Calcium and Omega3 supplements

[Dimitry]

Hey guys,

Just wanted to find out what to do in my situation.

My diet is as such:

Breakfast: High quality cereal with soy milk or oatmeal with raisins cooked with water.

Snacks: Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Lunch/Dinner: Rice(usually brown/red/wild rice)/pasta(usual whole wheat)/couscous, salad, and fish or lean meat (mostly chicken with some ground beef and such...all in fair quantities) or stuff like chilli etc.

I rarely to never eat dairy/milk though...never really consumed them much but decided to stop.

What I'm concerned about is that I'm not getting adequate calcium/omega 3 fatty acids. Are there any good supplements of this or what would be a good way to get these into my diet? Also, can anyone else see what else I might be missing and recommend something.

[escapee]

I 'm currently experimenting a diet extremely low in grain, high in vegetables (cooked with olive oil),some beans, some low glycemix fruits such as apple, a little bit of fermented soy products ( no soy milk for me), moderate level of fish products + occasional omega 3 fatty acid supplementation , drinking ionized alkaline water (ph: 8) and some eggs (non-organic ) . Under this diet, I have experienced a sharp increase in mental focus, more so than when i was a complete vegan though i'm not sure if it's going to end up like just another roller coaster ride again(from high energy to unusual fatique).

I will keep monitoring for 30 days and if i'm still alived and well i may post here to update my condition.

Below are some articles about low grain diet
Baby-Boomers Anti-Aging Program / Big fat lie

http://www.mercola.com/article/insulin.htm

[Kendoran]

Fish oil and flax seed oil are good as suppliments to add to your Omega3 levels - I took flax seed oil for a time a while back, simply because the idea of concentrated fish oil is pretty gross. My father used to take fish oil a few years back, and reported bad fishy smelling burps - which is far from ideal.

Flax seed oil has to be converted into Omega3 by your body "Flax seeds contain the omega-3 fatty acid ALA that must be converted to DHA by an enzyme so that the body can incorporate it into cells.".

As for calcium, there are certain vegetables such as Broccoli, and Cauliflower (and many others), nuts such as Almonds, etc, which are high in calcium, I'd suggest you eat more of them rather than take a suppliment

[escapee]

According Dr Mercola, Fish oil is ideally consumed with meals, the fish burp is a sign that the body is not digesting the oil(fat) well.

YouTube - What Is Best Way to Store Fish Oil?

[marktb]

I take krill oil from Mercola, its great stuff.

Calcium supplements are a waste. If you want to take a bone density supp., take vit. K.

Flax is good but I would eat ground flax and not the oil.

Mark Baldwin

[takkaria]

I've been taking flaxseed oil for a few weeks, and have noticed improvements in sleep and skin clearness. I take it with water and follow it up quickly with something strong-tasting, like a citrus fruit. Works for me.

Also, calcium is overrated with regard to milk and dairy. All the evidence I've seen suggests that milk doesn't help you at all when it comes to bone strength.

[The Animus]

I second that recommendation of low/no grains. The best carbohydrate sources are fresh fruits and vegetables.

[Minstrel]

The trouble with taking flaxseed oil is that it spoils rapidly. A better method is to buy flaxseed in bulk, and then grind it in a coffee grinder and sprinkle it on your cereals, etc. Grind only what you need, because once the husk is cracked the oils are exposed to oxygen and will begin to go rancid.

Minstrel

[openeyes]

I get omega 3s from sardines, yolks from 3-4 local eggs per day, and mercury free supplements (often from mercola) taken with meals. Since milk plays little part in my diet at this point as a source of calcium, I do supplement a bit (though green veggies, nuts and seeds as mentioned above are all good sources which I also include).

I would never take a calcium supplement that is JUST calcium though. Mine is calcium citrate (more absorbable than carbonate), magnesium citrate (also found in the above foods, and something that Americans are generally deficient in), vitamin D, K, Boron, and Betaine hydrochloride. A full serving is 4 tablets for 750 mg of calcium and 500 mg of magnesium (the ratio should be 2:1 or less). I take 2 per day and expect to easily cover the rest via diet.

[escapee]

I second that recommendation of low/no grains. The best carbohydrate sources are fresh fruits and vegetables.

That's exactly what Mercola, Dr Lam anti aging programs and many ohters suggest. Get good complex carbohydrate from vege and fruits (preferably low glycemix index ) and restrict the intake of starcy food like rice and pasta . Refined carbo like Sugar, sweet and soda should be avoided like a plague.

[impaul99]

From my research, the best place to get Omega-3 & Omega-6 fatty acids (both are needed) is with Udo's Oil Blend.

Essential Fatty Acids, Omega 3, Flax Seed Oil > Udo's Choice™ Oil Blend - the RIGHT FAT DIET!

Udo Erasmus is like the father of Essential Fatty Acid research. It is mostly because of his work that we even know about Omega3 and 6 fatty acids. He was crusading to bring attention to these two essential fats, while the rest of the world in the 80's and 90's was on the "NO FAT" fad.

I buy his oil from a health store. I get the little bottle and put it into my shakes or pour on my salad etc. It goes bad after 3 weeks so don't get the big bottle, unless you have a bit family.

As for calcium, I am not 100% sure yet what's the best supplement. My naturopath has me on a liquid one that combines calclium, magnesium and vitamin D at the moment, but it's not long term. Long term I think the plan is for me to get all my calcium from veggies and nuts etc.

One thing I can tell you for sure with calcium, is don't bother with dairy, but you already know that I bet.

[elainevdw]

Omega-3s have been pretty well covered, so I want to chip in on calcium.

Instead of upping your calcium intake, lower your intake of acidic foods. Extra calcium intake doesn't always appear in your bones -- most of the time it appears in your urine. So what you want to do instead is stop consuming acidic (and highly caffeinated) foods or drinks that will leech the calcium you have absorbed in your diet from your body. That means cutting down on soda and coffee and not eating a diet that consists solely of tomato-based foods, which are also pretty acidic.

I don't know the validity of this particular Web site because I only Googled it 10 seconds ago, but it might be interesting: The Wolfe Clinic - Osteoporosis Support

As long as you believe that osteoporosis is a calcium problem and not an acidic problem you will always suffer as your body is slowly eaten away.

[Alex]

I am not an affiliate of this stuff but a very renowned researcher that I have had an opportunity to speak with informed me of all the pros and cons of the fish oil. You can get the product directly here and read more info on the pros/cons at my blog here.

As for calcium... there is plenty available in vegetables, like broccoli.

Best of luck

[Dimitry]

Great to hear that I can get my calcium from veggies also. As for carbonated/caffeinated stuff...I hardly ever drink pop nowadays. The only caffeine I get is from green tea, which I'm sorry, but I'm not giving up...I love the stuff. I restrict myself to a cup or two early in the day though so I can fall asleep better. Otherwise it's herbal teas, water and some juices.

Regarding the grains...so far I've tried cutting down on grains but see, I've also tried cutting down on meat (did it for over a month) and I just couldnt' find a meal plan that worked with my schedule (full time university, part time work, part time working on a business startup). I figure I'm already way ahead of the game of the average diet and I consider mine a pretty good one, no junk food and pretty much no processed food either. As for refining it, that is left for after Uni.

Thanks for the replies guys. Keep em coming.

[Volunteer]

Pharmax makes a fantastic pharmaceutical grade fish oil that has essential of orange added to it. Great taste even though the texture is still fishy.

[escapee]

Animal products seem to be the richest source of Vitamin A, a critical vitamin that is not found in plant based food ( only beta-carotene ). If you are going to miminize your meat intake, then adding/increasing the intake of egg or dairy is an option that you could consider . Deficiency in Vitamin A has been linked to respiratory, urinary infections and mucous membranes inflammation.

http://www.mercola.com/2000/feb/6/vitamin_a.htm

As Dr. Byrnes points out, there are no plant sources of vitamin A, it is only present in animal products. Vitamin A and B12 deficiency are my two major concerns in people who chose to have a vegetarian lifestyle.

[Dimitry]

I'm not actually taking out meat from my diet just yet (I've done 30-40 day fasts though 2 times a year with a 1 or 2 other shorter ones). I just minimized my intake of red meats and fatty/cured meats. Mostly I try to eat chicken and fish or lean ground beef if I eat red meat. When I say mostly, on average I might eat something outside of this group of meat about once a week (with some weeks none and some weeks a bit more).

[escapee]

Cool . . .

[openeyes]

Originally Posted by escapee

Animal products seem to be the richest source of Vitamin A, a critical vitamin that is not found in plant based food ( only beta-carotene ). If you are going to miminize your meat intake, then adding/increasing the intake of egg or dairy is an option that you could consider .

During the winter/when not getting out in the sun much, Carlson's lemon flavored cod liver oil is also an excellent choice. It provides a good dose of omega 3s and Vitamin A&D, plus it actually tastes good and tests free of mercury.

[takkaria]

As far as I can tell, the body synthesises its own Vitamin A easily. Though Wikipedia isn't always accurate, but it's backed up through a quick Google:

Retinol (the animal form of vitamin A) is ingested in a precursor form; animal sources (milk and eggs) contain retinyl esters, whereas plants (carrots, spinach) contain pro-vitamin A carotenoids.

Retinol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It goes on to list various foods rich in the precursors, which include liver, eggs, and a whole bunch of vegetables.

EDIT: Not to mention, the animals you eat to get Vitamin had to synthesise vitamin A for themselves anyway, which is why I find arguments along those lines unconvincing -- if they can do it, then we can too. Plus, I've not heard of any vegetarians losing night vision because of a shortage of Vitamin A, which is one of the first things that would happen if you had a deficiency.

[Jessica Adlin]

Indeed, our bodies do sythesize vitamin A from beta carotene quite readily. And it is actually much safer to consume beta carotene than large dose of vitamin A because our bodies regulate how much beta carotene is converted to vitamin A as needed. Part of vitamin A's tasks is gene regulation...so you don't want too much vitamin A as one might risk with supplementation.

I am a happy omnivore, but focus on getting my beta carotene/vitamin A from my leafy greens!

Just a fun fact...beta carotene is abundant in green leafy vegetables but the green chlorophyll masks the orange color. This is why leaves turn color in autumn...they lose their ability to produce chlorophyll and the orangy color of the beta carotene presents itself in all the myriad of fall colors...isn't that neat?

[escapee]

It's true for Omnivores, but to those low fat strict vegetarian who always catch cold, have frequent urinary infection or weak vision . Sometimes getting a second opinon from here and here isnt a bad move . I agree it's best to get a good mix of Vit A/Betacarotene from thenatural food source instead of Multi vitamin supplementation.
Ironically, My grandma has been taking Cod liver oil ( rich in A and D ) for years, and she is doing great at the age of almost 90 years old

Krispin Sullivan, author of a forthcoming book, Naked at Noon, a full chapter on fat soluble vitamins A, D and K related to bone and general health, writes that the reason cod liver oil does not cause a problem is that it contains both A and D. Vitamin A is only safe when vitamin D is adquate and the worldwide insufficiency of vitamin D makes all supplemental vitamin A problematic.

Bill and Tanya sat before me in my office in a sombre mood: they had just lost their first baby in the second month of pregnancy. Tanya was particularly upset: "Why did this happen to me? Why did I miscarry my baby?" The young couple had come to see me mostly because of Tanya's recurrent respiratory infections, but also wanted some advice as to how they could avoid the heartache of another failed pregnancy.

Upon questioning Tanya about her diet, I quickly saw the cause of her infections, as well as her miscarriage: she had virtually no fat in her diet and was also mostly a vegetarian. Because of the plentiful media rhetoric about the supposed dangers of animal product consumption, as opposed to the supposed health benefits of the vegetarian lifestyle, Tanya had deliberately removed such things as cream, butter, meats and fish from her diet. Although she liked liver, she avoided it due to worries over "toxins."

Tanya and Bill left with a bottle of vitamin A, other supplements and a dietary prescription that included plentiful amounts of animal fats and meat.