The FastDay Forum

This has been a concern of mine for the last few months, since I have been low carbing, as I don't have much/any fruits.
I reckon I have everything else pretty much licked, carbs, fibre and protein wise.
I eat plenty of veggies (a lot of them frozen as I don't go out much during the week), but My fitness pal shows a big daily deficiency in vitamin C.

I don't really want to take vitamin tablets and I also don't feel deprived in any way.

How do you all make sure you get those vitamins, please?

I take a multivitamin- it was recommended somewhere-not necessarily on this forum -for the over 60's as along with everything else apparently we don't absorb vitamins as well from our food, be it true or not I figure it can't hurt. I also take calcium.

I just eat a balanced diet - supplements are never going to be as good as getting nutrients from food. There are also studies which show links to increased risks (cancer - think it was Vit C supplements? But not sure how much you had to take to be in the risk category).

This has been a concern of mine for the last few months, since I have been low carbing, as I don't have much/any fruits.
I reckon I have everything else pretty much licked, carbs, fibre and protein wise.
I eat plenty of veggies (a lot of them frozen as I don't go out much during the week), but My fitness pal shows a big daily deficiency in vitamin C.

I don't really want to take vitamin tablets and I also don't feel deprived in any way.

How do you all make sure you get those vitamins, please?

Very good question. I personally steer clear of anything in tablet form.

I didnt know my fitness pal shows things like that.. clearly i've only used parts of it.
if its vitamin c as your concern specifically i would hunt down pages like..
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... t&dbid=109

which give you the best sources of Vitamin c and then consume reasonable portions of those, thus not affecting any other plan you have in relation to carb etc.

eg that link states Papaya and Bell peppers has an amazing amount of Vitamin C.

Very good question. I personally steer clear of anything in tablet form.

I didnt know my fitness pal shows things like that.. clearly i've only used parts of it.
if its vitamin c as your concern specifically i would hunt down pages like..

My fitness pal shows a lot if you know where to look, @Juliana.rivers.

Go to the Food tab, then settings and you'll see nutrients tracked. I periodically just check on the lot, though it's mainly set to carbs, fibre, sodium, protein and fat.

Thanks for that link, too x

I have usually taken a 50+ multivitamin tablet but because I mostly 16:8 & don't eat breakfast now, when I used to take it with Actimel, I forget to take it. I am a little concerned because of a possible lack of Vitamin D during this dismal winter but not C because I like blueberries. I need to remind myself to take it with some food when I do break my fast

[carieoates]

I did take them when I was pregnant and breast feeding my kids.
But I did see a documentary which proved that they can be effective but we pee out any excess. What this means is if you are eating a balanced diet, and taking vitamin supplements your body doesn't absorb extras from the supplements it just let's them out in your urine.
Also, we eat loads more veg now and that does have good amounts of Vit C in, don't forget to take on calcium otherwise Vit C doesn't get absorbed anyway. I'm with. Juliana, I'm not keen on popping pills unless I'm ill. But I may take a supplement when I get a little more "mature"

Just found this.
"The relationship between vitamin C and calcium is an important one. Vitamin C can support calcium absorption, but too much can have a detrimental effect on calcium stores. Finding the right balance between this vitamin and mineral can be a step in the right direction for people who want to increase calcium absorption, protect themselves against tissue calcification, prevent diseases and get the most out of their supplements.

Vitamin C can positively effect the way calcium is metabolized in the body. For many people who take calcium supplements, overload is a concern. Significant amounts of vitamin C intake can help protect against the calcification of soft tissue and add to the solubility of calcium. High levels of calcium in the body can also contribute to low stomach acids, so taking extra vitamin C can support the digestion process."

Some healthcare professionals recommend taking vitamin C with calcium. The vitamin can be ingested in the form of a supplement or in foods that are rich in it, such as oranges. Supplements can provide higher doses, but the vitamin C found in foods might be able to be better assimilated into the body.

Penny,i think can you get all yr vit c in berries..but unsure if these are high in carbs.. I think ive read that blueberries in particular are low carb but high vit..x

I have usually taken a 50+ multivitamin tablet but because I mostly 16:8 & don't eat breakfast now, when I used to take it with Actimel, I forget to take it. I am a little concerned because of a possible lack of Vitamin D during this dismal winter but not C because I like blueberries. I need to remind myself to take it with some food when I do break my fast

Yes @Isis This is the same for me I took a multivitamin and a garlic oil every morning with my breakfast now most of my days are more like 18:6 I forget also.
When I'd finished my last multi vits I replaced it with a combined calcium + vit D that I think carorees suggested but alas keep forgetting but I've always eaten lots of fruit and still do on all days each week so Penny can you reintroduce the
Cvit fruits into your life? Sue

These are all excellent sources of vitamin C

Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Strawberries
Kiwifruit
Cauliflower
Kale
Cabbage
Bok Choy
Beet Greens
Raspberries
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Lemons and Limes
Spinach
Asparagus
Sea Vegetables
Fennel
Parsley
Thyme
Blueberries - Good

I personally avoid supplements. I eat lots of the veg as a salad, keep the berries to 50 - 75g use lemon or lime juice as a salad dressing with your avocado oil or olive oil.

I try to have a green juice every day or at least every other day and a multivitamin

half an apple, kale, spinach, cucumber, carrots, half a lemon, ginger. Yes the apple and carrots contribute to the carbs but you could always replace them with more greens, celery etc

It's tasty and I think healthy

I started taking a multivitamin and mineral tablet every day. I eat healthily but I'm not sure I get everything I need everyday, especially with fasting so much. I also take an omega 3 tablet every day.

I take Vit B12 because I am deficient in this vitamin, my stomach doesn't absorb it properly. I also take Vit D with a tablespoon of flaxseed oil ( I am allergic to fish so have to get my omega 3 from somewhere!) and the Vit D is for lack of sunshine and to help me absorb calcium. I eat plenty of berries and fresh veg so not concerned about my C vitamin level. I also take folic acid and resveratol ( replaces the bottles of wine I used to drink!)

I take a load of supplements, to be honest I'm not sure what some of them are for any more, but I take them anyway

If in doubt or if you are recovering from an illness I would go with @jeninboston on the `green juice`. I used to make it with spinach carrot and apple, tastes great too.

The current orthodoxy seems to be ant-supplements although I don't pay much attention to this. I think the important thing is to look at your whole diet, long term.
If supplements are a quick fix or you need them for health issues fair enough but necking them daily as a safety measure, I think it creates a dependency and could be expensive as you need to use good quality pills.

I intend to keep fasting when I reach maintenance weight, so want a diet that is sustainable forever, getting all my nutrition from the food I eat is key to this, I don't want to be on supplements for the rest of my life, it sort of goes against my reason for sorting out my diet in the first place. Anyway now seems a good time to work it all out.

Not being contrair here I just want to keep you all safe and well

caitlin Xx