A woman’s body functions differently than a man’s and has its own physiology. So, it should come as no surprise that the supplements a woman takes can differ from the ones in her boyfriend’s gym bag and be unique to her individual needs and goals.
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While supplements are no magic bullet or quick fix, they can offer about a 10 to 15% advantage in your overall journey when everything else is on point. Customizing your natural supplements based on gender differences, particular with regards to hormones and body composition, just makes sense.
Here are the best supplements for women to tone that I routinely recommend to my female clients. These natural supplements may assist you in reaching your health and fitness goals.
Estrogen Balance
Women’s bodies produce significantly higher levels of estrogen, which is great for things like preventing bone loss and promoting healthy cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, it can also present a challenge for those looking to obtain an ultra-lean and sculpted physique.
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If estrogen levels are on the higher side, women will typically store more fat and water and not look as hard and defined as they might like. The key is not to eliminate estrogen. It’s to achieve optimal hormone balance so you can enjoy the positive health benefits, while also helping you achieve your ideal physique. There are some natural supplements that can help to balance estrogen, including things like:
- Calcium-d-glucarate
- Dim
- Indole-3-carbinol
- Green tea extract
- Resveratrol
You can purchase most of these ingredients individually, or you can pick up a formula that contains most of them, such as ATP Lab Estro Control.
Mood Boosting
Differences in hormones and changes in neurotransmitter balance can also account for fluctuations in mood from day to day. This can be problematic for some women that may be predisposed to changes in temperament. In other words, it might not be your fault if you have frequent mood swings, or if you find yourself falling into temporary periods of anxiety or mild depression. While any ongoing and serious changes in mental state should always be addressed by a doctor, if symptoms are minor and infrequent, there are some natural supplements that can potentially help to normalize and even boost mood patterns.
- L-Tyrosine
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- L-Theanine
- 5-HTP
- GABA
- DMAE
For this category of supplements, it’s not recommended to stack them all, because they might not work synergistically in a beneficial way for you. Do your research and test out individual ingredients to figure out what seems to work best for you and your body’s chemistry.
Hair, Skin And Nails
Although there are always some exceptions, women tend to put a little more care into looking after these things compared to the average man, so I’m including it in my top five. With clients that I coach for competitions, the process of dieting down and training daily to achieve low body-fat levels can be taxing on the body, especially during the final phase. Maintaining health of the hair, clear skin and an overall youthful looking appearance is absolutely critical for presentation on show day, because it’s a factor judges will consider – consciously or subconsciously.
Whether you’re prepping for the stage or just trying to look youthful and beautiful every day, here are some supplements that can help keep you glowing.
- Hydrolyzed collagen
- Vitamin C
- Gotu kola
- Vitamin D
- Essential Fatty Acids (blend)
- Vitamin A
Some products that contain several of these ingredients are Nature’s Bounty Optimal Solutions Hair, Skin & Nails and Collagenik by ATP Lab.
Daily Detox
For one reason or another, women just tend to gravitate towards this category of supplements. It could be that they value overall health slightly more than the average male, or maybe they just want to feel better about the last cheat meal they indulged in. Either way, working a daily detox into your routine can’t hurt – in fact, it can go a long way in establishing and maintaining overall health and wellness.
Here are some of my favourite body detoxifying supplements that I recommend to clients looking to create a balanced morning detox routine.
- Greens i.e. spirulina, chorella, chlorophyll.
- Milk thistle
- Probiotics
- Cayenne pepper
- Parsley
- Lemon
- N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
- Fibre (i.e. ground chia)
It’s safe to stack several of these ingredients together, as they are working through different mechanisms such as establishing pH balance, cleansing the liver or kidneys, acting as an anti-oxidant and improving digestive processes. Most will find it enjoyable to create their own custom morning detox routine.
Stress / Cortisol Control
Both men and women are susceptible to the effects of stress, but this category is so important for overall health, as well as achieving your physique goals, that it warrants a spot in the top five. In a chronically stressed client, with elevated levels of circulating cortisol, the body is essentially working against you – holding onto body fat, limiting lean muscle growth and negatively impacting several other key systems of the body including digestion and nutrient absorption. This can be extremely frustrating for anyone seeking to obtain that stage or photo-shoot ready look when they’re otherwise working their butts off in the gym and following their diet.
There are some supplements that can act to off-set cortisol and/or make the body less susceptible to the effects of stress so you manage daily stresses more effectively – whether it’s that high intensity new class you signed up for at the gym or the recent assignment from your boss that was due yesterday.
- Phosphatidylserine (PS)
- B-Vitamins
- Magnesium
- Rhodiola Rosea
- Astragalus root
You can look to pick up these ingredients individually, or you can go with a formula that contains most of them such as something like Adrenergic by ATP Labs.
There you have it – my recommended natural health supplements for women. Always do your own research and consult your doctor before starting on any new supplement program and introduce new variables gradually to assess their individual effects.
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