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. 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 cake, and just watch bodybuilding documentaries. After all, I believed that you became what you studied, so I would watch them.

One of the things that stood out to me was the amount of supplements these athletes took. The pills and the powders, and the protein and the vitamins, and the this and the that... it was nuts and all very confusing. So I decided to stay away from all that stuff and just do it “naturally”. However, as I got further along in my journey and became, much, much better educated on the topic of supplementation, I eventually found that what I thought I knew about the subject was way off. As I became more educated, and really through trial and error, I found out what really works for me. With so much stuff there on the market it’s 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 that 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 the 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. 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 because the food quality is poor or nutrient deficient, or you need to get the nutrients in the body quickly to repair and recover, or you simply can’t 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 and nutrition plan, and your 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.

Remember, if you want help navigating this or any part of your health wellness and fitness journey please feel free to reach out to me directly.

• You can contact Ethan Quant at ethan@elite-wellnesssolutions.com or on Instagram at @ethanquant.