My supplement plan ...would love feedback page

[healthy11]

Hello...

This morning I have gone through all of my supplements and am making a new plan for myself. After a month of trying not to I decided I need to start taking Topamax for my migraines. I did some research to find out which nutrients it might deplete. From what I was able to find it can deplete potassium (which causes tingling/numbing of feet and hands), B vitamins (particularly biotin which can lead to hair loss), and vitamin A (which can cause eye problems).

To prevent these side effects from happening I have re-vamped my supplement routine. I have ordered Cod Liver Oil for the Vitamin A and plan on eating lamb liver once a week. For the potassium I ordered Capra Goat Whey to put in my morning smoothie - has 1,000 mg potassium in 2 Tbsp. I fnd it hard to get enough potassium in my diet.

Here is my plan:

AM
Cod Liver Oil/Omega 3
Vitamin D3
B12
B-Complex
Magnesium
Potassium
Calcium
Vitamin C

Lunch
Multi-Vitamin

PM
Cod Liver Oil/Omega 3 *not sure if I am splitting this up or taking it in one dose
Biotin
Magnesium
Potassium
Calcium
Vitamin C

Questions...

How does this look to you? Do you think the potassium supplement is necessary in addition to the goat whey and trying to eat potassium-rich foods? Why are the supplements only 99mg? Worth it or not? I already have them so figure I will just take them until I run out, but want to know if I should continue once I run out.

Others I have that are questionable...
Dessicated liver - I bought these because I wasn't eating liver and then found out you have to take 6 pills to equal 1 ounce of fresh liver (waste of money - will take until I run out)
Norwegian Kelp - have no idea if I should take this or not??
Acetyl L-Carnitine & Alpha-Lipoic Acid - bought this to help with weight loss, but makes me nauseous
L-Glutamine - any reason to take this?

What about probiotics? Should I add one to my routine?

I really appreciate any input. You guys are so knowledgeable and helpful!

[Pamsc]

There are questions about metals in kelp, but if you suspect that your thyroid is slowing at all you might research whether you want to take iodine. If you do, you should add selenium to balance it.

My view is that there is no point in taking probiotics if you regularly eat cultured foods.

I take magnesium but not potassium, but I have a small banana every day in my smoothie. I probably eat sweet potato once a week. What you want, I think, is a good balance of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. If you don't regularly eat sweet potatoes, bananas or oranges then supplementing potassium probably makes sense.

[tradawg]

Why so many supplements? I get the cod liver oil, magnesium, and B-complex...the rest you can get plenty of from food. And they're more bioavailable that way anyways. Cod liver oil has D3 in it I believe, and you can get the rest from the sun! If you're eating dark leafy greens and fish w/bones, that should give you plenty of calcium. Vit C and potassium from fruits. The others you listed aren't necessary. You can get probiotics from fermented foods/drinks.

[healthy11]

I don't eat many fermented/cultured foods. I eat a banana, leafy greens, and berries in my smoothie everyday. I eat avocado pretty regulary and sweet potato about once a week.

I get a vitamin D deficiency on 4,000IU daily so had to move it up to 8,000-10,000IU (I live in the Pacific NW). I don't absorb B12 from food so am deficient in that if I don't supplement.

I don't eat a lot of fish because it's really expensive so maybe once a week.

I don't believe my thyroid is low so I am not going to mess with the kelp.

My family does have a lot of digestive issues including myself until I went primal. I still have some bloating issues so I should incorporate more fermented foods... suggestions? Sometimes I eat Bubbie's sauerkraut.

I have a strong family history of osteoporosis so I feel calcium is important in addition to D. I haven't taken calcium supplements because I don't like them, but I got dolomite powder and feel good about taking that.

[RitaRose]

I have a strong family history of osteoporosis so I feel calcium is important in addition to D. I haven't taken calcium supplements because I don't like them, but I got dolomite powder and feel good about taking that.

To be honest, calcium is less about intake and more about absorption. You can get a lot from leafy greens, and since you won't be eating wheat or crap foods, a lot more will be absorbed. Unless you have a specific problem (not just a family tendency, because that's usually diet), calcium supplementation probably isn't needed and may even be detrimental.

[Pamsc]

With osteoporosis in your family, you might look into K2. I take K2 but not K1, since I get plenty of K1 in my diet.

[noodletoy]

bone broth. trace minerals cannot be beat and are in a more readily absorbed form than from a pill.

i take d, magnesium and recently began taking k2. according to cronometer my diet gives me a full, wide range of just about everything else.

foods like seaweed, sardines, liver, eggs and wild salmon are all pretty inexpensive and are nutritional powerhouses.

[tradawg]

My family does have a lot of digestive issues including myself until I went primal. I still have some bloating issues so I should incorporate more fermented foods... suggestions? Sometimes I eat Bubbie's sauerkraut.

Sauerkraut, Bubbie's pickles, kefir, kombucha, the cod liver oil I take is fermented. It's pretty easy to just grab your favorite veggies and ferment them yourself...all you need is the veggies, a wide mouth Mason jar, and some whey.

[healthy11]

I was wondering about K2. Can you recommend a brand? I never felt comfortable with calcium supplementation for some reason and listened to my gut, but then when I found dolomite powder I felt like it was a safe and absorbable form. I do love Bubbie's pickles and I like Kombucha, but it's expensive to drink on a regular basis. I don't like fermenting my own veggies. I do have access to wild salmon, but I wouldn't say it's inexpensive. I do try to stock up when it's on sale. I like lamb liver and it's pasture fed so will eat that more often.

Thanks for all your insight and help!

I should plug my diet into cronometer and see what it tells me.

[Pamsc]

I buy Life Extension Vitamins D and K with Sea-Iodine because it has both menaquinone-4 and menaquinone-7. The vitamin D is in powder form so it is important to take it with food or some source of fat. The iodine is from seaweed but a very small amount.