Vitamin Supplements

It's always better to get your vitamins from food, but who eats a perfect diet every day? I eat pretty well, but I know I miss some things on a regular basis. So it doesn't hurt to take supplements.

When I had my stress fracture, I got a bone density screening. (Thank you, Blue Cross!) It was a reality check for me, when I discussed the results with the doctor. He said I was on the verge of bone loss.

I am not ready to be old and brittle, so I asked a lot of questions about bone loss. He said it can be slowed down, and even reversed somewhat. I would have to eat right, exercise, and take calcium supplements.

My ob/gyn asks me every year if I am taking a multivitamin and calcium. My answer has always been "sometimes, but I'm not very consistent." Ever since the bone density screening (and the whole stress fracture episode), I have been very consistent about vitamins.

My vitamin regimen sometimes changes, but here is what I am doing now.

First thing in the morning, I drink an Emergen-C or a Wal-borne. These are products that you mix with water to make a fizzy drink. They contain a lot of Vitamin-C, and other vitamins. Emergen-C is mostly water-soluble vitamins, and it tastes better, although it doesn't stay mixed very well. Wal-borne is the Walgreen's version of Airborne, and it is very similar to Emergen-C, but it has more fat-soluble vitamins. It tastes like crap. When I take it, I try to take it with a bit of food.

Later in the day, with meals or snacks, I take a multivitamin, Glucosamine & Chondroitin, three calciums (with Vit. D), and some over-the-counter remedy for my G.I. problem.

I asked the orthopedic surgeon about Glucosamine & Chondroitin, and he said "I think it is a good thing to take." So, even though it is not proven, I'm taking it. Just in case.

The multivitamin is One-a-Day for women, although sometimes I purchase a package of more expensive, fancy supplements that includes fish oil capsules. For now, though, One-a-Day is okay. My stomach is a little sensitive, so I always take it with my biggest meal of the day.

I am taking 3 per day of the calcium. That is 1800 mg, spread throughout the day. One of the things I learned is that calcium is very difficult for the body to absorb. You can't metabolize more than 600 mg at a time. Also, caffeine makes it even harder to absorb the calcium. If I were really good, I would stop drinking caffeine. But I figure it's okay to have one bad habit, so caffeine is my chosen vice. I could do a lot worse than that.


It would be impossible for me to remember to take all these pills if I had to keep getting out all those bottles several times a day. And I would forget whether I had taken it that day or not.

So every week or two, I put the vitamins in these little zippy plastic baggies. They are re-usable, and you can write on them with a permanent marker. I found them in the pharmacy, but I've seen similar things at craft stores. They fit nicely in my purse. Every morning, I put that day's baggy in my purse before I leave for work. They are hanging on the front of a kitchen shelf, secured by binder clips.

On the rare occasion when I do forget to take the supplements, I put the forgotten pills into a little baggy labeled "emergency vitamins," and I keep that baggy in my purse all the time. That way, if I forget to bring the day's supply, I have a backup.


Even on the days that I don't run, by taking the calcium & other vitamins, I figure I am doing something to prepare for my Big 5K in 2062.