Wisdom Wednesday!!

5 Most Popular Supplements

Two weeks ago I talked about a program that can help you, a little, to know what vitamins/supplements you should be taking. So when I came across this article I thought you might find it interesting. It lists the 5 most popular supplements and or vitamins that people are taking. The first thing to start the list surprised me, it was Fish oil. I thought for sure it would be a multi vitamin, but that came in second. Fish oil is important because it has the omegas that are essential for your body. I was really glad to see that Vitamin D came in third, and then Calcium was right behind it in fourth. Both of those are extremely important. To find out more about vitamin D, I talked about it on a previous Wisdom Wednesday, click here. You can click here to see the whole article on the most popular supplements. I hope that you are looking at the food that you are eating and the vitamins/supplements you are or are not taking. It is important for our health to be getting the essentials. And on that note, here's to a Happier Healthier all around you!

Wisdom Wednesday!!

Supplements

No matter how healthy you are eating there is a good chance you are not getting the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs. I've talked before about how our soil today is depleted, so our vegetables and food do not contain the amounts of nutrients they used to have. But that is not what I wanted to talk about today. Today I wanted to talk about Supplements.
I came across this article that talks about a new program that Dr. Well has set up. If you go here, to his web site it has a test you can take. Then depending on your answers it tells you what supplements your body needs the most. I've taken the test and though I do like that something is out there to help, I felt that it was missing some key questions. It never asked me my weight or my height. It didn't ask me what I eat on a regular basis beside how many servings of fruits and veggies and dairy I consume a day. For example it didn't ask me about any grains I eat. It did how ever suggest some supplements that I already take and I know that I need to take. It is a great way to start if you have never taken supplements before. It's a free test, and of course they want you to buy their products, which is completely up to you. I am not giving you this information so that you go and buy their products. I'm simply trying to help you be aware of what is out there and what your body needs to be healthy. After you take the test then you can decide on what supplements to take. I do, however, recommend that you do not buy your supplements from the grocery store. The supplements at the Health Food stores, such as Good Earth which is located near me, are better than grocery store supplements. But my suggestion to you is to do some research on other companies and buy from them. I get some of my supplements from a Doctor that I have to buy from him at his office. I buy some of my supplements from another Doctor, Dr. Klassen, that you can buy online. You can find his products here. I also buy some from Dr. Young, here. Again I am not saying to go and buy from them. This is just some information that I thought would be helpful for you and your quest to become more healthy. The rest is up to you. Just remember that it is important to take supplements and when you do remember to tell your Doctor about them and what you are taking when you go visit him or her. Also, if you are taking any medications, ask your pharmacist if there are any herbs that shouldn't be taken with your medication. Then make sure there isn't any of that herb in your supplement. Knowledge is power!

Wisdom Wednesday!!

Vitamin A

When you think of Vitamin A, do you think about your eyes? Well most people do and that's because your retina in your eyes need vitamin A to be healthy, to see color. But there are other things that your body needs vitamin A for. You need it for bone growth, healthy skin, cell division, reproduction, and cell differentiation (that's when a cell becomes part of the brain, lungs, or other specific tissue in your body). Vitamin A helps strengthen your immune system. It helps make white blood cells. It helps strengthen the lining in your urinary, intestinal, and respiratory tracts. If these are not healthy then it becomes easier for bacteria to grow in your body.

There are two forms of vitamin A and you get them from two different sources, plants and animals. Most people get it from plants, fruits and vegetables. Some of the foods that are rich in vitamin A include:

Liver

Sweet Potatoes

Carrots

Mangoes

Dried Apricots

Cantaloupe

Spinach

Kale

Peas

Tomatoes

Papayas

Milk

Egg Yolks

Mozzarella Cheese

Beef

Chicken

The good thing about Vitamin A is that if you have a deficiency it is easy to recover from it. You simply have to eat more of these foods. So Happy Healthy Eating!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina.asp

http://ask.yahoo.com/20001011.html

Wisdom Wednesday!!

Vitamin C

Today I wanted to talk about another vitamin, Vitamin C. Vitamin C is very important to our bodies. Did you know that your body can not make it's own vitamin C? Well it's true. The only way our bodies can get this important vitamin in through the food we eat and the supplements we take. Vitamin C has many benefits which include, helping your body absorb iron and calcium, prevention of Scurvy, strengthening our immune system, it aids in the structure of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bones, it is also critical in aiding our brain function. That is how important vitamin C is to our body. If you don't have enough vitamin C you can develop Scurvy. If you have too much vitamin C our body just lets it go out through our urine. If you have too much for a long period of time it can make it so your body can't use vitamin B12 or you can develop kidney stones. As Americans we don't get enough vitamin C. Here are some food that are rich in vitamin C that you probably wouldn't have thought of.

Red sweet peppers, Green peppers, Guava, Oranges, Kiwi, Grapefruit juice, Strawberries, Cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, Tomato juice, and others.

The RDA suggests that we consume 57-90 milligrams a day for adults. But some research suggests that if you get 500 milligrams a day it will increase your health dramatically. That is about 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. If you're not eating enough food that is rich in vitamin C, then it would be wise to use a supplement as well. But really doesn't food sound so much better than taking a pill? :] So remember happy healthier eating.

Other sources:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/the-benefits-of-vitmain-c

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-sare/top-sources-vitamin-C-44102808

http://www.vitamindeals.info/articles/vitamin-c.html

Wisdom Wednesday!!

Vitamin D

Today I wanted to talk about Vitamin D. It is very important to our bodies. It helps our body to absorb calcium. It helps our body to regulate that calcium between our blood and our bones. Vitamin D promotes healthy cell growth, and helps maintain hormonal balance and a healthy immune system. It also helps us have more energy.
A lot of people don't think much about this vitamin. They think that if they go outside for a few minutes every day that they'll be okay. And yes that is true, kind of, but most people are not going outside everyday. You need to go outside for 15 minutes every day in order for your skin to get the UV-B rays it needs to convert into Vitamin D. But there are also many variables to consider if you really are getting enough sun light. For starters if you live above 40* latitude, which is about where New York is, then the sun's rays are only strong enough from May through September to trigger the vitamin D process. If you have darker skin you need to be in the sun longer. If you are overweight then the fat makes it harder for your body to process the rays into vitamin D, so you need to be in the sun longer too. And one of the biggest factors is Sunscreen. Putting sunscreen on stops the UV-B rays from absorbing into your skin, which is what sunscreen is supposed to do. By putting on sunscreen, even the low 8 SPF's, you are not allowing your body to work as it should. Now I'm not saying to go without sunscreen. I have two boys that are very fair skinned and on a hot enough day can burn very quickly. I'm just suggesting that you first go outside and get the exposure your body needs and then apply the sunscreen. For my kids, especially in the early morning, I let them play outside for about a half an hour before calling them back in to put on their sunscreen. In the spring I try to make it go longer or not apply at all depending on how hot the day is.
Some might say that I'm crazy, that I'm increasing the risk of my children having skin cancer later on in life. Well through research they are finding out that many, even children, are vitamin D deficient. There are many health issues related to being vitamin D deficient. Some of these health issues are; rickets in children, osteoporosis, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, asthma in children, depression, energy loss, high blood pressure, and obesity to name a few.
So really sun exposure is extremely important. It is the best form of vitamin D for your body because your body is making it. There are only a few other ways that you can get vitamin D. You can take a supplement. You can eat a few foods including, some fish, fish oils, egg yolks, beef liver, and some green leafy vegetables. More and more they are fortifying foods with vitamin D, though that is not the best source.
Whatever you do make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. Some of the signs and symptoms of being vitamin D deficient are, bone pain, muscle weakness, low energy and fatigue, getting sick more often, symptoms of depression, mood swings, weird sleeping patterns, and in women that have IBS or Chrohn's Disease there is a very good chance they are already vitamin D deficient because they can not absorb adequate nutrients through their intestinal wall in their colon. Now just because you have some of these symptoms doesn't mean you are vitamin D deficient. If I felt some of these I would change my diet and get more direct sun light. If symptoms didn't leave then I would call my doctor and see if he could run some tests. There are tests out there to determine if you are vitamin D deficient. But above all, and the point I'm trying to make, is vitamin D is extremely important for your health. So go outside enjoy the warm, lovely sunlight and make some vitamin D.

sources: www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/benefits-of-vitamin-d-sources-and-deficiency-104086.html
www.webmd.com/diet/vitamin-d-deficiency
www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx
www.longevity.com/od/researchandmedicine/a/vitamin_d.htm