Best Vitamins

[Schlep]

For those of you eating low carb, have any of you found that you are tired a lot. And if so have discovered any vitamins that are good at giving you more energy?

Something that does not make you hungry.

[DCaplinger]

Absolutely... yes. B-Complex. Get a good B vitamin complex. The B's are good for energy and metabolism. I've found my energy has been boosted since I started taking a B-complex twice a day, and I am waking up more refreshed.

Regards,

[Schlep]

Thanks - does anyone else have any vitamins that they take for energy?

[slipperyelm]

I eat low carb, but I only have any problem with feeling low of energy when I have been working physically hard and my blood sugar goes down in the 70's. If I'm not working hard, I can sustain being in the seventies pretty well, but when working, oh my, I just have to stop, rest, and re-fuel. Actually, I will usually have to have something carby 'cause I tend to not notice how shakey and weak I've gotten till all of a sudden--if I am happily working.

Now I do take a multivitamin plus minerals, but I also do supplement additionally with both biotin and thiamine. Thiamine is B-1 and I forget which B vitamin biotin is. Honestly though, I don't think I notice any difference in how they make me feel, compared to how I felt before I started on them or how I feel on a day when I skip them.

Schlep, consider too that there may be other causes for your feeling tired. For example, I felt sort of deflatedly tired each time I started a new med. Badly enough to make me question whether I should be on the med. (But the effect resolved.)

Are you too tired to get exercise? Ironically, regular exercise can sometimes knock out that energyless feeling.

Now for my fond refrain, my answer to all the world's troubles: Eat your vegetables! :D

[Schlep]

I eat low carb, but I only have any problem with feeling low of energy when I have been working physically hard and my blood sugar goes down in the 70's. If I'm not working hard, I can sustain being in the seventies pretty well, but when working, oh, my I just have to stop, rest, and re-fuel.

Now I do take a multivitamin plus minerals, but I also do supplement additionally with both biotin and thiamine. Thiamine is B-1 and I forget which B vitamin biotin is. Honestly though, I don't think I notice any difference in how they make me feel, compared to how I felt before I started on them or how I feel on a day when I skip them.

Schlep, consider too that there may be other causes for your feeling tired. For example, I felt sort of deflatedly tired each time I started a new med. Badly enough to make me question whether I should be on the med. (But the effect resolved.)

Are you too tired to get exercise? Ironically, regular exercise can sometimes knock out that energyless feeling.

Now for my fond refrain, my answer to all the world's troubles: Eat your vegetables! :D

My problem is both after I say play 5 or 6 games of squash or jut by the end of the work day. I am totally drained and all I want to do is sleep. What makes it worse it that because I sleep after this I do not sleep at all during the night sometimes only 3 to 4 hours.

It is a cycle which I have to break.

[slipperyelm]

Oh, dear, that does not sound good, especially the short sleep at night. Sleep cycle troubles can really make life hard.

You really connect this with low carb eating, but not with your blood glucose level during the periods that you feel so tired? I'm asking that because you do not mention your BG's and think that it might be amended through vitamins.

Do you take metformin? I have suspected that metformin is especially effective at slowing my liver's breakdown of glycogen into glucose, making recovery time from intense activity slow. (Also evidenced by very even bedtime versus fasting BG.) I'm supposing that could hamper recovery from activity in which you've depleted glucose and have had to burn fat to get through the activity....Also goes along with my need to eat some carbs when I get worn out from hard work.

I feel like I am really speculating here, though, so take it or leave it.

[BrianSCohen]

I take a good multi-vitamin, but supplement with a super B-complex as well. Metformin may cause malabsorption of B-12. Some have argued that deficiencies in other B vitamins can cause problems. Some vitamin deficiencies can cause a lack of energy, but it may very well be other causes. If you just switched to a low carb diet, it may take some time for your body to adjust. Also you should be aware that male diabetics frequently suffer from low testosterone. Cholesterol treatment can make the condition very bad. Your doctor can test your levels with a simple test.

[Scrabblechick]

Here's a suggestion from my endo: take kids chewable vitamins. 2-3 kids vitamins equals one adult vitamin. He says the systemic absorption is better with chewable vitamins, and that if you're getting something a little sweet with it, you're more prone to stick with it. Also, it isn't like taking yet ANOTHER pill. I've been really good about taking my vitamins since I bought the kids chewable kind. LOL. :)

[slipperyelm]

That's a good idea with the children's vitamins. Years ago, vitamin tablets used to make me nauseated, but it seemed to be dosage related. So I took a lower dose children's tablet. Seems like most tablets now try to pack in close to 100% of all included vitamins, plus some minerals. I wonder if it is harder now to find lower dose tablets.

[EllieK]

I also have issues with low energy and odd sleep patterns. What has helped me the most was getting my vitamin D levels back into the normal zone and getting vitamins from an IV rather than just pills. It seems to work better. Vitamin D is not something all docs think of. And that alone can help drive BS down. The vitamin D has made huge difference to my sleep patterns.

[grannyv56]

macadamia nuts are great cause they are low carb, low fat and satisfying. Good luck!