yabba dabba dooo...i have really expensive pee?

Let’s talk about Dietary Supplements

The following supplements come in pill, drink, bar form, a number of which many of us are very familiar with (especially vitamins).

~vitamins
~minerals
~herbs
~amino acids
~enzymes

Most of us probably assume that taking vitamin supplements are necessary for good health. We feel good when we take them…health conscious and responsible. Have you ever questioned whether you actually need these supplements?

Some things to consider:

Dietary Supplements are not considered a food or a drug, which means they’re not regulated by the FDA. No testing and safety guidelines are in place. Not that I want the government involved in every aspect of my life, but this multi-billion dollar industry (hello, lobbyists!) makes its money when the trusting public consumes (open mouth, swallow) these products. Now, the FDA can get involved in pulling a product off the shelf that is proven to be unsafe, so the products coming from reputable companies are probably just fine, so the question now is…are they necessary?

Well, the “scientific jury” is still out, however many experts (and the number keeps growing) find that they are unnecessary for most healthy adults, and that these expensive supplements are “just another substance for your body to excrete.” We get most of our nutrients from our foods, and if you strive to “eat a variety of foods in moderation,” you’re probably pretty well covered. Isn’t it ironic (thanks Alanis, now I’m stuck on your song) that most “health conscious” people who make the commitment to take a multi-vitamin every day are probably the ones who make smarter food decisions and don’t need the supplement anyway? If you can afford to buy a $15 dollar bottle of Centrum, you are probably NOT malnourished.

More is not always better when it comes to nutrition. Taking more than 100% of the recommended daily values of any vitamin or mineral is not scientifically proven to be effective or safe. If your vitamin provides 100% of the daily values, and you’ve eaten any food throughout the day…you’re already over the amount you need. Your first response may be that you might not always make the best food choices, and maybe you’ve had very few fruits and veggies that day and “need” your Vitamin C for that day. First of all, you should know that the “Daily Values” we’re all striving for are a little misleading. No one is going to get 100% of the recommended DVs everyday (unless you take a vitamin you can argue…ha ha, you got me there!) but that’s the confusing part. It’s not a REQUIRED Daily Value, its RECOMMENDED and as long as on average (every 3-4 days) you get close to those goals, you’re probably just fine! Also, the RDAs (Recommended Dietary Allowances) which the DVs are based on are set at a number to cover 97.5% of the population to allow for a very large safety margin. I could very well fall closer to the mean of the population, and if I strive to meet the “recommended” numbers each day, I could possibly be harming myself.

Moderate supplementation is appropriate for some populations:
~pregnant / nursing women
~women with heavy menstrual bleeding (may have low iron)
~people on severe food/calorie restrictions
~vegans
~elders

MEGAdosing is no appropriate or safe for anyone. Megadosing is defined as consuming more than 10 times the daily values. Some vitamins and minerals can become toxic when taken in large quantities. We’ve all had colds and started popping Vitamin C like candy. 2000 mg of Vitamin C can cause severe abdominal pain and heartburn. (The best that any scientific research shows on the affect of Vitamin C on fighting a cold by the way is MAYBE a 2 or 3 hour reduction in duration.)

Think twice about herbal supplements as well! Herbs can’t be patented, so no company is going to spend the money to properly research the affects of these herbs. We think that they must be ok because they’re natural (and maybe that’s true) but in the Supplement industry, “natural” is not a defined term. Also, because they are not regulated there is poor quality control and contaminations of lead and mercury have been reported. Adverse effects are common. Rule of thumb: any herb that is strong enough to ACTUALLY help you can be strong enough to hurt you.

The bottom line:
~most healthy people do not need a vitamin or mineral supplement
~there is not enough scientific research or regulatory control to justify taking any type of herbal or other non-nutrient supplement
~think before you put anything into your body
~eat a variety of foods in moderation



If you must (or really really want to) take a supplement:

~look for third party approval seals
~look at the labels and don’t take the ones that boast more than 100% of the DV
~ “natural” sources are not necessarily better than synthetic

*As you may have noticed, I’m not citing sources as I am not currently surrounded by scientific journals and stacks of research. I am sharing with you what I learn from my textbooks (damn expensive ones) and what I consider to be qualified instructors with PhDs and Masters degrees in the field. If these topics are of great interest and importance to you I invite you to research them further.

Lesia Z, RD

The first thing I thought I’d share about my education is the process I’m going through. First of all, what is the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?

A dietitian has at least a four-year Bachelor's degree in nutrition and dietetics (or graduate degree), has completed an internship and has passed a national registration exam from the American Dietetic Association.

A person with a master's degree in nutrition can be called a nutritionist. However, the title is used by a variety of persons, including those without any nutrition education, possibly only a personal interest in nutrition.

The rough draft of the next few years of my life includes completing my course work for a BS in Dietetics (should be done by July 2012), applying to and being accepted into an ADA accredited internship (9-12 months), and taking (and PASSING) the national registration exam. If all goes smoothly I expect to be an RD by the end of 2013.

The options for an RD are various. I can work in a hospital, in private practice, research, sales (blech), community education or treatment/therapy (to name a few). Right now I’m most intrigued by the treatment and education aspects, but time will tell. I need at least 100 hours of volunteer work for my internship application, so I’m trying to spend lots of time in different facilities to get as much experience as possible. Right now I’m volunteering at the Inner Door Center, a treatment facility for eating disorders and mental health issues. In October I will also be spending some time at the Beaumont Diabetes Nutrition Education department, and I hope to also work in the Beaumont Weight Loss clinic.

So far I love the nutrition community at Madonna University. I’m getting to know the professors (whom I thank in advance for their letters of recommendation), and am surrounded by a great group of peers. I’ve joined the Nutrition Network, a fantastic group of Dietetics students whose scheduled events and volunteer activities will help me reach the 15 volunteer hours I need for my Community Nutrition class well before I take it in the spring. Yay!

i'm baaaack

Hello blog! It’s been months! You look good…haven’t changed a bit. er, I guess that’s my fault…

It’s been a while since I’ve come across something new and exciting that I felt compelled to share. My trash reduction habits are still going strong, though I haven’t expanded my efforts (however I did just offer to take home compostable food scraps from my food lab, but that might be more under the category of professor butt-kissing than world saving, but whatever…still reducing trash no matter what the motivation.) My fitness efforts are in the pooper right now! This hot (hot hot) summer and crazy work and school schedule made working out my last priority, (and I’m paying for it now!) I have been taking 3.5 mile walks now that the evenings are cooler and am trying to fit gym visits back into my schedule (and back into my mentality...a ha! The REAL challenge!) It’s a work in progress, as I fear it will be FOR-E-VER.

But I think I might actually have something to write about again! As most of my readers know (since my readers are family and close friends), I have ditched my job and am in school full time as a Dietetics student. Before starting school I had a basic knowledge of nutrition. I’m not sure I’d make that claim if it wasn’t for the fact that I am repeatedly appalled by the lack of knowledge much of America seems to have when it comes to healthy habits. Admittedly I base this statement on the media portrayal of our fat nation and not on any research. Of course shows like the Biggest Loser focus on the unhealthy habits of the contestants. Some of them know better, but still choose unhealthy options because they taste better or are more convenient. Some actually have no idea what foods they should be choosing and see no problem with the fact that their food choices all share the same color…beige. I also personally know people who are at a good weight and look perfectly healthy but make horribly unhealthy choices and don’t think twice about the nutrients their bodies are lacking. This is an important point of which I have to keep reminding myself…nutrition isn’t only about weight! That might be what prompted me to be interested in the field, but it’s only a small part of it! Nutrition is the basis of health in general!

Eat a variety of foods in moderation. That’s the Nutrition mantra! There’s no magic bullet for weight loss, and though I will definitely share anything interesting that I learn, that will not be the goal of this blog. Anyone who is reading this already knows the answer. Balance your calorie intake with calorie expenditure. To prevent gradual weight gain over time, make small decreases in food and beverage calories and increase physical activity. Did I say something radical there? Nope…we all know this. And though I thought I had a pretty good understanding of nutrition, I’ve already learned so much more in these first three weeks (in introductory classes, mind you), and I want to share some of it! And that’s where the final category of people (not mentioned above) comes in. This is for those of you who have a basic understanding of nutrition, lead a reasonably healthy lifestyle, are interested in maintaining healthy habits, and who wouldn’t mind learning a few new interesting things that I pick up along the way. (Or maybe you just kinda like me and will read this just to humor me.)

Stay tuned...