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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The low down on natural sugars – part 2, thumbs down list
There are lots of "natural" sugars, and as I said before how do you know the ones to avoid? Here is my guide to the ones I try to avoid and why. Evaporated Cane Juice The new kid on the block of "natural" sugars. It is a sugar syrup from partially refined sugar which is very similar to ordinary sugar. The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) has warned of mislabelling with this product. Fructose This no longer has the goodness and fibre of fruit. Unlike sucrose and glucose it won't spike your insulin levels, but it will cause weight gain around the middle. It also interferes with the production of hormones related to hunger and satiety (feeling full) and hence increases appetite. On top of this it gets converted to unhealthy fats e.g. LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and triglycerides. Remember fructose is fine when naturally occuring withing fruit but I recommend avoiding it when its a white powder added to food. Agave This is essentially up to 90% refined fructose (see above). There is no way of distinguishing between commercially and traditionally produced produced products. Molasses This has the least amount of sugar and the highest level of vitamins and minerals. Half its sugar content is fructose and glucose in equal amounts while the other half is sucrose. So it will spike your insulin levels which causes the body to create fat. It may contain high levels of pesticides and other chemicals use in the processing. Xylitol Sold as a white powder considered natural as it occurs in plants but needs a lot of refining. Low in calories, it doesn't spike insulin levels so useful for diabetics. It is on my avoid list because it requires a lot of processing to produce and because it ferments in the gut causing diarrhoea and bloating. Sorbitol Used in foods for diabetics at it triggers little or no insulin production. I would avoid it as it is heavily processed as it is hard on the digestive system just like Xylitol. Honey A simple sugar up to 40% glucose and fructose so it affects your blood sugar levels very quickly. If you must use it, I mix it with lemon and ginger when I have a sore throat, cold or flu then by organic and I perfer manuka for its healing properties. References Natural Alternatives to Sugar by Dr M Glenville (Lifestyle Press 2016)
Self help to prevent a stiff neck
Previously I shared my produced for how to treat a stiff neck. In this blog post I want to share my tips for on prevention of stiff necks for those that are prone to them. Firstly, make sure you practice proper posture regardless of what you’re doing, such as positioning computer monitor at eye level and moving your neck frequently when driving to ensure your muscles remain nimble. Secondly, if you notice your neck muscles start to tight as you do core exercises then place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth to assit your neck muscles to relax. Produces for Stiff Neck Prevention
1. Roll your shoulders backwards and down 10 times. 2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together 10 times. 3. Place your hands at the back of your head and push into them, then hold for 30 seconds. 4. Tilt your head shoulder to shoulder 10 times on each side.
