Last year I wrote a post on how to control cortisol, sleep better, and heal. With Christmas still just in the past enough to remember all the unhealthy eating you did to prompt a coronary, I figured it’s time to revisit workout nutrition and discuss the importance of heart health and what you can do to up your chances of keeping your heart in prime condition.

I’ll definitely be making this into a podcast episode because I think it’s important everyone understands just how important heart health is. Let’s get started.

Workout Nutrition DIY: Heart Health [5 Things to Improve].

I think it’s safe to say most of us would like to avoid all heart related ailments throughout our lives. What we have to remember though, is that in order to dodge the bullet, the work has to be put in. For instance in both SUPP UP. nutrition guides (have you bought the paperbacks or digital version yet?), I mentioned the importance of fats and the key role they play when it comes to the heart; here’s an excerpt from one of the nutrition guides:

“Where glucose is the brain’s only source of fuel, the heart gets 60% of its energy from fat. Let that sink in for a moment for the low-fat diet cardio queens and kings reading this (told you this wasn’t a diet book). That percentage alone tells you just how much pull fats have at your body’s annual executive board meeting where your organs determine if you get to live another year.”

But let’s say you’re getting the whole food nutrition you need when it comes to heart health, and want to make sure you’ve covered ALL your bases – you know, in case you’re missing something. After all, any doctor worth their salt will agree heart disease is one of inflammation.

This is where, when used correctly, supplementation comes into play. While supplements aren’t guaranteed to keep you healthy, and while I always say in all of the guides that whole food should be the focus, supplements can sometimes feel like a little insurance policy in your pantry or medicine cabinet – better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. The key is making sure they’re quality, not bunk, and to make sure they’re an addition – not a replacement.

Nutrition and fitness are one of the many pieces that form part of the puzzle. When it comes to heart health, there’s no harm in making sure the puzzle is as complete as possible. Let’s run through some of the things that can mess with heart health, and what you can supplement with to keep things in check. Read the post all the way to the end and I’ll wrap things up with a neat and tidy summary of what to take, how much, and how often.

1. LIPID PROFILES

Let’s talk about lipid profiles and niacin. Also known as B3, niacin is one of the forgotten supplements when it comes to heart health. I covered Niacin in the ‘Vitamins’ chapter of the nutrition guides, providing over 10 different foods you can get niacin from (chicken breasts being one of them), and for good reason. Do a little research and you’ll find a paper from Superko et al (2017), which states that niacin beneficially affects the lipid profile (i.e. lowering of cholesterol) and and could hold its own against statins – but with zero adverse side effects (you can check out the paper for yourself under ‘References’ at the end of this post).

If that isn’t enough, niacin can also fight lipotprotein(a) or abbreviated, Lp(a), a virtually overlooked lipoprotein that doctors rarely test for but is thought to triple the chance of having a heart attack in early age. Doctors usually run tests for lipoproteins like HDL and LDL cholesterol (something I talk about in the guides), but very few are aware of lipoprotein(a), even though high levels can be found in 1 out of every 4 or 5 men and women. Made by the liver, lipoprotein(a)’s job is to carry fats around the body in the blood, but too much of it can increase the risk of heart disease. It’s ‘sticky’ causing buildup/clogging in your arteries.

It gets a little worse – food intake and exercise have nearly zero effect on keeping Lp(a) in check, meaning it may be the reason why some people who exercise regularly, eat healthy, and have good cholesterol, overall being pretty healthy, unexpectedly kick the bucket despite having bragging rights to how they’re in such good shape. This is where niacin comes into play.

Not only does niacin combat Lp(a), it also lowers LDL (“bad” cholesterol) while increasing HDL (“good” cholesterol). It’s effective on atherogenic dyslipidemia (a part of metabolic syndrome), similar to how statins are, but unlike statins, niacine doesn’t have potential side effects (to name a few, liver and muscle damage, muscle pain, increased blood sugar, and neurological side effects).

If that’s not enough of a reason to consider adding niacin to your tackle box (if you aren’t getting enough through whole foods), I’ll give you one more. Niacin helps cardiovascular health by increasing nitric oxide synthase (NOS), a family of enzymes that relax blood vessels and causes them to pop open, causing increased blood flow. Better blood flow = better heart health.

2. CLOT FORMATION

Another important thing to consider is clot formation. A serious and common condition, clot formation is a predicate of stroke, heart disease, and embolisms. It’s one of the key reasons people with heart issues or those who wish to avoid having heart issues take prescribed blood thinners or acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).

Queue nattokinase, an enzyme derived from natto. If you’ve visited or lived in Japan, you might have encountered natto – either deliberately or as a cruel joke from friends. Slimy with a distinctive smell and an acquired taste, natto is Japanese fermented soybeans. While most Westerners can’t hack the taste and texture (I came, I tried, I failed), natto has been a staple and traditional Japanese food for over 2,000 years.

Only in 1987 however, did researchers uncover that natto had a powerful enzyme that prevented clot formation, and so the enzyme was dubbed nattokinase. Since ’87, small but solid research have reconfirmed that discovery, in addition to realizing nattokinase also has anti-atherosclerotic, antihypertensive, and antithrombotic properties.

Nattokinase eliminates clots through several means, the first one being a rise in Tissue Plasminagen Activator (TPA), a powerful clot eliminator often given to stroke or heart patients in the ER at hospitals. Nattokinase also boosts the creation of urokinase, an agent which dissolves clots, and stunts PAI-1, a serine-protease inhibitor which plays a role in clotting.

Atherosclerosis is the main cause of stroke and heart disease – blood vessels clog with inorganic and organic deposits. Nattokinase seems to flush these deposits out, like drain gel in a kitchen pipe. While the mechanistic details of nattokinase’s anti-atherosclerotic effects are unknown, they’re thought to be from a mix of nattokinase’s anticoagulant, antioxidant, antithrombotic, and lipid-lowering characteristics.

Nattokinase has other benefits too, including thinning the blood (without possible side effects), lowering blood pressure, and may also inhibit angiotensin 1-converting enzyme. Let’s run through each.

For blood thinning, studies show nattokinase can be taken like aspirin and perform equally or better to the task without the side effects. This also means it can be a good alternative to those allergic to NSAIDs but who still want to prevent stroke, heart attack, and atherosclerotic ailments. And no – more isn’t better. I wouldn’t recommend taking nattokinase with aspirin.

For blood pressure, a randomized, double-blind study conducted by Kim et al (2008) revealed that taking nattokinase as a supplement for 8 weeks reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 5.55 and 2.84 mm of mercury, respectively.

Last but certainly not least, nattokinase can also potentially hamper angiotensin 1-converting enzyme, which narrows your blood vessels, allowing blood to more easily flow with greater force.

3. CALCIUM REGULATION

Let’s talk about calcium for a minute (pop quiz: see if you can remember what food from the guides provide a bigger boost of calcium than milk). Calcium is great for bones and teeth, and like I mentioned in the SUPP UP. Nutrition guides, it helps you sleep. Most importantly, it also helps sustain heart rhythms…but it has a flip side. Calcium can have a tendency to build around heart valves and on the insides of arteries. This means the calcium that takes a detour from its main objective starts accumulating on the inside of blood vessels and over time, hampering blood flow like bottleneck traffic at peak rush hour.

This is where vitamin K2 comes in. It gets calcium regulation back on track by triggering matrix Gla protein – an anti-calcific protein. When dormant, matrix Gla protein is known for vascular and valvular calcification, stiffness of the arteries, and insulin resistance – key contributors to the possibility of pre-mature heart failure.

Using K2 can help mitigate these issues because it keeps things flowing, fluid, and supple. Interesting fact: using statins has a tendency to hamper your body’s ability to absorb vitamin K2 – so even though statins help lower cholesterol, they can simultaneously cause calcium to build up in your heart and arteries. Not a good trade off in my opinion.

4. HEART ENERGY AND VITALITY

If you’ve ever tried TCM (traditional chinese medicine) involving tea pills, custom tea mixtures, or acupuncture, you’re bound to have heard on at least one occasion talk of heart energy and vitality come up in relation to Qi/Chi. For those of you that don’t believe in TCM, I’ll Westernize it for you with some “Western” science.

When the heart beats, it releases calcium ions from a part of the muscle cells called the sarcoplasmic reticulum. To make the heart muscles contract, energy is needed, which is supplied by the mitochondria with the help of CoQ10. Having enough CoQ10 in the body would then presumably lead to a more energetic, active heart. This is where CoQ10 could have a more important role than what it’s usually known for, which most doctors assume is primarily as an antioxidant.

To digress slightly, supplementation with CoQ10 is usually seen by doctors as a way to prevent oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines that can lead to hypertrophy of the heart, issues which weaken the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively.

But beyond that, CoQ10 could also help influence the heart’s energy and vitality if we think of the role it plays in relation to contraction of the heart muscles. Research also shows some evidence that CoQ10 has the ability to regulate the creation of nitric oxide, effectively blowing open blood vessels, allowing for more oxygen-rich blood to go to and feed cells, in particular heart cells.

CoQ10 is also called ubiquinone, and a coenzyme – or put more simply, a helper molecule made inside the inner membranes of your mitochondria. It’s present in all organs, but the biggest amounts are found in the heart, liver, kidneys, and muscles. 3 out of 4 patients with heart disease tend to have low levels of CoQ10.

Some examples include those with ischemic heart disease (a condition of decreased blood flow) – in these patients, CoQ10 levels are much lower than in someone who’s healthy. Additionally, contingent on the severity of heart damage, moving levels of CoQ10 amounts decrease in direct ratio to the development of heart disease. Ironically, like K2, statin use can restrict CoQ10 uptake from food by as much as 40%. This effect could obviously, be detrimental to the heart’s functioning, particularly in those with heart failure. This is why it’s recommended to supplement with CoQ10 alongside statin use.

One interesting discovery, at least in studies with rats, was that injecting CoQ10 into the bloodstream within 10 minutes of a blockage in a coronary artery led to several positive effects. These included a smaller area of heart cell death, less enlargement of the left ventricle after a heart attack (death of tissue resulting from reduced blood supply), a higher amount of blood pumped with each heartbeat (stroke volume), improved overall blood flow from the heart (cardiac output), a better ejection fraction (how much blood the heart squeezes out), and increased strength of the heart’s contractions. If that’s not enough, CoQ10 might also help cells use oxygen more efficiently.

5. INFLAMMATION

Over the years I’ve talked a lot about inflammation in the SUPP UP. blog and in the SUPP UP. nutrition guides, and one thing I agree with heart doctors on is that diseases of the heart are largely inflammation related. Don’t get me wrong – there’s various problems that contribute to heart disease like plaque and calcium buildup, thickening of the heart’s ventricles, and blood vessels stiffening. Regardless, all of these issues are either caused or made worse by inflammation.

For example, take athletes, or more specifically, athletes who use steroids. They’re at risk of a process called left ventricular remodeling, which is a fancy way of saying their heart can become enlarged – a huge factor in heart failure. Being one of the heart’s four chambers, the left ventricle is located at the bottom left side of the heart. It receives oxygen-rich blood from the left atrium (directly above it) and pumps it out to the rest of the body. Because of its role, the left ventricle is also the strongest and most muscular chamber of the heart.

Sadly, as people get older in addition to other factors, this ventricle can become thicker and change shape (the remodeling process I mentioned earlier). This can reduce the ventricle’s ability to eject blood effectively, meaning it pumps out less blood with each beat. You’d think having a thicker or more muscular heart would be better, but in this case it’s the opposite.

When the left ventricle gets too thick, it loses pliability (which is why I stress muscle pliability is key as you age) and is less capable of moving the right amount of blood needed through the arteries efficiently.

This is where inflammation tips things over the edge. Many cytokines that promote inflammation are directly involved in thickening the left heart ventricle. These culprits include interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1beta, and interleukins 6, 17, and 18.

This is why I say DHA aka fish oil is so important (one of my go-to breakfast choices are DHA rich breakfast bagels – get the recipe here). Fish oil grinds this process to a halt, preventing or at least improves the changes in the heart’s left ventricle. If that’s not enough, fish oil can alter how the heart’s ion channels function, help blood vessels lining the heart, regulate the activity of the nervous system that controls automatic body functions, and improve the way the heart uses energy. Aside from just making the blood less thick, this also means:

• healthier blood pressure levels.
• less chance of developing arrhythmias aka irregular heart beats.
• less triglycerides (bad fats) in your blood.
• the slowing of plaque buildup, plaque being a combination of bad cholesterol, fat, and calcium, all which harden an obstruct arteries.
• and probably the best benefit, improved body composition. In other words, if you thought your obliques “popped” before, get ready for a pleasant surprise.

BONUS: GLYCATION LEVELS

As a bonus, I’ve decided to throw in some key information about glycation levels. First, you want these lower rather than higher, largely because they affect the pliability and suppleness of blood vessels which is vital to heart health, and this is where magnesium comes in. Healthy levels of magnesium means improved glucose and insulin metabolism, which in turn leads to reduced glycation levels.

Magnesium isn’t just good for regulating glycation levels, it’s also helpful for combating depression.

For those of you who’ve been following the SUPP UP. blog and read the nutrition guides, you’ll remember the insane amount of metabolic processes magnesium is involved in, and going a step further, there’s increasing evidence that lower magnesium levels are linked to a higher risk of heart disease. This is probably because magnesium not only plays a role in metabolic processes but enzymatic reactions as well. These include energy production through ATP, making and repairing DNA, how genes are expressed, nerve and muscle communication, and helping to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, among other things.

Here’s where a lack of magnesium causes an area of concern – up to 80% of people in the U.S. alone are magnesium deficient. Can you even being to imagine what the rest of the world is like? Since magnesium gets lost through sweat, it’s probably even worse for athletes – because the more you sweat, the more likely it is you’re lacking in magnesium.

This is why I’ve always recommended getting magnesium through two sources – whole food, supplementation, and topically through the skin. For athletes, I’ve always believed it should be a mix of the three and I’ve written the two best types of topical and supplement magnesium to invest in. To source magnesium from whole foods, the SUPP UP. nutrition guides provide a good list of foods you can get it from, one of them being pumpkin seeds (among others).

WHAT TO TAKE, HOW MUCH, AND HOW OFTEN

Most of the things I’ve listed above can be found on iHerb – and no, I don’t make any commission recommending you buy through them nor am I or the SUPP UP. brand affiliated with iHerb. It’s just a solid website with quality products that, as the founder of SUPP UP., I feel comfortable recommending. Since the beginning of SUPP UP., I’ll recommend things based on quality at the time of writing, and if that changes…then the recommendation changes as I write new posts.

Niacin/B3. You can choose either extended or immediate release. Although studies indicate a maximum of 2,000 mg daily for extended-release and 3,000 mg for immediate-release in heart patients on statins, this most likely won’t apply to you. For preventative maintenance, just shoot for one 500 mg capsule (immediate or extended release) twice daily – once with breakfast and once with dinner, to distribute it evenly. While I don’t believe in promoting brand names because quality could change at any time, as I’m writing this, NOW Foods Niacin 500 mg 250 Tablets is a solid option for extended release and immediate release .

People generally dislike immediate-release niacin due to the temporary flushing they experience – kind of like the sensation you get with Beta-Alanine but with a mild fever to top it off. Many prefer extended-release to minimize these effects, though studies suggest immediate-release may be more effective long-term. To reduce or eliminate flushing, take immediate-release niacin immediately after a good heavy meal. For instance, eat your meal and immediately take the supplement at the last bite – do not take on an empty stomach. 

Nattokinase. It’s a good idea to split the dose here. Shoot for 100 mg capsules three times daily – once with breakfast, then mid-afternoon, and finally before bed. Or, take a single 100 mg capsule once daily after dinner or before bed – earlier is better since blood clots are more likely to form between midnight and early morning. Again, at the time of writing this, NOW Foods Nattokinase 100 mg is a solid choice and you can get it here.

Vitamin K2. Shoot for 600 mcg daily of the combined M4 and M7 sub-types with a fatty meal. NatureWise Vitamin K2 MK-7 & MK-4 Softgels are a good choice and you can get them here.

CoQ10. Shoot for 100 mg per day. With CoQ10 being fat soluble, you’ll want to take it with your fattiest meal of the day to make sure it’s fully absorbed. NOW Foods CoQ10 100mg can be found here.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA/EPA aka Fish Oil). Like I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, you want fish oil to be in high doses. My earlier post (find it here) provides a full breakdown of where you can get whole food sources for this, but if you need a top-up in addition to that or just really want to dial in on the numbers, you can supplement with DHA and EPA capsules. Shoot for 2 grams maximum of DPA and around 400 mg maximum of EPA per day. Take it just before bed – my earlier post explains why this is important so I won’t repeat it here. NOW Foods does the DHA in 1000 mg (NOW Foods DHA-1000 Fish Oil) and EPA (NOW Foods, Super Omega EPA Fish Oil) that gets close to 400 mg in separate bottles, if you really feel like dialing in and don’t have access to a lot of the fish sources mentioned in my earlier post.

Magnesium. Shoot for 400 mg a day, chelated form for best absorption. I’ve talked about magnesium and the best sources to get it from extensively in blog posts and both SUPP UP. Nutrition guides. My earlier post explains in detail why amount and when to take is important, but it’s mainly because it can be best absorbed and the fact that a lot of magnesium is lost through sweat – which you do a lot of when sleeping at night or working out. It also helps improve sleep quality (you can read about it here). I recommend it through ZMA, but be careful, because there are a LOT of knock-off ZMA formulas that don’t give you the quality magnesium found in the original SNAC version (found on Amazon in the link)…so I always recommend you check the ingredients label to make sure it mentions patent-protected SNAC in there. For my international readers, you can find this version through bulk ZMA.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – do your homework – take care of your body and it’ll take care of you.

That’s all folks.

If you liked this post, share it and subscribe.

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If you really like this post, but don’t have the SUPP UP. Guides yet, buy them now – they cost less than a trip to the grocery store but unlike those groceries, the knowledge gained lasts a lifetime.

If you’ve already bought the guides (hey, thanks), and like the free knowledge gained on the SUPP UP. blog – then go ahead and check out the other gear in my shop.

Get your FREE printable workout log now. Pick up some whey protein for your next workout, new threads for that sleeve splitting arms day, or something else that’ll help you remember that when it comes to fueling and training your body, once you learn how to, where you are matters less.

It’s a good way to keep the blog running healthy and strong. Every item, the material, colors, style, ingredients, and quality, are all handpicked by me. If I won’t wear it, eat it, drink it, or read it – I won’t sell it – it’s that simple.

You’ve already bought all the gear and guides? Well damn – thanks. Not looking for anything in particular in return? Then go ahead and donate whatever you like.

If you go ahead and get the guide instead, either as a digital book or paperback, you’ll discover great ways to get more out of your workouts while traveling or on the go (preview of chapters available in shop).

Drop by next week for yet another great post to add to your workout and nutrition arsenal.

Stop doing guesswork, start making the necessities of your life easier.

SUPP UP. – Get your gear now.

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– SUPP UP.

References

1. Altura BT et al. (1990). Magnesium dietary intake modulates blood lipid levels and atherogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A., 87(5), pp. 1840-1844. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.87.5.1840

2. Chakraborti S et al. (2002). Protective role of magnesium in cardiovascular diseases: a review. Mol Cell Biochem, 238(1-2), pp. 163-79. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019998702946 

3. Chang YY et al. (2008). Cerebellar Hemorrhage Provoked by Combined Use of Nattokinase and Aspirin in a Patient with Cerebral Microbleeds. Intern Med, 47(5), pp. 467-9. https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.47.0620

4. Chen H et al. (2018). Nattokinase: A Promising Alternative in Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases. Biomark Insights, 13:1177271918785130. https://doi.org/10.1177/1177271918785130 

5. Chen H et al. (2022). Effective management of atherosclerosis progress and hyperlipidemia with nattokinase: A clinical study with 1,062 participants. Front Cardiovasc Med, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.964977

6. Ford E et al. (2003). Dietary Magnesium Intake in a National Sample of U.S. Adults. The Journal of Nutrition. 133(9), pp. 2879-2882. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/133.9.2879

7. Gallelli G et al. (2021). Data Recorded in Real Life Support the Safety of Nattokinase in Patients with Vascular Diseases. Nutrients, 13(6), 2031. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13062031 

8. Hodis HN et al. (2021). Nattokinase atherothrombotic prevention study: A randomized controlled trial. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc, 78(4), pp. 339-353. https://doi.org/10.3233/CH-211147 

9. Khalil, Zeyad et al. (2021). The medical benefits of Vitamin K2 on Calcium-Related Orders. Nutrients, 13(2), 691. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020691 

10. Kim J et al (2008). Effects of Nattokinase on Blood Pressure: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Hypertens Res, 31, pp. 1583–1588. https://doi.org/10.1291/hypres.31.1583

11. Liu J et al. (2023). Effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on left ventricular remodeling in chronic heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition, 129(9), pp. 1500–1509. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114521004979

12. Maier JAM. (2003). Low magnesium and atherosclerosis: an evidence-based link. Mol Aspects Med, 24(1-3), pp. 137-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0098-2997(02)00095-X 

13. O’Connor A. (2018). A Heart Risk Factor Even Doctors Know Little About. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/well/heart-risk-doctors-lipoprotein.html

14. Ren NN et al. (2017). A clinical study on the effect of nattokinase on carotid artery atherosclerosis and hyperlipidemia. National Medical Journal of China, 97(26), pp. 2038-2042. https://rs.yiigle.com/cmaid/997930#:~:text=j.issn.0376%2D-,2491.2017.26.005,-7495

15. Shah, N. C. et al. (2014). Short-term magnesium deficiency downregulates telomerase, upregulates neutral sphingomyelinase and induces oxidative DNA damage in cardiovascular tissues: relevance to atherogenesis, cardiovascular diseases and aging. International journal of clinical and experimental medicine, 7(3), pp. 497–514.

16. Shiol A et al. (2020). The Inhibitory Role of Vitamin K in Progression of Vascular Calcification. Nutrients. 12(2), 583. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020583 

17. Superko HR et al. (2017). Niacin and heart disease prevention: Engraving its tombstone is a mistake. J Clin Lipidol, 11(6), pp. 1309-1317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2017.08.005 

18. Vlasschaert, Caitlyn, et al. (2020). Vitamin K Supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease: Where is the evidence? A systematic review of controlled trials. Nutrients, 12(10), 2909. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102909 

19. Zozina, et al. (2018). Coenzyme Q10 in cardiovascular and metabolic disease: Current state of the problem. Current Cardiology Reviews, 14(3), pp. 164-174. http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573403X14666180416115428

Workout Nutrition DIY: Heart Health [5 Things to Improve]. is a post from SUPP UP.

SUPP UP. Podcast Version (coming soon)

SUPP UP. TTS (for the vision impaired)

Featured Image & Photo 1: camilo jimenez
Photo 2: Lance Reis
Photo 3: Japan-coutry-movie
Photo 4: Alexas Fotos
Photo 5: Vitaly Gariev
Photo 6: Roman I
Photo 7: Nik
Photo 8: Elsa Olofsson

 

Let’s be honest – most protein bars sold in stores add insult to injury because not only do they suck / are made with inferior ingredients (*COUGH*SOYPROTEIN*COUGH*), they’re overpriced.

Here’s how taste and function are possible, without putting a dent in your wallet.

Clean Snacking: Tasty, Quality, No Bake Protein Bars [NO FILLERS].

The health and fitness industry has become so commercialized these days it can be hard to filter the legit from the noise. Clean eating now feels like some cheap buzz word an out-the-door-marketing-exec is using just to desperately try and stay young…but while it may be overused, with all the processed food, cheap fillers, and low quality protein out there, if we strip it from all the commercial static, this term still has relevance.

Ages ago I showed you how to make no bake protein cookies, that packed a whopping 122 grams of protein per batch, healthy fats, filling carbs, and a good dose of fiber.

This time around, I’m sharing something even easier to make.

In a nutshell, no bake protein bars.

For those who bought SUPP UP. No Bull, Whole Food Military Nutrition At Home, you’ll remember in chapter 2 I talked about the benefits (and cost-effectiveness) of making your own protein snacks.

I’m expanding on that here, sharing a favorite recipe of mine you can change up if you want to implement your own flavors into the mix.

Enjoy.

Makes: Exactly 1 protein bar, unless you choose to double the mixture (might as well make a whole batch when you consider the set time).

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Bake Time: 0 minutes

Set time: 10-15 minutes

Total Time: 12-17 minutes

Items Needed: Baking paper OR a small sandwich bag. A bowl. A small spatula. Kitchen scale.

Ingredients:

• • 30 g Whey Protein concentrate (I use chocolate brownie flavor or natural chocolate – but feel free to experiment)
    • NOTE: You can swap concentrate with isolate, if you want to get a quick protein/carb load about 45 minutes to an hour before a workout. This can prime your muscles when they’re “flat” which I discuss in both books.
  • 30 g Rolled Oats (aka Steel Cut Oats)
  • 5 g Ground Flax Seed (Cold Milled ideally)
  • 1 Tbsp Agave Dark Nectar Syrup
  • 1.5-2 Tbsp water
  • Dried cranberries (OPTIONAL – but it goes great with chocolate brownie)
  • Rough crushed almonds (OPTIONAL)

Directions:

1. Throw all your dry ingredients into a bowl. Mix.
2. Throw all your wet ingredients into a bowl, agave first. If you’ve added the optional dry ingredients, you’ll need a little more water to bring the dry ingredients together.
3. Mix everything up.
4. Mold it into a bar.
5. Throw in a sandwich bag and let it sit in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.

Congrats – there’s another one for your snack stack. Couple things that’d be wise to mention…

This is great for those days when you want a protein top up but don’t feel like chugging a shake – whole food nutrition over speed.

While a shake is quick and simple, it’s always better to mix your whey with a whole food, as ultimately it settles in your stomach better. I find this is especially the case if I’m in a hot climate where I’m drinking a lot of water throughout the day.

If you read either SUPP UP. On The Go or At Home, you’ll know why I say you can swap out the whey concentrate with isolate before a workout.

Finally, feel free to mix in your own favorite flavors of whey protein that you think could go well with the rest of the ingredients. I’m a big fan of chocolate brownie as I’ve got a mild sweet tooth, so for me it’s better than making actual brownies (but if you want high protein brownies, I have a recipe for that too).

If you’re interested in trying different flavors you can check out protein powders in the SUPP UP. store.

If you liked this recipe, share it.

If you really like this recipe, but don’t have the SUPP UP. books yet, buy either SUPP UP. On The Go or SUPP UP. At Home E-BOOKS now, and discover what other, unique to each book recipes are available under the “Snacks” chapters (preview of chapters available in shop).

Drop by next week for yet another great post to add to your workout and nutrition arsenal.

Stop doing guesswork, start making the necessities of your life easier.

SUPP UP. – Get your copies now.

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– SUPP UP.

Clean Snacking: Tasty, Quality, No Bake Protein Bars [NO FILLERS]. is a post from and appeared first on SUPP UP.

Photo Credit: Polina Tankilevitch

 

Let’s get to the point. You train hard. Hard training means harder recovery – you want to make this as easy and short as possible. So here’s a recipe for the best post-workout shake for optimal recovery, one that’ll make sure those muscles of yours are taken care of after you’ve finished your workout.

Here it is in 5 steps.

Workout Nutrition DIY: The Best Post-Workout Shake For Optimal Recovery.

 

For those who’ve bought either SUPP UP. No Bull, Whole Food Military Nutrition On The Go, or SUPP UP. No Bull, Whole Food Military Nutrition At Home, you’ll know why this workout shake in particular is so effective, as in both books I’ve listed the importance of the ingredients, their benefits, and why (not to mention how) they work together so well.

This pairs well with the SUPP UP. No Bull, Gym In A Bag Workout Guide, which provides guidance on the best portable workout equipment to own, a breakdown of how muscles are, and can be, effectively worked, and customizable workout plans. If you haven’t already check it out now, either in paperback or as a digital book (PDF format).

Enjoy.

Makes: One post workout shake.

Prep Time: 1-2 minutes.

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 2 minutes

Items Needed: A protein shaker bottle. OPTIONAL: A hand blender (if you like it smooth) OR a protein shaker bottle with a blender built in.

Ingredients:

• 24 g of Casein Hydrolysate
• 12 g HBCD (Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin)
• 5 g Creapure (micronized creatine)
• 500 mg (about 2 mini scoops) ALCAR (Acetyl L-Carnitine)
• 250 mL Water
• 50 mL Juice Concentrate

Directions:

1. Fill your shaker with 50 mL of either orange or strawberry & apple juice concentrate (also known as cordial), then add 250 mL of water.
2. Thrown in all your ingredients, Casein Hydrolysate FIRST.
3. Give it a rigorous shake, or push the button to blend it (if you have a shaker with built in blender)
4. Take off shaker top.
5. Chug.

There are a number of reasons this shake is much, much better than your standard whey protein concentrate shake.

Casein Hydrolysate wins over whey concentrate because you only need half the amount you’d usually require from a regular post-workout whey shake (40-50 grams).

HBCD doesn’t have the “crash” like Maltodextrin, and works effectively with Casein Hydrolysate (explained further in both books), ensuring muscles are replenished fully – this leads to better gains from your workouts.

Micronized Creatine is included for obvious reasons, and ALCAR, well, if you read the book you’ll know why I like to think of it as a little secret weapon.

If you liked this recipe, share it.

If you really like this recipe, but don’t have the SUPP UP. books yet, buy either SUPP UP. On The Go or SUPP UP. At Home E-BOOKS now, and discover what other supplements are the best to use for pre-, intra-, and post-workout nutrition under the “Supplements – Avoid Off the Shelf Pre-Mixes” chapter (preview of chapters available in shop).

Drop by next week for yet another great post to add to your workout and nutrition arsenal.

Stop doing guesswork, start making the necessities of your life easier.

SUPP UP. – Get your copies now.

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– SUPP UP.

Workout Nutrition DIY: The Best Post-Workout Shake For Optimal Recovery is a post from and appeared first on SUPP UP.

Photo Credit: Henri Meilhac

Here’s the YouTube video:

 

Here’s another playlist I’ve put together since the last MMA workout playlist back in March 2025. Like I said, I’m a big fan of music…and while I don’t always have as much free time as I’d like, I still enjoy putting together a good playlist – especially for my workouts. Since the last one was so well received, here’s another curated playlist, this time featuring The Score.

This is one I use whenever I’m doing either a bodyweight military endurance workout or weightlifting. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s important to learn how to balance both strength and endurance – being good at one or the other just creates a weakness. Some people are able to either lift heavy but not for long, or go for a long time but without being able to maintain strength. When it comes to workouts that demand both strength and endurance from you, The Score is a good listen. Their beats get you over that part of the workout where the going gets tough. Interested in a more hard rock playlist? Let me know and I’ll share one with you. Enjoy.

STRENGTH & ENDURANCE: WEIGHTLIFTING AND CALISTHENICS WORKOUT PLAYLIST.

If you need to be able to workout anywhere, get the SUPP UP. No Bull, Gym In A Bag Workout Guide here. If you want to be able to track your progress during your workouts, get a free printable workout log here, or a full workout log for just ten bucks here.

If you liked this post, share it and subscribe.

*COUGH COUGH*

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– Sol at SUPP UP.

Strength & Endurance: Weightlifting and Calisthenics Workout Playlist is a post from SUPP UP.

 

Nothing beats steak and onions with the (occasional) beer during summer – another recipe for you to try out only this time, you don’t need a grill. This recipe works better with a skillet or for more ease, a slow cooker.

Let’s get started.

Grill Memoirs: Mouth Watering Bistec Encebollado (Steak & Onions) Recipe

I always believe in function before flavor, but like many of the recipes I share on the SUPP UP. blog, this recipe hits the mark with both. It’s packed with protein and flavor, and provides a good hit of sulfur from the onions which, if you read the SUPP UP. At Home Nutrition Guide, you’ll understand the importance of when it comes to anti-inflammation and antioxidants, among other benefits.

Here’s the recipe.

Mouth Watering Bistec Encebollado (Steak & Onions) Recipe

Makes: 4 servings.

Prep Time: 10 minutes if you already have some sofrito made, if not, it’ll be around 25 minutes.

Marinade Time: 4-5 hours

Cook Time: Approx. 1 hour in a skillet or 4 hours in a crock pot (slow cooker) on High (8 hours on Low).

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes to 4 hours 25 minutes depending on if you use a skillet or slow cooker.

Items Needed:

• A skillet or crock pot / slow cooker
• A bowl to marinate the meat
• A few knives
• A chopping board

Ingredients:

Marinade & Steak:

• 750 g (1.5 lbs) steak
• 1 Sazon Goya con cilantro y achiote packet
• 1 tsp adobo seasoning
• 3 Tbsp melted butter
• 3 Tbsp Sofrito (this is really easy to make, click here for an easy recipe)
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV)
• 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp pepper

Bistec Encebollado:

• 240 ml (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 2 onions cut into rings
• 2 Tbsp sofrito
• 2 Tbsp frying oil
• 1 Tbsp butter

Instructions:

I’m doing the slow cooker version of this. The only difference is I’ll be putting everything into a slow cooker. If you don’t have one, just follow the cook time mentioned above. Everything else stays the same if you’re using a skillet except for the time and the amount of water.

1. Cut your steak into thick strips and marinate it with all the marinade ingredients for 4-5 hours, or overnight.
2. Once marinated, sear your steak without the marinade using the ‘saute’ function on your slow cooker on both sides (or just use a skillet). Once it’s browned, add the rest of the marinade with 1 cup of water (1.5 cups for a skillet) and set the slow cooker to HIGH for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the sofrito and tomato sauce, mixing it well, then set the slow cooker to HIGH for 4 hours (or 1 hour in a skillet covered). I’d say stir it halfway through and check it At least twice for the liquid, adding more if the sauce is too thick for your liking. Make sure to taste it each time and add adobe based on how much seasoning you want.
4. 25-30 minutes before the slow cooker finishes up, saute the onion rings in a skillet in butter and oil until caramelized slightly and add them in at least 20 minutes beforehand (5 minutes beforehand if you’re using a skillet). If you don’t care about the onions being sauteed, just put them in 40 minutes (10 minutes with a skillet) beforehand.
5. Serve it up with some fries on the side, or more traditionally, rice, black beans, and tostones for a full meal. Don’t forget the beer (keep it under 2, 3 at a stretch but only if you’ve earned it with your workouts).

Macros for this one are pretty good per serving – you’re looking at about 51 grams protein, 12 grams carbs of which is 3 grams fiber (without the rice/black beans), and 38 grams fat.

I tweaked this recipe for a slow cooker and my own taste – the original can be found on Gypsy Plate.

Eating healthy and eating well doesn’t have to be boring. It’s all about understanding how food works. You can learn exactly this and more with the SUPP UP. No Bull Nutrition Guides and Meal Planner. If you haven’t already, get yours here today. You pay anywhere from $40 to $75 to an IG or TikTok fitness influencer for a boring, repetitive meal plan anyway; so why not pay to understand how nutrition really works, in less than 2 hours?

That’s the time it takes to read through any of the SUPP UP. guides – they’re designed to be packed with key information, but easy enough to digest and read from start to finish in under 2 hours.

Once you understand how food works, you’re not restricted by those who are judge and jury of what foods are “healthy” – get back to doing what was always meant to be done with food – enjoying it.

That’s all, folks.

If you liked this post, share it and subscribe.

*COUGH COUGH*

 

If you really like this post and want more in-depth information like this, but don’t have the SUPP UP. guides yet, buy SUPP UP. On The Go or SUPP UP. At Home and the SUPP UP. No Bull Meal Planner E-BOOKS now – they cost less than a trip to the grocery store but unlike that food, the knowledge gained lasts a lifetime.

If you’ve already bought the guides (hey, thanks), and like the free knowledge gained on the SUPP UP. blog – then go ahead and check out the other gear in my shop.

Pick up some whey protein for your next workout, new threads for that sleeve-splitting arms day, or something else that’ll help you remember that when it comes to fueling and training your body, once you learn how to, where you are matters less.

It’s a good way to keep the blog running healthy and strong. Every item, the material, colors, style, ingredients, and quality, were all hand picked by me.

You’ve already bought all the gear and guides? Well damn – thanks. Not looking for anything in particular in return? Then go ahead and donate whatever you like.

One more thing – if you go ahead and get the guides, you’ll discover what’s unique to each book recipes are available under the “Snacks” chapters (preview of chapters available in shop), and how to eliminate worries or concerns about getting the nutrition you need to stay fighting fit for when you’re deployed or at home.

Both guides have recipes that provide nutritional breakdown so it makes things nice and easy.

Drop by next week for yet another great post to add to your workout and nutrition arsenal.

Stop doing guesswork, start making the necessities of your life easier.

SUPP UP. – Get your copies now.

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– SUPP UP.

Grill Memoirs: Mouth Watering Bistec Encebollado (Steak & Onions) Recipe is a post from SUPP UP.

SUPP UP. TTS – Click below to listen to the text-to-speech audio version (for the hearing impaired) of this post now:

Photo Credit:

Feature Image & Photo 1: u_7yox7ioz1z

 

Click the full screen icon to see the entire video.

Mindful Quote Mention…

We’re back with another Mindful Quote Mention.

I started SUPP UP. to help with exactly this. Take control of your knowledge – you don’t need years of self-learning to master how to do it, you just need the fluff taken out and things stripped down to what’s essential. A strong foundation is the key to a strong house – let’s build the foundation together by starting here.

That’s all, folks.

If you liked this post, share it and subscribe.

*COUGH COUGH*

Stop doing guesswork, start making the necessities of your life easier.

SUPP UP. – Get your copies now.

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– SUPP UP.

“To change our…. is a post from and appeared first on SUPP UP.

 

We’re back with another workout edge post. In the past I’ve done posts on effective quad exercises outside of the conventional barbell back squat, and how changing one simple thing can up your squat game, providing better stability through range of motion. I also mention squats in the SUPP UP. No Bull workout guides.

Because SUPP UP. is all about stripping away the inessential, this time around I figured I’d share with you an efficient set that torches your quads with minimal equipment – at most you need a dumbbell and at least maybe a wall to hold onto for stability until you get the hang of things.

Let’s get started.

Workout Edge: Build Your Quads – 2 Squat Variations.

It’s always a good idea to know different ways to work the same muscle, because if you know how the muscle works, you know how to build it no matter where you are or how limited your equipment is. If you’re in the military or an active civilian who travels a lot, you may not always have access to the gym equipment you usually use.

Even if you fit into neither of those categories, I’m pretty sure you’ve been in a crowded gym at least once in your life and know how annoying it can be to wait for equipment to free up. So rather than waiting around and inevitably cooling down from your workout, get smart instead.

The two most effective (and often underrated) quad exercises are the goblet squat and the sissy squat. When done right, these exercises aren’t just for beginners – if you think they are, you’ve either been doing them wrong or with poor form.

These two exercises are built into a simple and effective workout below. I always believe in warming up beforehand with 5 minutes of skipping with a speed rope, and training anterior (front) muscles with posterior (back) muscles, so I’ll usually finish quads with Nordic curls after.

And don’t let the names, especially sissy squat, fool you. In fact, the name for sissy squat has a pretty interesting back story which I’ll explain after I run through the workout below (it’s not one you may think it is – try and guess).

If you’re familiar with goblet and sissy squats, you’ll recognize some of these exercises; for those who aren’t, a brief explanation with links that I provide below will help you get this done.

The SUPP UP. Leg Workout [For Travel]

• Warm-up [skipping with a speed rope] – 5 minutes
• Goblet squat (Heavy) – 15 reps
  • Any seasoned lifter should be able to do this with a barbell that weighs between 60-100 lbs (27-45 kg). The key is to do these HEAVY. If not, lower the weight to something where you can do just about 15 reps with one rep leftover in the tank.
  • Also – squat BETWEEN your legs. I see people’s elbows flaring out beyond their legs instead of pressing into their inner thigh and that’s really where this movement gets messed up.
• Sissy squat – 12 reps
  • There’s 2 variations for this – with dumbbells or with body weight. Try it with body weight only first, then dumbbells – I’ll explain later.
• Goblet squat (Heavy) – 15 reps
• Sissy squat – 12 reps
• Nordic Curls – 6-8 reps x 3 sets

The key here is good form and warming up properly. If you’ve never done these exercises before, they look easy when you’re watching them on video…and they are – just not the way you think. They’re easy to execute – not easy to complete.

Goblet Squat

Sissy Squat

The burn with each exercise will creep up on you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or someone with respectable quads because:

• I’ve seen lifters do excellent with the barbell back squat, but get winded or can’t skip rope for more than 60 seconds with a speed rope.
  • Skip rope isn’t just for the boxing gym – it’s an effective form of conditioning and a great way to warm up the entire body. I’ve said this in the SUPP UP. workout guides and I’ll say it again – skipping rope works so many muscles in the body, especially legs, and there’s a reason why it’s a core part of a boxing routine.
• I’ve also seen lifters go red in the face when they’re on their 15th – 20th rep and 1st set of a heavy loaded goblet squat.
  • Goblet squats are good for beginners but they’re also great for seasoned lifters when loaded heavy. Especially when you descend into a 15 second hold at the bottom of your first rep, then continue to do 15 reps and repeat over 4 sets.
  • Goblet squats work your legs, anterior core, and upper back. You need a huge amount of spinal stiffness and shoulder stability to hold a heavy dumbbell in an anteriorly loaded position, and you also need to be able to squat the weight itself. Try it and watch how your heart rate starts to surge after the first set – also notice how much of a leg pump you get.
• I’ve had lifters mock the sissy squat, only to have them hobbling around like geriatrics in a home 2 days later because of post-workout DOMS.
  • The secret of sissy squats is simple – the movement eliminates involvement of your hamstrings and glutes. When done correctly, your heels are above your toes, and your body is angled backward rather than forward, forming a straight line from your neck to your knees throughout the entire movement. This reduces recruitment of your posterior-chain muscles, demoting them to a supporting role, causing them to work with the rest of your core muscles in order to keep your body in a straight line (like I said – neck to knees). This means all the work is in your knee joints.
  • When done correctly, you feel a deep, searing burn in your quads, but no pain in your knees. This is great because you’re not hammering away at your lower back like you would with the barbell back squat, but instead giving it a breather, which (thinking ahead) will keep you lifting longer and healthier.
  • Once you get comfortable doit these without holding onto a fixture and can blast through the body weight reps with ease, try them with dumbbells.

Now for the back story on sissy squats and their name.

If you know Greek mythology (thanks for canceling Kaos, streaming service who shall not be named), you’ll know where I’m going with this. It all starts with a douche bag named Sisyphus, king of Corinth. It got to the point where he pissed of the gods and in particular, Zeus, so much, he was fated to roll a large boulder up a hill for all eternity. This built his quads to an impressive level, hence the name sissy squat.

That’s one version of the story – there’s another.

Jokes aside, originally, the Sissy Squat was once known as the Monte Wolford squat, a classic physique body builder who competed from the 1940-1970s. Monte then taught it to Vince Geronda, and it’s said that Wolford claimed (jokingly) it would make “sissies” out of conventional barbell back squat lifters.

The Sisyphus and Monte Wolford sissy squat origin story both had one thing right though – the way sissy squats are done work your quads differently, leading to impressive muscle development.

I think the only thing I’d change about the illustration of Sisyphus is the way he was pushing the boulder – this would be more in line with the sissy squat movement:

Much better.

If you’ve read the SUPP UP. Workout Guides, you’ll know why this workout is so effective…and if you haven’t, well…you know what to do – pick them up as paperbacks or digital copies over at the SUPP UP. store.

That’s all, folks.

If you liked this post, share it and subscribe.

*COUGH COUGH*

If you really like this post, but don’t have the SUPP UP. Guides yet, buy them now – they cost less than a trip to the grocery store but unlike that food, the knowledge gained lasts a lifetime.

If you’ve already bought the guides (hey, thanks), and like the free knowledge gained on the SUPP UP. blog – then go ahead and check out the other gear in my shop.

Get your FREE printable workout log now. Pick up some whey protein for your next workout, new threads for that sleeve splitting arms day, or something else that’ll help you remember that when it comes to fueling and training your body, once you learn how to, where you are matters less.

It’s a good way to keep the blog running healthy and strong. Every item, the material, colors, style, ingredients, and quality, are all handpicked by me. If I won’t wear it, eat it, drink it, or read it – I won’t sell it – it’s that simple.

You’ve already bought all the gear and guides? Well damn – thanks. Not looking for anything in particular in return? Then go ahead and donate whatever you like.

If you go ahead and get the guide instead, either as an digital copy or paperback, you’ll discover great ways to get more out of your workouts while traveling or on the go (preview of chapters available in shop).

Drop by next time for yet another great post to add to your workout and nutrition arsenal.

Stop doing guesswork, start making the necessities of your life easier.

SUPP UP. – Get your gear now.

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– SUPP UP.

Workout Edge: Build Your Quads – 2 Squat Variations. is a post from and appeared first on SUPP UP.

SUPP UP Podcast Version (coming soon)

SUPP UP. TTS (for the vision impaired)

Featured Image & Photo 1: Ali Choubin
Photo 2: Alexander Red

 

We’re back with another Breakfast Bites post. Last time I showed you how to make a quick and easy overnight oats that packed over 45 grams of protein into one tasty bowl.

This time around, I’m giving ideas of how to implement more DHA into your breakfast and reap the benefits I mentioned in my last Workout Nutrition DIY post where we covered how to control cortisol, sleep better, and heal from your most intense workouts all by upping your DHA levels.

The great part about this breakfast is it’s inexpensive to make, it’s quick in just under 5 minutes, and you only need 2 ingredients.

Let’s get started.

Breakfast Bites: High Protein DHA Rich Breakfast Bagels.

When you think bagels for breakfast, what’s the first idea that pops into your head?

The first thing that may come to mind is bagels and cream cheese, bagels and boiled eggs with avocado, or bagels and smoked salmon. The problem is, the first can either be incredibly low in protein and the last can be ridiculously expensive to maintain as a regular breakfast item. The one in between can be effective, and while high in health fat, it can also be pretty low in protein if you’re just using one egg.

I built the SUPP UP. brand off of nutrient dense, easily accessible foods and nutrition know-how so you don’t have to break the bank, and you can travel wherever in the world while still hitting your nutrition and fitness goals. It was built for those in the military or active civilians. 8 years later, I still stand by that mission and am always looking to share that knowledge with people who want to take control of their health in both nutrition and fitness.

So let’s bring 2 foods to the spotlight and learn how when combined, they create a pretty nutrient dense breakfast (that can also be eaten as an in-between snack).

Bagels – and sardines.

Now before you make a face about sardines, my guess is you’ve probably never had them where they’re made to taste good. They’re not praised as much as salmon and tuna, the 2 most talked about (and probably over harvested) fish. Your local grocer doesn’t lay sardines out on display like they would a nice filet or cut of fatty salmon, or dark red tuna.

But sardines are packed with high protein, healthy fats – and more importantly of those fats, DHA. They’re not overpriced so you can load up on cans/tins for a lot less, they come pre-cooked, and there’s a variety of ways they’re seasoned so they’re ready to eat when you bring them home.

The key is, you don’t just crack them open and eat them straight from the tin.

Grill them instead.

SUPP UP. High Protein DHA Rich Breakfast Bagels

Makes: 1 serving

Prep Time: 2 minutes.

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Items Needed:

• An air fryer or the grill function on your oven
• A fork
• A small bowl
• A small plate

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tins of sardines
  • Usually the ones that have a drained weight of around 80 grams.
  • Tip: The sardines in tomato sauce taste best.
• 1-2 bagels
  • Pick your favorite – plain, seeded, wheat, etc.
• Optional: Salt / pepper – some manufacturers already add salt but if you like yours saltier, then add a dash when you’re mixing things together.

Directions:

1. Peel back the lid of the sardine tin and, depending on how the manufacturer packs them, carefully take out a sardine with a fork, then put it into a bowl.
2. Take that same fork and find the opening where the sardine has already been cut – split that open and gently remove anything you may not want to eat. Repeat for each sardine until finished.
   1. Tip: Some people eat sardines whole, spine, guts and all. This is because everything comes cooked when they get packed into the tins. Personally, I eat the spine and take out the little organs.
3. Separate the waste from the fish, scraping the waste out of the bowl and into a composter or the trash.
4. Then take your fork and mash all the sardines together. Think of it like chunky pâté.
5. Spread it over each bagel, and put it in the air fryer at 390 F / 200 C for 3 minutes.
6. Take it out, serve it up on a small plate, and eat.

Here’s my next question – how much protein, carbs, and healthy fats do you think this recipe gets you?

You may be surprised.

Here’s the macros if you used 2 tins and 2 bagels:

Yeah – a nice hit of 69 grams of protein, 26 grams of healthy fats, 101 grams of carbs, and a good dose of fiber at about 4.5 grams, among other things. If you read the chapter on fats in SUPP UP. No Bull Whole Food Military Nutrition at Home, you’ll remember there’s good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, and so the number above won’t alarm you – because with fish oil, it’s good cholesterol.

Bagels are good in the morning because they’re quick to heat up, light on the stomach if you don’t like a heavy breakfast, and provide a good and balanced. hit of carbs, fiber, and a small hit of protein.

If you want more straight forward recipes like this and a detailed but easy to read understanding of how nutrition really works, pick up the SUPP UP. No Bull Meal Planner now, or get it as a bundle with the SUPP UP. No Bull Military Nutrition at Home guide.

That’s all, folks.

If you liked this post, share it and subscribe.

*COUGH COUGH*

If you really like this post and want more in-depth information like this, but don’t have the SUPP UP. guides yet, buy SUPP UP. On The Go or SUPP UP. At Home and the SUPP UP. No Bull Meal Planner E-BOOKS now – they cost less than a trip to the grocery store but unlike that food, the knowledge gained lasts a lifetime.

If you’ve already bought the guides (hey, thanks), and like the free knowledge gained on the SUPP UP. blog – then go ahead and check out the other gear in my shop.

Pick up some whey protein for your next workout, new threads for that sleeve-splitting arms day, or something else that’ll help you remember that when it comes to fueling and training your body, once you learn how to, where you are matters less.

It’s a good way to keep the blog running healthy and strong. Every item, the material, colors, style, ingredients, and quality, were all hand picked by me.

You’ve already bought all the gear and guides? Well damn – thanks. Not looking for anything in particular in return? Then go ahead and donate whatever you like.

One more thing – if you go ahead and get the guides, you’ll discover what’s unique to each book recipes are available under the “Snacks” chapters (preview of chapters available in shop), and how to eliminate worries or concerns about getting the nutrition you need to stay fighting fit for when you’re deployed or at home.

Both books have recipes that provide nutritional breakdown so it makes things nice and easy.

Drop by next time for another great post to add to your workout and nutrition arsenal.

Stop doing guesswork, start making the necessities of your life easier.

SUPP UP. – Get your copies now.

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– SUPP UP.

Breakfast Bites: High Protein DHA Rich Breakfast Bagels is a post from and was seen first on SUPP UP.

SUPP UP. TTS (for the vision impaired):

Feature Image & Photo 1 Credit: Aneta Voborilova
Photo 2: Mari Helin
Photo 3: Ruts Vakulenko
Photo 4: Rebeca Alvidrez

 

I’m a big fan of music – as a teenager, whenever I had the time I would compile playlists with such concentration and care you’d think I was being paid for it. While I don’t have as much free time as I did back then, I still like to put together a good playlist – especially for my workouts.

It’s one of the reasons why I offered up 4 different workout motivation playlist for boxing, weightlifting, running, endurance, and military workouts in the 5-day Military SSE Workout Challenge during COVID.

I hit the gym the other day and something dawned on me. I haven’t shared a workout playlist since then.

Let’s fix that.

Here’s one I use whenever I’m doing agility work for MMA. Fighting is all about rhythm so what you workout to when it comes to sparring, drills, etc, is important for keeping rhythm – Zayde Wolf makes some good beats for this exact thing. Enjoy.

RHYTHM & AGILITY: MMA WORKOUT PLAYLIST.

If you need to be able to workout anywhere, get the SUPP UP. No Bull, Gym In A Bag Workout Guide here.

If you liked this post, share it and subscribe.

*COUGH COUGH*

If You Know How To Fuel and Train Your Body, Where You Are Matters Less.™

– Sol at SUPP UP.

Rhythm & Agility: MMA Workout Playlist is a post from SUPP UP.

 

We’re back at it again only this time, we’ll look into how to control cortisol levels, sleep better, and heal, with one essential nutrient you might be missing. If you’re new to the SUPP UP. blog or haven’t read the last few posts, in the last Workout Nutrition DIY, we ran through the benefits of creatine outside the gym. We deep dove into research on why creatine supplementation is useful when it comes to sleep deprivation, depression, and how supplementation of creatine can become necessary when encountering things like brain injury, cardiovascular disease, or other physiologically stressful scenarios.

Lately I’ve been heavily focused on sleep deprivation, mainly because I know this is a chronic problem in certain professions, especially military and emergency services. I’ve mentioned it countless times in the blog – I don’t know where I’d be today if I didn’t learn how to manage sleep deprivation, and I’m pretty sure my mental health would’ve taken a nose dive off a cliff had I not kept my nutrition uptake on point whenever possible. The best part is, I learned how to strip away the inessential, focusing on what really worked – and for almost a decade now I’ve dedicated myself to sharing this knowledge with anyone else who needs it. I have no intention of stopping.

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Workout Nutrition DIY: Control Cortisol, Sleep Better, and Heal [Here’s How].

Most of us that have a focus on reducing stress also have concerns about cortisol. What we have to remember though, is that like estrogen (and yes, men have estrogen), cortisol is essential and a vital part of life. In my SUPP UP. No Bull Workouts for Better Sex guide (did you buy the paperback or the e-book?), I mentioned the importance of cortisol and how it’s akin to nature’s built-in alarm system; here’s an excerpt from the book:

“Cortisol is a steroid hormone that your adrenal glands (the endocrine glands on top of your kidneys) produce and release. It affects several aspects of your body and mainly helps regulate your body’s response to stress. Think of cortisol as nature’s built-in alarm system. It’s your body’s main stress hormone. It works with certain parts of your brain to control your mood, motivation, and fear. It also helps keep inflammation down, regulates blood pressure, controls your sleep/wake cycle, increases your glucose (blood sugar), and boosts your energy to overcome stress and restore balance post-stress.”

Put simply, cortisol gives you the stuff that fights stress from infection, illness, fright, and trauma.

Cortisol should be something that people praise – and in past blog posts I’ve called it a necessary evil – but it’s only evil when left unchecked. There’s situations when you want cortisol levels to be higher, and situations when it’s better off lower. When left unchecked, cortisol can hinder muscle growth, encourage accumulation of abdominal fat, and adversely affect your testosterone and growth hormone output (yes, this goes for women too).

You can thank your lucky stars though, that there’s a simple solution to help counter high cortisol levels…and that my friend, is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) often found in fish oil. DHA is one of the most important omega-3 fatty acids. You read right – fish oil, or more specifically, DHA can help you control excess cortisol by reducing stress; this means it’ll be easier to sleep, build muscle, and lose fat. Plus, if you workout on a consistent basis, inflammation is another issue you have to concern yourself with, something that I talk about extensively in the SUPP UP. No Bull nutrition guides, and that fish oil (i.e. the combination therein of DHA and EPA) aids in reducing.

Now you might be from the generation that was forced to take fish oil when they were a kid even though they hated it and the taste was awful. It’s improved since then, with little tweaks to make it taste better; but I’ve always been a believer of “function not flavor” when it comes to health. This one is easier to stomach than most so embrace the suck. If you’re still taking it then you’re in for a nice surprise, because the benefits far outweigh the flavor.

The Research

Fun fact – for all you fish oil haters out there, curcumin (known as turmeric) also boosts DHA levels in the brain and aids in absorption of DHA, though it does so via a different process (Aiguo et al, 2015). The research I’m focusing on today though, is how DHA, or more accurately high levels of DHA in fish oil lowers cortisol, anxiety, and stress.

Hamazaki et al (2000) Study

Let’s focus on the anti-stress effects of DHA first, starting with a study done by Hamazaki et al (2000).

Hamazaki et al (2000) discuss how DHA is abundant in the brain, and how a deficiency of DHA alters behavior in animals. Their research focused on stress and to clarify the effects of DHA intake on hostility and plasma catecholamines. 2 studies were conducted.

• 41 students took either DHA-rich oil capsules containing 1.5-1.8 grams DHA/d (5 males and 17 females) or control oil capsules containing 97% soybean oil plus 3% fish oil (7 males and 12 females) for 3 months in a double blind fashion.
• They then took a psychological test (P-F Study) at the start and end of the study. Study 1 commenced at the end of summer vacation and ended in the middle of final exams, where mental stress was at its peak.
• The results? In the control group, hostility measured by P-F Study was significantly increased at the end of the study, compared with hostility measured at the start (a 58% increase), whereas it was not significantly changed in the DHA group (a 14% decrease).
• In a similar double blind 2 month study, plasma catecholamines and cortisol of students were measured (4 males and 3 females for the DHA group and the same numbers for the control) at the start and end of the study.
• In study 2 the students were under continuous stress from final exams which lasted for two months throughout the entire study duration.
• The results? The plasma cortisol did not change in either group, but the norepinephrine concentration was significantly decreased in the DHA group (a 31% decrease), whereas it stayed at the same level in the control group.

So what does the research by Hamazaki et al (2000) tell us? Taking DHA and the effects of it therein may be applied to people under psychological stress.

That was research from 2000. Let’s run through another study, this time more recently from 2024.

Reddan et al (2024) Study

Reddan et al (2024) recognized that while there’s research that long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) supplementation benefits mood, the extent that a single high dose of n-3 PUFA can affect moods hadn’t really been examined much. So, they decided to investigate whether a single dose of a DHA-rich powder affected self-reported moods in middle aged men during elevated cognitive demand. Here’s how the study went:

• Reddan et al (2024) conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a balanced crossover design; 29 healthy middle aged men were given a powder (mixed into a meal) containing 4.02 grams DHA and 720 mg EPA or placebo in random order on 2 different testing dates, separated by a washout period of 4-10 days.
• Participants completed mood assessments before and after completing 2 cognitive tests batteries at baseline and again 3.5-4 hours following the consumption of DHA/EPA or placebo.
• While completion of the cognitive test batteries increased negative mood, differing effects for alertness and stress were evidenced after taking the DHA-rich powder compared with the placebo.
• Although alertness decreased when finishing the cognitive batteries, alertness was higher in the men that took the DHA-rich powder compared to those who didn’t. Further, stress was lower in those that had the DHA-rich powder  than those who had the placebo.

The results from Reddan et al (2024)’s pilot study reveal that a single high dose of DHA-rich supplementation can help control stress levels and fatigue during mentally taxing situations.

So like Hamazaki et al (2000), what does Reddan et al (2024) tell us? DHA rich foods or supplements can aid in lowering or keeping stress at bay. If you mitigate stress, not only do you lower cortisol levels, but you sleep better.

If you sleep better, your body heals better….and if you heal better, your system is less in “survival mode” aka your sympathetic nervous system isn’t needlessly triggered, meaning your parasympathetic nervous system can kick in more, keeping you in a healthy, relaxed state. You’ll remember I did a deep dive into the importance and functions of the sympathic and parasympathetic nervous systems in the SUPP UP. No Bull Workouts for Better Sex guide.

How to Tweak Your Fish Oil Intake for High DHA

Did you notice something in the studies? If you’re already sold on how high levels of DHA can be beneficial, you might notice that finding fish oil supplements that actually contain high levels of DHA can be a challenge, especially at the levels participants had in the studies I mentioned.

You might also be wondering what’s a good baseline level of high DHA to have, considering Hamazaki et al (2000) and Reddan et al (2024) ranged from 1.5 to as much as 4 grams per dose. In my opinion, if you workout consistently and you’re mentally taxed daily, shoot for 2 grams of DHA balanced with a healthy dose of EPA (more or less 300-400 mg).

I’ll give you a heads up – there is some info floating around the internet that will tell you taking high doses of DHA thins blood, even peddled by some health professionals. However, PhD nutritionists have confirmed this is only if you take insanely high levels of DHA and EPA – we’re talking 10+ grams of the stuff. No one’s going to be taking anywhere near that dose; 2 grams max of DHA and around 400 mg max EPA per day is more than enough for any stress, physiological or psychological, that gets thrown your way.

If you can’t find a fish oil with those exact specifications, or if you want to dial up/down how much DHA/EPA you take tailoring it to your needs, buy them separately and just increase/decrease how many soft gels you take. While I rarely give my opinion on brands because quality can change at any time, there are a few consistently solid ones out there, one good brand being NOW. They have DHA 1,000 mg soft gels and EPA 360 mg soft gels available.

Most importantly, this post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that it’s always good to get your fats from whole foods first.

Here’s the top 5 fish to get DHA/EPA from and how much you’ll get per 100 gram serving:

DHA/EPA per 100 gram serving from fish

1. Mackerel – 4,580 mg DHA/EPA (combined) per 100 g. They’re also high in B12 and selenium. I’ve made some of my best gains eating mackerel.
2. Salmon – 2,150 mg DHA/EPA (combined) per 100 g. Research shows that salmon when eaten regularly also reduces risk of heart disease, dementia, and depression (Jang et al, 2020; Chaves et al, 2022; NIA, 2023)
3. Herring – 2,150 mg DHA/EPA (combined) per 100 g. Like mackerel, also a great source of B12 and selenium.
4. Anchovies – 2,053 mg DHA/EPA (combined) per 100 g. Anchovies have a really strong taste, so you may end up eating less of these per serving. They’re a great source of selenium and niacin.
5. Sardines – 982 mg DHA/EPA (combined) per 100 g. Because they’re so small, you’ll probably want to bump up consumption to about 150 g for 1,463 mg DHA/EPA. Also a great source of B12, vitamin D, and selenium.

Last but not least, and though it’s not a fish it’s derived from one: cod liver oil. You’ll get a solid 2,438 mg of DHA/EPA (combined) per tablespoon. This is probably the most practical option if you don’t live in a seaside town or have the cash to front for quality fish. Brands are taking shortcuts with this long tested, commonly known household oil though – check the ingredients list and make sure it doesn’t have crap fillers or mystery oil labeled simply as ‘fish oil’. You also want to make sure it’s ethically sourced and has quality triglycerides.

So, now you understand how much DHA to take and some solid sources to get it from. This brings us to another important question – when are cortisol levels at their highest? If you understand the timing of this, you know the best time to take DHA to make it the most effective.

Peak Cortisol Levels

In the morning, cortisol levels peak and then taper off throughout the day. That’s fine, if the levels are in healthy ranges. However, if you’ve been training for a while now you know that cortisol levels surge during and after hard workouts, which affects muscle protein synthesis negatively. Additionally, if you experience mental stress or overtrain, cortisol will remain high throughout the day and night – this is something you want to avoid.

And yeah, you can always make sure that your workout nutrition (pre, intra, and post) is on point to get a handle on cortisol surges, but if you’re training hard or you’re training hard and are mentally taxed outside of your workout, your body will need that extra boost. DHA in fish oil will help control the spike in cortisol, if you take it at the right time.

The Best Time to Take DHA

The best time to take DHA / fish oil is when you head to bed. You can also take it at dinner, but just before bed is best as this will help you reduce the surge of cortisol levels at night and, consequently, reducing those cortisol levels will help you sleep. This is especially helpful when you’ve trained hard, because when you take DHA / fish oil at night, you’ll help your body keep peak morning cortisol levels at bay, meaning muscle protein synthesis won’t be hampered. Additionally, muscle tissue won’t be used to raise glucose levels.

Taking your DHA at night will also help with inflammation after a hard workout; while EPA has been traditionally considered a more potent anti-inflammatory fatty acid than DHA, other studies suggest that DHA has a potent anti-inflammatory effect, possibly more potent than that of EPA (see Fard et al, 2019, 4.3.1).

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – nutrition is so important, but often so overlooked.

That’s all folks.

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References

1. Bafkar, N. et al. (2024). Efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation for anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Psychiatry, 24(455). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-05881-2
2. Barbados, P. et al. (2013). Fish oil supplementation reduces cortisol basal levels and perceived stress: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in abstinent alcoholics, Mol. Nutr. Food Res, 57(6), pp. 1110-1114, https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201200676
3. Bradbury, J. et al. (2004). An adaptogenic role for omega-3 fatty acids in stress; a randomised placebo controlled double blind intervention study (pilot) [ISRCTN22569553]. Nutrition Journal, 3(20) https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-3-20
4. Chaves, R. d. C. S. et al. (2022). Consumption of Omega-3 and Maintenance and Incidence of Depressive Episodes: The ELSA-Brasil Study. Nutrients, 14(15), 3227. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14153227
5. Clerici, L., et al. (2025). Gut Microbiome, Diet and Depression: Literature Review of Microbiological, Nutritional and Neuroscientific Aspects. Current Nutrition Reports, 14(30), https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-025-00619-2
6. Fard, S. G. Et al. (2019). How does high DHA fish oil affect health? A systematic review of evidence. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 59(11), pp. 1684-1727, https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2018.1425978 
7. Hamazaki, T., et al. (2000). Anti-stress effects of DHA. BioFactors (Oxford, England) 13(1-4), pp. 41–45. https://doi.org/10.1002/biof.5520130108
8. Larrieu, T., & Layé, S. (2018). Food for Mood: Relevance of Nutritional Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Depression and Anxiety. Frontiers in physiology, 9(1047), https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01047
9. Laye, S. (2010). Polyunsaturated fatty acids, neuroinflammation and well being. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 82(4), pp. 295-303, https://www.plefa.com/article/S0952-3278(10)00050-5/abstract
10. Miller, A.H. et al. (2009). Inflammation and Its Discontents: The Role of Cytokines in the Pathophysiology of Major Depression. Biological Psychiatry, 65(9), pp. 732-741, https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(08)01532-1/fulltext
11. NIA. (2023). What Do We Know About Diet and Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease?. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-and-dementia/what-do-we-know-about-diet-and-prevention-alzheimers-disease
12. Reddan, J.M. et al. (2024). From ocean to emotion: a pilot study exploring acute mood effects following consumption of a DHA-rich powder compared with placebo in middle-aged Australian men. British Journal of Nutrition, pp. 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114524002204
13. Shi Z. et al. (2019). Fish oil treatment reduces chronic alcohol exposure induced synaptic changes. Addiction Biology, 24, pp. 577–589, https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12623.
14. Wu, A. et al. (2015). Curcumin boosts DHA in the brain: Implications for the prevention of anxiety disorders. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Molecular Basis of Disease, 1852(5), pp. 951-961, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2014.12.005
15. Zhang, B., Xiong, K., Cai, J., & Ma, A. (2020). Fish Consumption and Coronary Heart Disease: A Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 12(8), 2278. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082278 

Workout Nutrition DIY: Control Cortisol, Sleep Better, and Heal [Here’s How]. is a post from SUPP UP.

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