Supplements, health foods and exercise strategies for cruisers

[GoingWalkabout]

I'm wondering what if any, cruisers use supplements, health foods and exercise strategies on their cruising.

Are there specific supplements that every sailor should consider? Are there particular foods that one should consider having on board for their high nutritional value? On passages, what exercises other than sail changing does one do if any? Has anyone have onboard say an exercise bike or lightweight bar bells?

Any thoughts on this most welcome.

Thanks,
Chaya

[hsi88]

Vitamin C. Don't want to get scurvy!

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by hsi88

Vitamin C. Don't want to get scurvy!

A good start. Vitamin Carlisle in supplements will most definitely last longer than fruit. What about other supplements? What about exercise?

[Kenomac]

Honestly...... The rest of the world has these places called supermarkets that the Romans invented over 2000 years ago. There's no need to supplement our diet any differently than anyone else, most of these overseas supermarkets even offer a larger variety at lower prices than in the USA, especially here in the Med.

Our BIGGER concern is getting too fat.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Honestly...... Didn't anyone inform you that the rest of the world has these places called supermarkets? There's no need to suplement our diet an differently than anyone else, most of these overseas supermarkets offer a larger variety at lower prices than in the USA, especially here in the Med.

Our BIGGER concern is getting too fat.

What do you do to burn off the fat and tone your muscles? I understand the arguments by some against the use of supplements. But not everyone agrees that you can get what your body needs from the local far off supermarket.

Juicing and eating fresh fruit and vegetables is great. But don't discount the benefits of multi vitamins and such things as pro biotics.

I have chronic joint inflammation. For this I take natural remedies including ginger, cinnamon and cumin. Etc. I have been weaning myself off a long list of medications. Having suffered lung scaring from serious pneumonia which caused a hit also to my autoimmune system.

The pharmaceuticals I've been on have in and of themselves horrible side effects, causing other medical issues leading to taking even more pharmaceuticals. Dealing with chronic muscle and joint pain is no fun. Waking and not being to use properly the fingers in your hand because of debilitating joint swelling. Dealing with ankle swelling after only walking for an hour and then being crippled in the right foot because of the pain that follows. All in all I have very good reasons to use food and supplement based assistance to my body.

My situation in many ways is extreme. But I am not going to let it stop me from sailing.

For those in good health there is good reason to stay in good health. Those who have ailments and still cruise or want to cruise then diet, exercise and yes even supplements are very important things to look at.

Are there sailors who take supplements out there? Do long term sailors use exercise aids on board?

[Kenomac]

OK, I'll try again. Here's a picture of this evenings meal aboard the good ship lollipop. A one inch thick pork roast fried up in virgin olive oil, served up with mashed potatoes and shreaded raw carrots topped with oil and vinegar. Total cost per serving: Less than $1.00 USD here in Croatia/Montenegro.

As a registered nurse with a background in nutrition and as a competitive cyclist for fifteen years, I can tell you from first hand experience that nothing beats a balanced diet. There's no need to supplement a balanced diet...it's all included. Add in the expensive suppliments and you'll be literally flushing your money spent on those suppliments down the toilet.

Today's exercise was a walking adventure through the ancient walled old town of Dubrovnik, Croatia.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

OK, I'll try again. Here's a picture of this evenings meal aboard the good ship lollipop. A one inch thick pork roast fried up in virgin olive oil, served up with mashed potatoes and shreaded raw carrots topped with oil and vinegar. Total cost per serving: Less than $1.00 USD here in Croatia/Montenegro.

As a registered nurse with a background in nutrition and as a competitive cyclist for fifteen years, I can tell you from first hand experience that nothing beats a balanced diet. There's no need to supplement a balanced diet...it's all included. Add in the expensive suppliments and you'll be literally flushing your money down the toilet.

Looks great. I don't disagree with your healthy eating and balanced diet. People like me need more.

[Sea Dreaming]

Walkabout,
Swimming and bike riding are two low impact exercises. Both will be beneficial if you are concerned. I think a lot of cruisers get plenty of exercise simply walking.
Have you thought of adding turmeric to your regimen? Its anti inflammatory and pretty cheap in tablet form. Dirt cheap as a spice that can be added to anything , buy it at an asian market for the best price.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by Sea Dreaming

Walkabout,
Swimming and bike riding are two low impact exercises. Both will be beneficial if you are concerned. I think a lot of cruisers get plenty of exercise simply walking.
Have you thought of adding turmeric to your regimen? Its anti inflammatory and pretty cheap in tablet form. Dirt cheap as a spice that can be added to anything , buy it at an asian market for the best price.

Thanks Sea Dreaming. Your suggestion about turmeric is great. Bicycling on land as well as swimming. I just need my torn left shoulder ligaments to heal more. By the way, ligament tearing is a side effect of one of the medicines I was taking.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Going Walkabout

Looks great. I don't disagree with your healthy eating and balanced diet. People like me need more.

There is no magic bullet.

[MarkJ]

Chaya,

I go to a gym in most ports.
Resistance exercise (weights) has been shown to be very benificial for older people even if we havent ever been to the gym before.

Food: i follow a Low Carb diet (LCHF) so highly nutritious food - meat - is easily, compactly, stored in a small freezer.

Suppliments are a bit on the otter these days as the scientists cant see any value in them. v C incl!

The only ones scientists seem to still recommend is:
CoQ10 - swallow one, and bite on one and swish it round your gums.
Melatonin Slow Release. I wake up too early as soon as it gets light. But the harder to find Slow Release 3mg or 5 mg will keep you asleep longer. The problem with high dose Melatonin is that it metabolizes as quick as the low dose, in about 3 or 4 hours, so though you may get to sleep, you still wake up at 4am.

Nothing else really.


Mark

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

supermarkets that the Romans invented over 2000 years ago.

Pigs bum the Romans invented Supermarkets!

The concept of an inexpensive food market relying on large economies of scale was developed by Vincent Astor. He founded the Astor Market in 1915, investing $750,000 ($18 million in 2015 currency) of his fortune into a 165' by 125' corner of 95th and Broadway, Manhattan, creating, in effect, an open air mini-mall that sold meat, fruit, produce and flowers.

I don't see why its always up to me to educate you lot!

[zeehag]

working on my boat and acquisition of suppies is working out as i walk over 10 miles a day. i also lift, carry, haul, row and or paddle. now i have a bicycle i can relax on the damnable walking. funny how walking is so hard on knees. yup got kneesles. lifting consists of everything from less than a pound, to 8 kg cat to wtf a 20 liter, aka 5 gallon bottle of water weighs. and sometimes even the weight of a perkins 4-108 for 15 minutes.
my routine neither takes up space for any part of it, nor does it in any way require focus to achieve. AND i am able to consume ice cream.
as for diet-healthy foods vs health foods-- ha ha ha there is a huge difference
] health foods are those items deemed healthy by a paid lobbyist.
healthy foods are those which do not make you feel like crap, as most plastic wrapped items do. buying alleged all natural foods here defeats your purpose, as label means lots more money, despite being treated with whatever allows loong distance shipping from pesticide riddled usa to other nations with purer forms of growing foods. free range chickens free range beef, pork, whatever-- all free range by nature here.
why buy in a package that which grows over your head on a tree and is plentiful.
i enjoy being able to consume natures foods that have not been improved on by human molestations.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Pigs bum the Romans invented Supermarkets!



I don't see why its always up to me to educate you lot!

He must have visited Pompeii and then coppied the idea. We also toured a Roman supermarket at Herculanium.

[Stumble]

I won't get into the supplement fight, if you think it works for you then go for it.

Exercise is easy. There is almost always some physically demanding work that needs to be done on a boat.

Jump in and scrub the hull, there's an hour or more of a good full body work out.

Need some upper body, crack someone to the top of the mast to inspect the rigging, just use the fast speed on the winch only.

On shoulder day try waxing the hull from the dingy, for an extra special workout don't use power tools.

Cardio, go swimming for an hour.

Take the collapsible bike into town for supplies...

It all adds up.