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 KNOW YOUR ENEMY...AND YOUR SUPPLEMENTS!

"Know your enemy and yourself; and in a hundred battles you will never be defeated." That's what Sun Tzu wrote in The Art Of War, 5th century BCE. Heavy stuff to be sure. As a fitness trainer and all-around decent dude of these modern times, I'd like to add; know your supplements! 

Back in 2023, my wife and I jumped on a sweet deal. All vitamins and supplements 50% off with a free membership, at The Vitamin Shop. I was on a mission to gain more muscle with weight lifting, and the added boost of vitamins—all in the event that my cancer might return. Alas, as many of you know, the cancer came back. (The asshole known as Multiple Myeloma).

My wife and I took the same vitamins with one difference. I took a B12, and she, a B Complex...a god damn horse pill, baby! Within weeks she felt off. Lethargic. Upset stomach. Finally, her skin began to take on a yellowish hue.

"This jazz looks like jaundice," I said. "We're heading to emergency. Let's go!"

Lo and behold, the Docs wouldn't let her leave. It turned into a full week hospital stay. We were in luck because the top liver specialist happened to be in residence that week. He, and the house, Doc went to work unlocking the mystery.

 The specialist said, "I won't say your liver is failing, but it is incredibly sick."

Splittin' tiny hairs if one were to ask me. Scary stuff! They ran a battery of tests, kept my wife's nutrients up, and did what experts in their field do. At the end of it all, it turned out the vitamin supplements were the culprit. (More than likely the B Complex seeing as I was fine.) Due to outstanding care my wife's liver repaired itself. The liver is the most notable organ that has the capacity to do so. The specialist dug deep into our eating habits, and my wife's bloodwork etc.

The Doc said, and I paraphrase, "...you exercise regularly, you don't eat fast food and you avoid processed foods. You eat organic and cook more than 95% of your meals. In my opinion, you don't need any supplements. If you lived in a third world country where you couldn't get the nutrients, than I'd understand. I think the supplement industry for the most part is total bullshit..."

Go 'head Doc!

Here's the kicker: vitamins and supplements are not regulated by the FDA or by any governing body, for that matter in the U.S. They can put anything they want in their product and manufacture them anywhere in the world they choose. If you take supplements in these United States, I recommend sourcing your product. Do a very deep dive into where your supplement jazz hails from, and what's in them.

Yuz gots to eat right, baby. Fast food, processed foods, sugar and tainted vitamins will truly fu%$ you up...and potentially kill you. Sonia, my lovely wife and I haven't touched a supplement since, and we feel tougher than leather! Oh, and today, Sonia's liver rocks. Seriously, it kinda sounds like Kashmir, by Led Zeppelin!

Know your enemy...it just might be a supplement!

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