What supplements do you take?

[mcb]

...

Yeh Sugar is my main concern as well. I have debated diluting with water or using only super low sugar content vegetables. I used to juice grapes and apples along with veggies but the more I learn about the negative effects of excessive sugar the more I try to avoid it. Now if I have a sweet tooth I generally just take a tablespoon of some raw/organic honey but every once in awhile I give in and have something that is forbidden like cheesecake or cinnabon

I have had difficulty finding nutrient-rich, low-carb (low net carbs) vegetables in the store, but there are a few. I have mostly been including chard, along with fresh (not dried/bottled) herbs like cilantro, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Organic always. Most of the others in the produce section have one or more issues, and I only have them occasionally if at all, or only when traveling. I would like to find more. As far as I am concerned, these ARE my main supplements.

I have thought about trying some higher carb items such as root vegetables, as an occasional alternative, and observing the results with a ketone meter, but I haven't actually done the experiment yet. Has anyone else?

 

[Mr. Premise]

...

Yeh Sugar is my main concern as well. I have debated diluting with water or using only super low sugar content vegetables. I used to juice grapes and apples along with veggies but the more I learn about the negative effects of excessive sugar the more I try to avoid it. Now if I have a sweet tooth I generally just take a tablespoon of some raw/organic honey but every once in awhile I give in and have something that is forbidden like cheesecake or cinnabon

I have had difficulty finding nutrient-rich, low-carb (low net carbs) vegetables in the store, but there are a few. I have mostly been including chard, along with fresh (not dried/bottled) herbs like cilantro, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Organic always. Most of the others in the produce section have one or more issues, and I only have them occasionally if at all, or only when traveling. I would like to find more. As far as I am concerned, these ARE my main supplements.

I have thought about trying some higher carb items such as root vegetables, as an occasional alternative, and observing the results with a ketone meter, but I haven't actually done the experiment yet. Has anyone else?

What Trajan was talking about was juicing vegetables, not eating small amounts. That's where the high sugar content would come into play. You wouldn't get as much of the starches but the amount of sugars in the amount of vegetables necessary to get any amount of juice would seem to me to be way too high to justify any nutritional benefit.

Maybe the answer would be to ferment the sugars out with a Kombucha culture or something. It would be like liquid fermented vegetables.

 

[Trajan]

...

Yeh Sugar is my main concern as well. I have debated diluting with water or using only super low sugar content vegetables. I used to juice grapes and apples along with veggies but the more I learn about the negative effects of excessive sugar the more I try to avoid it. Now if I have a sweet tooth I generally just take a tablespoon of some raw/organic honey but every once in awhile I give in and have something that is forbidden like cheesecake or cinnabon

I have had difficulty finding nutrient-rich, low-carb (low net carbs) vegetables in the store, but there are a few. I have mostly been including chard, along with fresh (not dried/bottled) herbs like cilantro, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Organic always. Most of the others in the produce section have one or more issues, and I only have them occasionally if at all, or only when traveling. I would like to find more. As far as I am concerned, these ARE my main supplements.

I have thought about trying some higher carb items such as root vegetables, as an occasional alternative, and observing the results with a ketone meter, but I haven't actually done the experiment yet. Has anyone else?

What Trajan was talking about was juicing vegetables, not eating small amounts. That's where the high sugar content would come into play. You wouldn't get as much of the starches but the amount of sugars in the amount of vegetables necessary to get any amount of juice would seem to me to be way too high to justify any nutritional benefit.

Maybe the answer would be to ferment the sugars out with a Kombucha culture or something. It would be like liquid fermented vegetables.

Yes juicing and back in the day....like 6 months ago ;) I was trying to juice every single day or at least every week. One of my favorites was to juice a bunch of carrots and sometimes throw in an apple as well. Needless to say I would roll thru the checkout line at the store with bag after bag of carrots every single week which brought me a few questions. Now I know that carrots have a higher sugar content than a lot of other veggies but if that is my only regular sugar consumption is it really that bad?
I am not a full on ketogenic eater but I am slowly working my way in that direction. I still eat some fruit but in a much more limited capacity which includes some apples, blueberries, strawberries, very rarely some pineapple (I might be allergic though) and I know they are pretty high in sugar content, and I may also have something else at random from time to time like a pomegranate. But I will digress since this is a thread about supplementation.

 

[mcb]

...What Trajan was talking about was juicing vegetables, not eating small amounts. That's where the high sugar content would come into play. You wouldn't get as much of the starches but the amount of sugars in the amount of vegetables necessary to get any amount of juice would seem to me to be way too high to justify any nutritional benefit.

Maybe the answer would be to ferment the sugars out with a Kombucha culture or something. It would be like liquid fermented vegetables.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Yes, any time you juice something, fruit or vegetable, you will be concentrating not only the nutrients but the anti-nutrients and the sugar (and pollutants if not organic), creating a processed food, and I suspect there will be some kind of price to pay (possibly hidden). Juices are not really what I think of as a "supplement" -- they would be more like a main course to me, and I sure wouldn't want them as the centerpiece of my diet.

Fermenting could remove quite a bit of sugar, and some anti-nutrients, but I would be inclined to keep the vegetables fairly whole rather than juicing them. The more you break them up, the more chances for trouble. If they are juiced, you'd want to consume it right away -- since any natural preservative effect is likely gone at that point -- and to not consume large quantities, I would think, because of the concentrating effect.

Some of the "good veggies," however, such as root vegetables, are naturally high in sugar content. They are good sources of nutrients, but could possibly lower ketone levels somewhat. They may also contain fructose, but I am beginning to suspect that, in limited amounts and bound in natural form to a comparable amount of glucose, that may not be as big of an issue as some authors/researchers are saying (unless you are fructose intolerant for whatever reason). In any case, it's still sugar.

 

[Mr. Premise]

The point, Trajan, is to count your carbs. Keep them below a certain threshold. No matter how you're taking them. And, avoid grains, legumes, and dairy (dairy protein at least).

An easy to read book that has an appendix with carb counts of common foods is Life Without Bread. You'll be surprised how much carbs most fruits have. They're basically like eating candy.

 

[Trajan]

The point, Trajan, is to count your carbs. Keep them below a certain threshold. No matter how you're taking them. And, avoid grains, legumes, and dairy (dairy protein at least).

An easy to read book that has an appendix with carb counts of common foods is Life Without Bread. You'll be surprised how much carbs most fruits have. They're basically like eating candy.

The grains and legumes I am avoiding, I still take in a little bit of dairy in the form of goat cheese and protein shakes. (Minimally processed)

 

[Alcarohtare]

Now i'm taking Magnesium, fish oil, vitamin C and L- carnitine, sometines more or less, adjusted on body needs.
I also dring lots of nettle tea for a potassium, until i procure suitable supplement again.
About a fish oil, is a dose of 8000 mg sufficient, as i'm taking it in capsules 'cause i, honestly, can't afford a cod liver oil or pure fish oil?

 

[Ariadna]

Hello, I'm quite confused with the supplements and vitamins that are good and convenient to use. I am currently taking some but may be insufficient doses or some supplements are not priority for me. I'm actually reading the issues related to diet, candida and detox, but there is much information and I'm afraid I did not properly integrate all. I feel insecure in relation to the steps, I would go steady, I'm motivated, I want to get it right and I will not give up. A little background:

- About 6 months ago, I started to reduce carbohydrate intake and increase exercise.
- About 3 months ago I stopped taking gluten, sugar, milk and dairy products and alcohol and coffee. I can have done some transgression small and sporadic. I have reduced the intake of carbohydrates and increased fats and proteins (egg, butter, lard, fat and bone broth, keep vegetables, some potato, some rice, few pulses, fermented vegetables, and two pieces of daily fruit (apple, orange, watermelon, not melon, not banana). I think I could improve this. I'm a little stuck there.
-I have lost weight 7kgr from 72 to 65kgr, although this wasn't a goal for me.
- My last blood test (21/06/2013):
. Glucose 80 mg / dl
. Cholesterol: 182mg/dl----------before 205 mg/dl (12/02/2013)
. Triglycerides: 54mg/dl----------before 47 " "
. Creatinine: 0.84 mgr/gl---------before 0. 73 mg/ dl "
. Urate: 6.1 mgr/dl------------ 4.5 mg / dl
. Glomerular filtration: 73 ml / min
. Alanine aminotransferase: 17 U/L-------before 19
. Gamma glutamyltransferase: 13U/L---- Before 16
. Bilirubin <1.2
. Sodium: 138
. Potassium: 4
. C-reactive protein: 4.4
. Rheumatoid factors: <7
. Alanine aminotransferase: 17 U/L-------19
. Gamma glutamyltransferase: 13U/L-----16
. Bilirubin <1.2
. Sodium: 138
. Potassium: 4
. C-reactive protein: 4.4
. Rheumatoid factors: <7
. Erythrocytes: 4.80
. Hemoglobine: 14.7
. Hematocrit: 43
. Folic Acid: 13.7
. Vitamin B12: 376
. I have no figures of ferritin. The last article number is 23, 08/2008
It seems I pass with the protein intake, the problem may be that I don’t know take much fat without bread.
Perhaps these indicators reveal some important information to someone skilled

The suplamentos I take daily are:
- Vitamin C: 120 mgr.
- B-Complex 75 (Solaray)
- L-Glutathione 50mgr.
- Magnesium: 355 mgr.
- Vitamin E 550mgr.
- Alpha lipoic acid: 250mgr.

Some doses may be insufficient, such as vitamin C or glutathione, I think, in relation to what I see in some of you and I read. I would also like to know that other supplements priority would be to incorporate into my diet, since these are many. I'm a woman 49 years old. :/

Thank you for your contributions.

 

[Gaby]

About a fish oil, is a dose of 8000 mg sufficient, as i'm taking it in capsules 'cause i, honestly, can't afford a cod liver oil or pure fish oil?

I would say that is more than enough. I would take 2-3 capsules and add in some sardines into my diet and other small fish.

In general, research suggests that eating fish should present no problem with mercury toxicity as long as the fish is rich in selenium, which is most of them. As it happens, fish that have higher concentrations of mercury than selenium are the super big predatory ones: whale, shark, swordfish, marlin, tarpon. That is not exactly what people have in mind when they go to get some fish for dinner :)

 

[Gaby]

The grains and legumes I am avoiding, I still take in a little bit of dairy in the form of goat cheese and protein shakes. (Minimally processed)

Yeah, but that is enough to give you setbacks. Most people have problems with these, even when traditionally casein from goats is considered more digestible. Casein is basically a drug, so something so "benign" as a protein shake can give problems.

Read this article:

http://www.sott.net/article/225467-Why-Milk-Is-So-Evil

I think it will give you some more information and inspiration to adjust your diet.

 

[Gaby]

The suplamentos I take daily are:
- Vitamin C: 120 mgr.
- B-Complex 75 (Solaray)
- L-Glutathione 50mgr.
- Magnesium: 355 mgr.
- Vitamin E 550mgr.
- Alpha lipoic acid: 250mgr.

Some doses may be insufficient, such as vitamin C or glutathione, I think, in relation to what I see in some of you and I read. I would also like to know that other supplements priority would be to incorporate into my diet, since these are many. I'm a woman 49 years old. :/

Thank you for your contributions.

The blood analysis doesn't look that bad, but I think your fruit choices are less than ideal. Your increase in urate might be related to too much fructose sugar. If you still need fruit, I would choose berries and lemons, but I would try to adjust the diet in order to be without it for a period of time. Things like rice can be substituted with tubers such as sweet potatoes. In that way you can be consistently 100% gluten-free.

The supplements don't look bad either. As long as your sugar intake is moderate, you'll probably need more vitamin C, around 2-4 grams sound more like it, 120mg is too low. The rest of the doses look good, although I would prefer NAC instead of glutathione, the later one having more a positive effect on your gut cells. But NAC as a precursor of glutathione might be more effective. The ideal magnesium dose is higher too, but it depends on stress and other factors. Around 700-800mg throughout the day is a better dose.

I would read Primal Body Primal Mind by Nora Gedgaudas and/or other top health recommended books other than the recommended health threads in the forum. The book goes a long way in synthesizing vital info which will give you a better idea on how to adjust your diet. It can be overwhelming, but step by step and you'll get there. :)

My 2 cents!

 

[mcb]

About a fish oil, is a dose of 8000 mg sufficient, as i'm taking it in capsules 'cause i, honestly, can't afford a cod liver oil or pure fish oil?

I would say that is more than enough. I would take 2-3 capsules and add in some sardines into my diet and other small fish.

In general, research suggests that eating fish should present no problem with mercury toxicity as long as the fish is rich in selenium, which is most of them. As it happens, fish that have higher concentrations of mercury than selenium are the super big predatory ones: whale, shark, swordfish, marlin, tarpon. That is not exactly what people have in mind when they go to get some fish for dinner :)

So in other words, if it is a fish that might want *you* for dinner, don't eat it. Makes sense.

 

[Alcarohtare]

About a fish oil, is a dose of 8000 mg sufficient, as i'm taking it in capsules 'cause i, honestly, can't afford a cod liver oil or pure fish oil?

I would say that is more than enough. I would take 2-3 capsules and add in some sardines into my diet and other small fish.

In general, research suggests that eating fish should present no problem with mercury toxicity as long as the fish is rich in selenium, which is most of them. As it happens, fish that have higher concentrations of mercury than selenium are the super big predatory ones: whale, shark, swordfish, marlin, tarpon. That is not exactly what people have in mind when they go to get some fish for dinner :)

Thank you for responding. :)
There are periods when i predominantly eat fish(small) as main source of protein and there are periods when i eat meat predominantly, though combination is the best. I tried with dose of 3 capsules, but i found i feel better with more, so i'm taking 5 lately. The main reason, as i see it, of my larger fish oil need is probably my huge sensitivity, and i feel more balanced when i take double quantity.

 

[Nancy2feathers]

I`v noticed lately I have a nagging cough. Sometimes I`ll cough and there will be brown phlegm. I`m assuming it`s from smoking.Lately, I have increased the amount of cigarettes I smoke per day. I`d say 5-6 per day. I do smoke organic american spirit loose tobacco and roll my own with the raw hemp papers. I try to roll them thin so I`m not smoking as much tobacco.

When I notice the coughing and brown phlegm, I take a couple thousand mg`s of vitamin C and it goes away for a while. Just wondering if anyone else experienced the same with smoking. I so enjoy cigarettes. I really don`t want to give them up.

 

[Nancy2feathers]

Maybe this post should fall under "Is Smoking Good for You?"