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those of you who are interested in nutrition

1K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  reese 
#1 ·
... but don't believe that ANY synthetic thing you put in your body is OK as long as it is low calorie,:rolleyes:, I am going to see a holistic nutritionist today. If she says anything new or surprising (something other than avoid white foods and eat lots of vegetables) I will pass it on.

I have to leave here in an hour... so if you have any general questions, something all of us would want to know, post them. Maybe you will think of some that I haven't thought of. But, obviously, I can't take advantage of her by asking her to deal with someone else's very complicated and specific information, since that is not what she is being paid for.

You have till 12:00 PST (which I think is 3:00 EST) to post your general questions for the nutritionist. I will try to get them answered.

Thanks,
Cindyc.
 
#4 ·
She only suggested a GOOD mulit-vitamin (she said "don't go buy one from costco"), cod liver oil, and calcium/magnesium (the last two in a liquid form).

She fell squarely on the side of the Westin Price/Sally Fallon people...

Raw Whole milk from grass fed animals and other cultured products. Raw cheeses and Raw butters...
No soy that is not fermented
Coconut oil and other saturated fats from Grass fed animals is good for you
Eat eggs
Fill up on vegetables, fats and proteins first, then add carbs (in that order).
Good carbs are carb heavy veggies first (like carrots) and THEN whole grains, and only at 25% of your daily intake.
Balance out your omega 6's and omega 3's...

She had very good research to back up her claims... But I am perplexed... For someone who has my family health history, to follow her suggestions could be an absolute disaster if she is wrong. But if she is right, to follow the low fat people is just as disasterous (and every diet popular out there right now is BOTH low fat and low carb if you really look at what they say to eat, not matter what they claim. They are all the same.) I honestly, honestly don't know what to do. I don't believe that anything you put in your mouth is OK as long as it is low calorie. But I am severely overweight, and something has to be done.
I find myself more confused than I was before I left. I just wish there was a way that I could "hedge my bets" and do BOTH things, but they are the antithesis of each other. I have to choose. I went to a doctor a while back, and his answer was "It's just genetics, your diet is fine, and when your cholesterol gets high (and we know it will becuase of genetics) we will just give you a pill for it. That is not a good answer either, which is why I went the non-traditional route to a holistic nutritionist rather than a medical nutritionist to begin with.

Well, if you are following this thread at all, I could use your thoughts on this. Anybody have any light to shed on the subject, I am listening.

Cindyc.
 
#5 ·
Awww Cindyc. I'm sorry you're more confused.
I know I am. Every day you can read conflicting diet and health information. It will make you nuts!
I'm beginning to think the best approach might just be calorie counting and exercise. Calories in/calories out. That and eat real food not processed.
That's my plan and I'm gonna try really hard to stick to it!
 
#6 ·
yes, I am interested in nutrition, I have studied it on the college level. The folks at the Weston Price/Sally Fallon website are not held in high regard by the scientific nutritional community, because they do not use scientific trials with peer review. Would you have the means to consult the "medical nutritionist"? By that phrase I am assuming someone who is traditionally trained??
You seem to be sensible regarding your dilemma. I don't believe you have found any sound advice yet. Physicians have no training in nutrition. The professionals in nutrition will be accredited by the American Dietetic Association.

vitamins are not recommended as a rule.. What is recommended is that you get your vitamins and minerals from whole, natural, unprocessed foods.
 
#7 ·
Never go low-fat. Eat 100% whole fat foods (whole milk, not 2% etc.)

Avoid white flour, white rice, sugar. Eat natural/organic. Lots of veggies. Good meat.

I like the 2nd book by Suzanne Somers - "Get Skinny on Fabulous foods". Read the Foreword (best part of the book!) It's all about regulating your blood sugar levels and she has you do some food combining, which helps your body maximize the nutrition in the food you eat and also helps clean up your bowel movements.

Just check it out at the library. Lots of common sense in there.

Only difference from your nutritionist, is she has you not eat carrots (or bananas or potatoes) because they are high in natural sugars. Otherwise, sounds like a great approach. and of course moderate exercise - just walk. Good luck.
 
#8 ·
I don't have an answer. From the little reading I've done, here's my working assumptions:

1) anything people have been eating for a long long time (centuries, millinium) is probably fine in moderation, as our genetics is probably used to it. Anything that's been invented in the last 50 yrs is probably bad (splenda, hydrogenated lard and oils, high fructose corn syrup) (I think books like "nurishing traditions" talk about this) Processed food is generally worse than home-made.

2) eat lots of mixed veggies and fruits, organic if you can afford it. i think the body keeps telling you you're hungry if you don't have enough of all the vitamins and minerals you need, even if you've had enough calories. Most of the nutrients we need are concentrated in veggies. I find eating a real salad with mixed greens from the farmers market means I don't get really hungry for another hour, and when I do eat my main meal, I don't get hungry again for quite a few hours. If I don't eat a salad at all, or eat pesticide-grown iceburg lettuce, it doesn't help at all. I believe it's due to the concentrated nutrients available in all the various salad leaves, which grew naturally without chemicals. Listen to your body.

3) Exercise works by increasing your muscle tone, which increases your standard energy burn rate. It's not actually the calories that you burn while exercising that make you lose weight, it's the fact that your new muscles burn a little bit more energy 24 hrs per day. So even moderate exercise helps, and it's cumulative. 30 minutes walks 2-3 times per week do far better than most would expect. You don't have to start running a marathon every month to get in shape. Get in the habit, and don't give up even if you miss a day here or there.

4) personal opinion is that the cholestorol drugs are merely masking symptoms, not solving whatever the underlying problem is. And who really knows what the long term health effects are?

5) moderation moderation. easier to keep up with. and mankind survived a few millinia without counting every calorie, or worrying about which beta-carotine supplement to take. A simple system of eating more veggies, cooking from scratch, and doing a bit of moderate exercise, is going to be easier to start and easier to keep up with than a complicated system. Less guilt. And once it's a habit, you can increase it and adapt it.

Just my 2 cents. best wishes...
--sgl
 
#9 ·
yes, I am interested in nutrition, I have studied it on the college level. The folks at the Weston Price/Sally Fallon website are not held in high regard by the scientific nutritional community, because they do not use scientific trials with peer review. Would you have the means to consult the "medical nutritionist"? By that phrase I am assuming someone who is traditionally trained??
You seem to be sensible regarding your dilemma. I don't believe you have found any sound advice yet. Physicians have no training in nutrition. The professionals in nutrition will be accredited by the American Dietetic Association.

vitamins are not recommended as a rule.. What is recommended is that you get your vitamins and minerals from whole, natural, unprocessed foods.
OK, there is honest frurstration coming. Pleast know it is not at all directed at you. I just need some answers. FYI, this lady has a masters degree in holistic nutrition from a fully accredited college, so that is pretty traditional route, and more education than a traditional "medical" nutritionist has, since you can be a medical nutritionist with only a BS, but I get your point. I am considering it. I just don't want to be told that splenda is a good health choice because it is lower calorie. For the record, this lady gave me several studies that were done by scientific trial with peer review that were completely ignored by the medical community because they did not support current theory. I don't get the impression that the problem the ADA has with Westin Price is scientific, but rather ideoligical. They don't agree. But the science I have seen is done in the exact same way. But what is presented as findings represents a preestablished point of view on both sides, making it hard to trust the "truth" of either! I suspect that "truth" is somewhere in the middle, but then that is MY bent in many things too! My mother saw tons of medical nutritionists in her lifetime. Before she died, she weight 115 lbs, and pretty much ate only baked chicken and salad. She still died of a massive heart attack at the age of 55! I know for a fact that they would advise her differently now, making it hard to trust their advice. They took too much fat out of her diet before people knew the importance of some fats. What the ADA reccomends changes every couple of years. It is hard to trust that.

Thanks for the concern, and I really am considering what you say. It is an important decision.

Cindyc.
 
#10 ·
Cindy, I think the most important thing to remember is eat the good foods, and we all know those aren't "white" foods of sugar, flour, and white rice and potatoes, and also that calories DO count.

So eat right, but don't go overboard even because something is "good" for you. Moderation in all things. :)

Jennifer
 
#11 ·
Cindy, I can tell you that I have been struggling myself with lots of info that conflicts with each other. Here is what I have found.

There is a book called "What the Bible says about Healthy Eating". I was very much impressed by the information in it. It was simple and to the point. Then, I also have learned that if I eat 6 "small" meals a day it really does help me lose weight. I lost 18 lbs in just 2 weeks doing this. I did walk 30 minutes a day but, not real fast. I felt like a new person. Over the holidays things have gotten crazy and I am not sticking to it but, plan on getting back to it after the first.

As for cholesterol, if you eat eggs that are fresh fertilized your cholesterol will be lower. The reason for this is that eggs that come from a hen with a rooster present have a natural lecithin that lowers cholesterol.

Moderation is the key and I hope you have the success you are looking for.:walk:
 
#14 ·
Hi Cindy, I totally get where you are coming from. I am overweight, have been, since going off birth control in my 20's. So my problem is that I have poly-cystic ovaries which throws off my hormones causing blood sugar issues which causes weight issues. My medical doctor told me to follow a low carb type diet plan to help battle the pcos problems (which I have had since I was a teenager which is why I went on bc) it worked but I didn't feel that it was the healthiest approach so stopped following it. Well then I was diagnosed with breast cancer, the diet to follow to help fight cancer is very low fat, higher whole grains etc. Well these 2 ways of eating contradict one another!

I have talked to a medical nutrionist as well as done quite a bit of reading and research and here is what I have concluded. Eat as naturally as you can. Our bodies need fat so don't avoid fats, just try to eat the right fats and don't fry everything. Our bodies need carbs, just try to eat the right carbs, mostly veggies and then whole grains. Stay away from anything processed, try to sugar as much as possible but don't completely eliminate it or else you will end up binging at some point.

I finally talked to a nutrionist recently who pretty muched confirmed all of this, she said there are tons of "diets" out there but you really need to eat as naturally as possible, it's the processed junk that is truly bad.
 
#15 ·
Unfortunately, I don't think there's only one answer that is going to work for everyone. But I do know that for myself, if I eat a low carb, high protein/fat diet I feel much better. My energy level is much higher, I don't usually have brain fog and I lose weight. I've lost over 30lbs since August by eating this way and exercising.
Heart disease is a pretty big concern for me as it does run in my family. My maternal grandmother had bypass surgery three times over her lifetime. She ate a low fat diet but her arteries kept clogging up.
My paternal grandfather and my dad's sister both had diabetes and both of them had to have both legs amputated because of it. My oldest brother is also diabetic. The cards are definitely not stacked in my favor. I am choosing this lifestyle because it's obvious that it is improving my health. I'm 34 years old and feel better than I have in a long time.
IMO, the advice you were given today is very sound. Maybe you should go to your MD and have a series of bloodwork done like cholesterol, blood sugar, etc and see where you are now. Then follow the advice you were given today for a few months, then go back and be retested and see if there's an improvement or if things have declined.
I wish you the best. It is a hard decision to make but most of all, whatever plan you decide on, you should feel good physically while doing it.
God bless
 
#16 ·
Diet is only part of the equation. By far, the most important ingredient is EXERCISE. If your calories in are less than your calories out, you will loose weight.

If you eat whatever in *moderation* you will be way ahead of the game. Get a food scale and honestly measure how much you are eating. Keep a food journal, and you'd be surprised at how much you are consuming - I was!

Tracy
 
#17 ·
IMO, the advice you were given today is very sound. Maybe you should go to your MD and have a series of bloodwork done like cholesterol, blood sugar, etc and see where you are now. Then follow the advice you were given today for a few months, then go back and be retested and see if there's an improvement or if things have declined.
Yes, this is what I am thinking, that at the very least if I follow this advice, I will be judiciously monitored by an MD.

For the record... *Sigh* I have counted calories, I do keep a food journal, I exercise. For a long period of time. Consistently. I haven't lost weight. I am not the only one with that experience. I know that messes with some of your minds. It is very hard to believe. A + B = C in your view. It isn't happening that way for MANY of us, and it is not because we don't really know what we put in our mouths, or we cheat, or we don't exercise.

Now that we have gotten that out of the way... The subject at hand is people's beliefs about nutrition, and how to really do that well. I would like to stay on that topic please, if at all possible. :) (no offense :)

Cindyc.
 
#18 ·
I know how you feel Cindy! I have at least 50lbs to loose and eat very healthy, it certainly doesn't budge the scale though! I agree with whoever said to go to your primary care and get a complete work up done. I just had mine done. Everything is "excellent" my triglycerides are 61.3 and my HDL is 64, so that is good. I had like 15 tests done and everything is working perfectly. Doesn't make me 50lbs lighter though! I wonder for myself, what about those 50lbs, it can't be good and besides not looking good in a pair of jeans.

I know exercise a problem for me. I get 30 minutes a day but I only walk. I added yoga in because my doctor told me if I didn't get a handle on my stress that it puts my chances way up for an auto immune disease like my mother (she has rheumatoid arthritis). I also was having a really bad problem clenching my jaw. For the first time in almost 2 years with yoga and deep breathing (google deep breathing, it's great) my jaw doesn't ache anymore. Still hasn't budged the scale though.

I feel like I do know my own problem. For one thing, I bake too much. I love to bake and eat said baked goods. I eat too many calories. I don't burn enough calories. That darn word, moderation! It's my problem.
 
#19 ·
For the record... *Sigh* I have counted calories, I do keep a food journal, I exercise. For a long period of time. Consistently. I haven't lost weight. I am not the only one with that experience. I know that messes with some of your minds. It is very hard to believe. A + B = C in your view. It isn't happening that way for MANY of us, and it is not because we don't really know what we put in our mouths, or we cheat, or we don't exercise.

That is so hard to deal with. My mom has the same problem. She has a thyroid problem and has been on medication for over 40 years. She gets so frustrated because she will diet and lose about 5 lbs and that's it.
I'm sorry you're struggling. ((HUGS))
 
#20 ·
cindy, I've had to think long and hard about nutrition the past few years. Three years ago, my very thin 10 year old daughter was labelled "failure to thrive". The cause ended up being hyper-acidity or an immune issue, which both do the same thing to the throat...change the cells. Anyway, once that was sorted out, I had to find a way to make every single bite she took make the most nutritional impact. We were never a family to eat much in processed/prepared foods, as money was tight early in our family life, so most food was prepared at home from whole foods. And I grew up thin as a rail, as well, with no ability to gain weight. Even throwing everything I could in my mouth, at 35, and after having two kids, I still couldn't get above 116 lbs.

I started by cooking both daughters breakfasts before school. A smoothie consisting of two bananas, some strawberries, milk, and half a large carton of yogurt. I don't buy zero or reduced fat anything. The smoothie was split between three of us. Each has an egg, and a piece of whole wheat bread, with butter. They eat decent lunches at school (ie. leftovers, fruit, cheese), and we have a home cooked meal each night, like a whole chicken with veggies and potatoes, or lasagna with ground beef, mozza and cottage cheese, anyway, you get the picture. But I cook just about everything we eat.

With all of this, the daughter that "failed to thrive" is still as thin as ever at almost 14, but plays basketball at school, and just about every other school sport. She plays league soccer all summer. She is never short of energy. Neither is our 10 year old daughter, who eats about the same. She is a bit shorter than her sister was at her age, and a bit heavier, but she has a different body and different genetics. She HAS to exercise a lot, she can't stand staying still. And me? With the exception of when I was pregnant each time, this is the best diet I have eaten in my life. Since eating like this, I have gone up to 140, but a lot of that was turning 40, and a change in my activity level. The biggest point I'm trying to make is that at varying sizes, WE ALL FEEL GOOD. And we're not all destined to be the same size or shape. We all need to eat for health, and to feel good, so listen to your body. Use your head to know what things are good for you, and use your body to feel what makes you not feel great. If you cut fats, and feel foggy, put 'em back. You know, all that common sense stuff. Your body is no one else's, and no one else will respond exactly as you will.

Good luck. I know that nutrition thing is a real mine field. Trust your gut. In more ways than one.
 
#21 ·
Well, *sigh* you didn't mention food journaling before, so I'm very sorry I brought it up! It is just in my experience, it's the sheer quantity of food that people won't admit eating that is the worst culprit. That and lack of exercise.

Obviously, if that is not the case for you then YMMV. Good luck to you in your research :)

Tracy
 
#22 ·
Well, *sigh* you didn't mention food journaling before, so I'm very sorry I brought it up! It is just in my experience, it's the sheer quantity of food that people won't admit eating that is the worst culprit. That and lack of exercise.

Obviously, if that is not the case for you then YMMV. Good luck to you in your research :)

Tracy
Tracy, please don't take offense. I totally understand why the first thought would be over eating, not enough exercise, and being dishonest with myself about that. I get it, but there are many people out there just like me, for whom that prescription just hasn't worked. Every time we say that to someone, the resonse is the same. "That is impossible. You are being dishonest with yourself. If you really were eating less calories and exercising enough you would be losing weight. That is just the way it works." If I sound exasperated, that is why. I don't fit into people's understanding of how this deal works, and they don't know what to do with me. Hey, even I don't know what to do with me. But I know that I do journal the food and I do exercise. It just gets frustrating. That is not in any way directed at you. I hope you understand. :)

BTW, what does YMMV mean? I don't know that one.

CIndyc.
 
#23 ·
Tracy, please don't take offense. I totally understand why the first thought would be over eating, not enough exercise, and being dishonest with myself about that. I get it, but there are many people out there just like me, for whom that prescription just hasn't worked. Every time we say that to someone, the resonse is the same. "That is impossible. You are being dishonest with yourself. If you really were eating less calories and exercising enough you would be losing weight. That is just the way it works." If I sound exasperated, that is why. I don't fit into people's understanding of how this deal works, and they don't know what to do with me. Hey, even I don't know what to do with me. But I know that I do journal the food and I do exercise. It just gets frustrating. That is not in any way directed at you. I hope you understand. :)

BTW, what does YMMV mean? I don't know that one.

CIndyc.
Cindy, I am so sorry to hear you are having such problems. It can be so frustrating. You are right there are many people just like you. My sister is one of them, she has to work so hard. My sister has suffered from PCOS and gestational diabetes. When we were young she suffered badly from hypoglycemia. When she was pregnant with her oldest one of the midwives (they rotated through 5 midwives and you weren't assigned any one) gave her a long lecture on eating fast food and sugar because she was overweight and had gestational diabetes. I tell you my sister is one of the most disciplined people I know and she never ate anything but the best and completely controlled her diabetes with diet and exercise. The thought of her touching fast food was ridiculous, people do like to make assumptions though.

I still would have everything checked to see where you are starting. Have you had your thyroid checked lately?
 
#24 ·
Cindy, I am so sorry to hear you are having such problems. It can be so frustrating. You are right there are many people just like you. My sister is one of them, she has to work so hard. My sister has suffered from PCOS and gestational diabetes. When we were young she suffered badly from hypoglycemia. When she was pregnant with her oldest one of the midwives (they rotated through 5 midwives and you weren't assigned any one) gave her a long lecture on eating fast food and sugar because she was overweight and had gestational diabetes. I tell you my sister is one of the most disciplined people I know and she never ate anything but the best and completely controlled her diabetes with diet and exercise. The thought of her touching fast food was ridiculous, people do like to make assumptions though.

I still would have everything checked to see where you are starting. Have you had your thyroid checked lately?
Morningstar, even though I have every symptom of a thyroid problem, every test I ever have comes back "WNL". Docs say their is nothing wrong with my thyroid, and see no need to offer medication. Some people have tried to tell me that I need to be more aggressive with the docs. Another controversy. I seem to collect them! L! Yea, I got the fast food and sugar talk during all of my pregnancies too. My kids call McDonalds "McFevers!" (Because they think it gives you fever!) Whatever my issues are, it is NOT fast food! L!
ETA: I do plan to have everything retested. :)
Cindyc.
 
#25 ·
Morningstar, even though I have every symptom of a thyroid problem, every test I ever have comes back "WNL". Docs say their is nothing wrong with my thyroid, and see no need to offer medication. Some people have tried to tell me that I need to be more aggressive with the docs. Another controversy. I seem to collect them! L! Yea, I got the fast food and sugar talk during all of my pregnancies too. My kids call McDonalds "McFevers!" (Because they think it gives you fever!) Whatever my issues are, it is NOT fast food! L!
ETA: I do plan to have everything retested. :)
Cindyc.
I don't know if your insurance covers a naturopathic physician or if you could afford it out of pocket but it might be something worth looking into. I have never researched it, is there a supplement or homeopathic that helps with thyroid? You also could probably harass your primary care for more tests or switch doctors. I have a wonderful OB/GYN that specializes in thyroid issues. Have you checked with your OB/GYN for the tests instead?

As to fast food, we really don't ever eat at them. We went once this year and the kids and I really debated. The preschooler was tired and crying, I didn't have cash for the older kids to go into the store and they didn't want to sit in the car with her, no one thought we should take her in to the store. We had a dance class to get to and no time to spare (I planned poorly that day). So we thought, people do this every day, lets do it. It was so nasty, we all only ate about 1/2. The kids said, mom that made me feel sick, lets not ever do that again.
 
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