Supplements and general diet questions.

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drwaddy
drwaddy Posts: 50 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all,

So I just recently started using my fitness pal, which I have to say has been an awesome experience, I love how this site uses metrics I can understand and helps me really see what it is that has been killing me for years.

Now, the problem I'm having, is I'm trying to account for some of the vitamin / mineral deficiencies that I have noticed from the site. I currently consume about half or less of the daily suggested potassium, calcium, and fiber that the site suggests.

I went to the store and got the above listed supplements to try and off balance this issue. However, it looks like I could be taking as much as 10 of these potassium pills a day to get near my suggested amount, and I'm pretty sure that's not healthy... I would add bananas to my diet, but they really upset my stomach...

The Fiber supplement I got only accounts for 1/4th of the daily recommended amount so I'm using oatmeal and wheat bread to try and off set this, but I'm still finding it very hard to get 38 grams of fiber a day, especially since I have IBS and almost anything with seeds or is course seems to really upset my stomach...

I have been getting twice to three times the daily amount of sodium, and have been aggressively trying to eliminate that from my diet, which has been agonizing because I'm like addicted to fast food and high sodium foods. Which I was previously able to afford calorie wise, but after seeing my sodium intake and noticing I'm carrying a significant amount of water weight, I've tried to eliminate this, however do I really need to keep it under 2300 mg a day, because that seems extremely low...

Anyways, thanks in advance.

Replies

  • julianne824
    julianne824 Posts: 17 Member
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    I try to get those nutrients from food. Green leafy vegetables and salmon are an excellent source of those nutrients. Baby spinach instead of lettuce in a salad? You can also get calcium from dairy products.

    Take a multivitamin if you want but please do not take 10 potassium supplement vitamins.
  • drwaddy
    drwaddy Posts: 50 Member
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    I can grudgingly give up my fast food, even do 4 protein shakes a day, and eat sugarless oatmeal... But, I'm sorry, I cannot eat a garden, I just can't, especially not completely soaked in ranch dressing.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,154 Member
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    Potassium is tough. One of the best sources I know of is sun dried tomatoes. 1,851 mg per cup. 897 mg in a potato. Milk has a bit if you have the calories to spare, as do beans and raisins.

    Oh yeah, and coffee: 116 mg not much, but it doesn't require ranch dressing.

    Here is a list:

    http://askville.amazon.com/food-highest-sources-potassium/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=154694
  • julianne824
    julianne824 Posts: 17 Member
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    You don't have to eat a garden. The healthiest way for the body to obtain those nutrients is through food instead of vitamin supplements.

    Google search sources of potassium, calcium, fiber etc. Find some food ideas. Don't be afraid to try new things. A year ago if someone gave me a bowl of arugula and told me to add things to it(chicken, shrimp, cheese, nuts, seeds) to make a meal, I thought they were crazy but I eat it instead of lettuce.

    Potatoes also contain about 30% of the recommended amount of potassium. Baked potato with dinner?
  • asianrunner
    asianrunner Posts: 42 Member
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    drwaddy, I'm with you, I'm not a fan of salads at all! Every now and then a chicken cesar salad sounds good, but that's maybe once a month. ;)

    I've over on my sodium every single day. And most of that sodium comes from a turkey sandwich for lunch. Processed meat is very high sodium. I always add spinach to my sandwiches because it has a very mild flavor.

    Have you ever thought about a green smoothie? Add in frozen fruit, yogurt and spinach. That will definitely up your fiber and iron! And even though it comes out green, you can't taste the spinach at all!

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