The Tribune

Health coach Ethan Quant, of Elite Wellness Solutions, has succeeded in his weight loss journey and now wants to share his methods with the Bahamas in an effort to foster a culture of wellness and conquer the obesity epidemic.

I remember early in my health, wellness and fitness journey, I was fascinated by bodybuilding documentaries. Believe it or not, that's actually how I would pass the time. I would hook my computer up to my projector and sit on the couch with my tilapia and broccoli, or some rice cakes, and watch bodybuilding documentaries for what seemed like countless hours. After all, I do believe that you become what you study. With that in mind, I would watch them intently.

One of the things that stood out to me was the amount of supplements these athletes took. The pills, powders, protein and vitamins - this endless list seemed so overwhelming and very confusing. After quickly developing a disinterest, I figured I would stay away from all that stuff and just do it "naturally".

However, as I got further along my journey and became more educated on the topic of supplementation, I eventually found that what I thought I knew about the subject was not much at all. Through education by trial and error, I found out what really worked for me. With so much products in the market, it is hard not to become overwhelmed with the supplementation that goes far beyond taking a protein shake after your workout.

I know what you are asking yourself right now, "Do I have to take supplements to get the body I want?"

This is a question I get asked often by clients and even random people in the food store and on social media. To answer this question let's first look at what supplements are and how they work with the body.

Supplements (also referred to as dietary supplements) are intended to provide nutrients to the body that may otherwise not be consumed in sufficient quantities from our food. Supplements include vitamins, minerals, fibre, fatty acids, amino acids and other substances. The truth is that we have been using supplements in some shape or form our entire lives. Think about when you were a child, the Flintstone vitamins, or having to drink cod liver oil - all of these are supplements.

Most wellness and fitness programmes that require you to do some form of physical activity is going to put stress on the body and utilise nutrients to run effectively. Using supplements is a great way to ensure that your body is getting all of the nutrients it needs to perform efficiently. This means that you don't have to take supplements, but you do have to replenish what the body uses during physical activity.

So whether it's for repair and recovery after a workout, or you simply aren't able to consume the amount of food to get the nutrients your body needs, supplementation is good to help you with your goal of building your dream body. Since there are so many options out there, I do recommend that you do your research so that you can get a better understanding of what your body needs.

Your supplement programme should work in concert with your meal nutrition plan and workout programme. Remember most of the supplement companies on the market aren't regulated, so do your research! And most importantly, be sure to check with your physician before starting any supplement regimen.

• If you need help navigating any part of your health, wellness and fitness process, you can contact Ethan Quant at ethan@elite-wellnesssolutions.com or on Instagram at @ethanquant.