When I started Atkins back on 7/10/03 I took the same multivitamin that I always used (use what I have up 1st). After reading further into DANDR I thought I needed more supplements so I started taking Atkins Essential Oils, Atkins Accel and Atkins Dieter's Atvantage which was about $40.00 extra.

Well now all my extra Atkins supplements are used up and gone. My plain old multivitamin will be used up in the next two weeks also. I ask myself if it is worth $50 to go and by the Core 4 supplement by Atkins?

Are we all nuts for thinking we need so many additional supplements?

Are we all willing to pay $50 or more because we think it will benefit our health or speed up our weightloss?

A mulitvitamin is the wisest supplement anyone can take, but I wonder if all the other supplements make anyone that more healthy than the next person?

I'm sure you'll get all kinds of answers to this, 94513, and all I can offer is my own personal experience.

I take a multi, a B complex, Vits E&C, ALA, Cal/Mag for general health purposes. I also take and Green tea, EFAs and an ECA stack (from time to time) to help boost fat burning. To help with thyroid and to boost HDL I take Guggullipids and non-flushing Niacin. I use potassium salt instead of table salt to get that in as well.

In the two years that I've been doing this I have gone from having a cold every 2 or 3 months to having one a year. I haven't had the flu, and I used to get that every year. I don't have panic attacks anymore. I dont have headaches or a sore back (my back would go out at least 2x a year). What's impressed me the most is my ability to heal, though. I have old scars from little cuts that just never healed well in the past. This summer I sliced my palm open pitting an avocado and by the next day it had healed to the point that I didn't need a bandage (and we are talking fleshy part of the palm, deep sharp knife and a lot of blood). Oh, and no scar. I heal so fast now that when I went in to find out if I could have laser eye surgery I was told to stop taking my supplements and to quit the protein powder - fast healing with this type of surger is a bad thing!

I've also run out on occasion of a few of my 'core' supplements (cal/mag, b-complex, c&E) and I've noticed a difference, primarily with the cal/mag. The night cramps returned immediately.

IMHO, those big 3 - potassium, calcium/magnesium, and the multi are necessary- particularly to LCers.

Nat

Dear Nat,

Would you please share the dosage size you take of potassium & calcium/magnesium?

regards,

Gladly!

I take a minimum 1000mg calcium a day combined with 400mg of magnesium - this is over the course of the day, 3 pills (333mg cal/167mg mag). And I use NuSalt on my food - 1/8th of a tspn has over 500mg so I'm getting between 500 - 1000mg of that daily.

Of course I do get roughly 30% of the RDA for cal/mag from my foods (RDA cal=1000mg RDA mag=500mg).

There's no RDA for potassium but it's good to keep the ratio of potassium:sodium at 2:1 - this helps with water retention.

HTH
Nat

Dear Nat,

Thank you for the information. I ment to also say earlier that I am glad you hand healed so well after your cut.

regards,

Thanks, Toots, and you're welcome

N

I think supplements above and beyond what Nat recommended are probably not needed if you don't have a specific medical condition you're taking it for. For example, my dr recommended that I take an extra blood sugar supplement that has chromium in it since I get lowblood sugar.

You really have to go with what works for you on a weekly/monthly basis, not just "what the book says".

I agree with your stance on the standard multi-vitamin aspects. They're good for anyone anytime, for the most part. As for me, I take Flaxseed oil gels, calcium/magnesium with a zinc chaser and potassium (99 mg, plus what's in the multi-pill).

My reason for the calc/mag and zinc are due to the water loss -- drinking so much water and flushing fat constantly runs those minerals right out of a person's system. The potassium is a similar thing, but I take the little bit extra to get rid of the sinking feeling I had in the center of my chest. It wasn't necessarily heart-related and I had no palpitations, but we have a family history of potassium loss due to changes in health conditions and I don't want to go that route. Black-outs are probably no fun.

I say go the low-dose route and see how you feel. Do some research on what does what and add here and there as you see fit. And, don't buy Atkins -- other manufacturers offer similar products for less, and your local drug store has store brands that are much cheaper.

Good luck!

---Amy

mind-full

I think you are very proactive with a family history to take potassium before it is a problem.

Have you taken Flaxseeds? Or is the oil better in your opinion?

I read up about Flaxseeds and thought it could replace my taking a fiber supplement and my Atkins Essential Oils. Since Flaxseeds have Omega -3 & -6 fats and is also very rich in fiber.

thank you

Well I went down to Wal-Mart and bought Atkins Basic #3 Multivitimans, Atkins Essential Oils & Atkins Dieter's Advantage for much less than than anywhere else I looked. Then I went over to GNC and found Flaxseed oil caplets, Calcium/Magnesium and Potassium. With all done I spent $43 on supplements. I don't expect amazing results with regards to the quickness of my weightloss. I will admit that I feel better and have more consistant energy.

regards,