Safety of natural (as opposed to synthetical) supplements

[Biev]

It's not THAT easy. For the past three weeks I've tried to prove to my mom (who won't stop nagging at me about me needing supplements because I get sick often, bruise easily, get shaky hands etc.) that I could meet the RDA for every single vitamin and mineral by following this diet. The results have been disastrous. I just can't eat this much in a day, it's impossible!

I decided I'd cheat, and find only ONE vitamin I was particularly low on, and make the RDA my goal for the day. I started with vitamin A. I couldn't come anywhere near the RDA on the first day. On the second day also counted the vitamin A contents from whatever veggies I added to my salad, and I came a little closer, but still not quite. Finally I ended up trying for several days before realizing that I could meet the RDA if I ate a few carrots. Encouraged, I moved on to Vitamin B1. I followed the suggestions from Wai's list and got to about 60% of the RDA. Then I forced myself to eat more. It took me almost a week to be able to meet the RDA, and I only did because I followed a non-wai suggestion from Think Vegetables : potatoes.

Then I got stuck on vitamin B2. *sigh* After several days of efforts I never could meet the RDA. I gave up and declared the experiment a failure.

This is worrisome. I'm not talking about meeting the RDA for everything everyday, here. I need to know that I can at least meet it once in a while.

If I was perfectly healthy, this kind of stuff wouldn't bother me, but I'm not. I'm in and out of the doctor's office all the time. It seems my body pH is a big part of the problem (or a symptom which then becomes part of the problem?) and from what I've read the only way to maintain a i normal pH in body fluids is to make sure I'm getting all the vitamins and minerals I need, and according to this reference chart, the only thing I'm getting in sufficient amount are vitamin B6, B9, C and E, magnesium and selenium. And that's when I am stuffing myself.

Also, I'm worried about my teeth. With my acid saliva they are practically dissolving in my mouth, and I really want to make sure they get all the calcium and phosphorus they need to repair themselves, and according to this, I'm quite low on both. I also get insomnia, which should just not happen on a proper diet, dammit!

So now I'm torn. I'm worried about not having enough of everything. But at the same time, I'm worried about supplements giving me too much of everything. I just don't trust them, I don't like how they're made, I don't like how they always come mixed in with stuff I don't know or want, I don't like how they come in ridiculously high doses or how they make me nauseous every time.

...I don't know where I'm going with this. I'm just frustrated >_<

[RRM]

I just can't eat this much in a day, it's impossible!

The comments below are made without taking in consideration what your personal situation is; i have not read what you can/cannot stand.

Then dont eat, but drink.
Juice everything.
everything that you dont need, you dont eat: so no fiber. (because you want to make it as easy as possible on stomach and bowels)
No salad.
Only take those foods that are most nutrient dense. More egg yolks, fish avocado, juice, nuts.

I'm worried about my teeth. With my acid saliva they are practically dissolving in my mouth, and I really want to make sure they get all the calcium and phosphorus they need to repair themselves, and according to this, I'm quite low on both.

Thats low if you believe in the theory that more calcium helps against osteoporosis. Statistics show that in countries where calcium consumption is lowest, osteoporosis is most prevalent.
According to nature, even oranges contain more calcium than you need (about as much as in mothersmilk; the level that baby's need to rapidly harden their bones)

Is there nothing you can do about the acid saliva?

I'm worried about not having enough of everything.

If your worry is really that big, take multivitamins, so that you are sure.

I just don't trust them, I don't like how they're made, I don't like how they always come mixed in with stuff I don't know or want, I don't like how they come in ridiculously high doses or how they make me nauseous every time.

Ah, ok.

[Biev]

Ah, I hadn't thought of it that way. Maybe if I got a different juicer I could get around some of the vitamin problems, yeah... I can't eat anything acid so no citrus and I currently only have a citrus juicer, but once I can afford to buy a new one... Right now I don't drink juice, only water or honey-water... I depend on honey a lot.

I guess I could eat less salad and add more oil to my fruits instead. I hadn't thought about that either. I'll try those changes and see. It would bother me less to use some supplements if I'm only low on a few things.

[Oscar]

Don't forget that the RDA is just an arbitrary list. The amounts are sufficiently high that they can be a 100% sure they're more than enough. For instance the minimum amount of vit.C needed per day is 5-10mg, but on the RDA it's 60mg.