I haven't seen a nutritionist, but I went to college with an alarming number of girls who ostensibly were in the grips of an eating disorder and planned to be dieticians. Studying nutrition or psychology often seems to me to be a way to be above the law, so to speak. Of course, it's entirely possible that she's that thin and perfectly healthy (rolls eyes). The standard advice for pre-diabetes is small, frequent meals, whole grains, and protein, right?

If your calcium levels are too high you need to find out why....not reduce calcium in your diet. that calcium is coming from your bones!!
The reasons for a high calcium level in your blood can be many....and none of them good. Get to a real doctor! Not a nutritionist not a dietitian....Please!!
Linda C

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypercalcemia/DS00976

http://parathyroid.com/high-calcium.htm

I am no doctor, but drinking less milk doesn't seem like the first response to hypercalcemia.

I have very high cholesterol. Was told to cut out soda, fried foods and ice cream.

For heavens sake, I don't drink soda, don't eat fried, and I will not give up my occasionally ice cream.

Some people make extra of what they can, and my body is a cholesterol machine.

I am not overweight, not even heavy for my size/age. I exercise and eat right, well, cept for the occasional ice cream.

Thus, I take meds.

Life goes on.

Moni

I am aware that calcium is coming from my bones, and my doctor told me to take vitamin D to see if that will help. At this point it has stabilized and is only just barely high, but as I mentioned above, I am also seeing an endrocrinologist, and he is monitoring my calcium levels. He checked my parathyroid and said that it was not the problem.

I am not giving up the occasional ice cream either, and the nutritionist said it was okay.

I also already eat small frequent meals like Jessica recommends, but I have been doing that for hypoglycemia, which I was diagnosed for in my mid twenties. The doctor checked for that back then because I suffered from dizzy or fainting spells. I've been taking GTF chromium (with cinnamon) for that, and it seems to keep the dizziness under control, along with the frequent meals and the avoidance of refined starches.

I think the calcium problem could be the result of one of my BP meds. I was already taken off one of them, and that seemed to help.

Lars

lars, my dear, I do hope they get you call straightened out.

I've been to a nutritionist three times, three different ones. I went once I first found out how high my cholesterol was and learned about saturated fats and exercise and insoluble fiber. I became a vegetarian, walked endless miles, joined the gym. Lucille was the nutritionist's name and she was very blunt, told me to stop eating bacon and start taking the stairs, LOL. My cholesterol went down 7 points in 6 months. That's when my old doctor explained about hyperlipidemia and that the less cholesterol I take in, the more my body thinks it needs to make. Fortunately, Crestor works nicely for me.

The second time I went, I was pregnant with Ashley and my blood sugar was fluctuating. That nutritionist was from the high up muckety muck hospital in Grand Rapids and she explained about the combination of carbohydrates and protein and how sugar wasn't the absolute villian, carbohydrates also had to be controlled.

The third time I went with Amanda, she had decided to become a vegetarian and the old doctor wanted her to be sure she knew the health ramifications, that she'd have to find alternative protein sources, etc. That was a very young, very thin girl who, after 15 minutes, told me that I knew as much as she did, and good luck. $95.00 for the consultation, thank you very much.

So, depending on the problem and the nutritionist and the extent of your current knowledge it may or may not be very helpful.

I also agree that simply cutting out calcium isn't going to help that problem, but I can see why they wouldn't want you to ingest any more in the form of a vitamin supplement.

There are other foods than dairy that are high in calcium too. Many cereals have added calcium, so if you're buying ready made granola, check the box. Cornmeal is relatively high, wheat flour (plus pre-made breads often contain powdered milk or added calcium)is, rhubarb and greens are, broccoli, fish with bones like sardines or canned salmon.

BTW, cinnamon is good for regulating blood sugar, so keep doing that.

Good luck, I hope they get you all straightened around quickly. the problem very well may be one of your meds, it seems that everytime I take one, it causes a problem that requires me to take another!

Annie

Do you have heart problems? Calcium is more important than just for bones.

Lars, I also hope you find a routine that keeps both the blood sugar calcium under control. The exercise shouldn't be "exhausting" after your body adjusts. Actually, you should have more energy throughout the day & sleep better at night. Exercise is good.

My ex was on a medicine that messed up his calcium - thinking it was for kidney problems but can't quite remember. He was diabetic & in kidney failure...had a kidney transplant & is doing well eleven years later.

Annie said,

"Good luck, I hope they get you all straightened around quickly. the problem very well may be one of your meds, it seems that everytime I take one, it causes a problem that requires me to take another!"

I couldn't agree more!

/tricia

The reasons for a high calcium level in your blood can be many....and of them good. Get to a real doctor! Not a nutritionist not a dietitian....Please!!
Linda C

Guess where your doctor will send you????? To a nutritionist or a dietition! Ya think doctors handle this kind of stuff these days????

Well I don't know what to tell you..I think some nutritionist are so wrapped up in "government" recommendations that they don't see into the reality of bodies do different things.

I agree with Terri. I feel my best on a vegan diet and I've been sent to several nutritionists and they always lecture me about it. I've done a lot of personal research, not to mention gauging my own body's reactions, to show that I don't think meat and dairy is healthy, at least for me. But they always disregard my opinions and instead of helping me choose a balanced vegan diet, they lecture me on not using meat/dairy. It's insulting. They recommend snacks like those 100 calorie packs that are full of refined sugar, saturated fat and all sorts of chemicals and preservatives. It baffles me.

I'm sure there are some good nutritionists out there who listen to their patients but I haven't found one. It's like they are so set on what has been "traditional" in diet and they won't consider any other paths despite our rampant and growing cases of heart disease and cancer. It's beyond time for new "guidelines."

I wish doctors in general would focus on nutrition but it's a very small part of med school, sadly. I firmly believe it's the root of all our many health problems these days.

I hope you find relief, Lars!

After watching a Nutritionist on Oprah one day talking about how she learned what she was doing wrong by reading a nutrition book from one of Oprah's guests(a doctor I've forgotten his name now) and FINALLY figured out that the reason she couldn't lose weight is because of all the soda she was drinking every day...stopped drinking the soda and lost a ton of weight. OK so how much does a Nutritionist really know that she could not figure out from YEARS of college that the sugar in her sodas she drank all day was what was making her fat? Can anyone really be that stupid? This just proved to me that just because someone went to college and works as a Nutritionist that doesn't make they know squat! This woman was a DOCTOR! Scary!

"This just proved to me that just because someone went to college and works as a Nutritionist that doesn't make they know squat! This woman was a DOCTOR! Scary!"

You are jumping to a false conclusion.......

There is something those educated people know that you do not apparently know. Namely.......the "carbon dioxide" gas that is in those sodas is a significant part of the problem too. Carbon dioxide prevents the cells of your body from hydrating properly. Drinking sugar free helps....but, you should get rid of the Carbon Dioxide gas sources in your beverages too to properly hydrate your bodily tissue cells. Proper hydration of those cells will help you lose weight. Any good nutritionist WILL tell you this. So, it it not just a sugar thing.....and this was not at all obvious to me. It took a nutritionist to teach this to me and I am a very experienced and learned Chemist.

Dan
Semper Fi-csu

Do you have a source on that, Dan?

I am pre diabetic too and recently went to several classes at a local hospital where this was discussed. I was specifically told that it is OK to drink "sugar free" carbonated beverages "ONLY" if I drink an equal amount of water. Carbonated beverages of any sort, interferes with proper cell hydration. In order for some people to lose more weight.....they actually need to drink more water.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Dan, my bodybuilder trainer jumped on me for my Diet Pepsi years ago for the same reason. I kept the Diet Pepsi but added water - enough to float a battleship! :)

/tricia

There's some evidence that diet soda causes an insulin response (and subsequent sugar cravings) so it sometimes isn't recommended for dieters or diabetics. Added water might be recommended because soda causes some volume depletion. Mixing soda with water before drinking would raise the pH, which would make it easier on your tooth enamel and perhaps on your stomach. I would be really surprised to learn that CO2 made it unchanged into the blood stream, and, if it did, it seems this would affect oxygen exchange rather than osmosis. I'm also not clear on what osmosis has to do with weight loss. If anyone knows of a reliable scientific source, such as a journal article, I'd be interested to read it.

Thanks for the info about the carbonated water - I had no idea, and I do drink diet soda. I will switch to diet cranberry juice; i.e., pure cranberry juice that I sweeten with Splenda.

I know that dairy is bad for me, and I keep it to a minimum, but I did make strawberry ice cream a few days ago. I only do this when strawberries are in season, but the ice cream did upset my stomach a bit, even though I used lactose free milk.

I was not terribly impressed with the dietitian I saw, but her schedule was full, and so she must be doing something right. I would probably do better with a personal trainer, and maybe I will look into that - it would probably also be more fun. I think my doctor should have recommended that instead of a dietitian because basically I need motivation to help me with my exercise routine. I'm hoping to get an exercise routine jump-started on our trip to Maui, as we have some somewhat strenuous activities planned. BTW, you won't be hearing from me next week!!

Lars

So the carbonated water makes you fat, not the huge quantity of CORN SYRUP! GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lars, I also think you might both benefit & enjoy working with a personal trainer.

Shortly after I met my now DH, I realized that if I wanted to see much of him I was going to have to have a life-style adjustment. He spent 3-nights/week at the DAC (Denver Athletic Club). He lifted weights, played racquetball, & enjoyed a cheeseburger/fries at the club's pub afterwards. The DAC at the time (I don't know about now) was the place to be seen & to network. It was where young agressive business types as well as the Denver Broncos could be found. It was a social hangout as much as an athletic club.

So, I asked to go with him as a guest. To that point, horseback riding had been my most strenuous activity & DH wasn't too keen on horses. I really didn't know what to do once I got there. lol DH helped me with a few light weights but, mostly, I felt like a fish out of water. Some nights, there wasn't another female in the place other than the pub's waitresses. I was really out of my element. But, not to be discouraged...I made an appointment to meet with a personal trainer. His name was Jay. My DH thought it was "cute" that I was starting a weight training program. This was in the mid-80s & women were made to feel more than a bit uncomfortable in the DAC environment.

Jay was dynamite! I think he felt challenged & I was a new "project" for him. We hit it off immediately.

I told him my only goal was to show up some of those snide-remarking men in the weight room. So, we got down to business. I've written elsewhere here on the CF about the training routine he put me on.

Soon, I loved the training so much & had made so much progress I decided to try for competitive bodybuilding. The DAC was a very competitive place...the entire building oozed competitveness. But, still my goal was to make a showing in that weight room with the guys (often I was the only female in the place).

Jay's coaching & my determination were a good/fun combo. The DAC also had nutritionists on staff & Jay had me meeting with one twice/month for body fat checks, weigh-ins, reviews of my diet, etc. I thought they were pretty good but, again, I was a real newbie. Except for giving up my beloved Diet Pepsi I pretty much went with the flow & did as they suggested because it was obviously working.

When I was in the weight room, Jay was right by my side spotting. Soon, I was using the 35 lb. dumbbells to do my curls & people were taking notice. One night, one of the Broncos was in the weight room with his son. He'd been obvious in watching my workout. In between exercises, he came over, introduced himself, & congratulated me. I beamed & the other guys in the weight room stopped their grunting long enough to listen to our little exchange. Why do guys grunt when they lift weight?? My moment was coming!

A few months later, I was in the weight room after work just sorta hanging around while DH lifted. I was piddling around from one piece of equipment to the next with no real focus. Then, I saw my opportunity! This rather large, overweight guy was using the leg press machine. He'd been grunting like a bear with each rep. I looked at the weight he had on the machine & KNEW I could do better. So, I just sorta hung around making it known I was waiting for the machine. When he was finished, he looked at me straight in the face & said, "Here honey, let me take all this weight off for you."

Oh, he couldn't have played into my plan any better. I responded to his patronizing comments with, "Oh, that's alright HONEY...you can leave the weights. I'll START there!"

I will NEVER forget the look on that man's face! The entire weight room broke out into laughter at his expense. Of course, now that I'd shot my mouth off I had to push the weight. :( I managed to get out a dozen reps at 170 lbs. & calmly got up from the machine (with legs trembling!) & walked away.

I give full credit to my personal trainer, Jay, for that empowering moment in my life. Now, I knew what it felt like to not feel intimidated by some man's larger physical size or assumed strength. I was so giddy with excitement since DH was on the calf machine & witnessed the entire exchange. He was smirking & I knew he'd buy me a burger in the pub after we'd showered. What I didn't know was there would be about 20 guys also in the pub waiting to buy me a Diet Pepsi! My moment in the sun! I cherished every moment & we never saw the guy I'd humiliated in the DAC again!

I wish every women who's ever experienced a sneering look, an inappropriate whistle, or G@wd forbid an unwanted touch to have such a moment. I can't even begin to describe the empowerment I felt. It was that moment I realized that all the aerobics and all the weight training meant something more than a competition. I could confidently defend myself, if ever needed! Too bad Jay wasn't around to witness but by the next morning my little moment had spread all around the DAC & he was at the door to greet me as I came in for my morning training.

I'm sharing all this with you Lars to get down to this...

Personal trainers can be worth their weight in gold. Find a good one. Be honest with them about what your personal goals are. Do what they suggest. They will change your relationship with food probably but that's not all bad.

Your goals will be different than mine. Maybe, your goal will be to get that blood sugar to behave? I'd be willing to betcha a batch of mole sauce that you'll not find exercise boring or tedious once you discover what it's doing for you physically. Real hard core exericse. Not a little walk or game of squash. Our bodies are amazing. You will be astounded how your body will respond to a personal trainer rather than just talking for 15 minutes with a nutritionist.

I won't kid you...you'll have times you're too hurting to move off the couch. I once spent a full week in bed with what I thought was the flu. Turned out it was the hanging knee raises with a sideways twist Jay had me doing. Gave me the worst case of the "stomach flu" I've ever experienced. rofl Sure got rid of any "love handles" though! First day back in the gym when Jay had me jump to the bar & do my first knee raise rep...I felt the burn & knew I'd not had the flu! :(

I ended up doing ten reps pressing 125 lbs., a dozen squats at 150 lbs., & using the 45 lbs. dumbbells for curls in a routine circuit training. Again, I repeat...how EMPOWERING! To be fit & strong makes a difference in your entire life...in ways you can't even imagine if you're not there. It's so much more than just being able to get out an extra rep in the gym.

It about the confidence you present to other people unknowingly at work & your new found ability to size up your competition, how you hold yourself just walking down the street, and most of all (at least for me) knowing I can accomplish most anything I choose to work hard to obtain. My personal trainer taught me there is NOBODY that holds me back from anything but myself. That alone was worth the bucks paid to Jay. No nutritionist can ever do that for you.

Now, I've got a very serious spinal injury (indirectly related to a surgery intended to repair damage caused from childhood incest/abuse), Lupus, Sjogren's, & I had a stroke related to the spinal problems in July 2009. My doctors have told me over & over that had I not been so fit I'd never walk again. But I did do all that aerobics & weight training so there's hope I may someday walk more than 50' with a walker again. None of us know what tomorrow may hold in store for us. Taking care of our bodies, while we can, is a good thing, IMO. Thank you, Jay.

I hope you & Kevin have a great vacation in Hawaii. I hope you decide to go talk with a few personal trainers. Advice? Just be honest with them about what YOU want to accomplish.

/tricia

"I was not terribly impressed with the dietitian I saw, but her schedule was full, and so she must be doing something right."
Lars, with that kind of reasoning, McDonald's must be good food because they've sold however many billion it says on the sign. :-)
I guess I'm saying, just because her schedule is full does not mean she's good. I'd suggest looking for a nutritionist who DOES impress you.

""Oh, that's alright HONEY...you can leave the weights. I'll START there!" "

LOL! Thank you for sharing your story.

Good luck with your spinal condition.

dcarch

I think I do everything wrong and I am still healthy -- great cholesterol level, avg blood sugar, excellent ekg, no sign of osteoporosis, you name it. My only on-going problem is bad eyesight. I will also admit I have slightly high blood pressure and take a diuretic for that.

I have Diet Coke instead of blood in my veins (could that explain the good blood sugar?). I eat too many hamburgers and I love a good BLT. I REALLY need to lose weight.

So my point is that genetics play a huge role in health. My mom is 94 and very healthy. She loves butter, fries everything, etc. Honestly, observing my friends with a very healthy lifestyle and those who just live an average kind of lifestyle, the first don't seem to do much better than the second. All the runners end up with bad knees, though.

Does anyone else think that Giuliana Rancic looks like ET with his neck stretched out? Something about her huge forehead and skinny body.

Dietitians or nutritionists are busy because..that's the answer to so many doctors "prescriptions".

You sugars are elevated..see a "food coach"...your cholesterol is beginning to climb..see a "food coach"...

While this job area is growing as fast as the pharmaceutical business for "bad health"...I still think it's a very regimented "controlled" old age medical field.

I've seen it first hand with my mother.

There also has to be some correlation to the BIG weight LOSS surgeries in the ads...I had x,y,z...and since loosing 100+ pounds..I don't take any of those meds anymore..I lost my diseases with the loss of fat. ??? Hmmmm...

Yet there are thin, seemingly healthy sized folks with these ailments too. Even Vegetarian Runners have heart attacks or develop diabetes.

Which makes it genetics... I think those play a much larger role than folks give it credit.

Lars, In your case...You already limit things that are normally deemed "not healthy", you eat seasonally too. I don't know what else it will take to help you.
I do believe that even a mile or two walking will show a bit of improvement in those glucose numbers. Why it does I don't know..but it seems to.

I find Cod Liver Oil or Salmon Oil to help start my day and seems to "even" out my day as well.

I agree, Teri. I also think we get medical tests for too many things. They find something out of kilter so you get more tests, more meds, more surgeries. We are testing ourselves to death.

On the other hand, too many Americans are eating themselves to death. The best genes in the world aren't going to cancel out morbid obesity. I look back at pictures of people from the 1950s and you don't see the moving mountains of flesh that you see today. We ate plenty of junk, but not fast foods and we moved around a whole lot more. Just normal day-to-day life kept you reasonably healthy -- except for those damn cigarettes!

OK, I'm having to go back 28 years to chemistry class with this memory, but somehow I recall that water is necessary in the reaction to break down fat/lipids. That's one way water can help with weight loss. Diet drinks are dehydrating I think in part because they have various sodium/phosphates in them. I love fizzy drinks, but there's lots of ways they aren't that good for you. I wouldn't suggest someone absoutely abstain from them, but I wouldn't use them as my main means of hydration. Hydration is always an issue for me since I don't like water and loathe drinking it. In fact, I pretty much don't much like drinking, period. I'm always leaving half drunk glasses of beverages around. The only exception being soda, I love that, but strictly limit my consumption of it, for many reasons.

The staff of the education department at my local hospital made it perfectly clear........carbonated beverages can definitely interfere with proper cell hydration. Proper cell hydration affects both blood sugar in diabetics and weight loss in general. I AM A CHEMIST with 34 years of working experience. My thoughts on this matter have changed after I attended those classes. I once thought that switching to sugar free was all that was needed. Wrong......

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Did they give you an idea of mechanism? I'm sure that as a chemist, you didn't just take their word for it.

Carbonated beverages can definitely interfere with intra cellular hydration....not because of the bubbles of carbon dioxide but because of the sugar or chemicals and caffeine sorbitol. Take a diet coke and let it get flat and it will still interfere with hydration. It's not the carbonation that is the problem but what else is in those drinks. My "soda pop" is seltzer water....not club soda, with a wedge of lime.
Also be aware that hydration as is accomplished by a drink after strenuous exercise and intra cellular hydration, the water held within the cell membrane, are not the same.
Carbonated water isn't the problem....it's what else is in the carbonated water.

Linda - I read that this morning. I can't find it now, but it was a 2008 article in some medical journal where they stated that they found no studies showing that carbonation itself is the issue. It said that soda is not a good hydrator, whether flat or fizzy.

Interesting....If you find it I would love to read it. I just spend several minutes searching and found page after page saying that carbonated water has no effect on hydration...as the attached link.
But....please recognize the differences between carbonated water and carbonated BEVERAGES...like diet soda or flavored water or heaven forbid, real soda with sugar!
The only detriment i can read about is the issue that if you have just exercised and need to replace fluids fast, you might find it harder to gulp a quart of carbonated water than a quart of non carbonated.

Here is a link that might be useful: carbonated water and hydration

Just re read your post Stumpy....we are saying the same thing! Sorry!

Thanks for the clarification, I'm a bubbly water addict. I drink still water, but bubbly quenches my thirst so much more. After reading this thread, I'll be careful to truly limit my intake of diet soda. I have noticed that weight loss is easier when I drink more water.
How about caffeinated beverages like iced tea or coffee? Are they hydrating? IIRC when DH had a kidney stone the MD told him caffeine & alcohol didn't count towards liquids in his day.

compumom, caffeine is a diuretic.

Caffeine is a mild diuretic, and in moderate amounts should not be a problem.

Here is a link that might be useful: is caffeine a diuretic?

Thanks for the confirmation!

Hope things go your way Lars.

I avoid soda because it gives me acid reflux. I have terrible energy problems... weak and dizzy some of which is caused by internal bleeding. I gained considerable energy by avoiding all sugar based drinks. I was drinking fruit punch and SunnyD as a soda alternative and they have the energy depletion affect... lots of hfcs. Suspect that it is causing my insulin levels to bounce around. My Doc currently has me taking peppermint oil for ibs symptoms so I put it in my water bottle. Sometimes over a half gallon of mildly honey sweetened iced tea a day. I carry around the same water bottle and keep refilling it from drinking fountains.

Anyways... hope this finds you happy and healthy!

: )
lyra

The acidity of your food can cause sugar levels to bounce around. Controlled tests confirm that if you eat a salad with some acidity from vinegar or from lemon juice......just before a meal.... your sugar level will not spike up as rapidly (high). Follow up studies confirm that even eating a dill pickle before a meal will have this same effect. My "educated" nutritionist conducted this study and had the data to prove it.

Carbonation itself works at the cellular level. I did not say carbonated beverages only.........please!!

If you are having trouble losing weight with your "balanced diet" plan try giving up those carbonated drinks in your diet. If you do drink a carbonated beverage, balance that with another glass of water during the day. And, that balanced diet plan should include a balanced breakfast "EVERY SINGLE DAY" and a snack just before bed time. That bedtime snack is very important in your diet plan.....it affects your blood sugars in a postive way.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Well it's really no wonder that people are so obese these days because it's apparent to me that people have no clue what to eat and what not to eat. If people really think a COKE is bad for you because it's carbonated and not because it's absolutely loaded with sugar then I think there's just no hope! UGH!!!! People consume 1000s of calories just in sodas a day, it's no wonder there are so many morbidly obese people now!

A coke can be bad for you because it is BOTH carbonated and because it contains sugar. Switching entirely to sugar free food products WILL NOT solve the obesity problem. An education on what actually causes someone to become fat or obese would definitely help.

People can eat ONLY "sugar free" products and still be quite fat and still gaining weight. It is a "calorie thing" and not a "sugar thing" and that is exacerbated by the lack of daily exercise. People have become fat and lazy in our modern day society. Carbonation helps KEEP YOU FAT after you're put it on your body from eating or drinking too many calories in your food choices. It interferes with proper cell hydration which in turn affects the overall METABOLISM of those daily calories that are consumed. That in turn can pack more fat. It makes absolutely no difference where those calories are coming from. A skinny person can become morbidly obese from eating too much completely "sugar free" ice cream or sugar free cookies. Sugar free does not mean calorie free.... like many people in our society seem to believe.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

I am sure you know what you heard, but I am with Jessica, can we have some documentation on the fact that consuming carbonated water affects hydration...and more documentation that acid before a meal levels the blood sugar.....that is a study that recognizes that the cucumber in the pickle provides some fiber which is a sugar level evener, as is a salad. Does a spoonful of vinegar work the same way? If so I may have found an easy cheap way to avoid the mid meal hungries.

Here's an article on vinegar & blood sugar. It notes a 2004 article in Diabetes Care published by the American Diabetes Association.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Vinegar May Lower Blood Sugar

Lpink, I think your chemistry is pretty solid. Breaking down most macro nutrients involves hydrolysis and putting OH on one side of the break and H on the other. But I think your body will prioritize using water for these essential processes, and that if you are so dehydrated that your body doesn't have enough water for basic metabolism, you are imminently dying.

Tricia, it sounds like vinegar reduced the spike in blood sugar. Isn't that generally thought to aid in weight loss, if anything (consistent blood sugar -> fewer or less intense carb cravings -> less likely to overeat?)

Oh, and P.S. that was a pretty inspiring story up there ^ :-)

"that is a study that recognizes that the cucumber in the pickle provides some fiber which is a sugar level evener, as is a salad."

LOL. That study was done "scientifically" with the use of both control groups and control samples. That means one group of people ate a salad "without any acidity" before they had the exact same meal as the other group. Blood sugar levels were determined on both groups at set time intervals following the meals of both groups. And the data set obtained was statically analyzed. No "jumping" to a false conclusion. Clear now???

It was "clearly" due to the acidity of the food and not due to soluble fiber for Pete's sake. Drinking a spoon full of vinegar on an empty stomach IS NOT THE SAME as mixing it with a calorie containing meal. That is information that all of those "uneducated" nutritionist already know. Talk about jumping to a false conclusion........LOL

Some of us go willingly (and at the advice of our doctor) to a nutritionist seeking their advice without DEMANDING proof for every one of their recommendations. They are "professionals" too and play a vital role in our society especially in helping people with diabetes. Fat people in particular and those who are pre-diabetic would do well in heeding their advice.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

I think this is why doctors recommend people go to a nutritionist, individuals vary and their behavior varies. For example, aspartame gives me headaches, so I can't be drinking a lot of diet soda-pop, regardless of whether I have an issue with the sodium, phosphates, dyes, CO2, acid or caffeine in it. But I don't even know if Lars drinks soda-pop or how much, so it may not even be his problem. Also, what is OK in moderation isn't OK in excess. I know people who guzzle diet soda-pop or coffee all day long, so they are getting a LOT of the ingredients therein. And some of the effects of things are cumulative, so a two day soda-pop binge will probably not be a problem for you, but 5 cans a day, day in and day out might. That's the kind of thing a nutritionist can ferret out. And yes, a lot of them aren't very good. I could say that about ANY profession--teachers, doctors, mechanics, lab techs., whomever. But I will not hold up a bad apple as the standard for the profession. I believe that is called the "straw man" tactic in rhetoric. It's up to the patient/consumer to figure out whether they are dealing with a competent professional. I do not hestiate to jump ship with any professional I am dealing with if I am not satisfied with their work, and I do my own independent research and look for other service providers when I'm not satisfied with what I'm getting. Right now I think I have a good doctor, dentist and hair stylist, and I've shopped around A LOT to find them. That's one reason I don't want to move, lol, don't want to start that whole process over again.

As a scientist, I realize that most issues are quite complex and variable. And I do want to spend time reading up on various studies and research about things, in fact I quite enjoy it. It takes A LOT of studies before we really know the ins and outs of an issue, because in nature and life, there are lots of variables at play, so therefore results are often conflicting in science. I know it bugs my students sometimes, they get frustrated--"But what is the right answer?!!" Or as we often say, "Well, it's ALWAYS like this, except when it's not."

I made a very good living in the dogged pursuit of the right answer (i.e. truth) in the analytical world. The use of statistics will definitely allow you to get pretty darn close. However, there ALWAYS will be those statistical "outliers". If my answer lies between +/- 2 standard deviations from the absolute truth (i.e. known certainty), I usually am a happy camper. I don't need a 6 sigma quality standard to base my decisions upon. I'm educated enough to know real BS when I see it....even some that is googled up by some wannabe scientist.

I totally agree that it is silly to focus on the few bad apples that WILL EXIST in any profession.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Dan, by your own admission, you've taken the advice of your nutritionist without asking him or her for an explanation. It also doesn't appear that you've come up with a plausible one yourself, or found any compelling research to say that carbonation causes dehydration or weight gain. That's your prerogative, but it makes your education irrelevant. It also makes it ludicrous for you to call out anyone else on lack of scientific process. While I'll gladly agree that having a strong background in something often makes someone faster at seeing connections and better at coming up with explanations, it does not entitle you to spout dogma (second-hand dogma, at that) and demand that everyone just takes your work for it. Capital letters, jargon, and condescension are a poor substitute for evidence.

I can see that this thread is getting nasty, and I am going to stop adding to that. Lars, I am sorry for hijacking your thread, and I hope you are well.

My goodness....

Why do so many on this "cooking" forum choose to believe that posts/comments/conclusions were directed specifically at them and not meant to be "in general"??

I don't demand a thing from anybody. Just trying to share some relevant information that I just recently acquired. FYI...capital letters are my writing style...and not meant to be shouting and/or condescending in any way. Check out my many hundreds of other posts on the "Cookware" forum and on the "Fig" forum and you will see what I mean. I am Cajun and that is how I write.

I was in total agreement with what you had posted. Give me a break......I am shocked to see your reaction.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Bumping this old thread to ask how the nutritionist program that Lars started is going?

Maybe it has already been discussed and I missed the thread - if so, sorry and ignore me.

Lars, I hope your program is working well for you. I think that the main problem we Americans have lies in corn syrup and other additives that trick our brains into thinking we're still hungry. From what I've read, artificial sweetener does the same thing. I am a huge believer in starting the day off right. I have a high fiber burrito or wrap of some sort almost every morning- be it beans and rice, lentil and roasted vegetables, or a walnut meat burrito. Sometimes I'll get lazy and have a bagel or sandwich instead, and when I do I always end up overeating throughout the rest of the day. It could be all in my head, but it's what works for me.