Do you ever feel tired and low during winter? Do you suffer from frequent colds and illnesses that just keep coming back, and do the colder months take a toll on your skin? Then turmeric supplementation might just be the thing for you!

Coconut oil is one of the quite few foods that can rightfully be included in the "superfoods" category. Its unique combination of fatty acids has a number of positive health effects, not least because of the fatty acid called lauric acid which is the most important fatty acid for humans and our general well-being. It is mainly thanks to this that coconut oil has gotten its reputation of being something as close to nature's gold since this fatty acid gives the oil its antibacterial properties and its ability to fight bacteria.

What characterizes an optimal breakfast? What should you start your day with to stay satisfied all the way through lunch without a failing blood sugar? And how should you combine the different energy sources in the best possible way?

Many people seem to have a lot of prejudice when it comes to dietary supplements and believes that they’re just nicely packaged chemicals produced without any supervision. In some cases the parallels are also drawn directly to steroids and other hormone-manipulating drugs, of course without any knowledge of the supplements actual functions, their active substances, or how and when they should be taken. Some people uncompromisingly exclude dietary supplements with the main purpose of “being healthy”, when this can in fact deprive the same individual of well-needed nutrition which could even out the stress caused by frequent and intensive training or a hectic work life. We all need high quality protein, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and amino acids to be well and dietary supplements can contribute to just that.

Which combination of different foods is the best, and what does nutrition timing really mean? These are a couple of the big issues that we will now try to sort out.

Colleagues are advising you to completely cut carbs, friends claim that you will fit in those old favourite jeans if you just eat either one big or six small meals a day. Nutritionists around the world assure you that the secret lies in eating “clean food” and that you better not even glance at a calorie after six o’clock in the evening. Meanwhile, coaches are teaching the importance of high-intensity cardio workouts and parallel strength training in order to achieve an increased calorie consumption even during rest.

In an earlier article we reviewed some of the supplements that beginners should get familiar with in order to maximize the results of their training. This time we’ll instead dig a little deeper and look closer at a few supplements more specific for strength training and recovery, mainly targeting slightly more experienced lifters. The longer your lifting career, the more likely you’ve become acquainted with the phenomenon “training plateau”, and to get yourself off from it you don’t only have to train hard and smart, but you also need to have your supplements in order.

Before dealing with the subject of dietary supplements in general, and supplements for beginners in particular, it is important that we understand the actual concept. Dietary supplements are exactly just that, supplements, an addition and therefore by no means a substitute for a healthy diet or even separate meals. If your goal is to get real results from your training, a well-balanced diet rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats is the only way to go, but it is of course possible to speed up your progress with the help of qualitative supplements to complete your diet.

LBM (Lean Body Mass) is the term commonly used to describe a person's total body weight, excluding fat mass. Included in LBM are bones, water, skin, organs and muscles. In addition, a certain amount of essential fat has been included as this is necessary for the bone marrow, the central nervous system, as well as as all vital organs. Muscle mass is what has the biggest impact on our LBM. Of course, variations in both bone density and body weight will occur over time, but it will not affect our digits as clearly as what is usually referred to in daily speech as “fat-free mass” – namely, the muscle mass.

Some people would like to claim that from a health perspective it is a bad idea to have nuts as part of your diet. The main argument is often the amount of fat contained, as if this would be a one way ticket to obesity. Although nuts are rich in both calories and fat, they contain the beneficial monounsaturated fat and generally also have a low glycemic index which supports even blood sugar levels.

Calories are energy generated from the food we ingest, released during the process of digestion. They are also used to estimate the level of energy consumption during physical activity. When declaring nutritional content this value is usually referred to as kilocalories (kcal) and this is generally what is meant when we use the term calories in daily speech. On the same label you also see the other energy unit called kilojoule (kJ). 1 kcal = 4.2 kJ.

We are all aware of how a blood sugar drop is expressed, but only a handful of us are handling it the right way. Despite the fact that a simple apple would be enough to stabilize the blood sugar and get us back on track, we are easily reminded of the vending machine down the hall or that we certainly have at least a couple of quick fixes in the kitchen cabinets.

The protein in our bodies consists of components called amino acids. In order to support the immune system, metabolism, and muscle growth, these long chains of interconnected amino acids are necessary. Individuals who spend a lot of time lifting weights have a greater need to support the function of the protein in the body, which enhances both growth and muscle repair.

We are moving towards Christmas and this time of year is for many of us synonymous with excessive eating. We are visiting relatives, going on annual buffets with the company or just celebrating with friends. We are without a doubt reaching some kind of all time high regarding the amount of calories we put in our bodies and to stay on track with our goals it would therefore be a big healthy step to decline at least a couple of the invitations.

You have probably been told that breakfast is the metabolism’s catalyst and that it immediately puts you in some kind of fat burning mode. There are many accepted “truths” regarding the allegedly “most important meal of the day”. Many of them find support in scientific studies, depending on how you choose to interpret them, but just as many may also be rejected as pure myths.

Finding information has never been easier than in today’s society. On a daily basis we receive information about what we should and shouldn't eat, how we should and shouldn’t train, what is unhealthy and what is health, the list goes on and on.

The dietary supplement amino acids are one hot topic right now. They are seen and talked about everywhere. But what are amino acids and how do they relate to exercise?