As we continue to see Americans struggle with their health, energy levels, weight, mental health, and an ageing public, we are also faced with less time, family support, and access to dependable knowledge on health facts. Where do we turn? For many on DKos, we share support and knowledge and personal biases at WHEE.
WHEE (Weight, Health, Eating and Exercise) is a community support diary for Kossacks who are currently or planning to start losing, gaining or maintaining their weight through diet and exercise or fitness. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are working on your weight or fitness, please -- join us! You can also click the WHEE tag to view all diary posts.
Today's diary will center around gathering information from you. I am not here to dispense advice or promote an agenda. I want to generate some discussion around how you add to your diet in very specific terms. Follow me below for more thoughts.
First, let's turn our attention to the current schedule. Please respond to my tipjar if you would like to help with a diary this week. We need everyone's participation to make this series work.
Scheduled WHEE diaries:
December 14
Monday PM - ???
December 15
Tues AM - ???
Tues PM - Clio2 (Kessler, Ch. 32)
December 16
Weds AM - ???
Weds PM - Edward Spurlock
December 17
Thurs AM - ???
Thurs PM - ???
December 18
Fri AM - ???
Fri PM - ???
December 19
Sat AM - ???
Sat PM - Edward Spurlock (Kessler, Ch. 33)
December 20
Sunday AM - ???
Sunday PM - ???
December 21
Monday AM - NC Dem
Monday PM - ???
Every society has its own history of how medicine, vitamins, and supplements are monitored and dispensed. Have things actually changed in America in the last 150 years? Do you remember as a kid watching a "Western" where almost every series featured a "Dr" who traveled from town to town selling his snakeoil elixirs to the public. No prior approval was needed to sell the latest magic in a bottle. No pills...just a colored liquid in the bottle.
Well in 1994, our US Congress passed legislation that allowed us to go a step back to the 1880's. The FDA no longer needed to test and monitor dietary supplements. Within 5 years, the sales of supplements and vitamins increased by 4 fold. Someone got their pockets lined. The bill was sponsored by a bi-partisan duo of Hatch and Harkin. They are still around and very important in today's debate on HCR.
Vitamins and supplements are everywhere. Just a few minutes ago, I visited the Vitamin Shoppe online to check out some information. Within minutes when I open another connection to Daily Kos, I was faced with not one but two ads for.... drum roll please... you quessed it... the Vitamin Shoppe. It happens within seconds if you don't have the correct software or not delete or disallow cookies on your computer.
Within the next few months I hope to do research on the regulations on vitamins and supplements and how we have moved backwards in the last two decades. All of us have our trusted source for advice on Vitamins and Supplements (V&S). It may be WebMD or Andrew Weil or it could be your pharmacist at your local Walgreen's.
Over the last 5 decades, Americans have grown accustomed to taking their daily multi-purpose vitamin. "One-a-Day" created this market for men, women, and children. Most of us don't give it much thought as we grab that glass of water and down the list of V&S that we must have to supplement our dietary choices. Many of us think that only older adults have "pill boxes" to keep you straight on what elixirs to take. With today's technology, we even have younger adults using their PDA's or phones to beep at them to remind them to take that midday pill.
As I indicated earlier, today I just want to gain some feedback from you on what V&S you may take. Provide as much detail as you feel comfortable sharing. If you have a favorite retail location or website for your supplements, please share if it cost, convienence, service, or medical advice that prompted you to shop with them. Do you have a particular line that you shop for most V&S? Have you ever had any side effects from a particular V&S?
Please share as much information as you can/want but please hold the discussion to over the counter V&S and not what a doctor may have prescribed unless it is OTC. The more that participate, the better the shared and learned information will be. In the end, we will be a better consumer.