My Vitamin Regimen

Dana catches up on email she should have seen long ago:

Hi Dana,

I just finished your book How I Gave up my Low Fat diet and Lost 40 pounds. I was wondering about your vitamin regimen. I know you aren't a doctor, but I would like to know what brands and amounts that you take.
Also, where can I find them or order them. I don't think my Walmart brands may be sufficient.

I love your book and am recommending it to other people.

Thanks,

Jill Belton

Oh, my gosh! You won't believe this, but I just now saw this. I'm so sorry for the delay!

Anyway -- I mostly buy my vitamins from Puritan's Pride and Vitacost, both mail-order companies. They both have very good prices, good quality, and a broad selection. That broad selection can be confusing, however, if you don't know what you're looking for. Off the top of my head -- without running to the kitchen to look -- I'm currently taking:

Puritan's Pride (henceforth PP) Mega Vita Gel, 2 per day -- basic, broad spectrum nutrition insurance. I took PP's Green Source for years, but it has a bit of wheat in it, so I changed after reading Dr. William Davis's Wheat Belly last summer. Mega Vita Gel is wheat-free.

PP Vitamin C, 1000 mg tablets, two per day -- pretty self-explanatory

PP Chelated calcium/magnesium, 1 per day -- I like my bones, and I'd like to keep them.

PP Bone Reinforcer, 2 per day -- See above. This is a better formula than the chelated cal/mag, but more expensive, which is why I combine the two.

PP 100 mg Niacin, 1 per day -- good for keeping arteries clean. See Dr. William Davis's Heart Scan Blog about niacin.

PP 1000 mg Fish Oil, 1 per day -- generally antiinflammatory. Also said to be helpful for ADD.

PP MSM 1000 mgs, 1 per day -- Highly bioavailable sulfur. Antiinflammatory, makes connective tissue stronger and more flexible, aids the liver in removing toxins, great for hair and nails, and more.

Vitacost (V) DHEA, 25 mgs, 1 per day -- prohormone. This is an anti-aging thing, and definitely makes me feel better, younger, and stronger. Somewhat controversial, but this is a modest dose.

V Melatonin, 3 mcgs, 1 per day (evenings) -- helpful for sleep, this is also an anti-aging supplement.

V Ultra Garlic, 1 per day -- just generally healthful stuff. Plus, it keeps vampires away! ;-p

Cinnamon extract -- I forget what brand, but I bought it through Vitacost, 1 per day -- Lowers blood sugar.

I'm currently out, but have reordered TMG (trimethylglycine) and B 100s, but these are specifically because they're helpful for my ADD.

Full disclosure: I have an affiliate relationship with Puritan's Pride. That was established within the past year or so, but I have been purchasing vitamins from PP for -- what, nearly thirty years now? I have no business relationship with Vitacost, though I would be happy to have one.

Other useful info: I find the Vitacost site somewhat easier to use. OTOH, Puritan's Pride runs a buy-one-get-three sale in the summer that is hard to beat; I generally order around $500 worth of vitamins then, and stash them in the basement for use through the year. If I need stuff in between times, I generally buy from Vitacost, though if it's a pricey item I will do the math to see who has the better price.

Hope this helps! I'm so glad you like my book; thanks for buying it.

Dana