June 22, 2012

Nutrition and Aging – Some Signs


Yes, I am discussing the topic of nutrition again. With the concerted efforts of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic (AND) to become a monopoly in the field of nutrition and force people with degrees in nutrition out of business unless they become certified or licensed under their organization, people will need to learn nutrition on their own. We should not accept the teachings of a monopolistic organization that uses mantras and mandates.

I am hoping our state legislature will continue to protect the nutritionists of our state. It is refreshing to talk to them and know that they will work with you as an individual. They know that in nutrition, “one-size-does-not fit all,” and each person has individual needs depending on age, ability to exercise, and general health. Since I am in the class of elderly, they work with me to attempt to balance my nutritional intake.

For those of us in the elder generation, we need to avoid many of the normal teachings of the AND and learn that many years of whole grains (i.e. high carbohydrate) and low fat have done damage to us. We often need more protein, higher fat content in our food, and less carbohydrates than our younger generations. Even they might do better with fewer carbohydrates.

When I started to look for information, I thought this article in WebMD may have been useful, but it is not as specific or as helpful as I had hoped. The article focuses on anemia and iron deficiency more than anything. It rightly brings up the B vitamins, but fails to point out any specific deficiencies and signs to be aware of if you have any of the vitamin B deficiencies. This is the reason I do not like articles mentioning registered dietitians as they are not getting paid to be informative, therefore it is all generalizations.

We need to be aware of other people on the Internet that also bring in small items about nutrition and those writing about low carbohydrate diets. David Mendosa does like to mention foods that work for him. You should subscribe to his posts. Jenney Ruhl now has a book out titled Diet 101 that I have not been able to read, but hopefully will in the near future.

Other sites that are about nutrition exist, it is just finding them. Yes, here are a few I read, not on a daily basis, but as I can or they have a blog posted.






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