PrimeTime-Beauty

Posts Tagged ‘Vitamin D’

Hello Health & Beauty Buds!

You may notice it’s been quite awhile since I’ve written. Could it be that I’ve been in a Winter slump and just haven’t felt like it? Yep, that’s part of it. It’s been reported that only Hawaii has escaped winter’s wrath this year. Here in the Midwest, we’re all just plain sick and tired of it, and personally, I can feel myself sliding down that slippery slope into the winter blues. Luckily, the Internet is just full of tips on pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, so I’m going to post a few of them here…just so I have them close at hand whenever I need them.

First get outside. Even in bad weather the act of going outside will get your blood flowing.

Get as much sunlight as you can. Sunlight will improve your mood and can help mild depression. Winter sunlight is not as strong as summer light. If you suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) buy a light box which imitates natural sunlight. Put full spectrum light bulbs in your light fixtures.

Most people have a vitamin D deficiency. If you live in the northern hemisphere or are elderly you definitely need supplemental vitamin D. You can’t get it from sunlight in the winter. So increase your vitamin D intake. It will improve your mood and help your bones.

Don’t neglect your exercise in the winter. When you exercise your body produces endorphins that help you feel good. It is easy to get lazy and not want to go out in the bad weather. Do some form of exercise inside. Join a health club. Exercise will help you eliminate the blues.

Get enough sleep. Some of us seem to need more sleep in the winter. Be sure to schedule it into your day. Adequate sleep will help you shake the winter blues.

Drink plenty of water. It’s easy to get dehydrated in the dry winter air. Your brain actually shrinks when you are dehydrated. You feel tired and rundown. Sip on water throughout the day.

Food will influence your mood. Foods containing tryptophan such as eggs, turkey, soybeans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds will help you to feel better. As always eliminate sugar and white flour from your diet.

Licorice taken in capsules or tea can help you fight the blues. Don’t mistake herbal licorice with licorice candy. They are not the same thing.

Sometimes just using one of these home remedies is all you will need to lift the winter blues.

Excerpted from http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Tremer

Another thing I’m going to do this weekend is put away my winter decorations and bring out my Spring wreath, flower arrangements and Easter decorations. That’s sure to give to me another boost out of these gray, snowy days!

To your good health!

What are the most important nutrients women need? Here are some answers from WebMD:

While a lot depends on your diet and your lifestyle habits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services say many women are not consuming enough folate (a B vitamin) or calcium. Folate (or folic acid) helps support growth and development, prevents certain birth defects, and anemia during pregnancy, and may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Calcium is not only important to bone health but also overall health. Not taking enough calcium, beginning as a teenager, can increase your risk of osteoporosis (a painful bone-thinning disorder) later in life. The recommended level of daily folate intake in women is 400 micrograms daily. In terms of daily calcium requirements, women aged 11-24 need 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams; age 24 to 50, 1,000 milligrams; after age 50, 1,000 milligrams if you are taking hormone replacement therapy, and 1,500 milligrams if you are not. Women should also get adequate amounts of vitamin D to help the body use calcium.

So how much vitamin D is adequate for you?

Here’s an interesting excerpt from Dr. William Davis from his “The Heart Scan Blog”

There’s only one way to individualize your need for vitamin D and thereby determine your dose: Measure a blood level.

Nobody can gauge your vitamin D need by looking at you, by your skin color, size, or other simple measurement like weight or body fat. A vitamin D blood level needs to be measured specifically─period.

Unfortunately, many people balk at this, claiming either that it’s too much bother or that their doctor refused to measure it.

I would rank normalizing steroid hormone-vitamin D as among the most important things you can do for your health. It should never be too much bother. And if your doctor refuses to at least discuss why he/she won’t measure it, then it’s time for a new doctor.

If you’re worried about adding to rising healthcare costs by adding yet another blood test, think of the money saved by sparing you from a future of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc. The cost of a vitamin D blood test is relatively trivial (around $40-50, a fraction of the cost of a one month supply of a drug for diabetes.)

So how much vitamin D should you take? Enough to raise your blood level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D to normal. (We aim for a normal level of 60-70 ng/ml.)

To your good health!