• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Macronutrients OK but what about your micronutrients ?

P

Pasha

Expert
Messages
8,558
Location
Middle East
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Seems that its not very difficult to manage the macronutrient aspects of a LCHF diet, but how many of us spare a thought for the vitamins and minerals which are also very important. Other than to say that I use a multivitamin pill and some magnesium citrate supplements and hope for the best, I am in the dark. Look forward to hearing from others.
 
I have been supplementing for longer than low carbing. I tend towards vitamin d and zinc deficiencies so it seemed sensible.
 
From what I've been able to gather, it looks like I crossed over into pre-diabetes in 2004, then diabetes sometime between then and 2009. I lost 20 pounds and thought I was fine. Life became much more demanding, and I stopped checking my blood glucose. In February 2015, I had an A1C of 9.9. I began monitoring my blood glucose and started the LCHF diet within two days, and am continuing on it.

I also have taken good quality nutritional supplements off and on throughout my adult life, but this time round I wanted to be more thoughtful about it.

One search led to another over a period of weeks. I finally settled on a nutritional supplement made from organic whole foods and trace minerals. Not crazy about taking 11 capsules a day, but for now at least, I want to insure that I'm flooding my body with the nutrients it needs as I begin the long process of reversing the damage I did by allowing high, uncontrolled blood glucose levels.

I'm taking a multi vitamin, a natural vitamin C - (not the synthetic ascorbic acid) - and one supplement for eye health, another for bone health.

I'm currently not eating sugar, grains, oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, starchy "root" vegetables, fruits or berries. Because the supplements are from whole foods and trace minerals including fruits and berries, they may be spiking my blood sugar a bit. But for now I'm going to continue this regimen until I've lost enough weight to resume eating berries.

I likely will continue this until I've lost enough weight to get my blood glucose into or much closer to the normal range, then decide whether to continue supplementing and/or what to supplement. It's a bit of an expense, but my husband and I aren't eating out anymore so that makes this more affordable.
 
On LCHF I find my need for supplements is very much reduced.

I take vitamin D during the dark months as it helps with my autoimmune thyroid condition.
I also take vitamin B12, selenium and magnesium.
That's it.
 
Hi not sure about various nutrients. I take vitamin c slow release & I also take vitamin D thru the winter & a B complex supplement. I have dropped some other supplements as I feel like I have way more energy doing lchf!
 
My diet varies a lot on LCHF.
I might have days or weeks of green smoothies, then a phase of stews and slow cooker recipes.
Sometimes cherries are very attractive. Other times it might be coleslaw.

Because of all this meandering I am sure that I do not meet all of my nutritional needs on a daily basis.
But I probably do better if it is averaged out over a month.

I would like to eat more raw - particularly salads, but find them very un appealing unless the sun is shining.

I take vit C, D, B12, chromium, krill oil, and a few others (can't think this early in the morning :) )
My problem is always forgetting to take the dratted tablets!

But I do feel that a diet without many carbs has increased my veg intake hugely. Which has a definite nutritional benefit.
 
Pasha said:
Seems that its not very difficult to manage the macronutrient aspects of a LCHF diet, but how many of us spare a thought for the vitamins and minerals which are also very important. Other than to say that I use a multivitamin pill and some magnesium citrate supplements and hope for the best, I am in the dark. Look forward to hearing from others.
Click to expand...
Hi Pasha

I hope I havent faux pared here as I've yet to see a reference to Atkins. I will look deeper but it seems to be refered to as Lchf , vlchf, Lchf, ketone if etc etc so not sure why Atkins hasn't been mentioned or is that advertising?

Anyhow he's a big advocate of supplementing on the induction and I am pretty much experimenting with the full month.

On supply - prob not all needed and I'm producing expensive wee but happy to go with it for now

Multi vit & minerals (iron free)
Omega 3
Vit c
Vit e
B complex
Vanadium
Chromium
L carnite
Selenium
Coq10
Bicarbonate of soda
Magnesium chloride
Above recommend dose of salt Maldonado or Himalayan pink

All sourced at very reasonable prices on web for a fraction of high street prices and trailing for 3 months.

There seems to be a lot of diabetic specific pre packed 'mixes' in the us but they look quite expensive for what they are.

Cheers
 
Hi,

The New Atkins is definitely LC moderate fat, using fat as a brake to weight loss when weight goal is achieved. The New book has been written by two of the foremost ketogenic researchers in the field.

They've also written The Art And Science of Low Carbing, which is (IMHO) a better book.

I think many people who saw Atkins come around the first time are fairly conditioned not to mention it.
LCHF often gets a backlash now (cholesterol, heart, yada, yada), back in those days, for a while, admitting to beings an Atkinsite was for a long time rather like admitting you didn't brush your teeth.
 
Brunneria said:
Hi,

The New Atkins is definitely LC moderate fat, using fat as a brake to weight loss when weight goal is achieved. The New book has been written by two of the foremost ketogenic researchers in the field.

They've also written The Art And Science of Low Carbing, which is (IMHO) a better book.

I think many people who saw Atkins come around the first time are fairly conditioned not to mention it.
LCHF often gets a backlash now (cholesterol, heart, yada, yada), back in those days, for a while, admitting to beings an Atkinsite was for a long time rather like admitting you didn't brush your teeth.
Click to expand...

Ho ho ho I like that analogy Brunneria. I found some More refs to him in the low carb recipe forum. Have his new(er) book and v&p's edited version also opted for their book art & science of low carb performance. Fine with Atkins induction at moment as trying to stay in ketosis till mid April at least if not longer.

I didn't buy their book you mentioned as their blurb put me off - written for the healthcare professionals! I guess I should add it to my library?
 
Back
Top