Vitamin D Revisited

Although I have spoken about Vitamin D a few blogs ago I feel it is important to revisit again the importance of taking Vitamin D.

Most of us learned Vitamin D is essential in maintaining healthy bones. But did you also know that research over the last 10 years have demonstrated that Vitamin D is important for your overall health?

Studies have shown that a lack of Vitamin D (or Vitamin D deficiency) is seen in many chronic diseases.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and helps regulate calcium absorption, bone and cell metabolism.

What is the best source of Vitamin D?

Actually 90% comes form the sun. We also can get Vitamin D from oily fish and supplements.

According to Alternative Medicine Review 2005; 10(2): 94-111 sources of Vitamin D can come from fish (fatty, cold ocean) which serves 100-500 IU (International Units); and, milk and orange juice serves 400 IU/quart.

You can purchase supplements from 200-1000 IU per pill.

Okay but how much should I take?

According to the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine between the ages of 0-50 you should take 200 IU/day; ages 51-70 should take 400 IU/day and greater than age 70 should take 600 IU/day.

Please understand that some people might have to take more depending on their genetic predisposition, past and current health status.

The next time you are seeing your doctor and getting blood work performed ask to have your Vitamin D levels assessed. You want to make sure your levels are midlevel and not low on the reference range.

And as always stay healthy and happy!

Just Say No

Did you know NutraSweet, Aspartame, Equal are all the same chemical?

Did you know that these chemicals are in many everyday food items and medicines from yogurts to over-the-counter children's medicines.

Here's my feeling about NutraSweet. If you are a diabetic you can have some foods that are "sweet tasting" but no sugar. And if you are a diabetic you have to stay away from foods that spike your sugar levels.

That being said if you are not a diabetic you should avoid fake sugars.

This is from Reuters on today's Yahoo news box...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. consumer group called for an urgent Food and Drug Administration review of the safety of aspartame on Monday, but the FDA said there was no immediate need to do so despite a new study showing the sweetener may cause cancer.

Italian researchers published a new study last week that showed aspartame -- widely used in soft drinks -- might cause leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer in rats.

"This is the second study by the same lab showing that aspartame causes cancer in rats," Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael Jacobson said in a telephone interview.

Here's what the FDA had to say...

FDA spokesman Michael Herndon said the agency had not yet reviewed the study.

"However, the conclusions from this second European Ramazzini Foundation are not consistent with those from the large number of studies on aspartame that have been evaluated by FDA, including five previously conducted negative chronic carcinogenicity studies," Herndon said in an e-mail.

Listen, I realize studies can be funky. You have to consider who paid for the studies, how the study was performed, etc.

I get it.

But I am also saying from a health perspective-if you can avoid fake sugars, do so and everyone should be trying their best to reduce refined sugar and simple carbohydrates in their diet.

What you eat is still your choice.

Make the right choice.

Breakfast is Still the Most Important Meal of the Day

According to Dr. Al Sears, author of "The Doctor's Heart Cure" not eating breakfast increases your risk of becoming obese by a stunning 450 percent.

That's huge!

The problem most of my wellness coaching clients and patients have not eating breakfast is the time crunch in the morning.

Worse yet, the sometimes stop by a fast-food restaurant or drive-thru and choose a food-like item from the menu.

My opinion is you are almost better off skipping breakfast if you are going to put high cholesterol and fat laden foods into your system.

Solution...

Get up earlier and cook some eggs, turkey bacon or make some oatmeal or cream of wheat.

If time is a factor prepare yourself a sandwich the night before of turkey or chicken. The real stuff not lunch meat.

For those who are vegetarians one can consider grains, juicing and fruits.

Make a protein drink the night before and store the drink in a shaker. You now have a high protein breakfast on the go. If you can add some fruit.

Other easy breakfast meals are hard-boiled eggs or natural peanut butter on grain toast.

If there's a will, there's a way!

Remember, eat breakfast every morning.

Stay well!

Happy Father's Day

Here is wishing every dad a Happy Father's Day!

If you are reading this blog I can tell you as a father we do not want the latest BBQ grill apparatus, we do not want a new wallet or socks (remember you just got that for us at Christmas) and we do not want new shaving equipment.

But what most Dad's would like is to spend a little time with their kids especially if they have a teenager.

It's funny as a kid we seem to think that our Dad's really do not know too much but as we get older we realize, that they actually knew some things.

And in the same vain of that statement I found this quote from Mark Twain...

" When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

Here's to Your Health, Happiness & Wealth!

Apples & Asthma

I read this interesting study the other day on Thorax online, April 5, 2007

A European study of almost 200 pregnant women and their off spring reports that asthma is less likely to develop in children whose mothers eat apples during their pregnancy.

Four apples each week resulted in 53% fewer diagnoses of asthma, compared to those who ate one less per week.

The study looked at a wide variety of foods, with apples showing the asthma benefit.

You know the old saying, " an apple a day keeps the doctor away".

On a side note always make sure to wash your apples real well as apples are one of the highest fruits to receive pesticide spray.

Stay well!

Take the Financial Lead for Your Children

My dad was the spender and my mom was the saver. Which one are you? Better yet how do your kids see you? Do you talk to your children about saving money, investing money and giving money towards charity? Or do you tell your children to spend because you never know what tomorrow will bring?

The earlier you start to teach children how to manage money the better it will be for them.

Here are some interesting facts taken from “On Investing” magazine published by Charles Schwab

Three steps to help children become financially responsible adults…

Teach them to save. A 2004 study by Angela Lyons of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that almost all college students with good economic skills said their parents got them into the habit of saving when they were in pre-school

Give kids financial responsibility early. A 2005 study by Lewis Mandell of the State University of New York at Buffalo found that just doling out an allowance doesn’t make children smarter consumers.

Teach your child by example. Look for opportunities to talk about your own financial decisions with your children.

Final note…get your children involved in financial decisions when purchasing products or goods. Let them know the cost of running a household.

Two Vitamins that Stand Out

James Meschino, D.C. wrote the following in the Dynamic Chiropractic (a trade journal for chiropractors)…

A recent article by Drs. A.S. Plant and G. Tisman published in Nutrition and Cancer, highlights the emerging evidence that links suboptimal nutritional status of vitamin B-12 and Vitamin D with increased risk of cancer.

Previous studies have shown that low serum levels of vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) are associated with a higher frequency of at least 17 different malignancies, including breast, colon, and prostate, ovarian and other cancers

Vitamin B-12 deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

Many consumers are confused about taking vitamins from not knowing which kind to take, what types to take and in what amounts. Sometimes if you go to a nutrition store and ask about vitamins you often purchase more than you need.

Many factors must be considered when purchasing vitamins such as whether you are male/female, old/young, current health status, genetic predisposition, your job, your lifestyle and your health goals.

Don’t fall for the latest cure-all. If you are going to spend your hard-earned money then spend it wisely and completely research your specific vitamin needs.

If you have any questions you can always e-mail me at micahel@frompaintopersonalgain.com