My hubby has decided we need to take vitamins and such. I absolutely hate swallowing pills because I have a strong gag reflex. I am currently taking echinacea tincture for a boost to my immune system and Ester-C for fighting colds. What vitamins/minerals/supplements do you take and why?

-- Jo (mamamia2kids@msn.com), November 20, 2001

Answers

I also hate to swallow pills. When I take vitamins, it's Walmart's childrens' chewable! I guess the only time I took the big pills was when I was pregnant.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), November 20, 2001.

I personally would rather look at the whole foods that contain the vitamins I need. We are not normally sick, although we have had a few colds now and then. When that happens, we go big on oranges, chicken soup with garlic, echinacea, honey-lemon "tea", and plenty of fluids and rest. I am researching the old herbs used for medicinal purposes; I plan to grow my own. Herbs are best fresh, especially for tea--fresh chamomile is great for helping sick ones get the sleep they need.

The last three pregnancies I had great results from red raspberry tea and liquid chlorophyll (about a tablespoon to the glass of ice water).

Tom's mother passed away almost 4 years ago from an extreme build-up of iron in her blood, the result of having to have blood transfusions every 3-4 weeks. They never did find out what was causing the blood loss, but apparently all the iron was being left behind. I have found that chlorophyll builds up the blood supply without adding more iron. We tried to get Marie to take it, but her doctor was not willing to let her try it. I guess the connection I am trying to make here is that I have been trying to build up our immune systems with good, whole foods first, then herbs, then other natural supplements/medicines as needed. We do occasionally use acetomeniphine (okay, that can't be spelled right), but we try to look at the cause rather than treat only the symptoms.

I have a feeling I am going off on a tangent here; I am not trying to sound like a know-it-all, as I know very little. Just mentioning a few things we are trying. I will be interested to see what else gets added to this thread.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 20, 2001.

I do try to take multi-vitamin (no iron) at least 4 times a week. Bit I have learned not to take them on an empty stomach or I will be sick. I do break them in half if they are big!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), November 20, 2001.

Naural vitamin are always best. This is one area where you get what you pay for. Most higher priced supplements are higher because they're better quality. Cheaper herbs are made from lesser plants, usually. Not as carefully processed, like buying organic herbs/spice, you are apt to get more bugs/debris in the cheaper- seriously.

It would be nice to get our vitamins from the food we eat, but they just aren't there. The soil is too depleted of all those good minerals. If you grow your own food organically then you can get a lot healthier food.

I've seen lots of good results by taking supplements. Some you take temporarily, some forever, it seems. I believe God put cures for everything somewhere on/in the earth, I wish I knew what they are.

Dandelion and Uva Ursi for spleen, gall bladder, pancreas, bladder.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony@countrylife.net), November 21, 2001.

Hoorays for Cathy's post. I don't take supplements or anything of the nature. I do eat a basically vegetarian diet, and stay away from milk products, which do more harm that good. I haven't not taken medicine in the last 10 years and can count on one hand the number of days I have been sick -- from colds. If Cindy (was it?) will let me differ in a gentlemanly manner, I think the saw that foods today don't have the vitamins and minerals we need sounds to me like a rumor started by certain companies with something to gain.

Since Vicki was pregnant with Leila, 10 years ago, I/we have followed the basic Fit for Life plan. It has been an unmixed blessing and cleared up several health problems I had had for years. Tough is sticking with it, but I do my best!

Okay, I'm ready to get clobbered!

-- Randal (randal@rhyme.cjb.net), November 21, 2001.

No clobbering from me! I think there are so many variables that it is confusing to people.

I do think some of the soil that has been over-farmed by big companies is probably depleted of many minerals. But the average homesteaders soil is probably much better. We always try to put back more than we took out.

What is the Fit For Life plan?? If you want to briefly describe it, or start a new thread that would be great. I think there are many methods for arriving at good health. Every person is different, so it is a matter of finding the right plan for you.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), November 21, 2001.

Nobody gets clobbered here! LOL!! I take so many pills that I am surprised I don't rattle! Let's see...I take a multi vitamin, split in half twice a day. I take one extra vitamin C cause I noticed that I was bruising a lot. At night, I take a soy supplement for hot flashes.Three times a day, I take Glucosamine for my joints. Add to that two pills for my heart and two for my BP! Oy vey!

-- Ardie/Wi (ardie@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001.

No, it wasn't the vitamin companies that put that information out. In fact I've heard/read it several places including the 'news'. ANd what nutrition is in the food from grocery stores, is wasted before it even gets to your table. Things are raised/picked to ship. Big business farmers don't take care of the soil. Organic farmers do a better job. It's just another sad fact of life, of how progress (cough, cough) makes our life better. Like I said, if you grow you own organically, you'll get a lot more nutrition out of your food.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony@countrylife.net), November 21, 2001.

We've had this discussion on a couple other forums, CS and maybe Freedom, I don't remember which. You can go there for further info.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony@countrylife.net), November 21, 2001.

Sprouts is probably the best of all foods to eat, full of life.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony@countrylife.net), November 21, 2001.

I agree with you Cindy, organically raised food has much more nutrients in it. Also, not only the fact that the soil commercial farmers raise their veggies on is depleted, but with shipping and by the time it gets to our table, they have lost most of the little nutrition they had to begin with. You can't pick stuff before it is ripe, ship it half way around the world and expect it to have much nutrition left. I won't even go into the poisons and chemical fertilizers used in agribusiness.

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001.

About 1 year ago I stopped taking vitamins. I started looking into the "whole food" issue. We eat good, homegrown food and we all feel so much better. We have the once a year physicals, and my son always gets his iron tested. He has always been low even with suppliments, this year he was normal and the Dr. said it was due to the new suppliment,I had to tell him we haven't taken it in a year!! We all have lost a little weight and my Dad doesn't need near the meds. he was on last year. I am learning as I go, but I encourage everyone to read and be informed on what they put into their body and what it can do.God Bless

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), November 21, 2001.

Iron is needed but in excess is dangerous. I think it only leaves the body by being assimulated. If you get a bellyache from taking iron, you probably don't need it. A free way to check your iron is to give blood. They will tell you your blood count if you ask. And if it is too low, they will not let you give blood.

If a nutrient is lacking in the soil, it will not be present in the foods grown there. I think the problem is not enough variety. Some herbs are indeed 'medicine' However many are food. All of my property is treated without chemicals [except what the hiway dept and power co sneak in]. So I nibble a lot. Even now there is wild lettuce, sorrel, several wild fruits, many herbs for teas.The old folks drank 'piney tea' all winter. I find The 3needle leaf perfect for 1 cup. You don't get enough from just the few basic foods. Most of the yr there are flowers to eat. I read somewhere that one of the last old Indians who had lived naturally was interviewed and when asked the best advice he could leave for the young - it was "eat flowers" YOu can even eat redbuds!

-- carol (kanogisdi@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001.

Hokey smokes!!! You should *see* the vitamins I take with my breakfast. My non-pill-swallowing husband cringes. A multi, 2 C's, 2 E's, a B complex, a zinc, flaxseed capsule, magnesium, etc. I'm gonna' add a D soon, we don't get enough sun in the winter here in Canada, and the D added to milk ain't cutting it. It's all a lot better than the one tiny little Paxil (like Prozac) the doctor wanted me to take for anxiety attacks. The vitamins are working and have no psychological side effects. I used to have so many headaches and migraines (two different things), that in high school I got to the point of swallowing good old uncoated aspirin by the handful with no water, while sitting at my desk. Glad those headaches are gone! (Probably needed vitamins, since I never ate.)

Just a note for any woman taking calcium for stronger bones...according to what I read from a nutritionist, you also need magnesium in your diet (or a supplement) for the calcium to be absorbed and used properly.

-- Rheba (rhebabeall@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001.

My children take allergy pills (One takes Extendril, one takes Zyrtec) and a multi vitamin. I give my oldest B-complex when he gets stressed out-it really helps him. I try to cook as nutriously (is that a word?) as I can but....My husband swears by vitimin E and it does seem to have decreased his sinus infections quite a bit. Sometimes he takes C as well. I take B-complex,(Stress-Tabs) C and E. I also take that little tiny Paxil-but It has made the difference in night and day for me- unfortantly I have PTSD and I was resisitant to it for a long time, but it has really helped. The only side effect I encountered was sleepiness, but a lower dosage has helped that. We all have our 7-day pill boxes!

-- Kelly in Ky (Ksaderholm@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001.

Kelly, I used to live on Sinutab. With Fit for Life, I discovered my problem: milk products. They stimulate the production of mucus in the body. I can tell: whenever I eat a pizza or something descended from an udder, I pay for it the next day. I haven't even seen a Sinutab now for 10 years!

-- Randal (randal@rhyme.cjb.net), November 22, 2001.

I work on a vegetable/nursery/apple farm and we all eat very well. We are all in pretty good shape, not getting sick often, etc. The one thing I have noticed that is missing almost entirely from the American diet is (hold on to your hats) insects. No, I'm not going to run out and start collecting bugs for soup tonight, but I've always wondered if eating insects would have hidden benefits that we don't know about. Of course, the one thing I know it would do in this country is cure obesity....who would over-eat when presented with a bowl full of flies?!

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), November 22, 2001.

Cutting out dairy definitely helps sinus problems, and arthritis too, I think. The only thing I cheat with is a hershey bar every now and then and I can tell if I do it too often. One thing those with sinus and/or migraine headaches can try is rosemary. Put it under your tongue til it softens a little, bite on it a little and return, repeating til it is gone.

I have had panic/anxiety attacks cause of PTSD. I spent yrs figuring out the triggers and writing down the stories that came to mind not to be forgotten until I'd write them down to be tucked away somewhere. After I gathered them to be put in chronological order did it all make sense so I could take steps to remove the triggers from my life.

Anyway, I take St. John's Wort [for general well-being], horse chestnut extract [when my knees are swollen], hawthorn [heart health], myrhh [sinus and gums], gotu kola [joints], C, E, A, B complex with extra 6 and 12 [nerves], full sprectrum mineral [bones], white willow[arthritis], vervain [liver] and bee pollen.

Some herbs are heating, some are cooling. You need to know which kind you need before just taking ones you have heard about or what everyone else is taking. My list will surely be different next month. You have to learn yourself and then learn what it will take to bring you back in balance.

-- carol (kanogisdi@yahoo.com), November 23, 2001.

Carol- I keep a journal and it has helped tremendously with identifing triggers for Anxiety attacks. I had long periods of "low- grade" anxiety just general feeling of something not quite right- the paxil has helped with that.

-- Kelly in Ky (ksaderholm@yahoo.com), November 23, 2001.