Need vitamins !

Hey guys what kind of vitamins are you taking? I tried the sport ones from GNC but most of the times I forgot to take them and I've to throw'em in the trash because they're expired, now I'm taking 1aday, but would love to know which ones are you guys using and if they are working..
I just need them because I know I don't get all what I need from my food. thanks !!!

 

You can't fix a bad diet with pills. Learn to cook better.

 

My supplements are:

Salmon 3x/week.
Massive amounts of leafy green vegetables (read: spinach etc)
Cruciferous vegetables: broccoli et al;
Blueberries, bananas, strawberries
Chicken
Even beef once a week.

 

Don't get me wrong Rusty, we cook healthy, we have a nutri-bullet and make those veggies and fruit shakes/smothies and we eat red once a week, but still I feel that I'm not getting all I need, since I work at night and sometimes I woke up late in the day I only eat a big meal before going to work and another big meal at my lunch at work, but some advice/recommendations are always welcome !

 

Jaime, we often buy the high-potency 2x-day vit-mineral tablets from TJs, red and blue label. I've read that it's good to change up periodically. Sometimes I'll do vitamin packets (in the can at TJs), which obviously are pricier. I look for high potency esp in the water-soluble vitamins (all Bs, C). Fat solubles and minerals have toxic levels in high doses, so don't go crazy with those. Cheers...

 

Here's how I get my vitamins

 

Good question, Jaime... I try to get most of what I need from food. As RWS says above, a good balance of fruits and veggies goes a long way. I actually love most veggies, so this is pretty easy for me. I'd rather eat a pot of steamed broccoli, carrots, or spinach than a bowl of ice cream.

 

That face she makes after swallowing the solution just busts my gut...classic!! Probably bc it reminds me when my mom use to make me take Cod Liver Oil when I was a kid. Ack.....

 

When I was a kid, my first century rides used to go past Lucy's birthplace in Jamestown, NY... which is dead center in the middle of nowheresville.

 

Groovy. That's part of the battle. The other part is not eating any crap. Fast food? NEVER. Added sugar causes inflammation and insulin resistance, which leads to disease.

I think taking vitamins is especially important for athletes. If you're asking your body to perform feats of strength and endurance, you're going to require more of the building blocks to repair damage and to keep your body functioning at its peak. The USRDA is for average people. If you're an athlete, you're going to need more nutrients--which should not be confused with calories.

When you get your physical and routine blood test, your doctor can check for all sorts of nutrient levels. The lab might have a "normal" range that they think is ok, but for some components, like vitamins B12 and D3, you might want to try to bump them up toward the maximum levels. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to all sorts of heinous diseases.

So here's what I take on most days:

Multivitamin
D3
B12
C
Astaxanthin
CoQ10

Sometimes I'll eat a calcium/magnesium.
If I'm feeling off, I'll eat extra zinc and C.

Krill Oil (provides Omega 3) is great. Right now I have the cheaper fish oil, and I don't take it often because it gives me fish breath. When it's gone, I'll stick to the krill.

 

Get mine from enriched grain products, but I have a bottle of "super" Vitamin B (basically a mix of all the different Bs) to supplement my diet if needed, which basically is what helps metabolize everything in your body into usable energy. No worries about ODing on it, since it's water soluble, and would just piss out (would make your piss orange, even if you've been over hydrating).

Was interested in Calcium+Magnesium (citrate based), since they're technically electrolytes, but need to do more research on it.

I've very utilitarian when it comes to diet. I'm not much into the foodie culture, but that doesn't mean I don't care about the taste. Nutrition just takes high priority, as is convenience. Example of what I typically have for breakfast (I think 1 of the large bowls I use counts as 4-5 servings if filled):



Rice and pasta that is either "whole grain" or enriched with vitamins are what I tend to have for my other meals, to ensure my glycogen stores are topped off. Refined stuff is not that bad, if you are getting your nutrients elsewhere. Can add whatever you like to the rice and pasta, but I keep it simple and just choose typical utilitarian options like canned sardines/mackerel. I avoid the stuff that is enriched with high levels of iron.

 

2nd the leafy greens.
There was a show that examined common habits in "blue zones" of the world where people commonly live 100+, including Loma Linda.
All the vintage folk were very active, and ate mostly home-grown vegetarian including lots of daily leafy greens.

 

What's their dotage like, I wonder. When it comes to the brain, you gotta use it or lose it, and it likes straight up sugar.

 

Well I'll go to TJ every now and then, I'm going to get the B'12 shots, my older brother uses them and he always talk about how good they are, also more veggies are in order for sure along with the vitamins I already have, thanks everyone of you my peeps !!

 

Who's on here? Bunch of health freeks seems like? Ha ha.

 

Health freeks? haha, no HB, we just haven't started the Bad Health Habits thread yet.

Jaime, I forgot to mention Emergen-C, those little packets of powder you mix with water (or dump in your mouth, Matthew Lee style, with a swig of water). I used to think it was a joke, then I tried it. Contains electrolytes and water-sol vitamins. I take one to three packets on every ride now. It's like giving your mind a shower...calm alertness without any speedy feeling, and a little physical rejuvenation also. Alacer Corporation (in OC) FTW...too bad TJs stopped carrying it. Super Orange and Tangerine are my go-to flavors. Not super cheap, but well worth my money.

 

FTW: I don't take vitamins. I eat everything and pretty much anything I desire. I do believe in moderation w EVERYTHING tho: Food, exercise, drinking, sex (yes sex).

I get sick (w a cold) once a year, if that.

Live life - stop getting hung up on the stupid sh*t!! FTW.......

 

Geritol for me, one, maybe two per day, depending on how old I'm feeling that day..

Before you all think I'm just an old guy who's too lazy to cook right, I get to deal with a pretty much chronic intestinal issue whereas I can't eat much of certain things.. esp veggies that I used to love.. without consequences you don't want to hear about. So a couple years ago I had low rbc/iron deficiency/anemia which really sucked. Doc said take a supplement, and Geritol the brand has one type that has 90% iron. I'd much rather eat a bunch of veggies and other stuff than take the pills, but...

 

Yah Mike, I take a simular packet on my longer rides also, this does me right!

 

I feel for you man, I see my wife going through all that kinda bullsh!t. It's got to suck!

 

Yours is the exception Dave. I understand how difficult it can get sometimes especially after you've eaten something that reeks havoc on your system (pew yew!!)

You know I luv ya man!......

 

I looked up the ingredients and wonder if you can confirm if you get upset stomach from that. It has many mineral sources that are known to not be readily absorbed and cause gastrointestinal issues.

Mix a base with acid, and what kind of reaction do you get? Typically creates heat which turns the water into steam, especially with strong bases (sodium bicarbonate AKA baking soda) mixed with strong acids (ascorbic acid and citric acid). All that in your stomach... I would've chosen sodium citrate instead of sodium bicarbonate, as well as calcium citrate over calcium lactate, but then again that's more expensive, which means less profits... Can't expect much from a company that tries to sell using such marketing techniques like vegan and gluten-free, on top of other buzzwords like electrolytes and antioxidants.

 

No, I don't have any digestive issue, guess I'm just blessed in that way. And , I'm pretty sure gluten-free isn't a buzzword as it can make some people real sick by injesting it! Ask my wife. I don't buy the product for the "buzz words", I buy it for the electolytes, unless of course you are saying it probably does not have those ingredients, and is just for marketing purposes which got me hook, line and sinker. If that's the case then I will quit using it! Thanks! I don't know what I would have done without you?

 

Frankly, it looks like they just distilled or boiled off tap water and collected all the mineral concentrations left behind and crushed a super B vitamin pill and added it in to create that product. Tap water is gluten-free and vegan, and has electrolytes too (in very low concentrations). No antioxidants in it though (ex. vitamin C).

I recommend just getting electrolyte supplements in bulk form:

 

I believe Steve Jobs' doctor, David Agus, doesn't recommend taking vitamins. Same with fish oil.

That being said, in the past 3 months, I bought some Nature Made fish oil and magnesium as those 2 (along with Vitamin D I think?) were recommended in a Men's Journal article. My own internal doc didn't recommend fish oil either. So I just bought some flax seed oil at Costco, it was on sale. Funny thing is there was no net appreciable effect on my consciousness or physicality with these supplements. Brainwash the youth.

You need to get a vitamin profile of your system to understand what's deficient. I'm (and probably millions of Americans) taking random doses of random supplements basically. This is not recommended but we all seem to do it.

Multi-vitamin should be a waste, you need to eat properly. Go to Whole Foods salad bar, it's the best I've seen (and don't forget nuts and seeds!) No, I'm not a vegetarian or vegan.

This guy is a crazy ultra-runner and supposedly eats fruits only (also probably not recommended but he claims he runs faster/longer and rarely gets sick): http://thefruitarian.com/

sublingual B12 is an interesting one...

I was reading this yesterday: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1618930176/?tag=imtbtrails-20

It's worth reading, trust me.

If you eat (or drink) pomegranates every week, you'll be healthier as well:

http://authoritynutrition.com/12-proven-benefits-of-pomegranate/

 

Steve Jobs assumed room temp a while back. Doesn't give me a lot of confidence in his doc.

 

I don't have much confidence in most doctors actually so that's fine. My doc never recommended meniscus arthoscopy and then finally said it's too late to repair/stitch so meniscectomy is the action plan (removed 50% medial meniscus). You typically get 10-15 mins with these doctors (or psychiatrists).

Anyways, it's really hard to show measured "improvement" when taking vitamins/supplements. I honestly think it's a waste of money in many cases (esp. multi-vitamins) and in some cases it can be detrimental to your health unbeknownst to you...

Also, "Steve Jobs died regretting that he had spent so long attempting to treat his cancer with alternative medicine before agreeing to undergo surgery, his biographer has disclosed."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...er-with-alternative-medicine-for-so-long.html

I don't know about the details, but perhaps he didn't want to undergo chemo.