A lot has been written about the 2018 March Madness teams, brackets, games, and scores. But not many people are talking about what the players are taking in terms of their daily regimen of health supplements.
A natural supplement called Cordyceps has recently come to prominence because of it’s value in increasing blood vessel dilation, decreasing adrenal fatigue, and several other benefits.
But perhaps its main benefit, as far as NCAA basketball is concerned, is it’s legal.
Recent studies indicate that CORDYCEPS helps to protect the kidneys from toxicity, lower high cholesterol levels, treat impotence, inhibits tracheal muscle contractions, and relaxes the airways. Cornell University researchers found that an extract of CORDYCEPS supported the function of helper T – cells by protecting them against immune-suppressing invaders.
All of which is to say, “it keeps you healthy as a horse.”
However, the popular Chinese herb – a parasitic fungus – contains adenosine, which impedes platelets in the blood from clumping together and forming a clot, thus increasing the risk of bleeding.
The herb is traditionally used to boost a person’s energy and strengthen his immune system.
It has been used to treat respiratory problems such as asthma and chronic bronchitis, and can be brewed in soups, ground into powder, or taken in tablet form.
Dr Lim Min Yee, a physician at Nanyang Technological University’s Chinese Medicine clinic, added that the blood-thinning effects of cordyceps are not common, and may show up only in people with underlying medical conditions.
“Cordyceps when taken by healthy people as a dietary supplement are generally considered safe when used in accordance with proper dosing guidelines,” Dr Lim said.
None of the above information will work however, unless consumers develop food preparation strategies.
People turn to supplements and fast food because they don’t have time to prepare high-quality meals throughout the day. Here are a couple of great food prep strategies:
Use the 3/1 split. Many NCAA athletes enjoy this because of its simplicity. For every three hours an athlete spends working out in the gym, they must spend one hour doing kitchen food prep. It’s not optional. The one hour spent in the kitchen should be thought of as a workout. A person can prepare enough meals to last for the next three days. Pair together full meals in individual containers so it’s always easy to grab a healthy meal on the go.
Pack plastic bags full of almonds or trail mix for snacks.
If athletes have trouble waking up early enough to cook breakfast, they should cook hard-boiled eggs for an instant high protein breakfast. Separate servings of oats into plastic bags so they’re ready to go.
Go grocery shopping every three days.
