Too much of a good thing?

Do you take vitamins?  How many?  How often?  Did you know that some vitamins can cause serious problems if you have too much?  Personally, I am of the mindset (=stubborn) that if I need vitamins then I will eat whatever I need to get them.  I love to eat!  That’s why I need to exercise so much.  But I really do not like taking vitamins.  The gummies are good because I feel like I’m eating candy.  My husband, Steve, on the other hand loves to take vitamins.  But how much is too much?

Hey!  Is that alcohol in the food pyramid!!!  "Moderation"  is subjective isn't it?

Too much vitamin C and other antioxidants can have the opposite effect.  Feeling nauseous, or have stomach cramps not otherwise indicated by some other condition?  You may be taking too much!  Too much of the antioxidant glutathione was linked to heart disease. 

Too much selenium = hair loss.  Now you don’t want to completely cut this out if you hair is thinning because it may be due to something completely different.  For instance, when I stressed out from school, work, triathlon, and everything else my hair started turning grey and falling out faster than normal. 

Too much vitamin A can cause blurred vision and dizziness.  Too much zinc can be fatal. 

All this may seem very scary if you are taking vitamins now, but keep in mind that it is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY that you will get too many vitamins from eating too many vegetables. 

One vitamin that is commonly deficient is the big D!  So eat some salmon, tuna, egg yolks (not always just whites you body builders), cheese, yogurt…  Speaking of body builders, they are sooooooo disciplined in their eating habits... Their discipline amazes me!!!  You go Michael and Kristy McKinney at Gold’s Gym!!! 

So how much is okay?  Check out this USDA site where you can calculate what you need specifically:

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1342

In a hurry...

This may date me but I’ll type it anyhow - my theme song should be that Alabama song that says,

“I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why…” 

Well, it hasn’t been fun for a few months…  school got the better of me, I cut back on training to the point I referred to myself as on pseudo-retirement, the company I worked for did  not win the new contract, and I gained 10+ pounds, to name a few.  Those of you who know me are probably thinking I could use the extra weight, but not for racing.  Imagine running a marathon with 10 pound weights = not fun!  Was all this self inflicted?  Partially… but no idea it would ever get this stressful.  Thinking optimistically, I did kick-butt presenting my research at the North American Brain Injury Society meeting in NOLA, passed my preliminary exams – although painfully, won a grant through the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, and rode on my husband’s new Harley for several hours without having a heart attack!  All-in-all, the past several months have been quite an experience and I am planning to update this more often.  Until next time – wish me luck!!!  I need it lately!