Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “What would you recommend for me? I’m 42, I lift weights 5 days a week and do at least 20 min of cardio a day 3-4 days a week. A lot of times I find myself working out twice a day, for example, a hard hour and 15 min of lifting in one workout and maybe a 45 min workout later in the day. So I do need to keep up with my vitamins and minerals. I eat pretty good, 1 cup of blueberries a day, every day and I pretty much follow your “Diet for All Mankind,” Terry. I take the omega 3 product extracted from salmon with phospholipids, the Indian Gooseberry you recommend to raise HDL cholesterol, and the bioavailable curcumin. Should I take a multi vitamin/mineral formula too? Also, is there anything else that stands out that I should be taking? Thanks a lot!” —Steve B., Millville, NJ A. Dear Steve, Personally, I believe that you are working out in excess. Muscles need stimulation and then rest, and during that period of rest is when the muscle recovers and grows. I have advised others and, in my own personal workouts, I have achieved more with less. A good workout should be between 30 to 45 minutes, three to four times a week. Read my article, Short Burst Exercise. I have seen amazing results with this program. Mike Mentzer always advocated very short but very intense workouts, two to three sets to warm up and then one “gut busting” set. Muscles need intense stimulation and then rest. The more you work out, the more you wear the muscle down. Compare the body of a marathon runner to one who runs short distances such as the 100 yard dash, or Bolt, the world’s fastest man. You can read more about Mike on his website at http://www.mikementzer.com/. Your diet is probably better that that of 99% of people in this country, but a vitamin and mineral formula can still be useful. Check with your local, quality health food store and ask what they would recommend. You don’t need a therapeutic formula since you are so healthy, but make sure whatever you choose has a good amount of antioxidants. Healthy regards! Terry . . . Naturally