Fish Oils
It is recommended that we eat oily fish 1-3 times a week. But due to food quality deteriorating, we often do not get enough fish oils in our diet. Fish oil supplements are derived from the tissues of oily fish and can be found in liquid or tablet form. The active ingredient in fish oils is EPA and DHA and these are the components you should look for when choosing a supplement. Fish oil supplements can be stored at room temperature, but liquid versions should be refrigerated. 

​Function

• Healthy hair, skin, nails
• Helps reduce inflammation within the body
• Supports healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels
• May improve bone health

​
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Foods that provide Vitamin D include: Oily fish, Offal, Eggs and Dairy products. But the best source of vitamin D is absorbed through sunlight. As we get very little of this in Ireland, many of us are deficient in Vitamin D. Sun screen will inhibit Vitamin D absorption that is worth noting as there is a catch 22 there.
Function

• The main role of Vitamin D is calcium absorption which builds strong bones and teeth and improve muscle function

Magnesium
Magnesium is needed for chemical reactions to produce energy, contract muscles and alter blood cholesterol. We only absorb 20-50% of Magnesium ingested so it is very easy to be deficient especially if dietary habits are poor.
Factors that can affect Magnesium absorption:

1. A diet high in carbonated drinks can also be quite high in phosphates. Phosphates bind with magnesium in the digestive tract rendering it unavailable to the body
2. Physical and emotional stress can have an impact on magnesium levels in the body. High Adrenaline and Cortisol levels were associate with reduced Magnesium
3. Highly caffeinated drinks cause the kidneys to excrete magnesium regardless of the body status
4. Certain drugs like heart medication, asthma medication and birth control pills have been shown to reduce magnesium levels through excretion by the kidneys

 
Magnesium chloride has been found to have the highest bioavailability of magnesium. This can be found in transdermal products of Magnesium like oils, salts and lotions.
 

     As with almost everything in nutrition, the short answer is it depends. I get asked this question ALL THE TIME. We really shouldn’t need supplements if our diet was full of nutrients, should we? But unfortunately, these days there are a lot of reasons why we may need them.

1. Food (even the ‘natural’, ‘whole’, ‘organic’) is not of the same quality as it was years ago. Do you think our ancestors took Magnesium or B group vitamins? No, because their diets were rich in nutrients. They ate off the land, their produce was natural. These days our land is covered in slurry, our meat is injected with foreign bodies and our fish is farmed. Unfortunately, our food is just not as nutritious. So even if we adhere to a healthy, balanced diet, we may still be lacking in nutrients

 
      2. Lifestyle can have an impact on whether you need supplements. I don’t just mean you are too busy to eat so you decide to take supplements instead. Supplements are exactly that, they should supplement a diet, not replace it. An athlete may require more calcium, or they may need a dose of zinc to boost immune function. Young females are more at risk of iron deficiency anaemia and may require an iron supplement. Vegans/ Vegetarians may not get enough protein in their diet and may chose to take a protein supplement. Pregnant women are advised to supplement with folic acid to help with foetal development. 

    3. Lack of availability may be another reason why people supplement. In Ireland, we do not get much sunshine. Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. In 2013, over 40% of adults had suboptimal levels of Vitamin D. Vit D’s bioavailability from foods is not the same as sunlight. Therefore, we may need to take a supplement. The HSE also recommends that all infants from birth to 12 months, whether breastfed or formula fed be given a daily supplement of 5µg Vitamin D. People who chose a vegan lifestyle may also have to supplement with Vitamin B12 as there are little to no natural foods containing B12 in a vegan diet. They may find foods fortified with Vitamin B12, otherwise they must supplement.

And sometimes we just self prescribe
Just because we hit the gym 3 times a week does not mean we need a whey protein supplement. You don’t need to be guzzling BCAAs intra workout. And you certainly don’t need to take a concoction of supplements just because your favourite insta famous hun takes them :D Self prescription is not the right option. If you are unsure, speak to a qualified professional.
 
Protein Supplement
The Sports Nutrition industry has boomed in recent years. Protein supplements can be in the form of powders, tablets, shakes or bars. Every second person seems to be taking protein supplements, but do we really need them?
Most people will get enough protein in their diet and probably don’t need a supplement. But if you are training frequently and find it hard to recover you may benefit from a supplement. Similarly, if you follow a low protein diet, it may be of advantage of you to take a supplement. Personally, I like adding protein powders to breakfasts, smoothies and treats to boost protein content. I rarely take it as a post workout shake.
Pros

• They are quickly absorbed
• Convenient
• Nice flavours can curb sweet cravings

Cons

• Can be expensive
• Often unnecessary. Excess protein will be excreted

Weight loss is simple and straight forward (Unless in rare situations where genetics or hormonal imbalances play a role). It is a matter of calories in versus calories out. If you are burning more calories than you are consuming, you will lose weight. We are over complicating it all too much. We want to buy influencer's products and try fad diets. we waste money on pills and 'detox' products. When we could all just make life so much easier on ourselves.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
BMR is the amount of energy you expend while at rest. This is the minimum energy you need just to be alive. We burn calories sitting, sleeping, walking, and doing daily tasks. So there are a certain amount of calories you require on a daily basis.
If you exercise, you will require extra calories on top of these calories. So now you are at a maintenance calorie count for an active individual.
If weight loss/ weight gain are your goals, you will need to remove a certain amount from this calorie count. That way you are now in a caloric deficit. (This is a HUGELY simplified version of what actually happens).
 
How do I calculate my BMR or Calories?
This again is a very simplified version and there are equations to calculate it but this can be fairly accurate.
 
Weight (Kg) x 24.2 = BMR
BMR x Activity Level = Maintenance Calories
Lightly Active (Walking most days) – 1.2
Moderately Active (Exercise 3- 5 times per week) – 1.5
Very Active (Exercise 5 – 7 times per week) – 1.7
Athlete (Exercise 7-10 times per week) – 1.9
Goal specific – so if weight loss is a goal we are looking at it as an overall percentage of body weight. If someone needs to lose 10% of their body weight we reduce calories by 10% etc.
Maintenance Calories- 10% = Weight loss Calories

Example: 65kg Female, very active looking to lose 5% of body weight
65 x 24.2 = 1573KCal
1573 x 1.7 = 2674KCal
2674 - 5% = 2540 KCal

This should give you a gauge but it still works on the principle of calories in are less than calories out.

Social Media Poison
Social media is a huge culprit for overcomplicating weight loss. Between photoshop, sponsored products and influencers ‘diets’, we buy into all this crap. And that’s what it is. These people you are trying to look like, don’t even look like that!!!!! The products they are promoting, they are getting a substantial amount of money to take those. YOU WILL NOT LOOK LIKE THAT!!!!!! You don’t need to drink their detox teas. You don’t nee that over priced waist trainer. No, that workout video will NOT give you abs. You need to stop comparing yourself to others. Everyone is on a different chapter of their journey. Remember that and invest in a trainer that can actually help you achieve realistic goals.
 
Diets
Paleo, Atkins, IIFYM, No Carb are just a few that spring to mind. They all work on the same principle, calories in are lower than calories out. Whether all you eat is cabbage soup or high protein foods, if you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight.

What about Macros though? Don’t they count?
It depends on goals. I usually recommend go high protein and after that the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats don’t really matter unless you are at a very low body fat percentage. Why high protein? I did a blogpost on it before, go read it 😊
What about removing whole food groups/food types?
I seen a post recently about someone who was not allowed: Gluten, Dairy, Alcohol, Refined sugars and the list went on. If you want to find something that is sustainable and long term, eliminating large parts of your life is probably going to be a recipe for disaster. You can probably do it for 4 or 8 weeks but after that you’re back to square one. Going from zero to hero is hard and sometimes not achievable. So what about that person who removed bread from their diet and lost loads of weight? That person probably had too much bread in their diet. By eliminating the bread, they reduced their calories. Simple as.
 
So let’s just make it easy
It goes back to the main principle of calories in versus calories out. Although you WILL need to make some sacrifices. If you don’t make a change you won’t see a change. But we don’t need to over complicate it. You can lose weight slowly and still have a life. Or you can lose weight fast by a complete lifestyle overhaul. There is no right or wrong way. Both work on the same principle. The one you chose is the one that works best for you and your lifestyle. Stop over complicating it. Eat less crap, move more and sleep well. It really is that simple