Do multi-vitamins do a good job of supplementing the diet?

[BKJ1216]

I really don't eat a lot of vegtables. I also don't eat very much during the week. Usually when I do eat it consist of a wheat or meat of some sort, ocasionally fruit(i've been trying to get fruit into my diet more. The reason I don't eat vegtables is I just can't, no mattter what vegtable it is it makes me gag. I litterally spent the last day or two trying corn, letuce, celery, carots, green beans and brocoli and literally everyone of them made me gag, the carots actually made me vomit. So I was wondeirng would taking a multi-vitamin substituit for the vegtables?

[iolair]

I really don't eat a lot of vegtables. I also don't eat very much during the week. Usually when I do eat it consist of a wheat or meat of some sort, ocasionally fruit(i've been trying to get fruit into my diet more. The reason I don't eat vegtables is I just can't, no mattter what vegtable it is it makes me gag. I litterally spent the last day or two trying corn, letuce, celery, carots, green beans and brocoli and literally everyone of them made me gag, the carots actually made me vomit. So I was wondeirng would taking a multi-vitamin substituit for the vegtables?

The following are the significant components of a diet:

 

1) Water

 

2) Carbohydrates

 

3) Proteins

 

4) Fats

 

5) Fibre

 

6) Minerals

 

7) Vitamins

 

You need all of these in your diet ... fruit and vegetables (obviously) contribute towards Fibre, Minerals and Vitamins. Fruit and Veg also contain antioxidants that help your body maintain itself, reduce effects of aging etc....

 

If you don't eat veg at all, you're probably not getting enough fibre, and missing out on the antioxidants (which, incidentally, are present most in fruit and veg with strong colours). Fibre helps maintain the health of your digestive tract and strongly lowers risks of bowel and intestinal cancers. Mineral/Vitamin supplements don't contain either of these.

 

If you can manage fruit though, these do contain the fibre and antioxidants as well as vitamins & minerals ... try to eat a variety of them if you can. Breakfast cereals and bread are good sources of fibre.

 

BTW, you didn't mention any problem with tomatoes or peppers - any problems with these? These are very good on antioxidant chemicals.

[BKJ1216]

Tomatoes and pepers are fruit, I haven't tried them yet though.

[Tombstone]

I've always been told that vitamins give you an extra amount, not a needed amount. I'm sure theirs a pill out there but I don't think you'll find it in a gym or dojo. You said that you can't eat veggies so ask your doctor, I'm sure he or she can prescribe something.

[KickChick]

Anyone that does not eat a balanced diet (and who does??) which includes at least 5 fruits and vegetables each day, whole grains, dairy, and meat, poultry or fish, may not be getting enough folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 (which can help lower homocysteine levels and reduce the risk of heart attack).

 

Also if you are trying to lose weight and are on a low calorie diet you are most likely to be deficient in some vitamins and minerals.

 

Bear in mind though that even if you take a multi, you still need to have a

 

balanced, healthy diet. These pills are not magic bullets.

 

Certain foods particularly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide fiber aswell as countless beneficial phytochemicals not found in any pill.

 

The 13 true vitamins that you need to live healthy: A. C, D, E, and K, plus

 

the B complex consisting of 8 vitamins (thiamin or B1, riboflavin or B2,

 

niacin or B3. folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, B6, and B12). These come

 

from foods (and pills), and vitamins D and K are also manufactured in the body.

[KickChick]

Tomatoes and pepers are fruit, I haven't tried them yet though.

 

Definitely try them... they are especially good on pizza!!!

[BKJ1216]

I'm going to try and eat more fruits. I just can't eat the vegies. I don't know why though. I'll talk to my doctor about it.

[kchenault]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but just what do you eat? I would really like to know. Could you give us a sample of your daily intake?

[BKJ1216]

In the morning I eat a bowl of honey nut cherios or rasin brand. I usually skip lunch at school, because all the food sucks and why should I waste my money. I come hom and I either eat a hot dog or a hot pocket. Then for dinner I'll usually eat some sort of pasta or meat. The average dinner around here is. Tacos, spagetti, hamburger helper, hamburgers (rarley), those are the most recentt I can rember.

 

That's what I have been eating. Recently I'll come home and eat a banna or an apple. For the morning I'll have a orange and unbutterd toast. Then for dinner the usual.

[iolair]

Skipping lunch = bad. You can always took food with you if the stuff at school is no good.

 

Generally, it's actually better to have 5 or 6 smaller meals a day instead of 2 or 3 larger ones. Your largest meal of the day should be breakfast, and your smallest the last meal of the day.

 

If you have few meals or very little food, your body thinks it's in a starvation situation and responds by trying to store as much fat as possible.