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What vitamins/supplements do you take?

imagep said:
good to hear that. I was also able to go off of several prescription drugs just by eating better, loosing fat weight, and exercising. And doing so also improved my mental state - I'm not quite as crazy (depressive) as I used to be.
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I was absolutely amazed at how much vitamin D3 in high amounts (2000-5000 iu) could alleviate depressed states of mood. I thought my physician was crazy but it really works, without side effects. You will start to feel like you did as a kid, happy with no reason or chemicals.
 
JC Callender said:
What vitamins/supplements do you take? And do you feel like they're making a much of a difference?

I started taking amino acids for my weight training and haven't noticed much of a difference after a month or so, and at 45 years old, I don't know if I really would that soon anyway. I started probiotics earlier this week so don't notice anything other than an uneasy stomach my first time. And I bought a liquid fish oil today, which is supposed to be great for mind/joints. I'm a pretty smart guy, as you all already know, but my joints could use it and I've really heard a lot of great things about it. I take magnesium and a one a day vitamin as well.
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I have

Vitamin B-complex
Vitamin C powder
Vitamin D - ranging from 1000-10000
Fish Oil
Coconut oil
30bn probiotic

That said, I don't really take them regularly. I make sure to supplement after heavy weekends (music festivals and stuff) or if I've spent the past week eating nothing but crap (bachelor living - it happens).

I'll also drink protein shakes after a workout. And sometimes I'll take melatonin to help me sleep (I spend a lot of time traveling and staring at computer screens so my cicadian rhythm gets really screwy - it helps me get drowsy).
 
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JC Callender said:
Have you been putting on significant muscle the past couple of years? If so, it's encouraging, as I didn't know you could without steroids after our early 40's. Also, do you take creatine?
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With enough training and proper diet can add significant muscle through your early 70s actually. What hurts some guys is a decline in testosterone in their 40s. Usually but not always this is due to too much body fat. The higher your body fat levels, the poorer your physical fitness, the more your testosterone levels will decline. That said, if a guy is low T and thus has a hard time putting on muscle mass even with a lot of training and good diet (and is also low libido), it can be treated inexpensively.
 
imagep said:
I've had an issue with cramping for years, horrible cramps several times a week. About two weeks ago I started tracking my diet with a smart phone app (My Fitness Pal) and I realized that my diet is very low in potassium, plus I researched potassium and discovered that the ephedrine that I take as a stimulant (yes, I am addicted to it) depletes potassium - thus I added potassium and quinine to my diet.
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Completely unasked for non-medical advice: I really hope that ephedrine isn't being taken before workouts, because it boosts heart rate quite a bit (and in fact has killed people in the gym who took large doses and worked out at/beyond capacity).


I'm not "addicted" to it, but I do take it occasionally if I am very sick but absolutely need to get work done. I can't imagine taking it before working out though. It seems to raise my heart rate by a good 10-20 bpm, at least. AND this isn't in supplement form. It's in over the counter "Bronkaid" (Guafenesin - expectorant, and Ephedrine - bronchodialotor).

I also think (but may be wrong and am way too lazy to check) a vasoconstrictor. In other words, you simultaneously (1) increase heart rate, (2) increase blood pressure, (3) reduce the volume of arteries and veins - which then feeds back into #1 and #2.




Not that you asked, of course.....

::cough::
 
JC Callender said:
Have you been putting on significant muscle the past couple of years? If so, it's encouraging, as I didn't know you could without steroids after our early 40's. Also, do you take creatine?
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At this point, I think the only thing one can realistically do naturally is eat lots of protein and more calories than normal if you wish to gain muscle weight, OR take illegal steroids. Nothing else seems to have any proven (aka, double-blind study worthy of the FDA) effect.

But, it is demonstrated that caffeine can improve performance without meaningful danger, in reasonable doses (ie, 200-400mg)
 
JC Callender said:
What vitamins/supplements do you take? And do you feel like they're making a much of a difference?

I started taking amino acids for my weight training and haven't noticed much of a difference after a month or so, and at 45 years old, I don't know if I really would that soon anyway. I started probiotics earlier this week so don't notice anything other than an uneasy stomach my first time. And I bought a liquid fish oil today, which is supposed to be great for mind/joints. I'm a pretty smart guy, as you all already know, but my joints could use it and I've really heard a lot of great things about it. I take magnesium and a one a day vitamin as well.
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I take a multi vitamin/mineral tablet once a day, a magnesium supplement, and two citracal (calcium) for general health. In addition I grind two tablespoons of organic flax seed in a coffee grinder until fluffy, and mix 2 tablespoons of flax oil with 4 tablespoons of lowfat cottage cheese until completely blended with a blender wand--that makes the flax oil water soluble and your body can fully use it. All that I dump in the blender with some fresh fruit (orange, apple, berries, banana--whatever I have on hand), some raw honey for sweetening, and I have a great smoothie that replaces one meal a day. It has done wonders for my aches and pains and various other auto immune kinds of stuff. (No, I'm not a health food nut, vegetarian, vegan, or anything like that.)
 
AlbqOwl said:
I take a multi vitamin/mineral tablet once a day, a magnesium supplement, and two citracal (calcium) for general health. In addition I grind two tablespoons of organic flax seed in a coffee grinder until fluffy, and mix 2 tablespoons of flax oil with 4 tablespoons of lowfat cottage cheese until completely blended with a blender wand--that makes the flax oil water soluble and your body can fully use it. All that I dump in the blender with some fresh fruit (orange, apple, berries, banana--whatever I have on hand), some raw honey for sweetening, and I have a great smoothie that replaces one meal a day. It has done wonders for my aches and pains and various other auto immune kinds of stuff. (No, I'm not a health food nut, vegetarian, vegan, or anything like that.)
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Two questions if you don't mind: 1. What's the difference between flax seeds and flax oil? 2. Do you mind if I ask why you take magnesium?
 
JC Callender said:
Two questions if you don't mind: 1. What's the difference between flax seeds and flax oil? 2. Do you mind if I ask why you take magnesium?
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I take the magnesium as it stops night leg and foot cramps that I sometimes get.

The flaxseed oil is a 'good' fat that our bodies desperately need for good health and most of us don't get. It is extremely high in the omega 3 - 6 - 9 in perfect proportion IF your body utilizes all the oil. That's the purpose of mixing it with the lowfat cottage cheese - 1 part oil to 2 parts cottage cheese. Best to use a hand held stick blender to mix them--takes about a minute to change the chemistry so all the oil becomes usable in the body. Don't add anything else to the mixture until it is fully blended. Then the ground flaxseed--it should be ground immediately before you consume it as it loses its punch very quickly once ground--will keep for a long time in the fridge or freezer when still intact--adds more omegas, lignans (good for heart health and general well being) and important fiber. Grinding them makes all the flax seed usable by the body.

I firmly believe anybody with a cholesterol problem will cure it by properly consuming chia seed or flax seed.

Some information on the flax oil and flax seed here:
Which is better: flaxseeds or flaxseed oil?
 
AlbqOwl said:
I take the magnesium as it stops night leg and foot cramps that I sometimes get.

The flaxseed oil is a 'good' fat that our bodies desperately need for good health and most of us don't get. It is extremely high in the omega 3 - 6 - 9 in perfect proportion IF your body utilizes all the oil. That's the purpose of mixing it with the lowfat cottage cheese - 1 part oil to 2 parts cottage cheese. Best to use a hand held stick blender to mix them--takes about a minute to change the chemistry so all the oil becomes usable in the body. Don't add anything else to the mixture until it is fully blended. Then the ground flaxseed--it should be ground immediately before you consume it as it loses its punch very quickly once ground--will keep for a long time in the fridge or freezer when still intact--adds more omegas, lignans (good for heart health and general well being) and important fiber. Grinding them makes all the flax seed usable by the body.

I firmly believe anybody with a cholesterol problem will cure it by properly consuming chia seed or flax seed.

Some information on the flax oil and flax seed here:
Which is better: flaxseeds or flaxseed oil?
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Good to know, thanks!
 
_Sal said:
I agree and believe those against it don't understand what the goal is or how to use the juice correctly and maybe should just STFU and do some research

also I wish they medical community would encourage the morbidly obese to juice instead of pushing liquid diets like Ensure and other crap full of additives such as jello and other sugary liquid concoctions....it would encourage faster healing since morbidly obese are usually always malnourished
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I don't juice as I currently am without a juicer, but I really approve juicing as a way to get healthy vitamins and minerals in a hurry. Supplements such as chia seed or flax seed--preferably cracked or ground to get full benefit--adds the fiber back into the diet plus a bunch of other nutrients that the veggies often lack.

But if I was going to tell people who are trying to eat themselves healthy, the main thing is to get away from processed foods as much as possible and use only a bare minimum of sugar if any at all. Don't use artificial sweeteners--stevia is okay and I use raw honey for most of my sweetening needs. I'm not a fanatic about it--yes, sometimes I have a totally decadent dessert--but I do try to make that a very occasional thing. Processed sugar is not good for us at all.
 
JC Callender said:
What vitamins/supplements do you take? And do you feel like they're making a much of a difference?

I started taking amino acids for my weight training and haven't noticed much of a difference after a month or so, and at 45 years old, I don't know if I really would that soon anyway. I started probiotics earlier this week so don't notice anything other than an uneasy stomach my first time. And I bought a liquid fish oil today, which is supposed to be great for mind/joints. I'm a pretty smart guy, as you all already know, but my joints could use it and I've really heard a lot of great things about it. I take magnesium and a one a day vitamin as well.
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Meat.

Oh yeah, and Zija moringa. It is great for energy and clear thinking.
 
azgreg said:
JackDaniels+lo.jpg
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You spelled steak wrong.
 
Mr Person said:
Completely unasked for non-medical advice: I really hope that ephedrine isn't being taken before workouts, because it boosts heart rate quite a bit (and in fact has killed people in the gym who took large doses and worked out at/beyond capacity).


I'm not "addicted" to it, but I do take it occasionally if I am very sick but absolutely need to get work done. I can't imagine taking it before working out though. It seems to raise my heart rate by a good 10-20 bpm, at least. AND this isn't in supplement form. It's in over the counter "Bronkaid" (Guafenesin - expectorant, and Ephedrine - bronchodialotor).

I also think (but may be wrong and am way too lazy to check) a vasoconstrictor. In other words, you simultaneously (1) increase heart rate, (2) increase blood pressure, (3) reduce the volume of arteries and veins - which then feeds back into #1 and #2.




Not that you asked, of course.....

::cough::
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I take it in the morning so that I can get work done. I'm often a tad bit lethargic without it.

Yea, I am actually worried about it, and it seems like it isn't as effective as it used to be. Used to be that 30mg or so was plenty, now it takes double that dose.

In a week or so I am getting some modafinil and I hope that I can use the modafinil as a substitute. From what I've read, it's not technically an amphetamine, but since it improves most peoples mood and wakefulness it still gives a bit of an energy boost. The info that I have been able to find on the internet about modafinil has been limited, but I ordered a book on it and should have it today.
 
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AlbqOwl said:
...I take the magnesium as it stops night leg and foot cramps that I sometimes get...[/url]
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It helps with my cramps also, along with quinine and potassium pills and lots of water.
 
None, as I follow a healthy and comprehensive diet. Still, I'd like to incorporate whey in the near future into my diet upon taking my gymnastics to the next level. This is as far as I'm willing to go in terms of innovating in diet.
 
imagep said:
I take it in the morning so that I can get work done. I'm often a tad bit lethargic without it.

Yea, I am actually worried about it, and it seems like it isn't as effective as it used to be. Used to be that 30mg or so was plenty, now it takes double that dose.

In a week or so I am getting some modafinil and I hope that I can use the modafinil as a substitute. From what I've read, it's not technically an amphetamine, but since it improves most peoples mood and wakefulness it still gives a bit of an energy boost. The info that I have been able to find on the internet about modafinil has been limited, but I ordered a book on it and should have it today.
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From what I've read, Modafinil provides the same general benefits as methylphenidate (ritalin) or adderall (blend of four different amphetamines), but without the side-effects. So, it's far less susceptible to abuse and probably won't leave you with the more unpleasant side effects.
 
_Sal said:
yes

the reason I got into smoothies was exclusively due to my age

the theory is that as we age even when choosing the best possible our bodies lose the ability to breakdown the nutrient in our food, thus to get the most nutrient into our bodies from our food source it must be broken down first...it sort of how birds do it for their babies....

the smoothies must of course be half greens...it can't be just fruit

also for joints, the best thing I have found is milled flax seed...I can notice when I stop taking it after only a few days
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I saw your later post where you yelled at juicing naysayers and was about to yell back, but I had the tact to retrace your posts and catch the bolded. Generally speaking, I never bought into the juicing hype, my rationale being "why not just eat the whole damn thing?". Most modern amenities and lifestyle innovations vex me quite a bit, as I regard them superfluous and effete. That being said, I can see some validity in that theory. As we grow older, our bodies grow inefficient, benefiting from any help unburdening them.
 
Mr Person said:
From what I've read, Modafinil provides the same general benefits as methylphenidate (ritalin) or adderall (blend of four different amphetamines), but without the side-effects. So, it's far less susceptible to abuse and probably won't leave you with the more unpleasant side effects.
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I've tried Adderall once or twice and it would be my drug of choice if I could get it on a regular bases. I think that the college kids suck up all the black market adderall, my doc won't give me a script, and I can't find it available overseas.
 
Jesse Booth said:
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I pretty much agree with this. I think you can overdose with the vitamins and supplements and when you do, they aren't good for you. I do take one multi a day just to cover the bases because I don't always eat a meticulous balanced diet, so it is a little insurance and I figure one won't hurt me and could help.
 
imagep said:
It helps with my cramps also, along with quinine and potassium pills and lots of water.
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Potassium helps if you're low--I am not--and I don't need the quinine. (Do you know that the FDA has banned most quinine in the USA because of potential dangerous side effects?) I don't take anything that doesn't occur naturally in good food if I can help it as I think the downside of all 'medicine', if your body doesn't need it, is worse than any good it might do. But yes, water is essential for good health. Most Americans tend to be a little or a lot dehydrated and this causes all kinds of aches and pains, general feeling of lethargy, contributes to some infections, is a huge factor in over eating or cravings for the munchies , and affects us negatively mentally and emotionally.
 
JC Callender said:
What vitamins/supplements do you take? And do you feel like they're making a much of a difference?

I started taking amino acids for my weight training and haven't noticed much of a difference after a month or so, and at 45 years old, I don't know if I really would that soon anyway. I started probiotics earlier this week so don't notice anything other than an uneasy stomach my first time. And I bought a liquid fish oil today, which is supposed to be great for mind/joints. I'm a pretty smart guy, as you all already know, but my joints could use it and I've really heard a lot of great things about it. I take magnesium and a one a day vitamin as well.
Click to expand...

We're nearly the same age. I take a pill stack of multi vit/omega 3/vit C and a few others. I train hard cycling and weights. I eat relatively healthy. I adhere to the theory it is very difficult to get ALL the vits and nutrients needed to maintain a healthy body, through food alone, so I supplement. My diet is supplemented with extra whey protein.
 
_Sal said:
I am big on protein powders now too

a fast way to get an extra 25 grams of protein without having to digest meat
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If you're wanting to build muscle it is very hard to get all your protein needs, from food alone.
 
AlbqOwl said:
I don't juice as I currently am without a juicer, but I really approve juicing as a way to get healthy vitamins and minerals in a hurry. Supplements such as chia seed or flax seed--preferably cracked or ground to get full benefit--adds the fiber back into the diet plus a bunch of other nutrients that the veggies often lack.

But if I was going to tell people who are trying to eat themselves healthy, the main thing is to get away from processed foods as much as possible and use only a bare minimum of sugar if any at all. Don't use artificial sweeteners--stevia is okay and I use raw honey for most of my sweetening needs. I'm not a fanatic about it--yes, sometimes I have a totally decadent dessert--but I do try to make that a very occasional thing. Processed sugar is not good for us at all.
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I completely agree...get away from processed...in Europe it is much easier to eat in a healthy manner

sugar is poison especially the corn syrup crap they put in everything processed

I am addicted to sugar, I love dessert so I have to limit it carefully

one of the big nature sugars they push now is maple syrup that is easy for me to get eh...lol
 
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