Supplements

Nutritional Supplements (or neutraceuticals) are part of a Nutritional Therapist’s armoury of techniques towards improved health and athletic performance. Hence, Craig Coaching recommends them to clients as an aid to dietary and lifestyle changes. We view them as the cherry on the top of the cake, which is only really effective if the base layers (nutrition, exercise & lifestyle) are well formed. We make use of vitamins, minerals, essential fats (like seed and fish oils), amino acids (units of proteins), probiotics (friendly bacteria) plus certain herbs that have a targetted effect on your health. 

We are extremely selective in the supplement companies that we recommend; only ones with a heavy research base and ethical production methods. These are therefore more expensive than the typical shop-bought products, but hugely more effective if used in the correct way. Here are the websites of two companies that we rate highly:

Metagenics
Enzyme Process
Biotics Research
Allergy Research
The Real Thing

We don’t sell supplements on this website, focusing instead on education. Take a look at the Articles and Newsletters pages, as well as the blog which regularly features discussion of supplements. If you consult with Ian Craig in one of his clinics or over the phone, supplements can be ordered for you based on your individual needs. We also direct people to the website “My Daily Supplement” which has a big selection of sports-based products that can be mail ordered. It should be adding a selection of health products in due course. By following the Craig Coaching or My Daily Supplement Blogs or by contacting us directly, you’ll get a good idea of the more respected supplement companies.

A Reflection on Supplements

Many individuals are faced with the question of whether or not to take nutritional supplements to support their health, lifestyle and exercise. It is generally said in the nutrition literature that supplements are unnecessary if you consume a ‘healthy balanced diet’. However, many credible scientists are applying some quite high-dose supplements to athletes and general population, with good results. We all have individual needs and to be as accurate as possible, lab tests can actually be carried out to check the vitamin and mineral levels in our blood or the amino acid levels in our urine.

In general terms though, unless you live on an Organic farm and pull the vegetables out of the ground before each meal, there is probably some need for a bit of supplementary support if you are aiming towards optimal health and physical performance. Gone are the days of deficiency diseases such as scurvy (Vitamin C) and Beri Beri (Vitamin B1), but it is the belief of many scientists and practitioners that the average person now has mild deficiencies in one or more nutrient.

Perhaps one of the reasons for nutrient depletion, is the apparent drastic reduction in soil quality and consequential nutrient content within many fruits and vegetables over the past few decades. Added to this is the modern transportation, storage, irradiation, processing and cooking methods that will further deplete nutrient levels in our food. This information about soil quality would certainly add understanding to the progressive taste decline that we’re experiencing in our fresh supermarket foods, even in some organic varieties. So, if you are eating your 5+ pieces of fruit and vegetables per day (as per the UK Government Guidelines), it certainly doesn’t guarantee optimum or even sufficient nourishment for you. Furthermore, our nutrient needs will be additionally challenged if exercising hard because the particular body systems that are up-regulated whilst exercising are all very nutrient-demanding.

So, most of might just need a bit of help to run our busy lives.