The vitamins/supplements

A little blurb on the supplements you take on the Bernstein diet. 

Because the diet itself is only 800-900 calories per day, you need to ensure that you take extra multivitamins, minerals and potassium supplements. The clinic recommends Swiss One 50 timed release caplets with 36 minerals and supplements. It includes extra B vitamins and lutein - a supplement to the B-complex injections you receive. 

You can get these in any drug store in the natural brands section. The clinic sells for $16 per bottle. Not bad for 72 caplets. You take one per day, so you've got a good 2+ months worth there. 

Take your vitamins first thing with breakfast to kick-start your body throughout the day. Along with the multivitamin, take your potassium supplement. 

The clinic usually starts off with a low dose prescription, but will regularly touch base with you on your visits whether you need to increase your dosage. Symptoms include headaches, coldness in your hands/feet, tingling, fatigue. 

The potassium is a key to supporting the protein and energy, so be vigilent and speak up if you don't feel 100%. I did the diet on the first month with my original low dose prescription. Though I had some of the symptoms, I couldn't quite determine whether my headaches were due to a constant sinus congestion that I was battling since before starting the diet, or the diet itself. Once the sinus infection cleared, I realized that I wasn't 100%. I finished off the low dose and asked for the cadillac version - K-Lyte. Apparently 98% of patients are on K-Lyte - and wow - what a difference it makes. K-Lyte is an effervescent tablet, when dissolved in water, provides 975 mg of elemental potassium as potassium citrate. It is routinely used to help against potassium deficiency and is used with thiazide diuretics to replace excessive potassium loss.

You use 1 tablet at breakfast - dissolved in 3 oz of cold water (I put it in my lemon water for extra zing) and again another tablet at lunch. Combine them when you eat your protein and when you're most active. Nurses advise again taking it at supper or in the evening, as it keeps some folks awake. I can drink coffee at night without keeping me awake, so I haven't had that problem. Again, for constipation, I use Senokot.S. 

For more on that, see my other posts.  I don't need ot belabour that point.... 

Happy dieting!