Willem Serfontein states in his book “New Nutrition” that “almost all dis-eases and afflictions (both mental and physical) can be traced back to nutri-tional deficiencies. There is a continued growth in the awareness of the impor-tance of nutrition, especially of micro-nutrients, among medical professionals and the public”.

Although a good diet is the backbone of any nutritional program, it is be-lieved that most people, if not all peo-ple, should supplement their diets with the proper nutrients to achieve well-ness. Nutritional deficiencies can cause a variety of symptoms, in addition to weakening the body’s defenses against serious illness. Moreover, nutritional requirements can be influenced by many factors, and a supplementation program should ideally not be based on random guesses as to which products or product combinations to use.

It is no longer possible to get all neces-sary nutrients solely from food: to blame are changed farming methods, genetic engineering, pesticides, changed storage and transportation methods, as well as an increase in the consumption of fast and convenience foods.

The bottom line: Supplementation remains essential !

Nutritional Supplementation

The Plate Principle

This principle is an easy way of gauging good eating habits—the ideal plate for lunch and supper should look as follows:

1. Vegetables (half the plate)

2. Cereals and grains (a quarter of the plate)

3. Meat or meat substitutes (a quarter of plate).

Check your plate today and enjoy improved eating habits.

Virtual Nutrition

July 2008

Practice number: 8403864

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NEW: INDIVIDUALIZED FOOD PYRAMID

The Employee Wellness Supplementation Project (EWSP) is being launched be-ginning of August 2008.

The project is a first of its kind, and aims at helping employees to opti-mize on productivity and perform-ance by means of targeted, afford-able supplementation, in addition to making dietary changes in line with specific condition-related nu-tritional requirements. Each participant is required to complete a 50-condition question-naire and will receive one month’s supplementation combinations ac-cording to the supplementation profile, as well as an individualized food pyramid, which is a shortlist of best food choices, food portions and portion sizes. A combination of dietary modifications and nutri-tional supplementation forms the ideal platform for improved wellbe-ing and optimization of genetic po-tential.

The food pyramid has been used for sev-eral years in an attempt to simplify the concept of nutritional requirements.

Up until now, food pyramids were based on generalizations targeting the “average population”. In the past, no room was made for specific conditions or a combina-tion thereof.

The concept has been taken to the next level: the food pyramid can be individual-ized in terms of kilojoule requirements, ratios of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, as well as best food selections for a combi-nation of a variety of lifestyle conditions.

The food pyramid will be presented with an attached short list of “best” food items.

The entire document is only four pages long, in comparison to the 40-page folder, which may be ordered by those that are more serious about their nutritional en-deavours and who prefer maximum infor-mation. The 40-page individualized diet folder rates over 550 food items from “best” to “worst” food choices.

The food pyramid is ideal for clients who do not wish to receive an explanatory session and who would like to get started on their nutrition plans immediately.

Regine Gray RD (SA) Consulting Dietician

082 354 8850 Regine@Regine.co.za