Tips & Reminders: vitamins/minerals

1. Protein. Remember your ultimate goal of 60-70 grams for females or more per day (or 70-80 grams for males). Adequate protein is essential to avoid loss of your lean body mass (muscle), hair, and to promote healing. Also, the lack of protein can cause fatigue.
   
2. Take a children's multivitamin/mineral supplement with iron two tablets daily beginning with Stage 2 (full liquid diet). Do not take your multivitamin with iron, concurrently with dairy products, Calcium, Vitamin D, Coffee or Tea as the items hamper absorption.
   
3. Supplement 1500 mg of chewable calcium daily, but don't take your whole daily dose at once. Split it into at least 3 doses (calcium citrate (Citracal) is preferred.
   
4. Pills. Ask your doctor about any medications you must take. If they are large, they may need to be crushed (and mixed with pudding or applesauce) or broken into smaller pieces.