The pills I have are too small I think to try & split; I will try the flush-free niancin pills again though. Yes, I think a lot of it has to do to heridity also: I am out in the sun (no sunscreen/tan-no burn... ashamed to say!) some days 6 hrs. at a time & live at a mile high, hot summers/cold winters,arid area- zone 7. Still, after taking 5,000 IU of Dry Vitamin D-3 daily my levels are on the 'low' side but bone density still OK! Daughter-in-law is a therapist & believes in alternative medicine ... herbs, 'tapping' etc.& I am western medicine trained so find it hard to accept/understand some of it. The mfg.& testing of those things is not scrutinized as well here in the U.S.as prescriptiom drugs are I feel! Our doctor is from Pakistan & he will suggest some things like tumeric capsules, the B12, etc. but doesn't push it. Mediterranean diet? we don't care for seafood nor olive oil, wine... but the fruit, etc. OK! One study of a group of close knit people in a small mediterranean village had one of the highest blood lipid levels on record ... & also very long & healthy lengivities! Go figure?!

plllog- If you soak nuts and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in lightly salted water 12-24 hours and dehydrate them until they are crispy dry, they are easier to digest and you increase the nutrients. For more information check out "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. I use this method with all nuts and peanuts we consume because it germinates the nuts which increases the enzyme activity. Another way to offset difficulty digesting large quantities of nuts is to take an enzyme supplement to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors. I also stick to sprouted and dehydrated sunflower seeds for the same reason. You can purchase sprouted seeds from Nuts.com or goraw.com, but I make my own. Here are some tasty ways to consume chia seeds. CHAI CHIA PUDDING 2 c. boiling water 2 Chai tea bags 3 T. chia seeds small amount of milk of choice (cow, goat, nut milk) sweetener of choice (to taste) Steep tea bags in boiled water for 15-minutes. Remove bags and add sweetener and a small amount of milk to "lighten" the mixture. Add chia seeds, mix well. Let sit for 5-minutes and mix again. Refrigerate overnight. CAROB FUDGE \- a terrific high\-energy treat! (source: The Magic of Chia \- by James F. Scheer) 3/4 c. maple syrup 1 c. peanut butter 1 t. vanilla 1 c. almonds, chopped or ground 1 c. walnuts, chopped 1/2 c. sesame seeds 1/4 c. dry chia seeds 1/2 c. sunflower seeds 1/2 c. carob powder (I use 1/4 c. cocoa or cacao powder) Mix maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add carob powder (or cocoa) a little at a time. Mix until well blended. Mix all nuts and seeds together and add slowly to carob mixture. Press firmly into a lightly oiled pan. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve chilled. Must be stored in refrigerator or may be frozen. Makes 24 pieces. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \-Chia gel: 1 T. chia seeds + 9 T. water (you can use other liquids if you'd like). \-I add chia seeds or chia seed gel (water and chia seeds) to all yeast breads. It helps keep homemade bread stay moist longer and increases the fiber. If you don't like the dark seeds in your breads (slightly bigger than poppy seeds), mill it into flour and add it. \-Egg replacer. To replace one large egg, use 2 T. of chia gel. \-Fat replacer. Chia gel can be used to substitute for up to half the butter or oil in baked recipes without altering the taste, texture, or baking method. To replace butter or oil, use 1 T. of chia gel per tablespoon of butter or oil removed from the recipe. (Source: "Chia Seed Remedies") \-You can mill chia seeds into a flour in a coffee/spice mill. I regularly mill a 50/50 chia seed and flaxseed mixture and store it in the freezer. I add this mixture to our morning smoothie, baked goods, oatmeal, etc. \-I add chia seeds to homemade "energy bars". \-I add chia seeds to lemonade made with whey from draining my kefir. Chia Fresca is a favorite Mexican beverage. CHIA FRESCA 16 oz. filtered water 6 T. lime juice (fresh\-squeezed, about 2 limes) 1 T. chia seeds Your choice of sweetener. -Chia gel works in hot or cold beverages Add it to 100% fruit juice beverages, coconut water, etc. WATERMELON CHIA SLUSHY (source: "Chia Seed Remedies" 2 c. watermelon chunks 1 T. dry chia 1/2 c. crushed ice squirt of lime juice Sparkling water or seltzer In your blender, plus or chop the watermelon chunks. Be careful not to reduce it to liquid. Add the chia to hydrate and wait about 10-minutes. Add a squirt of lime juice, the crushed ice, and your amount of sparkling water. Pulse once to combine. Now you're ready to pour a glass of sweet, cool, refreshment. -I add chia seeds to my homemade popcicles. homemade tortillas, homemade pudding, granola...... CHIA COCONUT PUDDING (1 serving) 1-2 T. chia seeds (I like to use white chia seeds in this recipe) 1 T. coconut milk powder (Wilderness Family Naturals) 1 c. water Grind seeds or use whole (I grind them). Mix milk powder and water and heat to boiling point. Whisk seeds into liquid. Whisk again after a few minutes. Serve hot or cold with a drizzle of honey. -Add 2 T. chia seeds along with bread crumbs per 1-pound of ground meat when making meatballs or meatloaf. I use 3 to 5 pounds of chia seeds each year. -Grainlady

Geritol (liquid vitamin) is made from Brewer's yeast (by product of beer-industry). I love taking Brewer's yeast since it's a natural food-product, rather than refined chemicals. People give NOW's brewer's yeast thumb-down due to its bitterness, but U of Michigan Medical website stated that for brewer's yeast to be effective, it should be bitter. I mix 1/2 Tablespoon of brewer's yeast with 1 cup of milk, plus 1 heaping tablespoon of buckwheat honey, and it tastes great. It really stabilized my blood sugar, and helped me to lose weight & plus extra energy. I can see why many people report increased energy with vitamins or brewer's yeast (high in B-complex, chromium and selenium). Have been taking brewer's yeast for 1 year .. hair is super thick, at 52-year-old .. it really help with healthy hair. I took Brewer's yeast initially to repel bugs & mosquitoes when I worked in the garden ... but like the extra-energy & less cravings that I kept doing it even in the winter. Folks give brewer's yeast to their pets for shiny & smooth coat of hair, plus to repel fleas. Below is U. of Maryland Medical Center on Brewer's yeast, at $8 per pound, it's a lot cheaper than vitamins & plus help to prevent colds & flu: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/brewers-yeast Below link lists caution if you take medications along with brewer's yeast Brewer's yeast contains a large amount of tyramine, a substance that can interact with MAOIs and cause a hypertensive crisis Source: Possible Interactions with: Brewer's Yeast | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement-interaction/possible-interactions-with-brewers-yeast#ixzz3Zmk9uIfc

I have to take 10 "pills" a day, of 6 kinds. I kept the two prescription ones which I've been using, in a white "days of a week" carrier, old and one lid's hinge broke. Son gave me a larger one, clear plastic, which sits on the kitchen table, so think in the interest of keeping them at most effective level, I should return to the white one and try to make a hinge. The glucosamine sulphate, which helps reduce complaining joints' problems, the calcium, vitamin D3 and iron which were recommended following the radiation (prostate cancer, and it ain't "prostrated" me - yet), reside in their original containers at the bedside, kitchen table and in the briefcase. I first used one planning system, with a column for each kind of pill, subdivided into three for the glucosamine sulphate, of which I take three a day, and into two of which I take two, with each day's record on succeeding lines. I soon decided that I needed another planner, with a colimn for each day and hour by hour on the lines below. I rule a column for each day as I go, writing the initial of the pill in the line of the hour that I take it, and preplan for each day in the blank space on the right, writing lightly in pencil to allow for easy erasure, day by day. Often other interests made it hard to remember to take each pill on its assigned hour ... so I got behind (over a week for the 3-pill-a-day one). After I got the cell phone, setting it for the hour for each pill helped me keep the plan - and by taking 12 pills a day for a while enabled me to catch up. It helped me build the habit of keeping the phone with me all of the time, as well, in the interest for seniors' safety of being able to call for help. Sometimes when I have a lousy day and get behind again it's easy to catch up once more. ole joyfuelled