Summer Training Table Favorites - New Garden of Life Organic Vitamins

Something new on the training table!

The Rapha Women's 100 is this weekend and I have to admit that I have been traveling a LOT this spring and summer. I would usually have more road bike miles in by now but with the rain and local flooding, the last few weeks have been a wash (literally)! All the same I have been cross training with my weight machine, by taking walks/runs and laps in the pool.

Fuel for the Rapha Women's 100

Still, that doesn't stop me as I feel that I am in the best shape ever and have added a few new things to my summer training table. I was sent these supplements from Garden of Life to try, I'd say about 6 weeks ago.
They all blend quickly and easily without having to break out the VitaMix. I just add a scoop to water and a little milk in my shaker cup and BOOM, breakfast! 

My favorite is the Raw Protein Chocolate Cacao. It's absolutely delicious with no grainy texture. What makes this line different is the use of raw, sprouted grains like brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, millet, buckwheat and an assortment of bean sprouts. Added to this is high protein chlorella and mixed tocopherols (vitamin E). If I want an extra boost, I'll add fruits and garden vegetables to the Garden of Life Raw Fit which has Green Coffee Bean Extract and more of a neutral flavor. I'll also mix Rainbow Light's Acai Berry Blast and NeoCell's Collagen based powders in my smoothies. The combinations are nearly endless so I've not been bored.

I always add a scoop of protein powder to my smoothies.

Garden of Life KIND Organics Multivitamins
I've just started taking these so the jury is still out on if they are making a difference performance wise. One thing I like is that you can take them on an empty stomach without much worry of stomach upset. Sometimes even before I can down my smoothie, I want to take something when I get up. So far these have been good but most vitamins are better absorbed with a little food so I will take them with a handful of nuts in the AM.

Now these are hard pressed tablets BUT they do not contain the usual shellac, hard waxes and fillers found in cheaper supplements. These vitamins are made with organic whole foods and herbs. I especially like the women specific formulations. My preference is to take a liquid vitamin first, then a gelatin capsule and then last a hard tablet. So I will see how well these pills are breaking down and being assimilated.

Pain in NO picnic. My Turmeric Supreme formulations.

Turmeric Supreme
Something else new that I recently wrote about is the addition of Turmeric Supreme to my training table. I have much less back pain and even when I over-do it, recovery is very fast and complete. If I have any extra issues, I've used their Turmeric Pain formula for added relief. Being in the saddle for 5-6 hours to complete the Women's 100 can be a problem for your back and legs. I'm taking this ahead of time to ward off serious soreness afterward.

So that's the nutritional game plan. I've been eating lots of salmon and mackerel while taking extra Omega 3 supplements as well. The garden is coming in so lots of cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash and cherry tomatoes so far! My knees feel great and I'm looking forward to this and many more challenges this summer. See you out there!

Remember Mr. Snappy from last year's Women's 100?

Heat Busters: Natural Summer Pain Relievers

Inflammation is no picnic! Turmeric Supplements to beat the heat.

Summer is officially here and I don't know about you but I've found with the ensuing heat comes added inflammation problems: sore joints, insect bites, poison ivy and poison sumac, sunburn, etc.

All of these summer-time problems can be pretty much neutralized by taking and using natural anti-inflammatories. Here's what I'm using this summer to keep the "heat" down.

Turmeric Supreme by Gaia Herbs
If you haven't heard by now, Curcumin supplements are at the forefront of inflammation management. Widely used in Indian cuisine and curry, the benefits of this "middle eastern spice" is getting a lot of press time. I've been taking a Turmeric (Curcumin) supplement for about a year now and have basically gotten completely off of my Rx anti-inflammatories, namely Celebrex. So when I heard about Gaia Herb's new line of Turmeric based supplements, I was anxious to try them. Starting with the Turmeric Supreme line, you will find condition specific formulations for: heart, joints, allergy symptoms, pain and more.

Turmeric Supreme capsules are small and easy to swallow.

Turmeric Supreme supplements set themselves apart from other similar products in many ways. One thing I noticed right away was how small and easy to swallow the gelatin capsules are. They go down very easily and are concentrated enough that in most cases, you only need to take one capsule per day. Such is the case with Curcumin Synergy Turmeric Supreme Extra Strength shown in my hand above. I only take one per day and with 120 caps, you get four months of supplementation in one bottle. The Turmeric Supreme Heart Formula caps are even smaller but the workup is 1 capsule twice daily. I take it as recommended with the Turmeric Supreme Extra Strength and have been VERY pleased with how much better my back and joints feel. 

Turmeric Supreme Pain
This comes in both a regular and night time formula. I've taken both and it works just as well if not better than aspirin. The Night Pain Formula has added herbs like Valerian root to help you sleep but it is very gentle so you don't get up groggy the next morning. Unlike narcotic based sleep formulas, it does not interfere with your natural R.E.M. sleep cycles and dream states. All of these formulations are delivered in a very bioavailable vegetarian liquid phyto-cap. The capsule's ingredients are in liquid form, making it much easier to absorb by the intestinal track. The supplements also include additional synergistic herbs, botanicals and adaptogens, making them biologically complete.
Check out all of the Turmeric based formulas at GaiaHerbs.com

Topical Relief: Topricin Pain Cream
If you are going camping or backpacking, you'll definitely want to take this along as it stops inflammation in its tracks in the outback. Insect bites, sunburn, poison ivy and sprains all are so much more painful due to the swelling and puffiness often associated with them. In addition to taking a natural oral anti-inflammatory, you can address the problem head on with a topical cream. Topricin is a natural homeopathic formula with arnica which is similar to willow bark in helping to take the heat out of such conditions as I've just mentioned.

Topricin really makes a difference in how my day is going to go. I use it first thing in the morning before I head out for my run and before I use the weight machine. I believe it helps me to push it just a little bit further without worrying about "paying for it" the next day. Going on now, for every tube purchased online at Topricin.com, one is donated to a pain clinic to help others who suffer from chronic pain. This is another product that has helped me ditch prescription anti-inflammatory medications...completely.

Traveling this summer? Take these natural anti-inflammatory products along!