Nutrition - Micronutrient requirements

Dietary Reference Values (DRV) give rough guidance for nutrient and energy requirements of healthy people. However, these values don't take into account exercises/workouts. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition (COMA) published reports on estimated nutrient requirements.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is a guideline based on minimal intakes to prevent disease rather than to give the best nutritional advise for a diet. The system has been superseded lots, this is due to the fact that the system is now viewed as very dated. There is a current system called the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) though views are still the same regarding the use of the guidelines.

Children, pregnant/lactating women, elderly people and people with chronic disease conditions are more likely to encounter nutritional deficiency.

Nutrition - Reliable sources for nutritional information

The Nutritional Therapy Council regulate the industry whilst the BANT (British Association of Applied Nutrition and Nutrition Therapy) evaluate therapists (nutritional) in the UK.

If you are looking to obtain nutritional information, reliable sources are found within these places:

COMA - Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition
BNF - British Nutrition Foundation
ION - Institute of Optimal Nutrition
FSA - Food Standards Agency
Scientific nutrition journals

What this course enables me to do is advise people about nutrition but by no means am I a Registered Dietician or a Nutritional Therapist, I am a Personal Trainer after all! I can't advise on illnesses though I can advise generally on food and diet. Illnesses would include severe obesity, cancer, CV (cardiovascular) disease, diabetes mellitus and elevated cholesterol.

Back to the advising part... certain things have to be taken into account when helping someone with their nutrition. This involves religious practices and food habits.