Supplement Suggestions

Before we dive in, let me be clear, lest my employers think they pay me too much:

Do I love and recommend all of these supplements? Yes.

Do I buy them all regularly? Absolutely not.

But here are the supplements that I've really enjoyed over the course of my amateur fitness journey, in case you're looking to try something new.

Bowmar Nutrition
Protein powders in this order: Blueberry Cheesecake, Birthday Cake, Frosted Cookie. (Those are the only three flavors I've tried.)
Price: 1lb tub is $35; 5lb tub is $70 (If anyone ever wants to go halfsies on one of these, lemme know.)

Collagen: Good for joints, hair, skin, and nails, and it's a little extra protein for you.
Price: $35 per tub

Pros: The Bowmars are SERIOUS about their quality. (I follow them on social media.) They will not put out anything they're not completely satisfied with, and they have incredibly high standards. The products aren't cheap, but they are not overpriced. They also have really creative-but-still-appealing flavors, including Key Lime Pie, Caramel Apple, Dulce De Leche.

Cons: The products are very expensive, and Sarah Bowmar's personality is really abrasive and hard to take. I think maybe she's one of those people who are shy so they come off really nasty and sarcastic to avoid getting hurt? Or maybe she's just a Yankee (sorry, Yankees)? She swears that she's actually nice, and also a Christian, but I gotta say, she would not win me over for Jesus.

Random Recipe: 3-Ingredient Protein Pancakes:
- 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 scoop of protein powder

Scivation
Blue Raspberry BCAAs: To be fair, these are the only BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids, which help with muscle recovery) I've ever tried.
Price: $20, on Amazon.

Pros: Insanely delicious. Makes working out more enjoyable because you get to drink this between sets.

Cons: Honestly, I don't know if these help me with muscle recovery or not, but I also don't take the "recommended dose" (one scoop's worth drunk during your workout, one scoop's worth drunk after your workout) because I'm too cheap to go through the tub that quickly.

1st Phorm
Opti-Greens 50: Opti-Greens has 11 servings of vegetables per serving. Gabe and I only do half a serving each because we're poor, and honestly 11 servings a day seems like overkill.

Price: $60 a tub

Pros:
1) Tastes pretty good for powdered grass. I'd say it tastes like unsweet green tea with a hint of berry.
2) This is also THE ONLY SUPPLEMENT GABE WILL TAKE. He says all protein powders "taste like protein" (what does that even mean?) and even declared the BCAAs above were "too sweet." Are you kidding me?
3) Works beautiful voodoo on bloating and digestion.

Cons: Extremely expensive.

Let me know if you try any and like them, or have other suggestions to share!

~Stephanie