Health and Nutrition - Neil's Take

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It is a constant fixture in the Canadian medical system that prevention is left by the wayside; it’s no wonder that nutrition as a health promoter gets little play in our “health” system. It is also a constant fixture that Nutrition and environment as causal agents for disease are over looked. There is always banter about shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, then funds get limited and the “health” system goes back to chasing symptoms and putting out fires.

I think my present stage of life could be described as middle aged, as much as I hate to admit it. It is amazing to me that; 1) I have never had a physical 2) I have never had nutritional direction from anyone in the system 3) I have never upon picking up a prescription from a pharmacist been asked if I am taking other medication or what my diet is  4) I have never had blood tests done for heavy medals or other “contaminants” that accumulate over time 5) I have never had testing done that assesses health as it relates to nutrition. The point here is that nutrition is key to health and interface with medications, no other life style choice affects quality of life over time more than nutrition, save perhaps exercise. So why is it so neglected?

I had the good fortune of taking Animal Nutrition for two years, I was fortunate that many of my mammalian pals have a simple stomach like mine – if you’re a horse nutritional person, you’ll be happy to know my dysfunctional cecum is still intact. I am an avid reader on the subject my favorite books The Zone, Fats that Heal and Fats that Kill and Prescription for Natural Healing; I have spent some time thinking about the subject and have my opinions – if you’re interested. You can talk to me about nutrition without a judgmental tirade, I get that everybody has their take on it. It is amazing to me however the deep commitment people get to a way of eating, there are few subjects that can provoke more impassioned debate – save perhaps religion – although, for some, nutrition is religion.

I have a difficult time understanding the dichotomy between the generalized fever related to nutrition in the general population and it’s near absence as a treatment aid or prompter of health in our “health” system. It is really odd, when you consider that people need to eat so there is really no incremental cost to changing diet to the patient, no cost to government save perhaps a comprehensive website and a little preventive spending on testing.

I like the topic so I thought I would post a few blogs – another opinion may be helpful.

Click here: MY PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE