Charm,

You crack me up, I love it! I follow Quackwatch myself, used it many times to get perspective on different issues and point me in the direction to find more information before forming my own opinions. I don't find it to be the authoratative end all be all however and do not take the opinions expressed on the site as complete truth all of the time. Like any information out there it has to be taken with the understanding that it may not share the whole picture. I try to get several sides to any issue
before forming my opinion and try to keep in mind that my opinion is just what it is, an opnion that is subject to change when more or better information is found.

Stephen Barrett M.D. is a trained "physchiatrist" (who hasn't practiced in many many years) and where he has a very impressive resume and did get an "honorary" membership to the American Dietetic Association and taught health education at Penn State (not going there) in the 1980's (almost 30 years ago...) I wouldn't take advice on nutrition and training from him. I've read his take on nutrition and vitamin/mineral supplements (Vitamins and Health Foods: The Great American Hustle co-authored by Prof. Victor Herbert, M.D., J.D.) and found exactly the opinions I thought I would from a skeptical psychiatrist and a professor who got his first degree in the 1940's (don't get me wrong though there was some good information and opinions in this book).

I would take my training and nutrition advice from someone who trains extreme athletes to perform at their peak and has their finger on the pulse of "modern" science in that arena. An example would be Susan Borjesson-Newman PHD (B.A. in Human Biology, Masters and PHD in Exercise Physiology) taught at U of Idaho and Wa. State University and does extreme training...sorry a shameless plug for a childhood friend.

Nutrition and supplements should never take the place of medical treatment but it does have more of a place then what Dr. Barrett would have you believe from his (in my opinion)limited view.

Always great to read your thoughts Charm and I love our discussions. Hope you are well my friend...oh and keep taking the Vitamin D3 supplements even though your dosage would be considered unnecessary by Dr. Barrett (http://www.quackwatch.com/03HealthPromotion/supplements.html)



Eric