Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site cbdkc1.UUCP Path: utzoo!decvax!bellcore!allegra!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!cbosgd!cbdkc1!tjs From: tjs@cbdkc1.UUCP ( Tom Stanions) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: Psychological Factors Affecting Physical Condition Message-ID: <988@cbdkc1.UUCP> Date: Thu, 6-Jun-85 09:37:02 EDT Article-I.D.: cbdkc1.988 Posted: Thu Jun 6 09:37:02 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 12-Jun-85 08:11:25 EDT References: <1687@aecom.UUCP> <980@cbdkc1.UUCP> <218@gatech.CSNET> Reply-To: tjs@dkc1.UUCP ( Tom Stanions) Distribution: na Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus Lines: 66 In article <218@gatech.CSNET> carter@gatech.UUCP (Carter Bullard) writes: > How many seconds of nutritional education have you had? Seconds, do you really want me to answer that question in seconds? I am forced to assume that you are simply being condescending. I have no degree-credit hours type of training, however I do not tell people what they should do, I suggest and explain myself. However I have attended several lectures given by both doctors and non-doctors on the subjects of nutrition, health, iridology, reflexology and other forms of non-drug,non-medical help. I have had classroom training in iridology and have been taught and practiced foot reflexology by licened reflexologists (I have poor hand strength witch prevents me from doing well as a practicioner in this field). I have given and received polarity treatments. And I will spare you a long list of books. But most importantly I hear endless testimonials from people who were/are helped by nutritional and other methods (these are my best tools for they are lifes real experiments). Also I believe in and practice what I preach. Surely you find all the above of no real value. Again remember that a doctor has been impowered to deal with life and death issues *FOR* the people whose lives are involved. I on the other hand will say only what I know, it is the person who is ill who must decide. > Do you consider biochemistry a prerequisite to an understanding of > nutrition? No. Remember that we are dealing in a field where we can not hope to understand all the variables. I assume by this question that you feel that an understanding of the chemical nature of what we eat is important. Most of what we now know about herbs and different foods is based on knowledge that was gained by human experience long before the word biochemistry was invented. > Is organic chemistry ( its natural because its organic ) a useful > introduction to some of the basic principles of nutrition? Organic is a trick word. Using the definition "formed from living things" I disagree that if you dissassemble a living plant and make a drug it is still organic. If you heat an organic food above ~120 degrees you destroy enzymes, above ~200 you dystroy protien, can it still be called organic? Again, we shouldn't try to understand what we cannot. If we can't have all the information we must remember that a little knowledge is dangerous. God/nature has all the information, we should take their advice in the total packages that they supply it in (being careful not to corrupt the contents). > Do you feel that anthropology is a reasonable starting point for an > understanding of the history of human nutrition? I feel that history is our most important teacher. Today we have abandoned the knowledge of the past and seem to be starting again from scratch. The use of the word anthropopogy is again condescending. > Does one have to have educational experience with Ecology in order > to grasp the concept of food chain positioning and its effect on > human nutritional decisions? Just study history, and remember that history is being made every day. Look at what has been eaten in the past, we knew our place in the food chain when we were created. Keep it simple. Let's not overcomplicate our lives. We are not machines with limited variables, we are people and are hopelessly complex. I hope I answered your questions to your satisfaction. And I want to thank "snoopy" for answering mine. I guess this is a sore subject in the medical field. Maybe you could denie/confirm his answer? Maybe you could even answer some of my other questions? {allegra|ihnp4}!dkc1!tjs