Nutrition the "BUZZ" word in the 90's, today it seems like everyone is taking some sort of vitamin or mineral.  There are companies, that in the past scoffed at the idea of supplemental vitamins as being "unproven or even unnecessary".  They implied that proper, expensive medical treatment was the only thing that would help. Today, these same companies are  providing you with your vitamins and minerals! Isn't that amazing!!

With all the hype today about wellness, healthier life styles, "proper nutrition",  you can feel lost in a maze of do's and don'ts about the benefits and effects of vitamins and minerals.

So who should you turn to? You would expect to be able to turn to your general care physician and get a quick simple answer. But the truth is most medical doctors have little or no training in the nutrition field and many rely on the pharmaceutical salespersons to advise them on what you should be taking. Not the best of ideas! 

Ok, so who can you turn to for educated answers regarding nutrition and supplements? Your Chiropractor is a viable option! Chiropractors have had extensive training in the nutritional sciences because the chiropractic profession looks at the whole person not just the symptom. This is why chiropractic educators have placed knowledge of nutrition high on the list of requirements to graduate.

One of the problems in regards to nutritional standards set fourth by the U.S. government is that they are designed for a healthy young male. 

But what if your a women, elderly or a child. For example a women of 50 years of age has nothing in common in regards to her nutritional needs with a healthy 25 year old man.

Protein, carbohydrates and fats are the categories considered in regards to the "standards", however today it does not apply.  We get our protein from hot dogs, our carbohydrates from candy bars and our fat from french fries or twinkies. Another thing to consider is the huge amounts of preservatives and food colors that we digest each and every day, are these food groups? 

The government is quick to explain the daily nutritional "requirements", but what about what we should not be ingesting.  Where is the government standard on how much Disotassium Phosphate, Mono-Diglycerides or Sulfur Dioxide we should consume each day, or that matter ever?

Think about this, unless you grow or raise all the food you eat yourself or spend ridiculous prices for organically produced foods, you are still eating pesticides and steroids. 

Your chiropractor can be a great, cost effective starting point because he/she will look at your life from a wellness standpoint.  Your chiropractor will  empower your body to be well naturally.

Ask yourself are you eating enough fruit and vegetables,  are you drinking enough water, do you have a reasonable exercise program in place, do you observe proper posture.  You will find that you are already below the government standards on all these issues.  As our lives become more fast paced we start nutritionally killing ourselves by lowering our daily intake of the essentials needed to stay healthy.

A great way to reverse this process is to start taking a solid blend of vitamins and minerals so your body is supplied with what it needs to function at it's peak.  Give your body what it needs to naturally fight disease, to naturally digest food, just to name a few. There is a big difference between "feeling OK" and "feeling great".

So take charge of your health, ask your Dr. of chiropractic for nutritional advise.  Go on-line and seek advice on both nutrition as well as exercise programs.

We need to change the "Culture" of how our family eats and lives.

Medically Reviewed
By Dr. Neil B. Scharf
 

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