Vitamins and Stress.

[Guest guest]

> Hi Peg:

>

> I found (according to Fitday) that I was zinc deficient to the tune

> of 50 mg per week. So now I take a 50 mg supplement once a

week.

I'm a little unsure about taking vitamins/minerals on a weekly

basis. I tend to 'quarter' whatever tablet I take. and take the dose

more frequently. I do this with folic acid and glucosamine -

which fortunately comes in an effervescent powder to be taken in

water - as are a number of vitamins/medications in

Spain/Canaries. Even aspirin can be had this way. As noted on

this list there's no agreement about the utilization of vitamins

when taken in tablet form.

I had mentioned that I'm an old old lady - 77 to be exact - and

have been in this 'healthy eating' mode for only a few years. I

would say that the 'oldsters' who possibly ate and are still eating

an unhealthy diet had a very healthy start and this accounts for

some of their longevity. There were no fast foods/processed

foods when we were growing up so we had a better start in life. I

see what my grandchildren are eating and it really distresses

me but as we all know youth imagines itself immortal. I can only

hope that by observing me they'll change their habits but dont

expect that to happen any time soon as they dont see me very

often and are completely involved in their own little spot on the

planet - as most of us are.

I realize that with age there can be an added problem with

utilization of nutrients. I take a small amount of betaine

hydrochloric acid before eating meat or fish. I dont intend to

continue that for long but have found that it helps with digestion.

The same reasoning makes me eat my foods singly, except for

bread which I spread with cream cheese. The enzymes required

for digestion are not in conflict when food is eaten this way (or

so I'm informed) Of course if one does enough reading/surfing

one can read just about anything that fits one's predilection. I

have to admit that my thinking is not mainstream at all - I can see

the benefits of a 'Neanderthal' diet. I can understand why the

present medical authorities - in the UK at least - are saying that

we now have a generation that may precede their parents in

dying.

My main reason in getting into this CR list and various other lists

is to find help in losing about 13 lbs to get to my weight when I

was 25 - 45. From there - if I attempted to reduce by another

15% I'd have to get down to 115 lbs.

Someone reported that the 'long-lived' were childless and one

didnt get married till 58. I imagine that there are 'other than diet'

reasons for longevity. Maybe it's a combination of diet/genetics

and mental attitude. Certainly having children *can* be stressful

especially when they're working through their teenage years.

There was no such word as 'teenagers' when I was a teenager -

at least not in the UK. Maybe that's why we took on

responsibilities at a younger age.

I raised four boys who were teenagers/young adults in the 70's

with drugs being easily had. My eldest son died - at the age of

44 - and he was the one who hadn't used pot or drank or

smoked. His life was very stressful however, and his diet was

poor. He also 'stressed' his body by running 50 mile marathons

which were IMO beyond his endurance levels. He lived 5 years -

the doctors gave him 6 months - with lung cancer of a virulent

kind. In retrospect I would say the 'stress' of having to live up to

the 'image' he had was partly responsible for his death.

Sorry to have ending this post on a depressing note but as you

can guess this is part of *my* life. I find help by meditating in a

TM fashion.

Canary Peg