my regimen so far

[mmpetunia]

meds
copaxone..begrudgingly. i have to finish the study, otherwise the guilt would consume me.
600 mg ibuprofen very rarely as needed for pain
flexeril very rarely as needed for muscle spasms.

supplements
1000mg vitamin C (calcium ascorbate)
300mg magnesium citrate
50 mg zinc citrate
1050mg cordyceps sinensis
B-Right B-complex (jarrow formulas)- contains B12 as methylcobalamin (100mcg)
??? IU of vitamin D (blinded to dosage as part of clinical trial)

diet
dairy free
mostly gluten free. i was very strict about this but have become more lax
try to eat kale daily
try to eat as much flax/hemp seed as possible (unable to take a fish oil supplement for omegas because of the clinical trial)
2-3 cups of high quality loose leaf green tea daily

questions:
am i taking enough zinc and magnesium?
do i need to supplement with anything else?
any other recommendations?

Thanks!!!

[jimmylegs]

hi m

you'd do well to find some magnesium glycinate if possible, to improve absorption. does your zinc citrate contain any copper?

as for whether the amounts of mag and zinc are good, is bloodwork at option?

if you can rotate through kale spinach and swiss chard you can get more nutritional diversity out of it

kale http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... ce&dbid=38 (K A C Mn)
chard http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... ce&dbid=16 (K A C Mg Mn)
spinach http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... ce&dbid=43 (K A Mn folate Mg Fe C K B6 tryptophan E)

hope that helps

[mmpetunia]

jimmy,

i thought the citrate was acceptable but i can switch to the glycinate when i run out. i will get a copper supplement to go with the zinc. i eat spinach and arugula regularly, but i will try chard to keep things well rounded. kale is something that i always try to keep in the house but we do rotate greens.

as an interesting aside, when i was 21 i took a niacin supplement and had an intense flush and now with the b complex i don't get one. should i add in more niacin to try and get the flush?

thanks!

[jimmylegs]

citrate is okay. i use it at bedtime. absorption is just better from mag glycinate. you can add 100mg a day of mag glycinate to 300mg/d mag glycinate and probably still be in good shape. personally i can't take more than 100mg mag glycinate and 100mg mag citrate per day. i tried taking more as an experiment and my leg muscles started to feel weak.

for copper, all you need is 2mg to go with the 50mg zinc. some products have it combined to make life easier.

you could consider a multi as well, to round everything out.

sounds good re the greens have you used chard much in the past? if not i boil it for 3 minutes to remove the oxalic acid (same stuff you get in rhubarb). gives it a much better mouth feel.

your b-complex probably contains niacinamide and in small amounts. it's only straight niacin at a reasonable dose that causes the flush reaction. if you take straight niacin and don't react to it, then you have to look at your fatty acid status.

hope that helps!

[mmpetunia]

the b complex has niacinamide and niacin (25mg) in it. maybe i'll get a separate niacin and see what happens. thanks for the tip on the chard, i hear that spinach is also high in oxalates but i have a true aversion to cooked spinach so i eat it raw and less often than the others. my fatty acid status may not be great because i'm not a big fan of seafood and since i can't do fish oils my intake is not all that great. my understanding of vegetable sources of omegas is that it is less readily absorbed than from non-plant sources. i am trying to keep things minimally processed so that is why i have gone to flax seeds and hemp seeds (i make hemp milk in my vitamix). plus the flax oils were hard because they should be consumed without being heated...who wants oil in their yogurt or on their cereal?? and i don't eat nearly enough salads to get the oil in reliably that way. i tried just downing the oil but that was a serious no-go and the good quality capsules are too darn expensive for this part-time employed girl. i'm trying to sneak the seeds on as much as possible. we'll see how that goes!!!

[jimmylegs]

will answer more fully in a few days!
ttfn

[NHE]

plus the flax oils were hard because they should be consumed without being heated...who wants oil in their yogurt or on their cereal?? and i don't eat nearly enough salads to get the oil in reliably that way. i tried just downing the oil but that was a serious no-go and the good quality capsules are too darn expensive for this part-time employed girl. i'm trying to sneak the seeds on as much as possible. we'll see how that goes!!!

Try stirring a tablespoon or two of ground flax seed into some plain yogurt. I take a tablespoon every day this way.

[mmpetunia]

thanks NHE

[lyndacarol]

thanks for the tip on the chard, i hear that spinach is also high in oxalates but i have a true aversion to cooked spinach so i eat it raw and less often than the others.

Chew the spinach, or chard, or kale, or greens of any kind VERY well! Chewing releases enzymes from the plant cells.