[WaterWater]

What types of supplements do you take? I don't want to have to take 12 pills a day (LOL), but there are so many things that are recommended. Right now I am taking a daily multi-vitamin, daily fiber, and a calcium supplement with breakfast and dinner. I cannot get in to green tea, so I was thinking about taking the pill form of that... and then there are the Omega 3 supplements that are supposed to be so good for you that I am considering also. When I was growing up, we took a Vitamin C every day. Is that still recommended? If you eat a balanced diet, do you need all of that? I want to do what is right, but I don't want to over do

[Mrs Snark]

Pretty much nothing. I pop a vitamin every now and then, but most times I forget.

[HarpoChicoGroucho]

I'm bad with consistency (with journaling, with taking vitamins, with planning), but sometimes I get in a multi-vitamin. When I'm retaining water, I take Dandelion root and vitamin B-6. I also slip in a Propel water, which has some vitamins in it, and then I sometimes drink a sugar-free energy drink which has the B vitamins, vitamin C, and folic acid in it. But the staple of my diet is fruits and vegetables, so I'm not too worried about getting my nutrients in. I rarely have a problem with poor nutrition symptoms, unless I don't eat or just eat chocolate, and that's when I start feeling crappy.

As for the fish oil supplements, they are good for lowering cholesterol and are heart healthy. I have flax seed oil, which again I take sporadically whenever I remember it. Green tea is chock full of antioxidants, but I don't believe it will spur weight loss.

But the consensus is the vitamins and nutrients are best absorbed actually coming from food and not pills. So if your diet is balanced and healthy, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[WaterWater]

Thanks I don't want to be a vitamin (pill) junky, but I want to make sure I am doing right. I am checking my 'food pyramid' regularly to make sure that I am within the proper guidelines, so I think I will be okay with just the multi-vitamin and the calcium (I don't do much dairy other than the occasional cheese).

[dalai_lala]

A regular multivitamin and some extra calcium and you should be okay. I wouldn't worry about the extra vitamin C... there's plenty in a multi vitamin, and you'll excrete any excess you take in, so it's a waste of money. The omega-3 you can get from eating more fish, with less unpleasant side effects than the pills - think nasty fish burps! For anti-oxidants, skip the tea if you don't like it and check out which veggies can provide what you need... I believe tomatoes are one (well, technically they're a fruit, but you know what i mean!) For fiber, I eat a high-fiber cereal like Uncle Sam, or I used to make healthy smoothies and add flax or wheat germ for fiber.

Good luck!

-Lala