Most Americans today are not dying form dietary deficiencies. Beriberi, scurvy and pellagra are deficiencies I tend to equate with early explorers, not my next-door neighbor. Nothing seems to surprise me anymore. But recently I've been somewhat caught off guard by the high number of clients whose blood workups are coming back showing D3 deficiency. If I told you 1 out of every 10 people tested came back with D3 deficiencies that would be a lot.

However, last week 5 out of 5 new clients were vitamin D3 deficient! And what surprised me even more was that my recent blood workup showed that I was deficient! When the first test came back showing that I was deficient in D3 I immediately went to my local health food store and purchased 1,000 iu capsules and took 1 a day for 3 weeks. When I was retested my D3 levels barely budged!

The holidays are a great time of year, it's the time of year when family, friends and visiting relatives can all get together and bond once again. Unfortunately, after the bonding is over and everyone has returned back to their normal schedules we are faced with the fruits of our labor. It's funny how you never seem to notice the increased weight until after the holiday is over. Maybe last year was going to be different, you had plans to avoid gaining weight, and you tried your hardest only to find it hard to fit into to your old wardrobe.

Because the holiday season lasts do long, it poses a tremendous dilemma for many weight and health conscious people. During this time of year most people anticipate a weight gain and for good reason. The holiday duration is longer then any other; it lasts for 2-3, months, consider the commencement of Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, December holidays, the New Year and then Valentines Day. It's no wonder everyone expects to put on a few pounds. Each holiday seems to be centered on food, which magnifies the problem and makes it more difficult to manage. Although it may seem hard, there are steps that you can take to help reduce your chances of gaining unwanted pounds during the holiday season.

The US Surgeon General has stated that the current generation of children will not live as long as their parents. Surprised? I'm not. Due to lack of physical activity, diets full of processed and high fat foods, sugary drinks and poor eating habits, youngsters are now developing health problems that adults typically don't see until middle age. Are children making choices that could potentially send them to an early grave? What created this childhood obesity trend? Is it too late to save our children from this fate? What are the real issues causing this epidemic and how can we as parents, relatives and teachers educate ourselves to change the course of history?

No one can argue with the fact that the majority of children/teens are less active, have erratic eating habits and are packing on the pounds.

Should Sugary Drinks Be Taxed Because They Cause Obesity?

  First of all, I can't believe I'm even sitting here writing to you about this issue. We need another tax about as much as we need another tax. Correct me if I'm wrong but I was always taught that double taxation was not only illegal but also unconstitutional. Yet, every time I turn around I keep feeling like I can't get ahead and save because taxes continue to pick away at my paycheck like crabs feasting on a dead fish. I feel like a crab running sideways not quite ever able to reach the shore in a direct line. No offense meant to crabs but I kind of link them to politicians.

If you've never had the pleasure of watching a bodybuilder eat immediately after finishing their competition, then allow me the enjoyment of describing a typical feeding frenzy. Let's see, after our specimen of ripped, chiseled, starving muscle polishes off the several candy bars hidden in his duffle bag, he will more than likely head off to the nearest pizza parlor. Before the large pizza with double cheese arrives, at least two or three beers are in order. When the pizza finally arrives, don't expect to be offered a piece, it's a well known formality among bodybuilders to never, under any circumstances, get your fingers in the way of their mouths. The next stop on the bodybuilders agenda will be a donut shop, where the order will consist of 6-12 donuts of all shapes, sizes and flavors. These tender morsels will be eaten in the car, on the way home, where a basket of brownies and home baked chocolate chip cookies are waiting.

The Westside Story is excited to introduce its newest columnist, Keith Klein CN,CCN, who is the founder and CEO of Institute of Eating Management. Keith opened IEM in 1990 and has become a leader in nutrition and weight loss. He trained in Clinical Nutrition at the Institute of Specialized Medicine during the early 1980s and spent five years at the Institute working alongside some of Houston's most prestigious physicians.

In 1986, Keith began working with psychiatrist Dr. John H. Simms, where he became the Dietetic Director. Keith designed and implemented the dietary protocol and dietetic programs that were used in all of Dr. Simms’ clinics. After Dr. Simms retired, Keith opened The Texas Nutrition Clinic in conjunction with Dr. Ron Preston and the Houston Sports Medicine Clinic.