What Rod has to share is free advice regarding supplements, nutrition and motivation that he has found to be effective for him.
Rod receives no compensation for the endorsements below.
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ALKALIZE YOUR BODY Whether it be health foods, or supplements backed by proven science, I'm always looking for something to safely give me an edge in reaching my goals of lean mass without endangering my health. After multiple cases of cancer cases among the men in my family, I set out to research nutrition and how it might prevent or curtail cancer. Personally, when it comes to cancer treatments I'm very skeptical when it comes to trusting our profit driven health care system. |
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What I discovered has been successful, and it opened a door to many other great benefits as well! In my research, my best source a friend and co-worker who was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. I learned from her about the alkaline verses acid diet. The whole idea in this alkaline verses acid diet is that when you alkalize your body with raw alkaline foods, you oxygenate your blood, and cancer cannot live in an alkaline environment. When you Goggle "alkaline vs acid diets" you'll find food charts that break raw foods into categories so you know which foods to avoid and which to eat. My Blender Mix: Although I've always loved fruit, it's always been a struggle for me to eat enough veggies. Have you heard of juicing? I'm not talking about "roids"! You can buy a juicer that does the same thing that they use to make wheat grass juice, and I have friends who juice with all kinds of fruit and veggies, but I prefer my good ol' blender! A big advantage a blender has over a juicer is that you don't lose the benefit of fiber. Using the juicer you would throw away all the fibrous pulp. But if you just can't handle the thick texture of a blender mix than I would recommend a juicer. Other things I'll occasionally add to my blender mix: celery (as seen in the photo), cucumber, leafy greens, banana, parsley, etc. Basically almost anything you like in the alkaline charts could work. |
These are all alkaline. Yes, citrus is acid until it is ingested. In the body, citrus becomes alkaline. |
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QUALITY PROTEIN POWER: I recommend a mixture of quick release, or quick digesting, like whey, and a slow release like casein. If your goal is the same as mine, to gain lean mass, I recommend something like Pro Complex by Optimum. It's packed with BCAA's (branch amino acids) and glutamine. If you goal is simply lean up, I still recommend such a mixture but less caloric. At least find a whey protein that you like. Optimum has some of the best deals, but Myoplex is a good one too that I used for years. |
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When do I have protein shakes? One thing you have to keep in mind is that when you put your body through a lot of stress at the gym like I do, you put your body into an anabolic state, and you need to keep feeding those muscles with quality protein. Every three hours you need to make sure you either eat a meal or have a shake. Otherwise your own body will go into a catabolic mode of eat away at it's muscles!
So, I'll have a shake mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and either my Pro Complex shake at night just before bed, or at least a casein protein. This prevents your body from cannibalizing your hard earned muscles while you sleep. Another way to prevent this is make sure the night time shake is fortified with BCAA's and glutamine.
If you're not taking a casein protein at before bed, take the BCAA's and glutamine. One of the most basic rules of building lean mass is you must have either a post workout meal, shake or at least BCAA's and glutamine. If I'm not going to be eating right away, I'll have my Pro Complex shake ready to go. THIS IS CRITICAL! The 20 minute window period following the workout is CRITICAL in supplying your body with quality proteins, nutrients and amino acids. Some nutrition articles may say the window period is longer or shorter, but the point is ASAP! |
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In these tough times in the economy, occasionally I use a whey protein from EAS that you can find at BJ's, Costo, or perhaps Sam's.
Note on Soy Protein: A website visitor brought up his concern that I was recommending a soy protein. My initial thought that he was being ridiculous! Soy is everywhere. Soy is trendy! Upon further research I have learned that soy should be avoided. Why? For one thing, it is a testosterone blocker for men. Check out these articles: AVOID SOY! and Myths/Truths of Soy
HGH BOOSTER: Boost and maximize your own natural HGH levels and sleep better! A friend recently turned me on to Somatomax which I found to be incredibly effective in increasing REM sleep. It also stimulates fat burning, boosts overall mood and libido. |
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I don't always take a full dose of Jacked 3D. That is because you should not take more than 3 scoops in one day and I usually do two quick workout sessions in one day. So if I'm not taking a full dose of Jacked, I'll supplement it with Redline Caps by the same for an added energy boost. They also have this is a syrup, and an RTD. Which ever you prefer, this is one thing you do NOT want to overdose! It's critical to assess your tolerance by starting out in smaller doses as the directions say. I've made myself sick from taking too much of the syrup and lost my lunch.
OTHER BASIC SUPPLEMENT STAPLES
GLUCOSAMINE & CHONDROITIN: Got bad knees from running or heavy weights on the squat press? Or maybe you can't run or do squats because of bad knees. This was an issue for me so I listened to my doctor who told me to wear knee braces when I work my quads. I also started using Glucosamine & Chondroitin. This is well known for joint health and flexibility, and it works! Now I'm squatting 400lbs on the Smith Machine and I've done two Sprint Triathlons!
Don't expect Glucosamine & Chondroitin to work overnight. I take the recommended dosage of one, twice a day, and I've been doing this for years. I highly recommend this for anyone who is aggressive in their fitness plan.
FISH OIL: This is as basic as taking a daily multivitamin. Just about everyone knows they should be taking Fish Oil pills. Fish Oil pills are a natural source of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) that help rid your body of bad fats. Omega 3 fats lower cholesterol levels along with many other benefits. You can find Fish Oil at just about anywhere they sell vitamins and supplements. I buy them from BJ's or Costco, and I take 1200 mg three times a day. |
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METAMUCIL: Need something to help suck in that gut? Metamucil can help with that! It's a fiber laxative made from 100% natural Psyllium Husk. I recommend the orange flavored power, although it now comes in a capsule form if you prefer. I use this for colon health, and tighten my abs. I take it about 30 minutes before bed time, and first thing in the morning, 30 minutes before breakfast. If you can, avoid taking any supplements or medication within an hour or two before and after taking Metamucil.
GREENS PLUS: This is for colon health among other things, and now there are generic brands of this at The Vitamin Shoppe that I take. I have three teaspoonfuls of in the morning. This is a green power that must be kept in the refrigerator after opening. The testimonials have a wide range of claims. This is a great addition to the blender mix!
IMMUNE SYSTEM: I put a lot of stress on my body at the gym. So I need a little extra boost in my immune system. I drink about a gallon of water everyday, as any bodybuilder or fitness junky normally does. I try to get at least 7 ½ hours of sleep each night, and I take extra vitamin C, besides what is already in my daily multivitamin pill. I take 1000 mg at lunch and another 1000 mg after my last meal of the day. If you feel like you're fighting a bug, you can take 1000 mg of C every hour as long as it doesn't give you the runs.
Recently I've discovered the power of raw garlic. As well as being a powerful antibiotic, garlic is antiviral and anti fungal. If I feel like my body is fighting a bug, I'll take about five or six large garlic cloves, peel, dice and put on a spoon. I swallow it as if I'm swallowing a spoonful of pill with lots of water. Two things to keep in mind when doing this raw garlic:
- never try this on an empty stomach
- either eat parsley to counteract gas, or take something like Gas X
A nice side benefit of garlic is that it's alkaline!
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All the advice I give on any of the pages of RodStephens.com is my opinion. I am not a licensed dietitian, and I advise you to do your own research and check with a doctor to make sure you have no conditions, which may be adversely affected by anything I recommend. If you have questions or comments, I'd love to hear your feedback. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY!
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