Unfortunately, nutrient-deprived bodies need assistance to get strong and balanced. There are some supplements I swear by and that will really aid in your road to better health. If you’re eating a nutrient-rich diet packed with whole foods and getting plenty of exercise, supplements can go a long way when it comes to aiding in your weight-loss journey, as well.

I like to call supplements, “the good food additives” because they boost what naturally occurs in a healthy, athletic body. Regular use of multivitamins and key supplements help support muscle development, helps curb cravings, and promotes good health. Today’s blog post is going to be on one supplement that I am a big fan of. I don’t believe every single person out there needs to be supplementing with everything, but Glutamine and BCAA’s are one supplement that I always recommend.

I find that it is better to give information on one supplement at a time, instead of doing a blog post on many. I will, however share with you a list of the supplements I love – and eventually you will have a blog post on all of them to resource back to. In the meantime, feel free to start gradually adding them into your diet. Bear in mind, nothing can take the place of whole foods.

What are whole foods? Foods that are unaltered. They are foods that are in their God-created, natural, unprocessed state. This will call for a whole blog post in itself, as well. In the meantime, just remember, anything that has an ingredient list or has a wrapper to peel open, is NOT a WHOLE FOOD! In my coaching, I have seen MANY paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan’s eat more packaged bars and everything else than any other diet out there. There is a time and a place, certainly for those convenience goodies. But it is important for you to be educated in the difference between whole food and these in-between meals, and on-the-go snacks.

Let’s look at just a few of the supplements that I love …

• Multi-Vitamin-Mineral Tablet: What’s funny about this, I don’t even take one and haven’t for years. More on that later. Should you? Most likely, YES!!
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Again, I don’t supplement with Omega-3. Should you? My guess would be, yes!! I know this may sound confusing. But have you met anyone who eats more fish??
• Vitamin C: okay, I do take this one – 2,000mg a day.
• Probiotics: First thing I have my clients purchase. I recommend 35 Billion per day, at a minimum. Ideally, you would take 20 Billion, twice a day! All health starts in the gut! If you have a sick gut, plan on being ‘sick’, period.

There are many more supplements that I recommend. And as you can see, not everyone requires the same supplements. Here are a couple blog posts that I have already posted: Magnesium and Aloe Vera Juice.

It takes a lot of money to put your supplement arsenal together. When I meet with a client and access their current dietary habits, exercise routine, hormones, ailments and take in account all prescription meds I then devise a plan for them. For the average person, it takes time to build your supplement library. I proceed to give my clients recommendations in the order of importance. This allows them to build on their supply, as the money becomes available. I also always encourage them to check with their doctor of Functional medicine, first and foremost. Notice I used the word, ‘Functional’. If you are looking for average health, by all means continue on. Which means you may be currently taking prescription meds or on the path to taking them. If you are looking for ‘optimal’ health, it may be time to do your homework and shop around when it comes to who’s giving you health advice. Your health is not something to be cynical about.

Another Supplement that I love is BCAA’s and Free-Form Amino Acids. You may recall me mentioning this supplement in my blog post on Intermittent Fasting.

I suggest to my clients that they supplement with free-form amino acids; available in capsules, powders, or liquid. I have been taking aminos for years. They are so important for beauty, de-aging, and weightloss. They work by building collagen to make your skin beautiful, removing liver toxins to help you burn fat, and increasing growth hormone for muscle tone.

You’ll want to choose a formulation that contains a complete and balanced blend of aminos, specifically including isoleucine, leucine, and valine (the BCAA’s). BCAA’s greatly aid in how well your body maintains muscle. Make sure that the amino acid glutamine is included in the formulation, too. Glutamine is involved in more metabolic processes than any other amino. It prevents muscle breakdown and boosts your immune system. Glutamine also plays a role in the regulation of body weight, as well as the metabolism of sugars and fats.

I have supplemented with Beverly International’s Glutamine Select for years. This product contains a complete and balanced blend of amino’s, specifically the BCAA’s. The other positive aspect to Glutamine Select is that it has a more substantial amount of Glutamine than a lot of other products out there. It also tastes great, with its black cherry flavor.

The best time to drink a supplement, such as Glutamine Select is either post-workout, or during. If you are doing a long and intense workout, during would be best.

I have been a personal distributer for Beverly International for probably 7-8 years now. I love their business and their line. I am happy to bring their product line to you. If you want to purchase their Glutamine Select or any other supplements, search their website here. Once you make your selection, let me know what products you are interested in by leaving a message in the ‘contact’ bar at the top of my website. I will then give you my price on that particular product. Don’t pay attention to the pricing on their website. Distributors prices tend to be much cheaper. Protein Powders are $40 + shipping, when purchased through me. The UMP (Ultimate Muscle Provider) is my favorite. It comes in Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Rocky Road and Cookies and Cream. You may recall that when I make my ‘Breakfast Quinoa’, I use a half-scoop of the Cookies & Cream. The chocolate is my favorite for making blended shakes with my Nutribullet, as well as making chocolate pudding.

Although you can certainly order Beverly International products from me anytime, I only place orders from the company about once a month. I generally only order what has been requested by clients and you. I don’t tend to keep a lot of products on-hand. I will always let you know a few days prior to my placing an order, to give you plenty of time to get your order in. Bear in mind, if you miss the deadline, you could be waiting another month. Also, Beverly products are not sold in stores. They can only be purchased through a distributer

 Ordering details: Place orders at the following email address: tracy@tracyhensel.com. Please put in the subject line ‘Supplement Order’. I place orders to Beverly on the first of every month. If you place an order with me, you can expect your order anytime between the 5th and the 10th of the month, depending on where I am shipping to.

Glutamine Select is $43 and UMP is $43 each + shipping. Shipping costs will be determined by your location. Please contact me for any other Beverly Supplement pricing.

Payment:

• I take Venmo, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and Chase Bank Direct (Zella). ** credit card and PayPal have a small % fee for using that form of payment
• If paying by credit card, please provide me with your credit card #, expiration date, security code and zip code.
•  In your email, provide me with your full name, shipping address,  and a contact number, where I can text you if I need any immediate information.
•  I don’t run payment through until the day we ship. The reason being, I don’t know what the charges are, until I take the package to the USPS

Blender Bottles are great for mixing and shaking. Here are some of my favorites: Mini / Regular  My favorite water bottle: Hydro Flask  |  Shop my favorite fitness: Tracy’s Favorite Fitness

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, nor am I registered dietitian. The opinions expressed in this blog post reflect my personal experience and ongoing investigations into functional conditions related to everyday health and nutrition.