Advice on this regimen?
 

Hi all,

Just hopping over here to get some thoughts on my current supplement regimen. I am following Atkins DANDR, still in induction (6 weeks now), carbs always under 20/d, usually closer to 15. I'm a 38 y/o female, only current health issues are:

1) HTN (which is dropping, and since readings are now a reliable 100/65 ish, I will probably ask for a med reduction at my next GP visit)

2) Acne (now under control and tapering Amoxicillin, see below)

3) Not diabetic, but slightly high FBG despite 100% adherence to low carbing (usually 100-105)

Here is my current med/supplement list:

Amoxicillin, was 500mg/d. As of today, cutting down to 500mg every other day (for acne control)
Lisinopril 20mg/d and Hydrocholorthiazide 25 mg/d for HTN

Calcium citrate, 1000mg/d
Zinc, 50mg/d
Chelated magnesium, 500 mg/d
D3, 2000 IU/d
Chromium picolinate, 200mcg/d
Multivitamin
Probiotic (Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS), 1 capsule/d (primarily to counteract potential side effects of Amoxicillin)
Fish oil (no added Vitamin A or D), 2g/d
Bragg's apple cider vinegar, 1T/d

I'd love any thoughts on whether this looks good, or could stand to be tweaked...also especially interested in anything in there that could be hampering weight loss (I know both ABX and HTN meds could be part of that). I'm doing OK with losing, but definitely a slower pace than than the last time I low carbed (2011)--it could just be a slowed metabolism, but want to make sure I'm optimizing my body's ability to lose.

Thanks!!
Joanne

It's great if you'd get off the Amox; When I had three rounds of heavy antibiotics, I gained weight. Don't know if that's true of you, though. But it does do a number on gut bacteria! (My husband is on a kind of modified Lyme disease protocol, and we're hoping he can get off the last antibiotic he's down to.)

Why the calcium? I've come to feel they do more harm than good; the body does well without grains and getting Magnesium and D in balance.

Why the multivitamin? When I started with low carb, I tracked everything, and made the RDA with ease!

Hi WereBear, and thanks! I'm tapering the Amoxicillin as we speak and I'm down to 500mg every other day (which, compared to dosing for an acute infection, is really low). My goal is to get off it completely, as I am aware it might be holding back some of my progress. And I'm totally with you on the gut bacteria issue. I'm taking the probiotic I am because it is very, very specific with respect to preventing gastrointestinal nasties like C. diff...but of course that's only a small pice of the gut pie *lol*.

The calcium was in direct response to checking how I was doing with the RDA; on any given day I was quite deficient. I try to limit dairy--so I'm curious what things you were eating that helped you out with CA levels?
The multivitamin is also in response to tracking against RDA--there were a number of things I wasn't meeting, so I added it.

That's good reasons... but I'm wondering why that's so?

I eat meat & seafood which, ounce for ounce, is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. I also eat a lot of leafy greens. If you are trying to cut down dairy (and it can be implicated with acne) I would suggest almonds, broccoli, and salmon with bones as other good sources.

Another, very powerful, acne influence is Omega 6 seed oils; avoid peanuts, chicken, look up the Omega ratios in the things you eat to see if there's an issue there. Soy oil and other vegetable oils are notorious offenders.

In your shoes I would get off the amox pronto. For the acne I would dry skin brush every morning or evening before bath/shower to get your lymphatic drainage system kick started and you could try doing a minor colon cleanse by having a couple teaspoons of psyllium first thing and last thing daily.

Antibiotics for acne is like cracking a walnut with an anvil, it will work but it's totally unnecessary and it's giving your immune system a beating for nothing.

Good luck with everything, I know acne can be a trial.

This lady:

http://www.kopecnaturals.com/

Makes wonderful products which really helped with my rosacea. I would check her website out as an alternative to what you have been doing. Might get some tips there!

WereBear, I'm not sure. Meat I eat a lot of, and varied kinds. Seafood I am, unfortunately, not a fan of--and have never been, so I don't see that changing (ask me about the 2 weeks I spent in Japan--if that didn't convert me, nothing will! *lol*).

Leafy greens are a staple for me--at least 2-3 cups every day with lunch. And for dinner, too (I eat a ton of broccoli, kale, collards, mustard greens, etc.).

Rearding the acne, the only non-meat source I currently get any Omega 6 from is mayo (made with canola). I've looked for alternatives, and occasionally made my own, but still eat store bought canola mayo for conveniences' sake.

Actually for me, this isn't true. I have tried a lot of various treatments (OTC, prescription, and natural) with no, very minimal, or only transient results. I had to go on a course of Augmentin several months ago for something totally unrelated, and lo and behold my face had cleared dramatically in less than a week. In consult with my doctor, we decided on a time limited, tapered course of Amoxicillin to try to knock things out once and for all. As you might have also noticed, I'm taking a really small dose relative to that for an acute infection--not trying to justify, here--but just pointing out that it's not exactly like taking a course of ABX for something like sinusitis. If all goes well, I should be off in 6-8 weeks. After that, who knows--it may come right back, so I'm only cautiously optimistic. It's wait-and-see for now.

Thanks WereBear. I will keep it in mind. I have a good regimen going right now, so I am reluctant to make any changes at the moment.

It's very basic. I am using Cerave cleanser and Cerave moisturizer with a few drops of jojoba oil mixed in at night.

Now that I have the breakouts under control, I'm also working on addressing the uneven skin tone and red marks left by the old lesions. I alternate using a 2% BHA gel and Level 6 Green Cream (every other night). So far I'm pretty happy with the results--very slow, but steady.

So it sounds like you have a lot of things sorted out, kudos! The zinc is a good idea, as is the vinegar. I'm a pickle fiend, I need no help there :)

My issue with acne was that it wasn't acne... it was rosacea. But I learned a lot about acne along the way.

A few things we haven't discussed so far:

• Betaine HCL to further "tune up" the digestive system.
• Are you gluten free?
• Have you tried NO dairy for any stretch?
• Any yeast issues? Oregano oil?
• Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that can help a lot.

Since you got such dramatic results from ABX, it has to be some underlying inflammation; C & D are big anti-inflammatories and immune supports.

I take 10K a day of D3, and 6K of C.

I've mega-ramped the C recently, but that's for adrenal fatigue.

WereBear, thanks!!

Betaine HCL: I've never heard of this. Of course I can start Googling--but if you have any links of interest, I'd appreciate it!
Gluten free: Yes (even "sneaky" gluten, as long as foods are totally under my control)
Dairy: I have cut way down, but I do have an ounce or two of cheese several times a week. And I use butter. To be completely honest, I would hate to give these up--but I could give it a go (the cheese more readily than the butter).
Yeast issues: Prior to low-carbing in 2010, yes. Since then, none.
Vitamin C: As you can see, I don't take any. What's an average starting dose?
D3: I was recently thinking about ramping it up. I'd like to get my level checked, but in the meantime I'm not opposed to upping the dose preemptively.

Back to the acne--I was (maybe still am to some degree) convinced, much like you, that it's inflammatory, and I was really optimistic that when I started low carbing in 2010, it would improve. Unfortunately, it didn't make any difference. Just as a point of information, I never had anything but very mild acne as a teen and I had really great skin in my 20's--early 30's..this problem started about 4 years ago (I'm in my late 30's now). So of course, it could also be hormonal.

Here is the article I used to get started. And I was very pleased with my results!

How to Supplement with Betaine HCL for Low Stomach Acid



Yeah, I hear ya about dairy :) I mentioned it because it's a known acne trigger for some people. It's certainly not a lactose issue though; I don't think cheese or butter has any.



I take three 1,000 mg tablets morning and evening with no problems. You could start with one twice a day and work up, just in case.

I've become a nut on the subject... we need a lot more C than we get, certainly more than the RDA, which is designed to prevent scurvy. C lowers inflammation, but also improves collagen production... very good for skin! It's one of my own top supplements, even though I eat fruit, peppers, and other sources of C. Doubling my supplement intake when I feel a bug coming on really seems to work.



Vitamin D council says 5 or even 10K is fine. I've had my level checked, but dealing with bouts of illness (sick building syndrome) led me to conclude it gets burned up when we are dealing with illness... exactly what we might expect from a immune system fuel, right? So I'm taking 10K a day, feeling good!



In your case, it certainly does sound hormonal! My husband has a chronic endocrine illness (CFIDS/ME) and so I'm familiar with how things can get out of whack. Have you tried any herbal balancing strategies?

• teas like raspberry leaf or black cohosh
• chinese herbs like dong quai
• digestives like mint, catnip, or chamomile
• toxin clearers like licorice, dandelion, milk thistle, garlic

These can be very helpful.

(Sorry about the long post, I'm a blogger both professionally and as an obsessive hobby.)

Thanks WereBear! Sorry I'm late to reply, but other than peeking in from time to time, I've been off the boards for a few days. In the meantime, I upped my D3 to 10,000 IU.

Re: acne...I haven't tried any of those herbal balancing strategies you recommended, but I am going to see how it goes and that will probably be my next step!

** Fish oil supplements actually will spike blood sugar, not sure if you're aware of that. I'd maybe take a break on that one for a while if you haven't yet since you're still having blood sugar issues.
** Your zinc levels honestly are quite a bit high, too. Did you know if you take high levels of zinc for long periods of time it can actually LOWER your immune system? I would not take a dose above what's in a multivitamin on a daily basis (in the case of an acute issue like a cold or the flu it's fine for a few days); 50mg is a bit high if you do this ALL the time. It will cause more harm than good!
** I don't disagree that, unless you have risk factors towards osteoporosis, you might not need the calcium. People that are more likely to need calcium are: 1 - someone who has a longer family history of osteoporosis, 2 - someone with a smaller, frail frame, 3 - someone who is not on low carb (lol - because low carb actually optimizes absorption of ALL nutrients moreso than any other way of eating!).
**It's also true that, if your reflux/digestive issues are caused by LOW stomach acid, then the calcium you are taking will only make it much worse. The Betaine HCL suggested by Were would definitely be a big help if you are one of the many who has low stomach acid (which actually gives one heartburn, reflux, etc oddly enough!).

The other items on your list are pretty much neutral, and the chromium is beneficial for your blood sugar (though you might want to look into chromium polynicotinate vs. picolinate; new info is showing the polynicotinate form to have more effect and it does not cost any more than the other usually -- I know Solaray makes a product called ActiChrom that is polynicotinate).

But if you wanted to really take some calcium I would suggest algae-sourced (from companies like Garden of Life - Raw Calcium, New Chapter - Bone Strength, or Nature's Plus's food-sourced line); most other calciums are simply made from rock such as limestone and not very well absorbed by the body. Sadly this source of calcium is extremely expensive (but definitely much better absorbed since it is plant/food sourced). The next alternative to AlgaeCal would be a calcium hydroxyapatite which is usually derived from cattle bones, but still better absorbed than limestone junk. Solaray, Country Life (Bone Solid), and Jarrow (original Bone Up) all make products that use this type of calcium.

I may or may not work full time telling people about this stuff.... *looks around guiltily*... LOL!!! :)