma’s Three Minerals (M3) product is a dietary supplement with a double dose of magnesium and a dose of zinc. Originally known for their fish oil capsules (O3), some time ago PurePharma added vitamin D (D3) to their product line. M3 is the third and final piece of the PurePharma puzzle.

I hope I am not projecting when I say I think there’s a stronger understanding for the application of omega-3, and even vitamin D, than that of magnesium across the athletic world. Before experimenting with PurePharma’s M3, my knowledge surrounding magnesium was largely that its need was often confused with that of calcium.

Given that many of us are deficient in magnesium, what are the consequences for lacking in this area? People lacking in magnesium will suffer in the following areas: insulin sensitivity, adrenal fatigue, and potentially high blood pressure. Magnesium plays a huge role in energy levels, blood clotting, nerve transmission, and muscle function. Magnesium supplementation has even been linked to increased testosterone levels.

Okay, maybe you’re sold and you think magnesium is critical for your livelihood, but your next question is, “Why PurePharma?” PurePharma has done a great job with keeping the quality of their products high with a simplicity that invokes respect. When I see companies producing twenty-five SKUs of supplements, I begin to wonder things like, “Are they really that good at that many different things?” and “Why would anyone actually need all those things?” PurePharma keeps it to the basics and I appreciate that.

In addition, they’ve chosen to use zinc and a proprietary blend of malic acid and vitamin B6 to improve absorption. The product is also differentiated for athletes. To athletes, energy is gold. If they’ve got it they can perform and if they don’t they are in trouble. With a product like M3 designed to optimize carbohydrate conversion to energy, athletes can reap the benefits of their training more significantly.

In my time taking M3 regularly I never noticed a noticeable change in feel or performance, but like most safe, natural dietary supplements that’s not the expectation anyway. Not to mention, PurePharma doesn’t make such wild claims in the first place. Their research-based products have a mature message that would never claim wild assertions. As an athlete, that’s reassuring and indicative of a responsible brand.

A daily dose of three capsules delivers 300mg of magnesium and 15mg of zinc. There are a number of common supplement brands that don’t quite have the same label claim as PurePharma M3 for much less, but PurePharma has established themselves as a quality brand. As we all know, athletes will pay a premium for performance.

The post Product Review: Pure Pharma M3 (Three Minerals) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Floatation tanks, also known as isolation tanks and sensory deprivation tanks, were first developed by John C. Lilly in 1954. In the 1970s the practice also became known as REST, or Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy. While the connotation attached to the tanks has varied over the years, it has been used to effectively treat everything from stress and anxiety, to migraines, to chronic pain and fibromyalgia, to mental disorders. Given its supposed benefits, both mental and physical, one would think it could make a good recovery practice for athletes.

It was from this perspective, that of an athlete, that I approached floating. I had long been encouraged by a couple fellow martial artists to give it a shot. They insisted I would enjoy it, but I don’t swim, and more importantly, I’ve never even figured out how to float, so the whole thing seemed quite daunting. I also get vertigo whenever I can’t see a horizon line, so I really wasn’t sure floating was for me. Ninety minutes of floating, at that.

But I was told everyone can float in a floatation tank. The high level of Epsom salt in the water, 850lbs according to Float On, will keep anybody on top of the water. The water itself is kept at roughly skin temperature, with the idea that you don’t feel it against you. You are given the option to wear earplugs, which I did, and you disrobe entirely. The tank is soundless and lightless inside, and unless you reach out with your arms to touch the sides of the tank, you quickly lose sense of time and physical orientation.

As it turned out, getting into the tank and getting situated was the most awkward part, and once I was able to relax, it became quite pleasant and some of the best sleep I had in a long time. After getting in, I hung onto a pipe on the wall for a while. I was afraid if I let go of it my vertigo would kick in. Since I had the earplugs in, all I could hear was the rhythm of my breathing. After a while I decided to just hold onto a ledge at the side of the tub with the tips of the fingers of one hand. I practiced relaxing my neck and letting the water creep up on my face. Then I finally let go. Everything started spinning and I sat up with a splash, pawed at the walls, and reoriented myself. It’s actually not easy to sit upright in water that salty. And then I went through the whole process again. Logically, it was very silly. The salt water was eleven inches deep and the tank was shaped such that I couldn’t possibly change direction without bumping into a wall. But logic and emotion and instinct are not necessarily companions.

Eventually, at some point, after who knows how much time had passed, I let go – physically and mentally. Turns out it’s scientifically proven that loss of sensory input results in relaxation of the body. So, my friends were right, no matter how my body resisted it, I was bound to relax. According to a 1999 research study, during floatation there is an increase in the theta waves in our brain. Theta waves have been shown in other studies to be activated by meditation.² They are also the brain waves active during REM sleep and the drowsiness immediately before and after sleeping.

In addition to increasing the positive theta brain waves, floating has been shown to reduce unwanted negative activity in the body. According to the same 1999 study, “Plasma and urinary cortisol, ACTH [adrenocorticotropic hormone], aldosterone, renin activity, ephinephrine, heart rate, and blood pressure, all directly associated with stress, consistently decrease.”

That’s a lot of big words and a lot of references to body functions you may not recognize. Long story short, floatation makes your brain happy and reduces stress all over your body. And science backs this up. A 2001 study found spending time in the floatation tank showed a strong ability to reduce severe pain, increase optimism, and decrease anxiety and depression. In addition, study participants fell asleep easier following floatation tank treatment and experienced a higher quality of sleep.⁴

And if that’s not enough for you, it turns out floating in Epsom salt has benefits in and of itself. Epsom salt is comprised of magnesium and sulfate. According to the National Academy of Sciences most Americans are deficient in magnesium. Raising your magnesium levels can improve your circulation, improve your body’s ability to use insulin, ease muscle pain, regulate electrolytes, and relieve stress.⁵

According to the Universal Health Institute:

Although magnesium can be absorbed through the digestive tract, many foods, drugs and medical conditions can interfere with the effectiveness of this delivery method. Therefore, soaking in an Epsom Salt bath is one of the most effective means of making the magnesium your body needs readily available.

Epsom Salt also delivers sulfates, which medical research indicates are needed for the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the mucin proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. Studies show that sulfates also stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and help to detoxify the body’s residue of medicines and environmental contaminants. Studies indicate that sulfates are difficult to absorb from food, but are readily absorbed through the skin.

Plus when you get out your skin will be all exfoliated and soft. Actually, your whole being will feel exfoliated and soft. So much so that you might feel a bit disoriented and woozy for a while, but you’ll also feel really happy and at ease and you won’t much care.

Whatever your feelings are about floating, whether you think it’s for hippies or you’re worried about turning into a monkey-man a la Altered States, I would suggest letting go of that and giving it a try. I would suggest letting go altogether and experiencing what floating can do for both your mind and your body.

Tips:

• Cover any cuts you have on your body with Vaseline. Open skin doesn’t feel good when it comes in contact with the Epsom salt.
• You might have difficulty relaxing your neck on your first session. Bringing a small floatation device to tuck under your neck will help. You can use your arms to hold up your head, but then you don’t truly relax.
• Try not to have expectations of what your experience will be. Some people float for transcendental purposes, some just float to relax. You will enjoy it more if you let it be whatever it is for you, and know it might be different every time.
• Bring a brush if you have long hair. Trying to handle salt-soaked long hair after getting out of the tank isn’t the most fun.
• Don’t have anything scheduled following your float. You are going to be one mellow cat for at least a day or two. Plan on comfy clothes and long weekend of lounging.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Floating: It’s For Real, It’s Good For You, And It’s Not Just For Hippies appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Natural Calm, made by Natural Vitality, is the answer given by most nutrition experts I know. Natural Calm is a propriety form of magnesium citrate meant to be taken on a daily basis. Our bodies typically should contain about 25g of magnesium – approximately 50% of which is stored in our bones.¹ Due to modern farming and processed food, however, many of us do not have the required levels of magnesium in our systems.

Why do we need magnesium?

Magnesium is mainly known for its role in the formation of healthy bone; without magnesium both vitamin D and calcium cannot be properly processed by the body.² Magnesium has many other roles it plays, though. According the Office of Dietary Supplements, “Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.”³

According to the makers of Natural Calm, magnesium deficiency can result in symptoms such as: stress, low energy, muscle tension, muscle spasms and cramps, headaches, insomnia, fatigue and weakness, abnormal heart rhythms, hormonal imbalances, weakening bones, constipation, anxiety, and irritability.

About Natural Calm

Natural Calm comes in powder form and should be dissolved into hot water. You will see the powder react to the water forming a fizzy solution. Be sure to leave yourself enough room in your glass for this reaction to happen – I made a mess the first time I mixed it! Once the powder has dissolved you can add additional hot or cold water to taste.

According to Natural Vitality, Natural Calm is an ionic form of magnesium, which increases its bioavailability. As their brochure explains, “An ionic mineral is an element that has a charge, either positive or negative. On the molecular level, that means the element has either one too many one too few electrons. This unstable ionic state allows the element to bond readily with water, making it possible for the body to absorb it.” Natural Calm is easier to absorb into the body because of its liquid form and therefore more advantageous than taking magnesium by pill or capsule. In addition, Natural Calm is designed to have low acidity to allow it to both dissolve properly in water and not affect the pH-balance of your body.

The recommendations for daily dosage of magnesium vary from 300-600g depending on age, sex, and health. Natural Calm recommends you start with a half teaspoon and slowly increase from there. Be mindful of the laxative effect of magnesium and decrease your dosage if your bowels become too loose.

Natural Calm is made from sea sources of magnesium. The citric acid in the formula comes from non-GMO sugar beets and all organic ingredients are used in its flavored varieties. Natural Calm comes in 8oz containers or boxes of individual packets.

Flavors of Natural Calm: Original (unflavored), Organic Raspberry/Lemon, Organic Cherry, Organic Sweet Lemon, and Organic Orange.

My Experience of Natural Calm

My personal experience of Natural Calm is that it is very easy to take and does indeed have a calming effect. I take it in the evening before I go to sleep. I find the individual packets are very convenient for travel so I don’t break my nightly routine. I have also experienced less muscular soreness since I began taking Natural Calm regularly.

I tried three different flavors of Natural Calm: Orange, Cherry, and Raspberry/Lemon. Of these Cherry was the least preferred, having the least natural taste (a little reminiscent of cough syrup for me), whereas Raspberry-Lemon and Orange were quite pleasant.

If you are looking for a simple way to supplement magnesium to your diet, I recommend giving Natural Calm a try. It is easy for your body to absorb, is quick to prepare, tastes good, and helps you get to sleep.

There are certain medical conditions and prescriptions which can have adverse interactions with magnesium supplementation, so please consult with your doctor if you have any medical concerns.

Natural Calm is available for $24 and up at various online resellers.

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