Tag: nutrition

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Get some sunshine vitamin – even if you take it in a pill!

If you are wondering which vitamins to start with as you to add vitamin supplements to your healthy lifestyle – this post is for you.  I will highlight some of the important reasons you should take vitamin D supplements.  If you are still wondering whether or not you should be taking vitamin supplements, make sure you read the previous post about whether vitamins are worth it or just a waste.

Most people have heard of vitamin D – or the sunshine vitamin as it is sometimes called.  Although vitamin D is technically not really a vitamin, (it is actually a steroid hormone precursor that affects many of the systems in your body) it is still referred to as a vitamin for historical reasons.  Because of the wide ranging effects of vitamin D,  it should be high on the list of vitamins that you want to optimize in your diet and lifestyle.  You can do this through supplements (vitamin D3 pills or capsules) and sunlight exposure.  The best way to know what your blood or serum levels of vitamin D are is through a blood test you can request from your doctor (e.g. as part of a routine physical), or even with a blood test you can do at home.

Once you know what your blood levels of vitamin D are, you can make your plan for optimizing your vitamin D levels.  If you take vitamin D supplements, make sure it is vitamin D3 – the form your body can best utilize.  Since vitamin D is one of the vitamins that your body can synthesize itself given direct sunlight exposure, you can also target some daily direct sun exposure – just be careful to not burn.  One of the most interesting things about vitamin D is that your body can synthesize it in your skin from the sun.  As a part of this marvelous design your body will self regulate and will not produce too much vitamin D.

There are some very import short term and long-term benefits to optimizing your vitamin D levels that should catch everyone’s attention.  In terms of a short term benefit, many studies released over the last several years have consistently indicated that optimum vitamin D levels can help protect against respiratory infections, and can help lessen not only the chances of getting the cold or flu, but also shorten the length and severity of the cold and flu. Even though one study released in October 2012 contradicted this, it is important to note that study co-author Carlos A. Camargo Jr., MD pointed out that “It’s very important, however, to keep in mind that this group had relatively normal levels to start with, and so this might not apply to people with lower levels, with actually a vitamin D deficiency.”

From a long-term standpoint, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to much more than just rickets.
A quick review of the sources listed below will show that vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the following diseases or conditions:  Asthma, Autoimmune diseases, Bone health, Cancer, Cold, Flu, Kidney disease, Liver disease, Obesity, Oral health, Skin disorders, Thyroid disease.  This list is not all-inclusive, but I feel it does represent the importance of optimizing your vitamin D intake.

If you want to find out more about vitamin D, check out some of the following sites for more information on the benefits of vitamin D, the diseases it can help prevent and treat, and more information in general.

http://www.grc.com/health/vitamin-d.htm
http://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm
http://www.sunshinevitamin.org
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

Use the contact form below for any questions or comments you might have.  I’d love to hear from you.

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If vitamins are good, can’t I just take one pill to fix everything?

It depends on what you’re trying to fix!

If you’re trying to cover all your vitamin needs in one pill or reach optimum levels of vitamins and minerals with one vitamin – the answer is probably not.

It’s tempting to think that if you could just find the right vitamin, the right brand, or the right formula that you could cover your entire vitamin needs with one pill.  This would be both convenient, easier to remember and a quick – an easy nutritional grand-slam all at once.  As the old adage goes – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is; and in this case I think that saying applies.

If you want to optimize your nutrition and your vitamin and nutrient levels, without just taking a random shot at it – you will want to take a look at what your typical diet is (I recommend a food log or journal as a good starting place) and see what your diet does a good job of providing, and what nutrients might be lacking.

It would also be a good idea to talk with your family doctor about your plans and see what he would suggest.  I would start by changing doctors if he told me not to be concerned about vitamins and minerals; hopefully he’ll suggest a blood test to look at levels of minerals, vitamin d , b6, b12 and other indicators of your overall health and nutritional level.

In addition to reviewing your diet and looking at finding out where specific indicators are in your blood, you also need to some labels.  If you want to try to do an all-in-one approach, you’ll have to check the labels carefully.  Most likely, you will find that a “one pill to fix it all” approach will still require more than one pill daily.   You may also need to add some additional supplements to reach optimum levels of specific vitamins such as C, D, some of the B vitamins, and certain minerals.

Make sure you read the upcoming posts that will highlight some of a few of the nutrients and give guidelines for healthy supplementation and some of the key vitamins and minerals you should specifically make sure are optimum – and why it’s important to your health.

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A road trip is not a vacation from health

At least it shouldn’t be.

I have been traveling recently, and I’m always fascinated to watch the breakfast habits of fellow travelers.  Other meals are interesting too – but I find breakfast even more interesting since it’s easy identify the travelers; especially so if you are eating in the hotel in the morning before hitting the road or heading out to meetings.

Most people who read this blog have an understanding of the importance of healthy meals – including breakfast.

A breakfast of waffles or muffins or pastries with a big glass of orange juice doesn’t cut it – not if your goal is eat a healthy or at least balanced meal.   Waffles, muffins, pastry, toast (even if you didn’t put the jam or jelly on it) is basically sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar  – and if you had that big glass of orange juice – then you washed it down with sugar.

A healthy lifestyle doesn’t consist of a diet with breakfasts like this, and breakfast when traveling shouldn’t be like this either.

If you want to be healthy, you need to move toward a healthy lifestyle, and that is built on good meals, healthy nutrition, and staying active.  Just like a short term fix like a diet doesn’t fix an unhealthy lifestyle, treating yourself to a breakfast sugary breakfast doesn’t set the stage for a healthy lifestyle.  Aside from negative effects you’ll have on that day, many people find that treating themselves to a “special breakfast” like this to be a slippery slope to returning to unhealthy eating habits.

Try to look for good sources of protein such as eggs or meats, some cheese, a little fresh fruit and perhaps some yogurt or a little salad (if it’s available at breakfast time).  Dont’ forget coffee – it has it’s own health benefits, and it’s delicious. 
I try to avoid pastries, cereals (these are usually loaded with sugar) and other processed items like “breakfast bars”.  Most foods that claim to be a healthy meals that come in a bar, bag or pouch may be meal replacements, but I’d doubt they’ll help you reach a goal of a healthier lifestyle.

If we begin to think of a healthy lifestyle as the sum of consistently making good choices for your health, choices about what to have for a specific meal get easier; they become part of a pattern or plan for a healthy lifestyle rather than just what you happened to eat for that meal.

 

Questions or comments about this post?   Use the form below to contact me – I’d love to hear from you.

 

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What about supplements –worth it or a waste?

Two of the most frequent questions I get concern vitamins are:

Should I take them, and if so, what should I be taking?

To answer the first question – despite the fact that you can’t make up for bad nutrition with good supplements – most people could probably benefit from vitamin supplements.

When people hear this suggestion – they typical response is – why?

 1.    It’s difficult to always make sure that your diet includes the proper amounts of some of the most important vitamins.  Which ones?  Keep reading – we’ll get to that.  Some nutrients are difficult to get and the correct supplements can help make up for shortcomings in the foods you eat.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that the RDA which is often looked at for “how much should I take” is really a recommended amount necessary to avoid the vitamin deficiency diseases – it is not necessarily the optimum amount for excellent health.

2.    As a result of decades of intensive farming, and utilizing methods to shorten the amount of time to harvest, it’s questionable that food have the same nutritional value they once had.  The University of Texas released a study in 2004 concerning this.  That study of 43 garden crops led by a University of Texas Dr. Donald Davis suggests that their nutrient value has declined in recent decades while farmers have been planting crops designed to improve other traits; “Considered as a group, we found that six out of 13 nutrients showed apparently reliable declines between 1950 and 1999,” he said.

The nutrients they identified as declining at least somewhat in measurable value were protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin and ascorbic acid. The declines ranged from 6 percent for protein to 38 percent for riboflavin.

This study is reflective of the kind of nutritional changes in our food supply over the last 50 years.

So – should you supplement your diet with vitamins – my answer is yes.
Make sure you read the next post covering vitamin supplements for more specifics  and for general guidelines concerning what you should take and what to avoid.

Questions about vitamins or supplements?  Contact me using the form below – I’d love to hear from you.

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Why should you be concerned about eating GMO sourced foods?

We’ve looked at what GMO foods are, and how they are made.

With an understanding in place of what GMO foods are and where they come from, its time to look at some concerns centered around the consumption of GMO foods or products that contain ingredients from GMO sources.  Why should you be concerned?

Based on the release of new studies, several concerns have been raised.   For example, a recent Reuters article referenced a French study done at the University of Caen that states that “Monsanto’s NK603 GM corn or exposed to its top-selling Roundup glyphosate weed killer were at higher risk of suffering tumors, multiple organ damage and premature death.”  One of the results of this particular study is a temporary ban by Russia on the import of NK603 corn.  If other countries are concerned about the safety of these engineered foods, isn’t it worth your time to stop and consider what all the fuss is about?  It’s your life and your body you are caring for.  Do your own research, there are other long term studies with the same findings that should at very least cause you to stop and consider if the potential risk is worth not stopping to question the safety of GMO foods,  or maybe giving them up altogether.

Remember – you only get one body; you have a right to know what you are putting in to it, and a responsibility to take care of it.

Food for thought – watch this video released by Nutiva encouraging labeling of foods containing ingredients from GMO sources. It is a quick look at GMO, GMO labeling worldwide, and an encouragement to Californians to vote for proposition 37 which would require the labeling of GMO foods. This has significance for the rest of the US as well, as it likely would result in the same labeling being used on many products throughout the rest of the country – allowing consumers to make an informed decision about the products they purchase.

 

Questions or comments?  I’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment below:

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What is GMO food and should you care?

GMO stands for genetically modified organism.  Simply put, these are organisms that have had their genetic material (dna) modified or altered through some form of genetic engineering.

Three important things to understand about the term GMO:

  1. There are various methods that can be used to accomplish this.
  2. The alteration can be done using material from the same or a different species than the one being modified.
  3. GMO is perhaps most concerning when food items are modified.

According to Wikipedia, most genetically modified plants are generated by the use of a particle gun to inject foreign material into the dna of the plant being modified or through a transferal technique using bacteria to inject new material into the plant being modified.  Either way, the resulting dna is something new that has not been seen in nature.

Genetic modification can be made using material from the same species, or from a different species altogether.  When it is from a different species, it is called a transgenic modification.  One example of this is a tomato that was developed (but never commercially marketed) using fish genes.

My biggest concern is that as of October 2012 in the US, there is still no requirement that GMO food products be labeled, and there is no labeling requirement for food products that contain GMO ingredients.  The argument made by the promoters and marketers of GMO products that there is no difference and so things do not need to be labeled.  Consumers should have the right to know which products are GMO so that they can make their own judgment and informed purchasing decisions on the food and food products they eat.  It is interesting to note that there are mandatory labeling requirements in place for GMO products or ingredients in Europe.

 

Be sure to read the next post about GMO products currently (October 2012) in the US food supply that you are probably already consuming.

 

Questions – comments?  Use the form below to contact me – I’d love to hear from you.

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Juice or Juicing

There is a difference.

On the one hand, by juice I’m referring to the jars or cartons of grocery store juice; this stuff is usually clear, filtered, strained and sweetened – often with some added preservatives and flavors as well.  On the other hand, by juicing I’m referring to taking whole foods and using a Vitamix (my recommendation) or other powerful blender to make juice from whole foods.  Just to be clear – I’m referring to juice that still hs the pulp or fiber from the whole food included – not strained, filtered, or extracted juice.  Here are a few of the differences between the two and reasons you should be using a Vitamix.

Freshness

Juice in a jar has been made, distributed, bottled, stored, distributed yet again and then purchased from your store before finally reaching your home.  In extreme cases – for example in the case of orange juice –  the juice may have been stored a year or more before being “enhanced” and packaged and sent to your grocer.
There is no juice fresher than that consumed right after you make it.

 

Fiber

Clear juice in a jar or bottle has been strained and filtered to the point where virtually all of the fiber has been removed.  When you make your own juice from whole foods, they still retain all of the benefit that they did before being made into juice.  While it’s true that the fruit won’t crunch in your mouth like it did before being juiced in your Vitamix, you’ll still be ingesting all of the fiber and nutrition – just in pulverized form.

 

Nutrition

Fresh juice (namely juice made at home with a Vitamix) tends to have a higher antioxidant, enzyme and phytonutrient count as a result of being freshly juiced, and not strained, filtered, and pasteurized. In addition, many juices and especially juice drinks that are labeled as 100% juice or 100% natural contain additional apple or grape juice or juice concentrates as sweeteners.  Stick with fresh made juice – for the freshest and most nutrition, make your own.

 

Juice can be an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but you’re best off when it’s your own fresh made juice.  This way you control the ingredients, can certain of what is and isn’t in the juice, can avoid unnecessary sugar or artificial sweeteners, and can customize the juice to your tastes.   I recommend always including some vegetables in your fruit juice for balance and nutrition.

 

 

 

 

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Five more foods you should start eating

This is the second in a series on foods you really should eat regularly – foods should be part of your healthy lifestyle.  If you missed our first five, you’ll want to go back and review those as well.  I’ll go into more detail on each one of these foods in other posts.

Bison is a great source of protein.  If you like to eat red meat, then you should add bison to your list of must eat foods.   Bison offers several advantages over beef – including that lower in fat (and calories) and cholesterol.  Watch for an entire post dedicated to Bison coming soon.

 

Celery is another low calorie item that should be on your must eat list.
Low in calories, celery is a good source of naturally occurring vitamins C and K.  It also has been shown to have a beneficial effect on both cholesterol and blood pressure.
Tip:  if you don’t like the taste of celery, add a thin layer of almond butter, or throw a stalk in your smoothie.   With a good high powered juicer like a VItamix, you honestly probably won’t even know it’s in there.

Cherries a delicious addition to your must eat list.  Naturally high in antioxidants, sour or tart cherries are helpful for joint pain – especially sour or tart cherry juice.   They pack a an additional punch by helping reduce inflammation as well.  As an added benefit, they’re delicious!  Many people also report that they sleep better when they eat cherries, as they have a positive effect on your body’s levels of melatonin (a natural substance that is produced by your body that helps to regulate sleep/wake cycles).

 

Chocolate   – that’s right – chocolate!  While chocolate is toxic for dogs and other animals, it has been found to have a positive effect on people in several ways.  Dark chocolate especially is a good source of antioxidants, it also has been found to be heart-health friendly (as long as you don’t eat too much of it!); the flavonoids (antioxidants) seem to be especially beneficial to your heart in a protective way – and in moderation, it can help keep your blood pressure and cholesterol readings in healthy ranges   It can also help curb your appetite for other sweets.  Many people find that if they eat a couple squares of good quality dark chocolate that they feel like they’ve gotten your “chocolate fix” –  without as much fat and sugar as milk chocolate.

Coconut Oil is one of my favorite foods … ever.   I eat a spoonful of coconut oil every morning and every evening just for the benefits and healthy fats.  It’s good both in and on your body, as it makes a great moisturizer as well.  Coconut oil has been mentioned before in a posting on healthy oils, and has so many beneficial qualities that it will be featured soon in it’s own posting.

 

Questions, comments, or want to find out more?   Leave me a comment below – I’d love to hear from you.

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Five foods you should start eating now

So many websites focus on what NOT to eat, or what to stop eating.    We have that mental list of things that we’ve heard aren’t good for you, and those things we know aren’t good for you.   This is the first in a series on foods you really should eat regularly – that should be part of your healthy lifestyle.  I’ll go into more detail on each one of these in other posts.

Almonds are a great source of good fats (yes, you do need fat in your diet).  They also have protein, are a good source of magnesium, vitamin E, and calcium.  Have a handful or two a day (roughly 2 ounces) if you feel hunger coming on or the need for a snack.   By all means skip the salted and smoked almonds though.  For the maximum benefit, stick with raw, unsalted almonds.  Also think about almond butter as a healthy alternative to peanut butter.

Apples are beneficial in so many ways!
Here are a few reasons you should try to eat one or two apples every day.
Apples are a good source of fiber, and the fiber in apples has been shown to act as a natural statin.  They are also low calorie; at 100 calories or less for a typical apple, an apple is a great substitute for other sweet snacks.
Be sure to check out the post on an apple or two a day for more detail.

Blackberries are a great source of antioxidants and various vitamins and minerals, and are a great topping on a number of foods, or enjoyed whole as a healthy snack.  Throughout the summer months, fresh local blackberries are usually not that expensive either.  Consider them as a topping to your cereal, oatmeal, or throw  a handful in your smoothie.   Frozen blackberries make a great snack and also work really well in a smoothie – especially if you have a powerful blender or a Vitamix.

Blueberries are another powerhouse; they pack an amazing amount of antioxidants and phytonutrients.  They are also a good source of vitamins and minerals like manganese.   Like blackberries, blueberries are great fresh or frozen, and are a nice addition to a healthy smoothie.  By all means try to obtain organic blueberries if possible since blueberries are especially prone to pesticide contamination.

Chia seeds are an amazing food and have been used for their nutritional benefit for centuries –  long before they became a fad or used on “pets” sold during the holidays!  Chia seeds are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids and a number of other minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus.   Easily incorporated into your diet by sprinkling on salad, cereal, yogurt, or stirred into juices and drinks.

Questions, comments, or want to find out more?   Leave me a comment below – I’d love to hear from you.

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What’s the deal with sprouts?

If you’re not already familiar with them, sprouts can seem pretty weird!  This post will give you some basic info on sprouts, why they’re good for you, how to eat them.

Sprouts are basically just seeds that have been sprouted (allowed to start the process of growing), and usually also given a chance to “green up” a bit to develop a bit of the chlorophyll.  There are many different kinds of sprouts, though most people are probably familiar with or have seen alfalfa sprouts or bean sprouts.  Both are popular on salad bars, and you’ll often find bean sprouts in various Chinese or Thai meals.

Sprouts are good for you for several reasons:

They’re raw.    Raw foods contain enzymes that are not found in cooked foods.  When foods are cooked (above 117 degrees for three minutes or more) many changes occur – including the destruction of enzymes that are good for your health.   Sprouts are an easy and delicious way add raw food and get these enzymes back into your diet.

They’re packed with nutrients.   The process of a seed sprouting actually increases the vitamin and mineral content when it sprouts.   This is an easy and natural way to get nutrients in a natural and very digestible manner.

Talk about natural!  Sprouts require no fertilizer, pesticides, or anything other than water.  Best of all, if you buy organic sprouts or start with organic seeds, you know that you’re not ingesting any unwanted pesticides or chemicals – only the natural nutrients provided by the process of sprouting.

Sprouts are delicious!  Depending on the type of sprout, sprouts can have little flavor, be very subtle, or even rather bold tasting.  Some sprouts are nutty or spicy tasting.  I recommend that most people start with alfalfa sprouts.   They’re mild tasting, easy to buy already sprouted in most grocery stores, and easy to grow at home.  They also have a mild taste, so it’s an easy addition to many foods.   From there – experiment!  You’ll find that there are a variety of readily available sprouts, and many options if you grow your own.

Sprouts can be incorporated into your diet in so many ways!   Here are three ways you can try (but don’t stop here – try your own combinations).

  1. Add them as a topping to your salad.   This is a pretty easy way to add sprouts to your diet, as you can add them to your salad without changing the flavor much, and you can even begin to do this if you eat out at a salad bar
  2. Add them as a topping on a sandwich.  Sprouts can add a healthy snap to your sandwich both in terms of taste and texture.  Add a forkful or two of sprouts to your next sandwich for an easy nutritional boost.
  3. Add them to your juice.  Juice should already be a regular part of your healthy lifestyle.   Toss a forkful or two of sprouts into your blender or Vitamix the next time you make juice to get the added nutritional benefit.   With a good blender or even better – a Vitamix, the sprouts will be incorporated into the juice without leaving any chunks, bits, or anything stringy.

 

Have a question or something to say about this post?  Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear from you.