Review: The Book of Supplement Secrets by Tim Mielke

The Book of Supplement Secrets: A Beginner’s Guide to Nutritional Supplements is written by Tim Mielke, a bodybuilding expert with years of first-hand nutritional supplements experience under his belt, and a body to prove they work.

Did you know your body stops producing essential amino acids under stress? How about that multivitamin pill you take every day – does it really deliver all you need? What type of weight-loss supplement truly works? What about Omega Oils? Are you sure you know what sugars are in your weight-loss shake? A lot of us sheepishly wash down a handful of various pills hoping they do something, willing the article we read on Google to be really true evidence of body-shaping without the effort.

This small, neat book is unique in that Mielke doesn’t push any brand or certain product; he simply spells out the science for the nutritional beginner. He explains the way that nutritional marketing is manipulated, and how statistics warp the truth about how effective a product actually is. He talks about how to get through the minefield of scientific labels and slogans to find the quality ingredients you need to keep fit and healthy.  And sorry guys, the truth is, you need to exercise and eat well! That’s the point of a supplement!

There’s also very useful info on FDA regulations and the truth about sell-by dates. He talks about liquid suspensions, and explains what’s natural and what’s not. He explains how companies use different grades of ingredients, and why it’s legal – but outrageous – for them to do so, and how they get round these legal limitations.

There’s an interesting section on muscle-building, and how to build an attractive muscular body as a woman without beefing up. I am glad he sets the record straight about weight-lifting. As he says, muscles shape the body: fat just hangs there. If you want a good figure, you need to build muscle.

The only issue I had was that this book is five years old – it could really do with a new edition, as a book like this needs to be “hot off the press” with new scientific findings. It could also do with an index page so the reader could use it while shopping for quick reference. Photos are not clear, and the actual cover is not very enticing. A color photo of Tim in his full muscular condition, for example, would definitely sell a lot of copies (see inset photo!).

I think this book has a lot to offer. It’s certainly a keeper and as I get a free copy it’s going in my kitchen book collection for when I replenish my supplements and vitamins (I’m sporadically a P90X girl).  The main unique selling point here is that instead of being a so-called expert, Tim is the enthusiastic lab rat. He actually took these supplements, worked out, ate, and lived with the results, recording them in this field guide.

I wish Tim all the luck with this project – I just want to see an updated edition – then I think he’s onto something of a bestselling idea. If you need a guide on supplements that tells you like it is, this is it.

Links
Amazon
Barnes & Noble