In July, Consumer Reports magazine tested 15 protein powders for levels of 4 heavy metals:
Lead
Arsenic
Mercury
Cadmium
At certain levels, these heavy metals can be poisonous.
The worst thing is that they will accumulate over time so if you continue to use these products, you’ll accumulate more and more poisons in your system and they may reach a level that causes negative health effects.
What are these brands and what are the levels of these poisons?
Check out this chart first then I’ll explain more below:
Thanks to everyone who posted a comment / question on Part 1 – I appreciate the feedback and as promised, here are #2 and #3.
Doctor Wong’s Supplement Secret #2 – Cheap and Easy Fat Burning ‘Supplement’
This one is super easy – all you’ve gotta do is drink a cup of coffee (250-300 ml) about an hour before your workout.
If it’s drip coffee, a cup has about 150-200 mg of caffeine, which is right around the amount that you want to increase fat burning.
Caffeine helps to burn fat by triggering your body to release more fat from cells for energy use, and it also ramps your nervous system up a bit, which can help you train harder.
Unfortunately, if you’re a coffee addict, you’re going to be desensitized to the caffeine, so it’s a good reason for you to get your habit under control.
Seriously – lots of guys are addicted to coffee and miss out on its fat burning properties because of it.
So if you’re drinking more than a cup in the morning, try to cut it down, and learn how to drink it black, as the sugar and cream aren’t doing you any good.
One thing to note is that if you’re training in the evening at 5pm or after, you may want to avoid this tip, as the caffeine might keep you up, which will hamper your recovery if you can’t sleep.
But if you know you can sleep no prob, then go for it.
Compare the price of a cup of home-brewed coffee to a fat burning supplement like Hydroxycut and you’ll quickly save mucho dineros.
If you’ve ever read through an MMA mag like Tapout, FIGHT!, Ultimate MMA, or any of the big ones on the racks at your local Chapters (or Borders, for you south of the border), you may have noticed that every other ad is for some new supplement that basically promises…
Take This New HF-33 ISO MaxX XTREME and
You’ll Turn Into Thiago Alves INSTANTLY
Unfortunately, tons and tons of guys fall for the hype and misinformation…
If that’s you, don’t worry, it’s not your fault.
MMA is a crazy sport and it takes a ton of time, dedication, and hard work, so these shortcuts promised by the supplement mafia seem like they’re worth giving a shot.
But they don’t work. Sorry to burst your bubble, but most supplements are garbage, and some might even get you to piss positive, hurting your career and embarrassing you in the process.
However, there are some supplements that are tried and tested and will help improve your results, assuming that your training and nutrition are there first.
Anyway – I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve that will help you get the best supplements you can on a shoestring budget.
Doctor Wong’s Supplement Secret #1 – Pre/Post Workout Shakes on a Budget (That Actually Taste Good!)
OK so pre and post-workout nutrition is often a heated topic, with people getting into fiery debates about the exact amounts and ratios of nutrients to get the maximum effect.
But to get so into depth on such a small topic is a big waste of your time and energy, and ultimately, your money.
So here’s what you can do to get a solid pre (during) and post workout shake in without breaking the bank:
Buy some unflavoured whey protein isolate (or concentrate is fine too, it just doesn’t mix as well). It costs me $30 for 2 lbs of whey isolate at my grocery store.
Buy your favourite juice. My choice is the No Name frozen pineapple juice – it costs $1.19 at the grocery store and I just mix it up with water and go.
PRE (DURING) WORKOUT: I’ll mix up 1 cup of juice, which gives me about 30 grams of carbs coming from sugar, and about 1/2 scoop of whey, which gives me about 15 grams of protein. A perfect 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein to fuel my workout and make sure my muscles have some nutrients for energy and rebuilding
POST WORKOUT: I’ll mix up 1.5 cups of juice and a full scoop of protein. This gives me about 45 grams of carbs and 27 grams of protein, again, about a perfect ratio of what I want post-workout to maintain muscle and replenish energy stores.
If you’re working to build muscle, you can toss some creatine in both drinks. Just buy the regular, German creatine and you’re good to go.
Why is this so good?
Because it’s cheap and you don’t have to feel like an idiot after you spend $100 on a bottle of hype and end up exactly the same as you were before.
And it tastes like your favourite juice, just a little bit creamier. So there’s no worrying if you’ll like the Double Mocha Java Chocolate or Banana Berry Blaster flavours – you know what juice you like so you’ll never be surprised (or disappointed).
I’ve got a couple more great supplement tricks up my sleeve, but I want to hear your comments, any of your tricks, or just anything before I post them. I want to beat the most commented post on my blog (48), so…
… give me 49 or more comments and I’ll hit you up with the #2 (killer fat loss supplement trick) and #3 (fat loss, cancer prevention, brain health, and more!)
At certain levels, these heavy metals can be poisonous.
