Notes on health issues that seniors face

Some of the most common issues that folks over 50 who live in North America commonly have that your family doctor will most likely ignore:

Dehydration

Mostly due to caffeine consumption.

Low stomach acid

Stomach acid production slows as we age causing a multitude of low-grade problems because the nutrients we eat are not completely digested and absorbed. The often resulting ‘indigestion’ or gas, is often treated with over the counter acid neutralizers, making the problem worse.

In areas where hard water is present (Southern Utah for example), we consume alkaline (an acid neutralizer) every time we drink water or consume drinks made with the local water. This alkaline also reduces our stomach acid. Strengthening stomach acid will increase nutrient absorption and mostly eliminate the ‘indigestion’ problem.

B vitamin deficiency

Many of the foods we eat contain blocking agents that prevent the absorption of vitamins and nutrients. One blocking agent is anti-thiamine (thiamine is vitamin B1) which prevents the absorption of thiamine in the body. Thiamine is also the gateway vitamin that allows some of the other B vitamins to be absorbed. Without it, some of the B vitamin complex as well as vitamin B1 are not absorbed.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is quite common in seniors. Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products and requires strong stomach acid to be absorbed. Brain fog, constipation, and digestive problems, tingling in the limbs and fingers, as well as other problems, are displayed. Some seniors think they are in the beginning stages of dementia when it is actually a B12 shortage.

Phytic acid (or Phytates)

Also called anti-nutrients, which block the absorption of the minerals and nutrients a seed or bean possesses In some cases every other mineral or nutrient that is eaten along with those seeds or beans is also blocked from being absorbed. In many cases, slow cooking of beans and seeds or sprouting them will remove the phytates. Soy has more phytates than any plant foods studied to date and cooking does not remove all of the phytates. Even sprouting a soybean does not make it a safe food to eat. Fermenting the soybeans changes all of that and allows the many benefits present in the soybean to be absorbed by the human digestive system.

GMO (genetically modified organisms) food

Many foods sold in supermarkets are now genetically modified. For plant products such as soy and grains, this allows the plant to withstand more frequent and harsher herbicide and pesticide spraying. Those chemicals remain on the plant or are absorbed into the plant and remain all the way through processing and are ingested by the end consumer.

Genetically modified animals such as salmon create an animal unknown to nature and our bodies do not recognize it as real food. Food growers and producers are currently lobbying the federal agencies so they do not have to identify GMO food products on their labels.

Inadequate levels of Vitamin D

Sadly we have been fed so much misinformation about sunlight and vitamin D it is almost criminal. The FDA has quietly admitted that it has miscalculated the stats on vitamin D by a factor of 10 for the past 50 years. This means that their suggested requirements for sunlight on the skin have been incorrect by a factor of 10. The chemical companies who manufacture sunscreen have been happy to provide us with their not so healthy products to block out sunlight from reaching our skin.

Humans have always needed vitamin D directly from the sun. Our skin, however, has become sensitive to sunlight because of inflammation from malnutrition and chemicals we have consumed. Correct your diet to remove the chemicals and increase your nutrient intake and get plenty of vitamin D from the most important and complete source- the sun. Twenty minutes a day for fair-skinned folks, longer for darker-skinned folks, then cover up for the day.

Collecting electrical energy from Electro-magnetic fields all through our homes and in the air.

Concept malfunction

It seems that one of the more difficult concepts for folks to accept is the idea that the diet you maintained several years ago affects your health today. And the food and diet you maintain today affects your health condition several years from now.

Because some foods have immediate repercussions such as gassy foods or high carb foods it is easy to apply that quick result concept to all foods we consume. For example, when we consume too many sugar-laden foods we may feel anxious or sleepy soon afterward. When we eat gassy foods we often get flatulence soon afterward. So it may seem that all the food we consume has an immediate effect on our body and health.

While many have no difficulty applying long-term conceptual planning to vacation planning, retirement plans, finances and long term investments those same folks seem unable to apply that concept to their diet and long-term health.

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