In the main stream world we live in today there is a ton of information that floods our lives on a daily basis. Not all information provided is legit especially when it comes to sales and marketing. The health and fitness industry is not exempt from this hype. The same is true when it comes to defining what nutrition and supplements are and what they are not.

When deciding what supplements you should use, you should have already decided on your nutritional goals. Supplements, although very helpful, are last on the list. In short, the list is as follows:

1. Decide your fitness goals and what you want in the next six months.
2. Tailor your diet to meet the needs of your fitness goals
3. Design or hire someone to create a workout tailored to you.
4. Commit to your goals and execute them with excitement!
5. Carefully select quality (healthy) supplements that will add to your efforts.

Now let’s define nutrition in relationship to supplements.

Supplements Are Dependent Upon Nutrition

Think about the terms “nutrition” and “supplements” for a minute. Any doctor will testify that nutrition is key. It is the basis for energy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So the first thing to design is your nutritional intake.

Supplements are exactly that; supplements or supplementation. Supplements add to what you’re already doing as a healthy way of life. They fill in the gaps when you cheat or do not eat as well as you should. They should never replace nutrition. When you replace your nutrition with a supplement, you’re taking away from your body when you shouldn’t.

The next time you’re in a store or online, take a look at the types of supplements that companies are selling and you will find a label that says, “Supplement Facts” or something similar. The ingredients in the product have standards called daily values. These vitamins, minerals and nutrients have daily values or recommended daily consumption dosages. Nutrients are, “a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and day-to-day maintenance.” Nutrition does the same thing. Therefore, if we do not have proper nutrition paired with proper supplementation we cannot support a healthy lifestyle; much less an athletic regimen.

This is why some supplements (considering they are high quality) tend not to work for people. You can not expect to run on supplements alone. However, when you balance nutrition and supplements, you will balance your body. You will see the results you’re looking for as well as experience the effectiveness of the supplement.

The rule of thumb is that if you take care of your body, your body will take care of you.