Vitamin Question

[bornslippy]

I have a question regarding Atkins and multivitamins.

I have a health problem with blood clots....which means I am not allowed to eat anything green (foods high in Vitamin K). As I understand, veggies play an important role in the atkins diet. My first question is....is vegatable intake important because of nutrient values..or something else? Secondly, if veggies are important just because of nutrients..is there a vitamin or supplement I can take to replace vegatable intake?

Thanks in Advance,

Tim

[Moochiecat]

Re: Vitamin Question

Hi Tim!

The purpose of the variety of veggies is so you get the benefit of the unique nutrients they all offer and the fiber is equally important. You can take a vitamin and a fiber supplement, but your body needs the veggies in order to operate at maximum efficiency in the plumbing department. Relying solely on a vitamin for nutrients from veggies is not a great idea at all....it's just not enough. Will you waste away by doing this? Probably not. Will you be constipated beyond belief? Yes, probably...and I would think there'd be other health problems associated with a diet that did not include vegetables.

I've been on coumadin since '98 due to a DVT in my left leg. I have Protein S deficiency, which means my body is able to produce clots, but it lacks the protein needed to clear them efficiently.
Bear in mind that I am not a medical professional and that I'm only speaking from my own experience.
I was given a list of vegetables to limit (not avoid, but limit. This was a generic hand-out they give to everyone on blood thinners) and I tried to live within those confines, but I moved a month later and got a new doctor and a new specialist. I complained about being limited and I was told to eat what I wanted, but to be consistent (like, not eat a head of broccoli one day and only a carrot the next)but to be very diligent about getting my blood tested regularlyso that adjustments could be made to my meds as needed. As the specialist said to me "You just go and live your life, get regular blood tests so we can make sure everything is as it needs to be."
I encourage you to discuss this with your doctor.

My med level has stayed on quite an even keel since I started taking them way back when, but I did have to adjust my meds a few times in the last year and a half that I've been on Atkins. I eat whatever I want(off the Acceptable Veggies lists)....I quite honestly don't think about it anymore, and I get my blood tested once a month.

Have you specifically been told you absolutely cannot have anything green? If that's true, talk to your doctor about referring you to a dietitian who can help you choose which veggies are ok for you to eat. I'm sure there's still a big range out there...like cauliflower, zucchini, peppers, spaghetti squash... Didn't they give you a list? Sometimes you have to really push medical folks to get info that you need, so by all means push! It'd be a shame to be avoiding things that you could have, if you and your doctor are managing your condition efficiently.

I hope that helped you some. Take care...it can be a scary thing to have these sorts of problems...please feel free to pm me if you want to.

[bornslippy]

Re: Vitamin Question

Well now that I think about it...they did say that I can have veggies...just on a consistent basis like you said....just worried is all...I had a DVT in my left leg as well...but my clots broke and went to my lungs as well..that's the ones they're concerned about. So I guess I'll eat em...just have to be regular about it.

oh, and can you tell me what caffeine effects during induction?? I've looked but didn't really see anything.

Thanks,
Tim

[Moochiecat]

Re: Vitamin Question

Isn't it interesting how DVT is most often in the left leg?!
I was one of the lucky ones that my clot didn't break off, and by rights, it really should have. When my leg was swollen and painful I figured I had a pulled muscle, so I was sitting on and off in my brother's hot tub letting the jets beat at it. I had an angel on my shoulder that weekend, that's for sure. I really feel for you that yours was more complicated.

I was pretty paranoid about the fruits and veggie thing when I first started coumadin, but I promise you, it gets easier as time goes by and you realize that if you are working closely with your doctor, doing your part having your blood tested, that life is manageable.
Also, a side note...if you are on blood thinners, I strongly urge you to get yourself a Medic-Alert bracelet...a proper one from http://www.medicalert.org/home/Homegradient.aspx and not just a cheapo from the drug store. Medic-Alert will provide contact information as well as medical information if you aren't able to speak for yourself, and I find it a great comfort to have that hanging off my wrist.

Re: Caffiene - On page 127 in DANDR you'll see a note at the bottom of the page about caffiene. If you look in the index, you'll also see references to caffiene.
(If you aren't familiar with it, DANDR is Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, version 2002, and that's what we follow on this website. Please do yourself a favour, buy it and read it if you haven't already done so. Knowledge is power!)

Basically it can play havoc with your blood sugars, and Atkins is a lot about keeping our blood sugars level so our cravings are under control and we feel satisfied while we are losing weight. You can have decaf coffee and teas though, and once the initial withdrawal is over with (the first two weeks of Induction take care of all that) I found that decaf made me just as happy as the real stuff.

Take some time to read the 'stickys' in the various forums you visit...LOTS of very helpful information in there that I'm sure will answer other questions you may have.