Supplements: What do you feel is important?

[jnaakins]

I keep seeing around that people use things like biotin, L-carntinine, B vitamins, etc. Can you tell me which supplements you feel are important while doing hcg? I have done 2 rounds and still have 2 more to go, and I would like to boost my health as much as possible. I do take a prenatal vitamin but it's not great quality or anything.

[mymy3377]

I follow the supplements (and diet when I'm not in P2 or P3) recommended by the writers of The Perfect Health Diet. You might want to check out their site it gives an excellent explanation behind their reasoning for the supplements and they are pretty balanced in their view. I'd say at the bare minimum you want Vitamin D and a magnesium supplement in addition to your multi and then you can add from their based on your needs and how you're feeling.

[shelbyla]

I am a true supplement junkie but if I were to list the stuff that would be bare minimum on hcg it would be...

1 per day B-100 Complex (energy)
1 per day under tongue B12 sublingual 5000mg (energy) - methylcobalamin is more absorbable than cyanocobalamin
1-2 per day Biotin 5000mg (5g) (hair, skin, nails)
1-8 per day potassium 99mg (heart, teeth, bones, electrolyte balance/cramps)
1-5 per day magnesium citrate (Bernice, relaxation, electrolyte balance/cramps)

[jnaakins]

Ok thanks girls, I will def check out the site recommended. I always hear about people taking magnesium for regularity, but ahem...tmi alert....I always have the "runnies" on P2 no idea why. But I def wont need that supplement.

[privatediva]

I sure didn't need the mag either, Jen.

I was doing my HCG on my Dr's plan. He had me take a prescription strength potassium supplement, B-12 (sublingual), an athletic formulated OTC multi-vitamin and 3 supplements from Pure Encapsulations. BCAA (branched chain amino acids), Super Citri-Max, and Pureweigh FM. The BCAA preserves muscle mass, and the other two are just good weight loss/energy sups, especially for women. I may take them from now on. I also took the Pure Encapsulations biotin.

[mymy3377]

Originally Posted by jnaakins

Ok thanks girls, I will def check out the site recommended. I always hear about people taking magnesium for regularity, but ahem...tmi alert....I always have the "runnies" on P2 no idea why. But I def wont need that supplement.

Keep in mind while the magnesium citrate is a popular choice here to encourage a visit from Berniece () most Americans are especially deficient and its a good idea to supplement. Magnesium as a glycinate or malate or even the oil are more forgiving to bowels but everyone should be taking some form (at least 400 mg) every day.

[laylabean]

i would like to add a question to this thread...if you don't mind jen!

i will look into some of the supplements talked about here, and personally i do need the magnesium daily to keep things moving its interesting how we each react so differently!

i spend most of the winter in darkness (sunlight greatly lacking), and i do find this time of year is a struggle for energy and mood swings. i do take vitamin D...does anyone have any other suggestions for good supplements to counteract the *winter blues*?? not looking for a magic bullet but anything that will help me stay healthy in the challenge of the cold/dark...exercise is a huge thing as are veggies/fruit...but im not sure if there is anything else i am missing or may not of thought of.

[mymy3377]

Have you had your D levels checked? How much do you take daily?

[shelbyla]

Originally Posted by laylabean

i would like to add a question to this thread...if you don't mind jen!

i will look into some of the supplements talked about here, and personally i do need the magnesium daily to keep things moving its interesting how we each react so differently!

i spend most of the winter in darkness (sunlight greatly lacking), and i do find this time of year is a struggle for energy and mood swings. i do take vitamin D...does anyone have any other suggestions for good supplements to counteract the *winter blues*?? not looking for a magic bullet but anything that will help me stay healthy in the challenge of the cold/dark...exercise is a huge thing as are veggies/fruit...but im not sure if there is anything else i am missing or may not of thought of.

Layla - just fyi, on the D, I wasn't able to get my levels up to optimal until I added in the liquid Vitamin D. I was taking 10,000mg daily and it still was helping but 5000mg of the liquid did the trick. Might be something to try.

[mymy3377]

And if your D levels are optimal you may need to get your Omega 3/6 ratio in balance. The best way to do this is by limiting your PUFAs (mostly found in vegetable and seed oils) and eating 3-4 oz. servings of fatty fish (i.e. wild salmon, halibut, sardines).

If you can't do that you can supplement with a high EPA fish oil but again you want to look for the liquid because the stuff in capsules goes rancid A LOT and once that happens the oil inside them essentially turns into the PUFAs you're trying to avoid. If you suffer from any sort of PMS related symptom you might consider subbing krill oil as part of your Omega 3 supps (if you decide to go that route) it's too expensive for me personally to use exclusively as an Omega 3 supp but in conjunction with the fish oil liquid it works well enough for me.

[laylabean]

both good suggestions, thank you. i do have d drops but i don't know if they are good quality?? regarding the omega 3's what about flax or udo's oil?? any thoughts on quality?? im not always sure what info can be posted but i would love some suggestions for good quality brands.

[minimonkey]

Shelby -- I am a supplements junkie too. In fact, I'm off to take mine right now.

For p2: L-carnitine really seems to help me with energy, and I take a good multi vitamin, and fish oil and CLA. (I know it is added fat, but it doesn't seem to stall me ... I've taken these while on a good losing streak before. ) I also love my branched chain amino acids.

P2 tends to whack out my belly, so I am pretty diligent about taking HCL and a good digestive enzyme supplement. For regularity I do magnesium and vitamin c.

Potassium is an absolute necessity for a lot of us on P2 or we get horrid muscle cramps.

When not on p2, my supplements alone constitute a meal in themselves!!!

[mymy3377]

Originally Posted by laylabean

both good suggestions, thank you. i do have d drops but i don't know if they are good quality?? regarding the omega 3's what about flax or udo's oil?? any thoughts on quality?? im not always sure what info can be posted but i would love some suggestions for good quality brands.

Most experts agree all D3 is the same quality wise so it's okay to look for the cheapest one. I stay away from soy so I pay a little more which uses MCT or olive oil as a filler instead of soybean oil but in the grand scheme of things the amount of bad oil you're getting is pretty negligible so i wouldn't worry about that...I'm just neurotic Most of the liquid D3 drops I've seen use olive oil anyway.

While flaxseeds are naturally high in Omega 3 it's not the kind the human body can use efficiently. I think Udo's is a blend of various seed oils so you run into the same issue as with flax plus you don't need the Omega 6 and Omega it has, the idea is to reduce them as much as possible and you already get them through your diet in meat, nuts (these are Omega 6 bombs except macadamias which have 1:1 3/6 ratio) etc.

As far as brands I think Carlson's is a good starting point but with a little bit of research you'll see Omega 3 advocates like Robb Wolf and Dr. William Davis (he wrote Wheat Belly) have some pretty good product recs

[shelbyla]

Originally Posted by laylabean

both good suggestions, thank you. i do have d drops but i don't know if they are good quality?? regarding the omega 3's what about flax or udo's oil?? any thoughts on quality?? im not always sure what info can be posted but i would love some suggestions for good quality brands.

I didn't do the D drops but a Vitamin D liquid. I checked and unfortunately Netrition doesn't sell them but if you google the brand Liquid Sunshine you should find some sources. Trace Minerals is another brand that I've used with good results. I also like triple strength fish oil liquid gels but mymy is right--make sure you get product that doesn't have close expiration dates and keep them in a cool place. With the triple strength you get a much higher concentration of EFAs and DHAs and you only have to take 2 pills or so. I've done the Carlson's liquid as well so I'll back that one too.

[errihu]

Can we take these supplements during P2? I'm especially thinking of fish oil. I take Nutrilite Double X and the Nutrilite fish oil supplements and I really don't want to stop them. But I'm worried about the oil in the fish oil during P2.

[laylabean]

i will look into all of these suggestions. i missed the question earlier about getting my d levels checked...no doctor where i am here but i could look into it during a trip in the city. my d drops are just called that, d drops. dose is one drop per day which is 1000 iu.

i seriously did not know there was a difference between the drops and liquid. there is a website i use for most vitamins, free shipping in canada and useful here in our isolated community. i will check to see if any of the mentioned products are available.

thanks for the info!

[verbqueen]

I take B 12 drops, magnesium, D3, chromium, milk thistle and a FiberCon. Today, I added MSM. I was already taking most of that other stuff before I started hcg. The B12 drops came with my Vox hcg pellets, and I love the way they make me feel!

[mymy3377]

Originally Posted by laylabean

i will look into all of these suggestions. i missed the question earlier about getting my d levels checked...no doctor where i am here but i could look into it during a trip in the city. my d drops are just called that, d drops. dose is one drop per day which is 1000 iu.

i seriously did not know there was a difference between the drops and liquid. there is a website i use for most vitamins, free shipping in canada and useful here in our isolated community. i will check to see if any of the mentioned products are available.

thanks for the info!

Until you get your levels checked you need to be taking a minimum of 5000 iu/day especially with the shorter days coming. Don't take it at night as it can cause insomnia and don't take with magnesium because they compete for absorption.

[laylabean]

ok...i didn't know that about the insomnia or magnesium. i will up my dose considerably because already its dark here, days are getting shorter and we will hit *near* 24 hours of dark sooner than i care to think about. we don't every have complete darkness, if 2-3 hours of *sort of* daylight counts lol.

i do take magnesium every night, so i will increase dose and take it in the am.

[Chris42]

Originally Posted by mymy3377

Keep in mind while the magnesium citrate is a popular choice here to encourage a visit from Berniece () most Americans are especially deficient and its a good idea to supplement. Magnesium as a glycinate or malate or even the oil are more forgiving to bowels but everyone should be taking some form (at least 400 mg) every day.

I have been taking a good one-a-day with the addition of other supplements, but I am bumping up the magnesium today. Thanks for the interesting link.

[minimonkey]

Errihu -- people who are absolutely religious about protocol may skip the supplements... but for a lot of us, the potential for slightly slower losses is worth it in order to keep the body from getting depleted.

At the very least, potassium seems to be necessary for almost everyone in order to keep from getting muscle cramps (the kind that roll your whole foot into a ball of pain, in my case!)

I forgot to mention vitamin D -- the last time I had my levels checked ( a few years ago), they were so low they almost didn't even register... yikes! I can really tell a difference if I let the vitamin D slip for even a short while.

[shelbyla]

Originally Posted by mymy3377

Until you get your levels checked you need to be taking a minimum of 5000 iu/day especially with the shorter days coming. Don't take it at night as it can cause insomnia and don't take with magnesium because they compete for absorption.

Thanks mymy! Second interesting tidbit from you today! I switched my D to the morning as of today.

Originally Posted by errihu

Can we take these supplements during P2? I'm especially thinking of fish oil. I take Nutrilite Double X and the Nutrilite fish oil supplements and I really don't want to stop them. But I'm worried about the oil in the fish oil during P2.

Mini is right, errihu. Some who follow strict protocol stop for P2. I went through all my supps and took out any that had oil or rice flour. I have a friend who took out those AND anything with any "-ose"s in it (e.g. cellulose). YMMV on that.

[Balance101]

I take a women's multi, calcium citrate, ginkgo biloba, magnesium, biotin, flax oil, vitamin D and an aspirin.

[laylabean]

bump...for the vitamin question. great information here!

[Idreamofweightloss]

Originally Posted by shelbyla

I am a true supplement junkie but if I were to list the stuff that would be bare minimum on hcg it would be...

1 per day B-100 Complex (energy)
1 per day under tongue B12 sublingual 5000mg (energy) - methylcobalamin is more absorbable than cyanocobalamin
1-2 per day Biotin 5000mg (5g) (hair, skin, nails)
1-8 per day potassium 99mg (heart, teeth, bones, electrolyte balance/cramps)
1-5 per day magnesium citrate (Bernice, relaxation, electrolyte balance/cramps)

Would I still need a multi-vitamin in addition to these ones listed? Also when you say 1-8 how many lare we looking for because thats a big difference. I already take 4 100 mg mag citrate a day. Never taken Biotin or B-complex or B-12. Do we take fish oil?

[Idreamofweightloss]

Originally Posted by shelbyla

I am a true supplement junkie but if I were to list the stuff that would be bare minimum on hcg it would be...

1 per day B-100 Complex (energy)
1 per day under tongue B12 sublingual 5000mg (energy) - methylcobalamin is more absorbable than cyanocobalamin
1-2 per day Biotin 5000mg (5g) (hair, skin, nails)
1-8 per day potassium 99mg (heart, teeth, bones, electrolyte balance/cramps)
1-5 per day magnesium citrate (Bernice, relaxation, electrolyte balance/cramps)

Shelby,

What are the differences in the potassiums. I went to 2 different stores today and all they had were the potassium glucamte 595 mg. I thought I had grabbed one the other day but I guess I didnt and now I cant find one that is 99mg. One health store has them but it is potassium aspertate 99mg.

[Idreamofweightloss]

Found plain ole potassium 99mg says (100 vegetable tablets) whatever that means.

[chrystea]

Can I take Acetyl-L-carnitine instead of L-carnitine (not aware of the difference though)? Any suggestions on good brands?

[mymy3377]

Originally Posted by chrystea

Can I take Acetyl-L-carnitine instead of L-carnitine (not aware of the difference though)? Any suggestions on good brands?

Acetyl -L-Carnitine is usually the preferred form. And as long as it's the only ingredient you can just pick up the cheapest one

[Idreamofweightloss]

Does anyone else notice the B-100 complex makes their urine stinky? I accidently did buy the tablets instead of capsules.