>  I'm also not sure that all this stuff about needing certain
> vitamins and nutrients is truly accurate.  We got that idea from
> the "Recommended Daily Allowance" folks ie the government.  Why are we
> so
> willing to believe them on this issue but be suspicious about their
> darling
> food pyramid?
>
>
I have always been suspicious of the USDA's food guidelines.  They have
changed a couple times in my lifetime already, and I am only 35.   I
don't believe that they are promoting healthy living.

I know that I was always sick (requiring antibiotics 8-15 times a year
for nearly 20 years, plus a serious near-death bout with anemia two
years ago) until last September, when I was diagnosed with Celiac
Disease.  When I eliminated grains and things like soda (even though
it's gluten-free), I felt better.  When I started drinking soda once
again and indulging in chips and candies, I started to get sick again,
though only mildly (nothing serious as before the GF diet).  So I got
rid of the junk once again, and slowly started feeling better.   Now
that I have gone PALEO, I feel so much stronger.  I never get stomach
pain.  Even when I am around kids or adults who are sick, I don't catch
anything.

A BIG issue in America right now is the growing dependence on sugars
(like soda and candy) and fats (like super-sized anything, chips, etc).
   On average, we are becoming heavier and heavier.   I don't know what
it's going to take for people to realize how much they are poisoning or
weakening their bodies with food.

just my 2 cents...

kathleen