Geri's blog

Most of you know that one of my areas of clinical expertise and interest is pediatrics and pediatric developmental disabilities. It is very difficult to provide nutritional care services to a child without extending support to the parents and families as a whole. While I am honored and humbled to be considered a part of your village and guide you in your nutritional care, I have longed for the day when I would see the flood of chronic nutritionally related illness quell.

Nearly 10 years ago when my mother passed at the age of 76, my father, then 77,

sup·ple·ment
noun
1. something added to complete a thing, supply a deficiency, or reinforce or extend a whole.

I've been meaning to write a note about the sensationalized story that made the rounds recently about the dangers of supplements for women.  As if war, revolution, economic malaise, debt crises and the like weren’t enough...the popular media decided to provide more of what we don’t need: fear. A few recent articles were based on a study that examined vitamin and mineral supplements in relation to total mortality in a group of postmenopausal women.

This Thanksgiving, I offer you a few meal planning tips and my one-pan turkey & stuffing recipe.  We all need to reduce calories, carbs and fats, without sacrificing too much, if anything, in the taste department.  Here are a few tips to assist in meal planning:

For those of us in the Northeast, the Fall winds (or last weekend’s snow!) can only lead to one place....leafless trees, cold and snow.  However, a few simple tips can help your body prepare for the season and remain strong during this time of year.

Dietary interventions are a common complimentary treatment strategy for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Anecdotal evidence and case studies indicate that special diets have benefited individuals with autism. For example, according to Autism Research Institute’s (ARI) ratings gathered from 3,593 parents, almost seven out of ten parents (69%) indicated that a Gluten-Free/Casein-Free (GF/CF) diet improved symptoms of autism in their child.

One would think that health statistics would be more favorable given the amount of blood tests doctors use to monitor your health status. Yet, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program’s ATP III report 50% of individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease are not identified. In addition, the same report indicated that 50% of heart attack victims have normal cholesterol. Where’s the disconnect?

Over the years, I have seen many health improvements from dietary changes and the inclusion of individually tailored supplement programs. A recent study confirmed the benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet with and without the addition of a medical food on women with metabolic syndrome.

I was recently dismayed by the reaction an allopathic physician had with a family member regarding vitamin D use. He explained to the practitioner that he had been taking Vitamin D as well as Vitamin C since experiencing a fever and sore throat, but since it was persisting, he was concerned it was bacterial. The doctor, with eyes rolling, explained that vitamin D is an unlikely hero against colds and the flu and it wouldn’t help.  Clearly this practitioner is unaware of the benefits of Vitamin D beyond bone health, so from this came the topic for this month’s newsletter. Oh, and by the way…it was strep throat.

First Lady and advocate for childhood health and wellness Michelle Obama introduced the Let’s Move! program to eliminate childhood obesity and address the declining health of our children, a concern shared by major health and childcare organizations. For example, children are now three times more likely to be obese than they were 30 years ago, which inevitably will lead to more health problems during their adult years. The Let’s Move! program is an initiative to aid families and communities to provide better nutrition to children all over the country.