6 Winter Supplements to Prepare Your Body for the Cold

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6 Winter Supplements to Prepare Your Body for the Cold

I have decided to try and review the following 6 winter supplements to prepare my body for the cold.

​The three areas I always look to improve through the winter are:

1. Keep my mood up;
2. Keep my body fat % low;
3. Keep my heart healthy.

​Let’s see how you should prepare your body with winter supplements - how to stack these supplements when you should take them, what I liked about them, and why do I want to optimize these three areas in my general health.

1) Supplements to Boost Your Mood and Fight Depression

The supplements I use for boosting my mood through the winter are:

• Vitamin D
• DHEA

​Let’s review the brands I have used:

1.1) California Gold Nutrition Vitamin D-3 5000 IU

I take 5000 UI vitamin D each day, no matter if it is summertime or winter. Vitamin D is also called the sunshine vitamin because it’s produced in your skin in response to sunlight.

I can’t take the heat, so even though the summer, I try to stay away from the sun. Of course, I get exposed to sunlight, but with the climate changing so rapidly, the sun will often burn my skin, and I will have to stay away from the sun during the peak times.

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for many metabolic processes in the body. It helps regulate the absorption of phosphorus and calcium and supports healthy immune system function.

What I like in this particular vitamin D product:

• The form is vitamin D3, which is highly absorbed by our bodies.
• A pack of 360 gelatine capsules, a supply for the whole year for just $10.
• Small gelatin capsules, easy to swallow.
• No fishy smell.
• No Gluten, GMOs, or Soy.

Vitamin D supports healthy bones, teeth, and immunity. Along with these benefits, vitamin D supports a healthy mood and fights the light and early stage of depression.

In the Scandinavian countries, 5000 UI of vitamin D is required to be taken each day, especially during the short winter days. As vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it has to be taken with a meal containing fats. I would usually take it with my first meal for the day.

1.2) Natrol DHEA 50 mg

​DHEA is a hormone that declines with age, especially in your early 30’s. The additional supplementation with DHEA balances the hormone levels in our body.

​I have started taking this supplement in 2018, and it has helped me a lot with my energy levels. Especially in a period where I had a lot of stress – work, relationship, new workout, and nutrition plan.

​The tablets are pretty small, easy-to-swallow. The dosage is usually 25-50 mg per day. I will regularly cycle the intake of DHEA.

I want to note that DHEA is not to be taken by men, if not prescribed by their healthcare professional. Also, even if you are female, it is good to first check your DHEA levels before taking the supplement. I usually take DHEA with my first meal in the morning.

2) Supplements to Keep My Body Fat % Low:

The supplements I decided to use this time for losing some fats are:

• MCTs Oil
• Fish Oil

​Let’s review the brands I have used:

2.1) Now Foods MCT Oil 1000 mg

​Recently the health and fitness market boomed with some new studies claiming that MCTs oil could help us lose weight efficiently. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are fats derived from coconut and palm kernel oils.

They are rapidly digested than other types of fats. MCTs are absorbed from the GI tract, and from then very quickly, they are metabolized by the liver. The studies show that from the liver, they encourage the use of fat for energy rather than for storage.

A number of studies suggest that including MCTs oil in a healthy diet may help to support healthy weight and body re-composition. ​I am currently still experimenting with this supplement. Usually, I take up to 5 grams of MCTs oil capsules with a meal.

2.2) 21st Century Fish Oil 1000 mg

​I am a big fat of fish oil and omega-3 supplements. Basically, I make it an everyday day.

​First, because they are a beneficial supplement for treating joints inflammation, second, because fish oil adds healthy fats to our diet, naturally richer in omega-6 and omega-9, which means that fish oil supplements add balance to our diet, especially in the long term.

One great coach, Charles Poliquin, famous for its fish oil protocol, where he suggests that overweight should take higher dosages of fish oil, especially if their diet is deficient in omega-3.

I take fish oil with a fat-containing meal, between 5-10 grams, which equals 1500-3000 mg EPA+DHA.

What I like about 21st Century Fish Oil product is:

• Economy pack, 60-day-intake;
• It smells good;
• When you chew one softgel (yes, I know, it’s not tasty, but you have to chew one capsule to taste the freshness of the fish oil) the taste good, it doesn’t have a “heavy” taste, and it doesn’t taste like rancid or oxidized oil;
• The color of the fish oil is normal – golden-brown.

3) Supplements to Keep My Heart Healthy:

The supplements I regularly use to keep my heart health in check are:

• Omega-3
• Organic Cocoa Powder

Let’s review the brands I have used:

3.1) California Gold Nutrition Omega-3 Premium

​California Gold Nutrition Omega-3 products have premium quality, and I can confirm that according to the way I test the quality of omega-3 supplements, this product scores 10/10.

The intake of omega-3 supplements (or through food) has been associated with health benefits such as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, weight loss, healthy brain function, and general wellbeing.

​California Gold Nutrition Omega-3 Premium Fish Oil is a molecularly distilled supplement, containing 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA per 1000 mg of natural fish oil concentrate.

3.2) Zint Raw Organic Cacao Powder