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The ABC's of Vitamins & Supplements on Atkins
B,D,K,A,C...so many vitamins, so little time to learn about them all! As we begin our Atkins journey, for many of us it might be the first time we you given any real thought to the issue of supplementation. These paragraphs will try to keep it simple, as we certainly have enough other complexities to deal with as we make sweeping changes to our eating lifestyle.
Simply put, on any 'diet plan' vitamins are going to be recommended, as you must take into account your body's need for nutrients, and the fact that some foods, and therefore some nutrients, are going to be absent from your menu. For example, in the case of Atkins Induction Phase, you will not be eating grains and beans, two excellent sources of vitamins from the B complex family. The same is true of Vitamin C, some vegetables do contain this vitamin, but few in any real quantity and with no fruits in the diet, supplementation is definitely strongly advised.
So you are wondering what do I take?. Over and over in the boards we get this same important question! Well, here we will give you a "short list." Keep in mind that this is a starting point. As you become healthier and more health conscious, we trust that each of you will spend some time researching this subject with your own needs and the needs of your family members in mind. Vitamins are not "one size fits all," and your own goals and health concerns will also determine what supplements you end up deciding belong in your personal 'health arsenal.'
Another key consideration is your age. Many amino acids/supplements are actually produced by our own body but as we grow older we produce much less. If you are above 30 years old supplementation becomes more important, above 40 more so & above 50 it is a MUST for optimal health
The Basic Plan
*Start with a good basic iron free multivitamin. Atkins has its own brand but it not one of the cheapest available. Centrum silver is a popular, readily available choice. Many stores also carry a comparable generic version.
*Add some vitamin C, these are also widely available and not too expensive.
*A B complex, look for a label reading Super-B or Stress Complex. These also are common and not expensive.
Consider the above 3 as basic must-haves. Most of us have budgets we must keep in mind and cannot purchase everything all at once!
*Another must have if the budget allows are Essential Fatty Acids. Dr. Atkins recommends fish oils, borage oil, and flaxseed oil. These EFA's play a huge role in your overall health & are very important.
The typical American diet often leaves most people severely deficient in these important fats so supplementation is very helpful. There is wide range of economical sources for Omega 3's (Fish Oils) & various combinations of the above. If you are eating flaxseed, extra flaxseed oil can likely be left off of the list.
Additional Supplements
Like CoEnzyme 10, Carnitine, Taurine, Grape Seed Extract, Inisitol, Glucosamine, Chromium, Alpha Lipoic Acid, etc can greatly aid your weight loss process & help improve or actually reverse('cure')a wide range of degenerative conditions which may affect you.
An important book to aid you in deciding what additional supplements to use is Dr Atkins Vita-Nutrient Solution, Your Complete Guide to Natural Health. In this book Dr Atkins describes in enclyclopedia type fashions and educates you on the effect of almost every supplement available today. The book also gives detailed lists of various Vita-Nutrients known to help specific conditions such as High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Arthritis, etc. The reader is encouraged to cross reference the lists & develop a list of supplements to help them formulate an individualized supplementation plan.
Take For example, Co Enzyme 10. (CoQ10) This supplement is definitely pricey, but there is a great deal of research supporting CoQ10 as very important for heart health, and detailing its role in weight loss. It is a powerful antioxidant which has impact on the integrity of your blood vessels, heart muscle, blood pressure, and regulation of blood sugar. This is only a partial list of benefits, but you get the picture.
After that, it will be up to you to begin to pick and choose, some of us will want extra calcium, and some of us may eat kale and cheese and get enough. Ultimately, the amount of interest you take in the subject of supplementation will dictate how many bottles reside in your cabinet!
Whatever you do, don't trust that you will get enough in your foods. Years ago before our soils became depleted, this may have been true. Also, before our foods became so highly processed, our dietary needs were supplied better by the things we ate. Add to this the fact that modern life brings stress levels and pollution, etc...all of these things increase our needs for more nutrients. Your health today and in the future is important; the vitamins you take to day may save dollars in prescriptions down the road!
Vita-Nutrients can often replace prescription medicines in treatment for a wide variety of health problems. They are also often aimed at curing the cause of a disease or condition, rather than maintaining it as most prescription drugs today do.
However, don’t consider replacing prescription medicines for serious conditions with vita-nutrients unless you are under a doctor's supervision. The biggest problem is many doctors today (especially those under insurance networks) are part of a huge medical industry where the drug & insurance companies work hand in hand with doctors to promote each other. If you are lucky your doctor will be open to working with vita-nutrients. If he is not you may want to think about visiting a doctor who is more informed on the subject..
The ABC's of Vitamins & Supplements on Atkins
B,D,K,A,C...so many vitamins, so little time to learn about them all! As we begin our Atkins journey, for many of us it might be the first time we you given any real thought to the issue of supplementation. These paragraphs will try to keep it simple, as we certainly have enough other complexities to deal with as we make sweeping changes to our eating lifestyle.
Simply put, on any 'diet plan' vitamins are going to be recommended, as you must take into account your body's need for nutrients, and the fact that some foods, and therefore some nutrients, are going to be absent from your menu. For example, in the case of Atkins Induction Phase, you will not be eating grains and beans, two excellent sources of vitamins from the B complex family. The same is true of Vitamin C, some vegetables do contain this vitamin, but few in any real quantity and with no fruits in the diet, supplementation is definitely strongly advised.
So you are wondering what do I take?. Over and over in the boards we get this same important question! Well, here we will give you a "short list." Keep in mind that this is a starting point. As you become healthier and more health conscious, we trust that each of you will spend some time researching this subject with your own needs and the needs of your family members in mind. Vitamins are not "one size fits all," and your own goals and health concerns will also determine what supplements you end up deciding belong in your personal 'health arsenal.'
Another key consideration is your age. Many amino acids/supplements are actually produced by our own body but as we grow older we produce much less. If you are above 30 years old supplementation becomes more important, above 40 more so & above 50 it is a MUST for optimal health
The Basic Plan
*Start with a good basic iron free multivitamin. Atkins has its own brand but it not one of the cheapest available. Centrum silver is a popular, readily available choice. Many stores also carry a comparable generic version.
*Add some vitamin C, these are also widely available and not too expensive.
*A B complex, look for a label reading Super-B or Stress Complex. These also are common and not expensive.
Consider the above 3 as basic must-haves. Most of us have budgets we must keep in mind and cannot purchase everything all at once!
*Another must have if the budget allows are Essential Fatty Acids. Dr. Atkins recommends fish oils, borage oil, and flaxseed oil. These EFA's play a huge role in your overall health & are very important.
The typical American diet often leaves most people severely deficient in these important fats so supplementation is very helpful. There is wide range of economical sources for Omega 3's (Fish Oils) & various combinations of the above. If you are eating flaxseed, extra flaxseed oil can likely be left off of the list.
Additional Supplements
Like CoEnzyme 10, Carnitine, Taurine, Grape Seed Extract, Inisitol, Glucosamine, Chromium, Alpha Lipoic Acid, etc can greatly aid your weight loss process & help improve or actually reverse('cure')a wide range of degenerative conditions which may affect you.
An important book to aid you in deciding what additional supplements to use is Dr Atkins Vita-Nutrient Solution, Your Complete Guide to Natural Health. In this book Dr Atkins describes in enclyclopedia type fashions and educates you on the effect of almost every supplement available today. The book also gives detailed lists of various Vita-Nutrients known to help specific conditions such as High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Arthritis, etc. The reader is encouraged to cross reference the lists & develop a list of supplements to help them formulate an individualized supplementation plan.
Take For example, Co Enzyme 10. (CoQ10) This supplement is definitely pricey, but there is a great deal of research supporting CoQ10 as very important for heart health, and detailing its role in weight loss. It is a powerful antioxidant which has impact on the integrity of your blood vessels, heart muscle, blood pressure, and regulation of blood sugar. This is only a partial list of benefits, but you get the picture.
After that, it will be up to you to begin to pick and choose, some of us will want extra calcium, and some of us may eat kale and cheese and get enough. Ultimately, the amount of interest you take in the subject of supplementation will dictate how many bottles reside in your cabinet!
Whatever you do, don't trust that you will get enough in your foods. Years ago before our soils became depleted, this may have been true. Also, before our foods became so highly processed, our dietary needs were supplied better by the things we ate. Add to this the fact that modern life brings stress levels and pollution, etc...all of these things increase our needs for more nutrients. Your health today and in the future is important; the vitamins you take to day may save dollars in prescriptions down the road!
Vita-Nutrients can often replace prescription medicines in treatment for a wide variety of health problems. They are also often aimed at curing the cause of a disease or condition, rather than maintaining it as most prescription drugs today do.
However, don’t consider replacing prescription medicines for serious conditions with vita-nutrients unless you are under a doctor's supervision. The biggest problem is many doctors today (especially those under insurance networks) are part of a huge medical industry where the drug & insurance companies work hand in hand with doctors to promote each other. If you are lucky your doctor will be open to working with vita-nutrients. If he is not you may want to think about visiting a doctor who is more informed on the subject..
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