vitamins???

I worked in a health food store for years and my best suggestion to you would be to find a whole foods based vitamin - meaning that the vitamins and minerals come from actual foods vs. chemically processed and isolated vitamins and minerals. When they come from food, our bodies recognize them and can process them better. Usually with whole food based vitamins, the actual mgs. on the bottle will be lower than something you would find in a drug store, but your body will absorb a great deal more of it. They are more expensive usually, but you're getting a better product. The other thing too is that if you are willing to take 3-6 a day, you can find really great ones.

My favorite brands are pure essence (that's what I'm taking at the moment), Garden of Life just came out with a whole line of raw whole foods based vitamins that I've heard great things about (this will be my next one) and Rainbow Light is a good one too and very reasonably priced. Pure Essence and Rainbow Light both make one a days that are pretty good (my husband takes the Rainbow Light one a day for men). But like I said, if you're willing to take more, get the ones that are 3,4 or 6 a day. It's worth it.

I also strongly recommend a good high quality fish oil (my favorite brand is Nordic Naturals) and a good probiotic (the good stuff in yogurt, but comes in supplement form and is great for digestion).

Good luck in your vitamin hunt!

Oh, one last thing, I get most of my vitamins on www.vitacost.com They seem to have the best prices by far and their customer service is excellent.

I worked in a health food store for years and my best suggestion to you would be to find a whole foods based vitamin - meaning that the vitamins and minerals come from actual foods vs. chemically processed and isolated vitamins and minerals. When they come from food, our bodies recognize them and can process them better. Usually with whole food based vitamins, the actual mgs. on the bottle will be lower than something you would find in a drug store, but your body will absorb a great deal more of it. They are more expensive usually, but you're getting a better product. The other thing too is that if you are willing to take 3-6 a day, you can find really great ones.

My favorite brands are pure essence (that's what I'm taking at the moment), Garden of Life just came out with a whole line of raw whole foods based vitamins that I've heard great things about (this will be my next one) and Rainbow Light is a good one too and very reasonably priced. Pure Essence and Rainbow Light both make one a days that are pretty good (my husband takes the Rainbow Light one a day for men). But like I said, if you're willing to take more, get the ones that are 3,4 or 6 a day. It's worth it.

I also strongly recommend a good high quality fish oil (my favorite brand is Nordic Naturals) and a good probiotic (the good stuff in yogurt, but comes in supplement form and is great for digestion).

Good luck in your vitamin hunt!

Oh, one last thing, I get most of my vitamins on www.vitacost.com They seem to have the best prices by far and their customer service is excellent.

Rainbow Light is the brand I get...glad to know they are recommended by someone who has experience

I don't take a multivitamin or calcium. Recently I had some bloodwork done and had my vitamin levels measured. All were fine except for Vit. D. Now I only take Vit. D, fish oil, and B6 when I have a headache.

I think because I make all my food, eat whole foods and a lot of vegetables including leafy greens and lots of fruits, I am OK. I also make a big green smoothie every day. I don't know, maybe I need extra vitamins, but since my bloodwork was OK I can't see myself spending so much money on them.

I am in the process of eliminating caffeine and refined sugar. Both of these are known to leach vitamins and minerals from our bodies. I hope to be free of them with in 2 weeks.

Thanks guys for the input!!

I do try to get the bulk of my vitamins from my food intake, but unfortunately I still need some vitamins to compensate where I've missed or didn't get enough. Calcuim is my vitamin grudge. I hate milk, (you can thank my infant upbringing on that one...my mother thought it better to give me orange juice than milk, and consequently....I've always hated it.) Only on the rarest of rare occassions can I stomach milk without getting sick, whereas my husband can drink an entire gallon of milk in a matter of days cause he loves it so much. I envy him!! So I try to get my calcuim through my dairy intake, but I was always told that it's not as good as just drinking milk. So...anywho....

I'm a little confused on the Omega thing. Is the Omega thing the same as the Fish Oil stuff? My mom told me that the fish oil is good for my blood, so I was debating taking that as well. What does the Omega do for you exactly?

I have not had a drop of milk my entire life. On occasion I eat a little bit of cheese and some yogurt but not every day. When I had my blood test done, my Calcium levels were fine. I just eat dark leafy greens like kale, collards and spinach every day and that's where my calcium is coming from.

Fish oil is very good for you. It is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which have numerous health benefits (blood circulation, reducing high blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attack, brain developement, help with depression and axiety, anti-inflammatory and a host of other benefits). So, definitely get some fish oil. It's better to get the omega 3 EFA's from fish oil rather than flax seed oil because they are more useable and the body doesn't have to do so much conversion. Still flax seed oil is a good source.