My fashion choice today was a misstep

Im krallum and iapproved this message

10/30/2012 12:16:51 PM

Quote :

"iheartkisses: Do y'all take supplements? Just curious."

I am a big fan of supplements:

multivitamin
calcium + D (new research suggests calcium supplements may not be wise but whatever)
melatonin (for sleep cycle)
probiotic (for digestion)
milk thistle (for liver)
fish oil (for mood, heart, and skin/hair)

Of those, I strongly recommend the fish oil--it has been fantastic for my hair and mood! Also, for heavy drinkers, the milk thistle won't hurt.

I am going to be adding:

B-12 lozenges (for fun and energy)
biotin (for skin/hair/nails)
garlic (for heart)

10/30/2012 12:28:55 PM

^ Yay! That's a good list! Do you have a prob with "fish burps" from the fish oil?

I should have included melatonin on my list. Usually I don't need it, but I take it occasionally... when my sleep cycle is out of whack.

10/30/2012 2:02:21 PM

i heard certain brands of fish oil prevent the fish burps but i also heard if you keep the fish oil in the freezer that also prevents the burping to occur

10/30/2012 2:15:48 PM

I have heard there are HUGE variations in quality between brands of fish oil, to the point that those on the lower end are basically placebos.

10/30/2012 2:22:58 PM

^^^I use Nature's Bounty regular fish oil, and I have had no problems with the burps.

But I know NB makes an odorless kind that could help with that, and Nature Made offers a "burpless" kind, too.

It hasn't been an issue for me yet. But I think I might smell or something and just not know it. I'm wondering if the garlic supplements might also have a similar effect.

^Yes!

[Edited on October 30, 2012 at 2:29 PM. Reason : I'd like to get my hands on some Consumer Reports info.]

10/30/2012 2:25:59 PM

^ Good deal! Will have to try NB for that. Have been nervous to do that because of fear of side effects.

I should prob do garlic as well for immune support.

I do 20 oz. of green juice (kale, chard, watercress, garlic, cucumber, celery) each day with a wheatgrass shot. Plus a dose or two of green powder. Great for immune support. But since I work in a germ incubator/cube farm, extra immune support is prob a great idea. Or, a recipe for expensive urine.

10/30/2012 2:32:43 PM

That green juice sounds awesome!

And I obviously want supplements to actually help, but I'm also all about the placebo effect. Just the "feeling" of doing some good/healthy is worth it to me, and it's so easy to do, too.

10/30/2012 2:43:46 PM

It's a delish juice! Some folks like to add a little green apple or lemon juice to brighten it up a bit. I prefer ginger... though I don't always have it on hand.

There's a lot to be said about the benefits of the placebo effect. Power of positive thinking yada yada. Though I'm a believer in supplements.

10/30/2012 2:54:30 PM

I should probably invest in some milk thistle

10/30/2012 3:28:04 PM

!!!!

10/30/2012 5:29:28 PM

oh jesus christ

hold on while I prepare a rant about supplements...

10/30/2012 6:19:36 PM

make sure you use exclamation points because supplements be exciting

10/30/2012 6:33:20 PM

^^
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/play/snake-oil-supplements/

10/30/2012 6:38:06 PM

AHA, I'm responsible for three of the exclamation points, and they're all for different reasons--very important ones!

10/30/2012 6:38:28 PM

lol

also bridget I did a vanity search the other day and saw that thread you made when I was on the news last election (2008). It made me so happy

[Edited on October 30, 2012 at 6:41 PM. Reason : e]

10/30/2012 6:40:44 PM

AHA, I wasn't sure if I should make a thread or not, but I was too excited to hold back.

10/30/2012 7:09:09 PM

let me start off by saying that a nutritious diet (fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats) will supply all of the vitamins and minerals that you need. however, I understand that some people don't eat that way, and thus a multivitamin is totally warranted. it's all this extra shit that, in many cases, is unnecessary - unless recommended by your doctor. below is my educated opinion on vitamin/mineral supplements for the average healthy adult. ok here we go...

niacin - aka B3, this is found in sooooooooo many foods that I can't even think of a reason for anyone living in a developed country to take this. even if you're veg/vegan, it's still found in brans, paprika, peanuts, etc.

any other B vitamin: do you take it to give you energy? let me put it to you this way - another word for "energy" is "calories" - vitamins are zero calories. how can something with no calories give you energy? yes, the B vitamins help your body produce ATP from food sources - but since the B vitamins are found in damn near everything - why would you take more? it's water soluble so you're going to pee it out. take one and pee. see that bright yellow urine? that's you pissing out your B vitamins.

iron - I can understand this if you're a veg/vegan. otherwise, no.

spirulina - there's not enough well-organized scientific studies on this for me to want to take it. based on the content of it, I wouldn't take it AND a multivitamin - too much overlap.

calcium - the dairy industry has brain-washed us into believing that dairy is the only source of calcium. it's not. while vegetable sources of calcium may not be absorbed as easily, vitamin D increases calcium absorption and there are many fortified products (OJ, tofu) that are good sources as well.

vitamin D - go outside for 10-30 minutes (depending on geographic location, cloudiness, skin tone, etc). this also has the highest potential for toxicity, specifically for people who use supplements. unless recommended by your doctor, I wouldn't take it.

Chocolate Green Superfood from Amazing Grass - WTF is this even for?

melatonin - meh. studies show that melatonin supplements provide some benefit for sleep, but not as much as people think. if you eat well and exercise then sleeping should be fine for most people. as someone with a medically diagnosed sleeping problem, the effect of melatonin was too small for people like me.

probiotic - eat yogurt. don't like yogurt? then I can see a reason for supplementation.

fish oil - NO. no no no no no no no. the risks of supplements far out way the benefits. fish oil supplements may increase bleeding times, interfere with wound healing, suppress immune function, upset the proper balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (you need them in a certain ratio), and raise LDL. also, many supplements are made from the skin and/or liver of fish, which is also where most toxins accumulate. if you still want to take it, you have to buy a good quality product - which is usually going to be more expansive. or you could just eat fish. if you don't like fish, DHA-enriched eggs, flaxseed, marine algae/algal oils are excellent sources of omega-3s.

OK that's all I have time for.

tl;dr: the whole food is always better. eat your damn veggies and go outside.

10/30/2012 7:13:18 PM

what about folic acid?

10/30/2012 7:17:33 PM

^^The only one I recommend to people is fish oil, but I'll stop doing that for you. Still, it's not like I'm suggesting that people take it ten times a day, and the side effects you're talking about tend to occur with large doses. Also, they've tested like a bazillion brands, and they did not find high levels of mercury in them: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/health/24real.html. I know that some of the labs are shoddy, but there have been multiple studies at different labs that have confirmed a negligible amount of mercury. So I'm afraid I have to question your credibility a little.

But, even if you were right about everything, I'd still take them cause it's fun and makes me feel good. I mean, the B-12 comes in a lozenge, and you get to suck on it like candy!

10/30/2012 7:54:23 PM

I take a multi vitamin. I am one of those "picky" eaters, and I don't go out of my way to try some weird vegetable with tons of vitamins and antioxidants blah blah blah. So I know I lack some nutrient values from sticking to just asparagus and green beens.

The only other supplement I am on the fence with is also fish oil. We are just talking about Omega-3 fatty acids right? In that case, your souce of Omega 3 doesn't have to be from fish capsules.

The reason why I am on the fence is because there are many studies in clinical trial right now on Omega 3 and results are promising on many ailments.

10/30/2012 8:40:43 PM

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=632062

[Edited on October 30, 2012 at 9:08 PM. Reason : aaahahaha entirely wrong thread. I should stop drinking]

10/30/2012 8:49:31 PM

^^^First of all, your link doesn't work.

Secondly, while you question my credibility, I'll go re-read the lecture I gave to my college nutrition class on supplements just so I can refresh my memory...

...OK I'm back.

Fish oil supplements. For contamination, I'm not really targeting mercury (that's another issue) but moreso the fat-soluble pollutants PCBs and dioxins, and peroxides (when it's spoiled). Not all fish oil supplements contain DHA and EPA, or vitamin E (fish oil supplements taken regularly can lead to deficiency). Not all are purified. Eating the whole food is always better, and you'll most likely get some other benefits too - in this case protein and deliciousness.

[Edited on October 31, 2012 at 3:35 AM. Reason : ^^^]

10/31/2012 3:33:07 AM

The link just has a period at the end of it. Here it is without a period:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/health/24real.html?_r=0

And I hear your recommendation that I eat actual fish, but actual fish also has dioxins and PCBs in it. In many cases, actual fish has more dioxins and PCBs. Right?

[Edited on October 31, 2012 at 4:23 AM. Reason : ?]

10/31/2012 4:09:08 AM

begonias, what is your opinion on tuna for getting that omega-3? I don't eat much fish in general, but I eat a good bit of canned albacore tuna (I've also started eating a fair amount of raw tuna in sushi).

I've had people warn me about taking in too much mercury, but I like tuna in quite a few dishes, and I haven't heard any incredibly compelling information that has scared me away from my current tuna intake.

[Edited on October 31, 2012 at 4:29 AM. Reason : I guess you're not too concerned with mercury. Can you elablorate on the other stuff?]

[Edited on October 31, 2012 at 4:30 AM. Reason : fuck your ladies thread; this is relevant to everyone]

[Edited on October 31, 2012 at 4:32 AM. Reason : I'm also interested in your rebuttal to ^]

10/31/2012 4:28:29 AM

That NY Times article is almost four years old, the studies they reference (which only looked at mercury) are almost 10 years old, and the tagline of the Consumer Lab report is "Contamination, Mislabeling or Other Problems Found in More Than 30% of Fish Oil/Omega-3 Supplements."

Like I said previously, many fish oil supplements (unless otherwise specified on the label) are made with the liver and skin - which is where toxins accumulate. Even if you did leave the skin on for the recommended servings (4oz 2x/week) that would certainly not equate to the amount of potential toxins in a supplement, especially if you take it more than a few times a week. I also recommend knowing where your fish comes from. If it's farm-raised then yes it's more likely to have higher levels of toxins and other crap. But everything has toxins and gives you cancer, especially if it's fun or delicious.

In general, my recommendation for most healthy adults is that the whole food is always better than the supplement. If you still are set on supplementation, you may need to spend some extra bucks to get a quality product. For fish oil, get one that is purified and also contains DHA, EPA, and maybe vitamin E. If it has the USP symbol, that means it was tested to make sure the product contains what it says on the label and is digestible by the human body. It does not test for effectiveness - usually the only ones doing that testing are the companies themselves aka the same people who are trying to sell you something. "Natural" and "organic" are not synonomys for safe or effective. Before you put an under-regulated product (like a dietary supplement) in your body, read some scientific studies, not the news reports that summarize them, to see if it's worth it for what you're looking for, and make sure the study was done by someone other than the supplement company.

Concerning tuna, I would stay away from canned (that's another rant), but overall tuna is great. You can get those packets (packed in water, not oil) at the dollar store - cheap, portable, low in calories and full of protein and other nutrients. I wouldn't recommend eating it more than 3x/week though.

10/31/2012 7:04:44 AM

begonias for president

10/31/2012 7:52:41 AM

Regarding b12......why when I take it can I drink like I'm 21 again and feel little affects of the alcohol until the following morning? For real. I can pound back 10+ beers with shots if I've taken b12, when I'm now a 4-6 max and not walking straight kinda gal. It's like the fountain of partying youth.


I only take a prenatal with DHA.

10/31/2012 8:24:42 AM

I take a B complex when I have a headache and it helps some times, and like elkaybie, I take it when drinking.

10/31/2012 9:02:21 AM

^^^^Nobody on TWW actually believes "natural" or "organic" equals safe/effective, and we all aspire to the whole food diet that you prescribe. I've even got a pretty workable/inexpensive one with eggs, spinach, carrots, black beans, almonds, peanuts, milk, broccoli, etc...

And we could go back and forth with supposedly dubious studies about fish and fish oil supplements, but it ultimately comes down to an individual risk-benefit analysis. Some people, I'm sure, would argue against eating fish and fish oil entirely, and I think they'd be making the safest bet of all. Still, Nature's Bounty supplements from the grocery store are fine for me, and I will always be suspicious of other supplements that cost $60-400 a month. If third-party labs were more trustworthy, I would probably be less suspicious.

I would like to reiterate that I will stop recommending fish oil supplements to other people. Of course, I have yet to see any evidence to support this notion that they are universally harmful when taken in a typical fashion; however, I still don't want to make anyone feel obliged or encouraged to take something that they otherwise would not consider.

[Edited on October 31, 2012 at 12:44 PM. Reason : ]

10/31/2012 12:44:34 PM

I've had a lot of people recommend fish oil to me

to each his own

10/31/2012 1:03:29 PM

I really like this haircut

11/2/2012 12:44:13 PM

This is my favorite thread on the tdubs and nobody has posted in it for days. Makes me teh sadz.

11/6/2012 1:24:20 PM

same here!!! I get so excited when someone posts in it

i could go on about my issues with ASOS but hopefully they have rectified the situation. freaking sent me the WRONG dress and i about went crazy lady on them.

ps - any of you fine ladies follow the paleo diet? i've been making the switch and it's been pretty good so far. i ate a mostly paleo diet to begin with but i have issues with cheese and sugar (ie i love it a lot) and this hopefully will help me cut back some.

[Edited on November 6, 2012 at 2:47 PM. Reason : fooood]

11/6/2012 2:45:40 PM

I am not a Ladies but I will post in your thraedz

11/6/2012 5:41:44 PM

^^ haha yea - we've talked about it though.

i really liked it and honestly, i don't really miss the dairy. i think i'm actually lactose intolerant

11/6/2012 5:43:54 PM

I am sad that my boot order got canceled. I was going to have awesome boots, and now I can't...

11/6/2012 6:03:57 PM

Why did it get cancelled?

The only dairy I consume is Greek yogurt. It's one of the few dairy products I can tolerate so I hold it dearly to my heart. I made some yummy muffins and a coffee cake type thing tonight. I'm digging it but I also eat some oatmeal so I'm not completely hardcore paleo.

11/6/2012 8:49:34 PM

^ Are you lactose intolerant as well, Cass? I can't do most dairy.

11/6/2012 9:04:54 PM

I'm pretty paleo but I still have some dairy in my diet (Greek yogurt, some cheese) and I ain't even mad about

and iirc, mark sisson indulges as well

11/6/2012 10:52:24 PM

It can get expensive if you're strict paleo. I do oats and brown rice as my main grains. It's hard to get your calories from fruits ( which you should avoid the high GI ones anyway) and veggies. Fats can take up 50% of your daily intake.

11/6/2012 11:07:17 PM

Best way to get hair dye off hands?

11/6/2012 11:11:23 PM

^ Exfoliation?



I think my psoriasis is acting up and I have been having crazy bad dry skin patches on my scalp... Any suggestions?

11/6/2012 11:14:52 PM

Quote :

"^ Are you lactose intolerant as well, Cass? I can't do most dairy. "

no i have a sulfite sensitivity and sulfites are found in most dairy products.

11/7/2012 8:37:58 AM

Quote :

"Why did it get cancelled?"

Out of stock. Tried to re-order via phone because I was told they may still have 15-18 in stock. But it got canceled too. Oh well.

Don't think I could stand to do paleo. I don't eat that much meat because I don't really like the taste/texture, and I live off of greek yogurt.

11/7/2012 1:12:18 PM

if i didnt have this sulfite sensitivity i probably would be vegan or at the very least vegetarian. i love meat but it's not something i HAVE to have. at this point with my food issues, it's really the only way for me to get in any sort of protein since i can't have soy or a lot of vegan-esque products

11/7/2012 1:40:09 PM

Quote :

"I think my psoriasis is acting up and I have been having crazy bad dry skin patches on my scalp... Any suggestions?"

i had dry scalp at my hairline on my forehead which would come & go, and be seemingly worse in the winter. i finally switched to head & shoulders which i now use every time i wash my hair, and it's been the only thing that works. if i forget it when i go out of town and use any other shampoo that's not expensive salon stuff, it creeps back up. i've never been diagnosed with psoriasis, so i'm not sure if that's what it is...but h&s has worked.

11/7/2012 2:14:09 PM

My grandmother had psoriasis on her scalp and she used a coal tar shampoo like Neutrogena's T/Gel. Head and Shoulders also works. If you have psoriasis on your body and you've been given an Rx ointment, you can try isolating the worst areas and apply it directly to the scalp. I use to part and section off her hair and put her Dovonex on the particularly bad spots.

My grandmother also use to swear by applying Sea Breeze (an astringent) with a cotton ball to the itchy spots, but that may have just been a her thing.

11/7/2012 8:02:45 PM

Is there such thing as opaque toeless tights in a nude color? I can only find sheer

11/8/2012 2:57:05 PM

set em up

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

11/8/2012 2:59:22 PM