How to boost your Vitamin D levels?
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone as the body can manufacture it (via exposure to UVB radiation from sunlight) as well as absorb it from food. So in the dark winter months when safe sun exposure is impossible without going on holiday, your can become depleted in Vitamin D. (see signs). So I want to explain how can you boost your vitamin D levels?
Probably the simplest way it to take a vitamin D supplement, I would recommend D3 as this is the most natural form of vitamin D. In addition vitamin D is found in the following foods.
- Sardines
- Wild caught Alaskan salmon
- Egg yolks
- Cheese
- Beef livers
- Butter
- Breakfast cereals fortified with vitamin D
- Yoghurt fortified with vitamin D
However it should be noted that it can be difficult to optimise your vitamin D level just from food sources.
Vitamin D is well known to prevent osteoporosis and promote strong bones and teeth but its role in disease prevention is probably less well known. So in the next few blog posts I want to look at its role in disease prevention starting with the immune system.
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Top tips for preventing sports injuries
Many sports injuries occur because people don't know how to prevent them. Here are some tips to help prevent injuries:
- Always wear the correct gear. Players should always wear appropriate and properly fitted protective sports gear such as pads (neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee, shin), helmets, mouthpieces, face guards, protective cups, and/or eye wear.
- Increase muscle strength.
- Increase flexibility. Stretch!
- Use the proper technique.
- Take rests.
- Follow the rules of your sport and play safe.
- Stop the activity if there is pain.
- Keep hydrated.
How do you look after your bones if you are dairy free?
We all know our bones need calcium and normally we get this from diary. But more and more people are going dairy free for a variety of reasons including following specific diets. The UK's National Osteoporosis Society surveyed 2,000 adults found that one in five of those aged between 18 - 25 had cut diary from their diets. As a result they could be putting their bone health at risk and could end up with osteoporosis in older age, the society has warned. But diary isn't necessary for achieving bone health, says Viva the animal rights group. Instead,
- weight bearing exercise such as walking
- climbing stairs
- dancing
- dark green leafy vegatables
- broccoli
- kale
- spring greens
- cabbage
- pak choi
- dried fruits
- nuts
- seeds
- pulses
Tips for a healthy stomach
The stomach is the body's food processor. It takes about 4 hours for a moderate meal to be processed. It takes 7 seconds for food to travel from your mouth to your stomach. Your stomach can hold 1.5 litres of food and drink. Chew each mouthful at least 20 times Chewing produces saliva which start the digestive process efficiently, enabling the food to the broken down thoroughly. Eating to quickly often means you don't chew each mouthful enough and causes problems such as heartburn and indigestion. Swallowing large lumps of food causes problems for the gut as undigested food ferments, creating toxins and gases that irritate the stomach lining; it also prevents absorption of nutrients and creates digestive problems. Digestive enzymes Digestive enzymes help to minimize indigestion, acide reflux, bloating and gas. There are three main clasifications of digestive enzymes:
- Amylases: which break down carbohydrates
- Lipases: which break down fats
- Proteases: which break down protiens
