• You must consult with your physicians before beginning any supplement or vitamin
• Many patients take supplements that they don't need, are expensive and literally make them sick. Probiotics - containing billions of bacteria can cause bloat and gas; Vitamin C can cause esophagitis; senna causes cramping abdominal pain, fiber supplements cause gas and so on; therefore:
• Bring the exact bottle or label with you to the doctor so they can see exactly what is in the product you are taking
• Beware of "natural remedies". Some of the advertising is false, and some products are contaminated with substances that can cause pancreatitis, kidney or liver disease
• Just because something is "natural" does not mean it is safe or effective
• Beware of "colon cleansers" they contain addictive medicines like "natural" senna and your colon will never empty on it's own
• Do not take vitamins first thing in the morning - take all medically necessary vitamins later in the day; there's nothing to cause stomach upset like a cup of coffee, orange juice and a centrum first thing in the morning
• Vitamin C loosens the stool; if you are constipated Vitamin C 500 mg - 1000 mg with dinner may help. Beware Vitamin C can cause reflux and esophagitis so it has to be taken the way I said and no more than I said
• Olive oil and mineral oil loosen the stool. Olive oil is fattening and mineral oil is not. Olive oil tastes well, mineral oil does not. Take mineral oil if you are fat and olive oil if you are skinny. You can put either oil in your salad dressing and shake it well. 1-4 tablespoons with dinner will lead to a softer BM in the am.

CALCIUM

• Calcium seems to be important in regulating body fat and possibly to prevent colon cancer but if you have kidney stones or parathyroid disease calcium can be dangerous - always ask your doctor before taking calcium or any other supplement
• All calcium can cause bloat - but the chewable goes down better than tablets
• If you are constipated and need calcium: CaMgZn by CVSnatural or PostureID
• If you have diarrhea and need calcium use Oscal
• If you have reflux and need calcium suck TUMS 3-4 times a day

PRENATAL VITAMINS AND IRON
If you are a healthy man or post-menopausal woman you probably don't need iron but if you do this is my advice:

• I recommend prenatal multivitamins for patients who need iron [menstruating or pregnant women] because they are rich in other nutrients like B vitamins (for stress!) and other things that help the hair, skin and nails so;
  * Start prenatal vitamins with DHA or Citrical prenate DHA to help constipation - 1 after dinner or before bed
  * Prenate elite is the most constipating prenatal vitamin - 1 after dinner
• SloFe is a well tolerated iron supplement
• Chewable Flintstone with iron is also well tolerated after dinner

FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR DIARRHEA

• banana, white rice, rice crackers, rice milk, white meat chicken
• pedialyte for rehydration [NOT Gatorade! High in fructose]
• Isomil DF [binding infant formula with calories]
• saccharomyces boulardii [Florastor] most effective "probiotic" for diarrhea 1 a day [stocked at Prescription Exclusive 249-1050 (71st/3rd)]

FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR CONSTIPATION

• 5 servings a day of foods such as: oatmeal, berries, pear, peach, plum, papaya, mango, kiwi, raisins, prunes or prune juice, chick peas, carrots, celery, snap peas, snow peas, peas
• 5 glasses of water or herbal decaffeinated tea - more if you can
• avoid foods and supplements that improve diarrhea [above]

THINGS THAT CAUSE BLOAT or GI DISTRESS

• Most probiotics cause bloat [Saccharomyces boulardii does not]
• Cheese
• All carbonated bererages; beer, soda and seltzer included
• All artificial sweeteners [splenda, equal, sweet n lo, aspartame, sorbitol, etc]
• Zone bars, power bars
• Green tea can cause nausea
• Fructose corn syrup [Activa yogurt, Snapple, Gatorade, many prepared foods]
• Onions, garlic
• MSG

FOODS IN GENERAL

• Cooked foods always go down easier - so if you want to eat a lot of vegetables homemade soup is best; chew all food as well as you can, if you don't have a Crock pot - get one - stewed vegetables and meats go down easier then BBQ, broiled or fried