should i use suppliments or take vitamins

[disgruntled]

i am against using supplements (especially because a lot have hidden steroids), but i know they can be beneficial. i also know that vitamins are beneficial, but cannot replace a well balanced diet.

but my problem lately has been that i am not eating enough and when i do it is not the best for me. i have been trying to stay more active, but right before a big work out, and just after, food is really really unappealing to me.

i force myself to have breakfast (bowl of cheerios) when i wake up, then around 12:00 or 1:00 i work out intensely. i eat lightly before, but not much. then after class the thought of food sickens me, so i do not have a needed bigger meal. at 5:00ish i eat light again for a 6:00 or 7:00 class, and don't feel like eating much after. come 9:00, i crash and crave all the bad stuff for you because my blood sugar gets too low.

granted my schedule is not like this everyday, 3 day in a week on average. but it still messes with my body.

i know i need to eat more and maintain a blood sugar balance all day, but food is not appealing. i thought a protein shake might me good in this case. and maybe some vitamins.

anyone else have this problem? is their food that you think would work better? i try to have fruit because that is more appealing when i feel gucky.

[sirdarksol]

This doesn't seem quite right. Are you timid around needles? You might want to get a glucometer and check your blood sugar immediately after a workout. Out of whack blood sugar can cause nausea. This can be handled with some lightly sugared tea and a few crackers. Or you could try chewing mint gum immediately after a workout (mint settles the stomach).
You shouldn't feel queasy at the thought of food. At the most recent seminar, all thirty participants went out to lunch immediately after one of the most grueling 2 hour workouts a person could have.
Going to quote Yamashita-Sensei here: "Get your vitamins from liquid. No take pills (mimes popping a pill and crunching it). Pills hard, sit in stomach, cause cancer." Now, I doubt that Sensei has much in the way of studies supporting his theory, but he is amazingly spry and healthy for his age, and is very talented in Eastern medicine, one of the greatest aspects of which is diet.
You might want to go with Vitamin Water, Life Water, or another similar drink. Or you could just eat Total as your cereal in the morning.

There are times that I take vitamins, but I try not to regularly (even before Sensei's little speech). I usually try to get them from other things.

One other thing you can do is cheat your body. If you're craving sweets, try Pringles Selects Sweet Potato Chips, or a slice of organic fruit pie, or a chocolate-covered strawberry. Not a perfect answer, but better than hard candy, a hostess "fruit" pie, or a Hershey's bar.

[disgruntled]

hmmm... interesting suggestion. maybe i should look into a glucometer. even though i am in shape and not over weight, a couple of doctors have told me that i am pre-diabetic. it makes me very sensitive to my insulin levels and i am at high risk of diabetes.

and come to think of it, the only thing i can eat after a work out is slightly sweetened water or fruit..... i can always eat fruit.

i agree with Yamashita-sensei, it is always bad to try to cheat your body from proper nutrition.

maybe a more hearty breakfast is what i need.... if i keep my blood sugar up for the afternoon, i might not feel too queezy after the noon work out to eat. but of course, i find it really hard to eat in the morning because i am not hungry.....

Pringles makes sweet potato chips?? you crazy Yankees!

[sirdarksol]

They are sweet potatoes (the orange ones) made into chips and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. They're really good.

[disgruntled]

there is a new trend right now to take water-soluble fiber pills. it is suppose to release sugars at a steady rate maintaining your sugar levels..... but it is also an appetite suppressant, which sounds unhealthy. anyone try these, or know anything about them?

[sirdarksol]

I have taken fiber pills, but not for weight loss. When I was working in an office job, I was having problems getting enough fiber in my diet.
In the case of fiber, I believe it is normally an appetite suppressant only because it stays in the stomach longer, leaving you feeling full longer. I don't know this for sure, though, and haven't done any research on this particular tactic, so I have little concrete idea about it one way or another.

[disgruntled]

yeah i think it is because it stays in the stomach longer, but i am still nervous of anything that is not natural. and because it is so new to the market, the side effect might just not be known yet....... maybe regular fiber pills would be a better bet if i just want to maintain my sugar levels.

[sirdarksol]

It would be worth a try.
Otherwise, oatmeal has soluble fiber in it, as does the pulp of most fruit (just did a little bit of research). Perhaps trying to include more things that have a decent amount of soluble fiber would help.