[Song of Surly]

I take GNC Women's Ultra Mega Energy and Metabolism. The Ultra Mega part always make me laugh a little bit for some reason. Like I said, I haven't seen much of a difference in how I feel before I started taking them, but winter generally hurts my energy levels, so maybe it would be worse if I wasn't taking them. My boyfriend takes the same GNC vitamin in the Men's, and he swears he feels a difference when he takes them, so there ya go. Before that, I took Women's Centrum Ultra. It's quite a bit cheaper, and from what I know, they're supposed to be good vitamins.

I would read up on what kind of vitamins build up in the body (that is, one's that if you have extra of, you don't just pee out) and make sure you don't overdo it on those vitamins, because it IS possible to get too much of certain vitamins in your system. That's why I feel like a multi-vitamin is a good place to start.

With the GNC vitamins I take now, I take both of my pills in the morning on a FULL STOMACH. I about puke if I take a vitamin and haven't eaten. You can take the two pills at separate times in the day, however.

[lunarsongbird]

Originally Posted by oksoitsjen

OK...Any have a suggestion for a good multi? Does brand matter? What do I need to make sure that it has? Does it need to have iron?

And I need something specifically for energy! What would that be? B12?

I ADORE my multi-vitamin. I take the New Chapter prenatal, because I want to really build up my folic acid stores this year, but they also make a nice women's one-daily.

They have probiotics in them (which is AWESOME), they are also organic and non-GMO. They are so gentle that you can easily take them on an empty stomach.

They make all the difference for me. Just taking the multi gives me more enegry!

Here is what they say about the One Daily. "The herbs and cultured whole-food complexed vitamins & minerals in this formula work together to promote optimal health and condition-specific benefits—not just address nutrient deficiencies.* Whole-Food Calcium, Vitamin D3 and the most bioactive, longest-lasting form of Vitamin K2 help promote calcium metabolism and bone health.* Every Woman’s One Daily also contains cultured herbal blends to provide energy & stress support and promote hormone and immune system health.*"

[oksoitsjen]

Thank you all so so much! I am going to do some research and hopefully have something figured out by this weekend! I did find a list from Dr. Oz of vitamins you need the most at every age!

I will let you all know what I decide on!!

[Kahokkuri]

This reminds me that I should actually incorporate the multivitamin I bought into my morning routine. The bottle's just sitting there!

[sweetlov96]

I take:

Gummy Prenatals
Fish Oil
Eve Primrose
B-12
Vitamin C

[JossFit]

Originally Posted by oksoitsjen

OK...Any have a suggestion for a good multi? Does brand matter? What do I need to make sure that it has? Does it need to have iron?

And I need something specifically for energy! What would that be? B12?

Hi Jen.

As a lot of women have said, what you choose should depend on what your specific needs/wants are. I would recommend that you go to a Vitamin World or GNC and have the staff help you to identify a good multi for you. I know that several companies (GNC, One-A-Day, etc.) make multi's specifically for women who are dieting that have added Iron, Calcium, Vitamin D and B12 for energy.

If you eat a solid diet you may not need a lot of 'extras' so it might be better just to take B12 if you need the extra energy or whatever vitamin you feel you are deficient in.

As for time of day, generally the bottle will tell you what's best. Some will specifically state to take the supplement with your morning meal, before your meal, at night, or more than once per day. Just follow the label directions. If there aren't any, a safe assumption is generally to take it WITH breakfast, as taking it on an empty stomach can bother some people and make them feel nauseated.



My own supplement run down is a little lengthy, but I am now beginning a bikini competition prep diet ('Show Look') so there are a lot of bases for my nutritionist and I to cover;

Pre-workout Powder
Post-workout Powder
Cortisol Control supplement
Multivitamin
Calcium (I've had bone issues in the past and need extra)
Alpha Lipolic Acid
L-Cartinine
Digestive Enzymes
Probiotics
Smart blend (CLA, GLA - essential fatty acids)
Glutamine Blend (Recovery and immune system function)
Vitamin C
Lipo 6 Black Hers (energy)

Which reminds me... I need to go stop by Walgreens and get one of those big huge pill cases! haha

[Shrinkberry]

Since I'm in the minority, I'm going to speak up and say nope I don't take vitamins. I eat a healthy diet and am more concerned about the lack of oversight of the vitamin industry than getting enough vitamins from my food. Frankly, most of the components of vitamins are imported from abroad and the industry is essentially self-regulated. Vitamins are considered "food" and not drugs, and therefore, the FDA only requires cleanliness of manufacturing facilities and has absolutely no oversight of product quality. There is no requirement for quality control labs in vitamin manufacturing facilities.

As a consumer, there is no way to know whether the ingredients are what the label says they are, and there is no way to know whether there are other metals or unintended ingredients in these pills. So, to me, the risk of ingesting 'bad' ingredients in vitamins outweigh the risk that I might not get enough vitamins in my healthy diet. Anyway, something to think about.