Are You Vitamin D Deficient?

Probably … if you live anywhere north of a line that links Atlanta to LA or your skin is any shade darker than a notepad!

Season variations in vitamin D status are well documented in released studies. A recent College of California-Irvine and Mayo Facility research with 3.44 million blood samples of discovered that serum vitamin D levels are greatest in August and most affordable in February. From November through March, the absence of UVB rays in the Northern Hemisphere implies we cannot produce vitamin D from sun exposure to our skin.

“If you live north of a line that connects Atlanta to L.a, you essentially cannot make any vitamin D in your skin from November through March,” states Michael Holick, Ph.D., M.D., Teacher of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, and among the world’s foremost authorities on vitamin D.

Vitamin D improves calcium to keep bone wellness, but hundreds of other published researches reveal that vitamin D might assist avoid autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The nutrient could likewise play a duty in preventing particular types of cancer and state of mind disorders, and is linked to improved muscle strength and athletic efficiency and may play a function in weight management.

“Vitamin D is known to assist regulate– straight or indirectly-some 2,000 genes that manage everything from immunity, programmed cell death as well as appetite regulation,” explains Holick. “If you’ve receptors for D in practically all your cells and tissues, there’s a reason. Vitamin D appears to act like a surveillance mechanism for overall health.”

How Much Vitamin D is Enough?

It’s difficult to figure out how much vitamin D is required daily due to the fact that sunshine supplies the bulk our vitamin D from April-August. However, dark-skinned individuals, sunscreens, air pollution and various other factors all adversely affect the body’s ability to produce vitamin D. According to the Workplace of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Wellness, the main is to get enough vitamin D with reasonable sun exposure, diet and supplements to keep an optimal blood level of a minimum of 30 nm/L of 25-hydroxyvitaminD.

The Institute of Medicine recommends 600 IU per day for adults (800 IU for those 70 and over) and a ceiling of 4,000 IU per day, The Endocrine Society’s specialist panel suggests 600-1,000 IU daily and a tolerable upper limit of 10,000 IU/day. Dr. Holick and lots of other vitamin D experts advise 2,000 IU per day. Considering that you are most likely getting less than 600 IU per day right now, try incorporating even more vitamin D-enriched foods into your diet plan to obtain at least 600 IU per day. Then, think about a vitamin D3 supplement if you live north of the 33 degrees latitude.

Vitamin D Lacking in US Diet

Vitamin D is among the hardest nutrients to satisfy your everyday requirements for due to the fact that it’s found in really couple of foods normally. Natural sources consist of cod liver oil, fatty fish, egg yolks, liver and mushrooms. Some 90-95 % of the vitamin D in the body comes from UVB rays that we transform in the skin to the nutrient. From November-March, strengthened foods and supplements end up being significantly necessary to obtain optimal amounts of vitamin D in your diet. A research from The Journal of Nutrition reported that more than 90 % of UNITED STATE adults fail to fulfill the recommended intakes from diet plan alone.

Food Sources of Vitamin D

1 Tablespoon cod liver oil, 1,360 IU

3 oz wild salmon, 800 IU

1 Tablespoon strengthened spreads, 100-200 IU

3 oz sardines, 192 IU

3 oz canned tuna, 154 IU

1 huge Eggland’s Best Egg, 120 IU

1 cup Vitamin D Fortified Soymilk, 120 IU

1 cup fortified Orange Juice (check labels for quantities), 100-130 IU

3 oz beef liver, 50 IU

1 large egg yolk, 40 IU

Vitamin D Supplements

Taking a vitamin supplement in the winter season is also a great option for many individuals. Shaklee offered a vey affordable vitamin 3# supplement for all. Here is the link to check it out: http://mjshealthyway.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=21214

Info thanks to Diet Nutrition Advisor

I hope you have a healthy and productive holiday season. 

MJ 

Check out the Shaklee opportunity at http://mjshealthyway.com 

Kick the soda habit for better health

When I was growing up, soda was considered a special treat that we got a couple of times a year when the family went out to the local drive-in to have a hamburger and French fries. Yes, I am dating myself, but think about it—not THAT long ago, sodas were consumed a few times per year! Today, it is estimated that up to 70 percent of kids rarely drink water—instead they drink mostly sodas, juice, and milk. If you are the type of person who would rather drink soda than coffee, or if you can’t remember the last time you had a glass of water, take a moment to consider how soda consumption can adversely affect your health and steps you can take to stop drinking soda:

Increased tooth decay: Drinking soda is associated with poor dental health because the acidic nature of soda erodes tooth enamel—which is the hardest substance in your body! The sugar in sodas also causes plaque formation that leads to cavities and gum disease. Diet soda is no better as it seems to harm your teeth just as much as its sugary cousin because of the citric and phosphoric acid that is in all sodas.


Combination of harmful ingredients: While you might think it is the sugar that causes problems with soda drinking (and it does), other ingredients (acids, caffeine, phosphorus, etc.) can also cause health problems.


Weight gain: The single biggest source of calories for Americans is soda. Soda contains empty calories that you simply don’t need in your diet. A recent study in children showed that each additional 12-ounce soda consumed per day increased the odds of becoming obese by 60 percent. You might think that diet soda is a good bet, but recent research has shown that even diet soda could be making you fat.


Weaker bones: Soda has long been associated with osteoporosis in the elderly, but a study of teenage girls discovered that there was a three- to four-time increase in risk for bone fracture for girls who consumed soda than those who didn’t.


Too much of a not-so-good thing: In the 1950s, soda came in 6.5 ounce bottles. The 12-ounce can made its debut in the 1960s, and (not to be outdone) the 20-ounce plastic bottle became the norm in the 1990s. Today the 42-ounce (477 calories) bottle is gaining in popularity. Super-sizing of this source of empty calories has steadily occurred over the past 50 years, contributing to obesity, poor dental health, osteoporosis and more.

I could go on about the health disaster that is soda, but let me just say this: Kicking the soda habit could very well be one of the most important things you can do for your health. There are NO nutritional benefits to drinking sugary or sugar-free sodas—only harm.


So, if you are thirsty, I recommend trying these non-soda thirst quenchers instead:

• Infused water (spa water)

• Sparkling water with a twist of lemon or lime

• Herbal sun tea

• Low-sodium broth or miso

Do you have a favorite healthier soda alternative that I forgot to mention? Post it in the comments section below.

Thanks and have a healthy and productive day!

MJ

Shaklee, in harmony with planet Earth since 1957
http://mjshealthyway.com 
Info thanks to Shaklee Health Wise Blog

Best Supplements for Your Bone Health

Strong bones, bone density, ideal bone mass, bone growth, and bone renewal are all topics crucial to the quality of your wellness.

Bone Health Supplements
Everyone appears to be on the lookout for the best supplement to take care of their joint and bone health. Yet, there really is nobody supplement that can be able to take care from all of it. Instead, a blend of the right supplements might help enhance bones and joints while helping to relieve those aches and discomforts.
Installments of severe loss result in osteoporosis, that’s particularly usual in older women. Certain health conditions can likewise affect bone density. While supplements can be able to not entirely reverse bone loss, medical professionals do advise taking certain supplements to help regrow bone to some extent.
Check with your doctor before supplementing with any kind of vitamin, mineral or natural herb. Preferably, you’ve to intend to get the bulk of recommended vitamins and minerals from diet plan.

Calcium
This may be the most obvious of them all, but calcium is important to wellness bone development and life. The suggested day-to-day value for calcium reaches least 1000 mg getting excessive calcium is not really something to bother with because the body will just secrete anything it can not use.

Vitamin K
Your bones need vitamin K to produce proteins necessary for regrowth and aid in binding calcium towards the bone. You can be able to typically get the necessary quantity with your diet, rich sources include spinach, broccoli, cabbage and low-fat milk. If you do not or can not consume these sorts of foods, supplementing with 150 to 500mcg everyday. Use vitamin K supplements with care for anti-coagulant medicines, vitamin K works in direct opposition by promoting blood clotting. Talk to your doctor initially.

Vitamin D
The sun is our primary supply of vitamin D, but most women do not get enough of the nutrient and this spells not so great news for bones, as vitamin D assists the body take in calcium. Look into the label to be sure you are getting vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), most likely the most active form.

Glucosamine
Glucosamine is a supplement that’s naturally found in the wellness cartilage of bone. It’s actually been revealed that supplementation with glucosamine will help ease joint pain, reinforce bones, and keep your bones healthy. The advised day-to-day consumption to have an adult woman is around 1,200 mg per day. You’ll find this at most any drug or supermarket.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Research has actually revealed that omega-3 fatty acids may advertise bone regeneration. Demonstrated actions consist of increasing calcium absorption and individually promoting bone growth. Recommended dose is all about 4,000 mg daily, higher than the daily dosage usually recommended for general use, seek advice from your physician prior to using fish oil or various other necessary fatty acid supplements, specifically if you take blood-thinning medicines.

Shaklee offers all these supplements to promote bone health!
Check it out at http://mjshealthyway.com 

Have a healthy and productive week!

MJ

Bone Health Part 2-Painful Joints?

How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Do you jump out of bed ready to take on the day, or do you feel stuck like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz? If your knees or fingers feel stiff or achy, your joints may be trying to send you a message.

Typical joints consist of bones covered in a cushion of articular cartilage and synovial fluid that acts as a lubricant. This arrangement allows for smooth conduction of the joint through its whole range of motion. Pain in your joints is typically caused by overexertion or damage to the joint, and tends to occur more as we age. If the pain and discomfort gets worse over time – this might be a sign of joint damage.

Joint health is important because it’s closely related to our overall health. Pain in our joints can limit our mobility and interfere with almost every aspect of our lives including being active, enjoying time with family, and even performing everyday tasks.

What are the challenges?

There are many different problems that can affect the joints. Pain and discomfort may just be a sign that you overdid it last weekend, but it may also be the start of something bigger.

Arthritis, which simply means “inflammation of the joints,” is the number one cause of disability in the United States. There are two general types of arthritis:

• Osteoarthritis is considered wear and tear and typically occurs as we age.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that can strike at any age.

What these conditions share is that the inflammation in the joint causes damage to the cartilage. If left unchecked, this damage can lead to the destruction of the cartilage and even cause bone to rub against bone.

What can I do?

Joint health really depends on the health of the cartilage surrounding the joints and there are many things you can do to help protect your joints for a lifetime.

Keep moving:

• Exercise: The more active a person stays, the healthier their joints. Any exercise where you are moving your joints works including walking, running, golf, tennis, or others. If you already have joint issues, consider exercises that don’t put pressure on the joints such as cycling or swimming.
• Don’t sit still: Less movement means more stiffness for your joints. So if you sit all day, get up and get moving. Change positions frequently. Take frequent breaks at work and stretch or go for a short walk. Try taking phone calls while standing or go talk to the person instead of sending an e-mail.
• Stretch every day: Stretching increases a joints' range of motion. The more joints move, the more the cartilage gets nourished by the joint fluid.

Build Muscles: Strong muscles support and protect your joint’s, so it is key to maintain muscle mass as you age. Consider weight training to help build muscle and keep existing muscles and surrounding ligaments strong.

Maintain healthy weight: Each extra pound of body weight puts around four times the pressure on your knees when you are walking. If you remove 10 pounds from your body, you have just taken away 40 pounds of pressure off your knees when you are walking and up to 70 pounds when you are climbing stairs.

Ice: If you exercise or overdo it, consider using ice as a preventative. It not only helps reduce inflammation, but can also help with pain. It is best to use ice for only 15-20 minutes at a time, but you can repeat every hour.

Key Nutrients:

• Glucosamine hydrochloride: The cartilage in your joints is primarily made up of a nutrient called glucosamine. Taking glucosamine as a supplement may aid in maintaining healthy joints.
• Boswellia serrata: Boswellia is an herb that has been used for more than a thousand years to help maintain joint health. A specific extract of boswellia called 3-o-acetyl-11-keto-b-boswellic acid (AKBA) was shown in a recent study to improve joint comfort in less than a week.
• Omega-3s: Studies suggest that use of omega-3 oils may reduce morning stiffness, discomfort, and need medications. Consume fish at least two- times a week, or consider 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams a day of a good fish oil supplement.

Your joints have to last a lifetime and the health of your joints is closely related to your overall health. You can help your joints be their best by supporting them with healthy lifestyle choices and good nutrition.

Have a healthy and productive day! 

MJ 

Check out Shaklee’s Advanced Joint Complex: http://mjshealthyway.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=20281  Joint comfort in as few as 5 days! 

Info thanks to the Shaklee Corp. 

Health Benefits Of Almonds

The ancient Romans referred to Almonds as “Greek nuts” considering that they were first grown in Greece and typically in the Mediterranean. Almond trees are mainly found in warm dry and warm climates. Spanish missionaries are credited for taking the almond to the United States which is now responsible for almost 80 % of the worlds almond manufacturing. More particularly, California produces over 1 million tons of almonds every year.

Almonds include the most nutrients in contrast to all various other nuts. They’re especially rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids that help to lower LDL (aka bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (aka great cholesterol). The huge health advantages of almonds allow them to be part of the “Super foods List.” Just a handful of almonds a day offers much of the recommended levels of minerals, vitamins and protein you require in your healthy food diet plan.

The most typical wellness benefits of almonds are:

1. Crazy about your heart – According to studies, eating a handful of almonds frequently can decrease the threat of a heart attack by at least 50 %. Almonds are a great source of folic acid which helps battle fatty plaque that builds up in the arteries. High levels of Vitamin E are also found in almonds, which is an effective anti-oxidant that secures your cells from free of cost radical damage and helping in the development of red blood cells.

2. Prevents constipation – Almonds are rich in fiber which helps for proper bowel movement which in turn aids to clear the intestine. To aid with irregularity it’s smart to consume a lot of water after consuming almonds.

3. Pregnancy aid – Due to the folic acid pointed out above, almonds aid reduces the occurrence of abnormality in newborn babies. Folic acid is a B-Vitamin that helps in the development of cells and makes sure the healthy growth of the fetus.

4. Regulates blood sugar levels – Almonds contain potassium which helps in regulating blood pressure. Additionally, the salt content in almonds is low, this too is likewise instrumental in managing blood pressure. Almonds likewise have a stabilizing impact on sugar and the hormone insulin levels after meals, providing security from diabetic issues. They also consist of magnesium which is another mineral that helps your body control its blood glucose levels.

5. A super alkalizing food – Almonds are the only nut and one of the few proteins that are alkaline forming. When your body isn’t alkaline enough, you run the risk of having a bad immune system, osteoporosis, low energy and a propensity to obtain weight.

6. Reduce Alzheimer’s risk – Almonds include riboflavin and L-carnitine which are nutrients that improve brain task and can likewise decrease the threat of Alzheimer’s disease.

7. Aid in weight loss – According to the California Almond Board, consuming roughly 23 almonds, you’ll consume 160 calories, but you’ll also intake 6 g of protein and 4 g of fiber, both of making you feel full. In 2007 a study in Spain revealed that individuals who consumed nuts in general, twice a week, were over 30 % less most likely to get weight than those who never or almost never consume nuts.

Just like other food, even almonds have their disadvantages. They contain oxalates which can trigger crystallization, so people that have kidney or gallbladder troubles must stay clear of eating almonds. All foods, including ‘superfoods’ provide a healthy diet plan if you eat them with moderation in a well-balanced diet plan.

Have a healthy and productive weekend! 

MJ 

Shaklee, keep our planet green and healthy since 1956! 

See here: http://mjshealthyway.com  

Article resource

The Power of Pumpkin Seeds! Yum!

Pumpkin Seeds are one of nature’s most nourishing foods. They contain high amounts of vitamin E, B-complex, magnesium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Pumpkin seeds are essential for men’s health and provide significant protection for the prostate gland. They are an excellent source of tryptophan which is critical for good quality sleep and for keeping anxiety and depression at bay. The B-complex vitamins in pumpkin seeds work as co-factors in the body to help reduce cholesterol and enhance GABA activity which is also known to reduce anxiety and neurological disorders. 

Pumpkin seeds also contain anti-inflammatory properties which provide benefit for those that suffer with chronic inflammation such as in sinusitis, arthritis, bursitis, and other autoimmune disorders. Pumpkin seeds have high concentrations of phytosterols that can help to inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the gastrointestinal tract which ultimately can help reduce the bad cholesterol in the body. 

Pumpkin Seeds have also been known to prevent kidney stones and osteoporosis. Pumpkin seed butter is a great and tasty alternative to peanut butter and can be found online and in most health food stores. Raw pumpkin seeds will provide you with the most nutrition and health benefits. Try sprinkling them on salads, adding them to trail mixes, or chop them with dates to make your own healthy energy bars.

Thanks to the Medical Medium for the information!