Food supplements

[MissWinnie]

Although I eat pretty healthily most of the time, being a veggie, I'm conscious that I may not be getting all the nutrients I need; for example, iron, not eating red meat, some of the omega oils, as I don't eat fish, so I supplement hemp and linseed seed oil, as well as a few other things geared towards a veggie diet.

I was stocking up in the health food shop recently, as my supplies had all pretty much run out, and nearly choked at the check out when I realised how much I was spending on them. Admittedly, I tend to buy the organic, ethically sourced etc versions, which do cost more, but it did make me wonder if I am wasting my money.

So, just wondering if any of you take supplements or do you think we can get everything we need from a good diet?

[bongosdad]

I dont know much about it to be honest but I will give my 2ps worth.
I watched a program a few weeks back and they said the icelandic diet is best because of all the fish they eat.
So if I was a veggie I would only really take omega supplements and just generally eat well as bad fats salt and sugars being the main problem.

However I do believe this to be true also. Worrying and anxiety about diet and food can be more harmful than actually eating bad foods.

[MissWinnie]

Oh, I agree that worrying too much about what you eat is probably every bit as bad for you as eating junk. I don't - I just like to be as healthy, and feel as fit and well as I can be, so just try and put as much good stuff in as I can, so I 'm hopefully not deficient in anything that might cause problems. I think I read somewhere that 90% of our health issues are due to lifestyle/environmental factors.

Just aware that we weren't designed to be veggies, so there are things that we miss out on, nutritionally, as well of course, as farming methods meaning so much food that we buy is nutrient deficient, as has been discussed here before ...

[NuclearDevice]

I quite often supplement my food with a nice glass of chilled sauvignon blanc.

;D ;D ;D

One of my five a day.

XD

[MissWinnie]

You'd be better off supplementing with a nice glass of red, Nuc. Full of antioxidants. :P

[Albionic68]

Good morning Miss Winnie.

Although not a vegetarian myself I thought the link below may be of use to you.

It's for the Vegetarian Society which I am sure you may well have already accessed.

If not then no harm in looking.
All the best. - view external link (http://tinyurl.com/oak4mgm)

[MissWinnie]

Hey Albionic, thank you for going to the trouble of finding the link for me. Much appreciated. :)

Yes, as it says, we have to be careful not to overdose on certain supplements. And I know people who do eat pretty appalling diets but think because they pop a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement kid themselves that they're fine. Obviously no substitute for good food.

It's interesting though that Europe has sought to ban/restrict certain vitamins which people have been taking quite happily for years, and many reportedly getting relief for certain symptoms from taking a "therapeutic dose", yet prescription drugs which, as has recently been discussed on another thread here, are licensed and freely prescribed despite causing some pretty horrific side effects ...