The Wellness Times

Sunny Futures with Vitamin D

by Eric Robert Santiago on 07/16/12

Vitamin D may be a key to healthier, more active aging. That’s what current studies are trying to determine. Vitamin D plays a role in musculoskeletal, immune, neurological, and cardiovascular health. One recent study in elderly subjects showed an association between higher circulating vitamin D levels and greater long-term health and physical function. Research also suggests that adequate vitamin D nutrition may help protect against osteoporosis, high blood pressure, certain autoimmune diseases, and other serious conditions.

Nearly 3 out of 4 adults and teens may be deficient in the “sunshine” vitamin. Deficiency risk increases with age, skin pigment, and limited sunlight exposure, and is also associated with diabetes, kidney disease, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease or other gastrointestinal disorders—such as fat malabsorption. Current daily intake recommendations (400 IU to 600 IU) are primarily based on bone health, and it has been suggested that higher levels may be necessary to maintain optimal physical function, muscle strength, and other health functions. Several health organizations and nutritional councils are expected to provide revised guidelines for higher daily intake soon. Those with diagnosed deficiencies may require temporary daily doses of up to 5,000 IU.†

A good source of vitamin D may be hard to find. Our bodies manufacture vitamin D3 when skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet-B rays—which can be blocked by both windows and sunscreen. And vitamin D is found naturally only in a few foods (e.g., fish, eggs). That’s why products like milk are vitamin D-fortified, sometimes with the less absorbable vitamin D2 form. Dietary supplements are often recommended, but vary in quality and may be made from vitamin D2 or D3. And D3 supplements may be 3 times more effective than D2 at increasing vitamin D levels in the body. The supplement delivery form and manufacture may also influence absorption potential, so it’s just as important with this “basic” vitamin to seek higher quality for maximum benefits. After all—it may impact your quality of life down the road!

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Why Eating a Rainbow Can Lead to a Pot of Gold

by Eric Robert Santiago on 07/13/12

Are your current dietary habits leading you to a pot of gold or a pot belly? Unfortunately, most Americans consume a less-than-optimal diet, one that is disproportionately low in fruits and vegetables and high in saturated fats and refined sugars and carbohydrates. This “Standard American Diet” (or S.A.D.) has been linked to many chronic health conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Lowering the Risk of Chronic Disease

Most of us know that fruits and vegetables play a key role in a healthy, balanced diet. Plant-based foods, in general, are naturally low in fat and provide important nutrients (called phytonutrients) and dietary fiber. Scientific research shows that diets rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of chronic disease. For instance, in a meta-analysis covering 278,495 individuals followed over 11 years, increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables from three servings per day to five servings per day was associated with a 17 percent reduction in coronary heart disease. Another study of 126,000 adults found that eating just one extra serving of fruits and vegetables daily could reduce the risk of stroke by six percent.

Don’t Be S.A.D. — Be Glad!

Sadly, many Americans rely on fast food restaurants as their source of fruits and vegetables. According to Dr. David Heber, author of the book, What Color is Your Diet, the top five choices for fruits and vegetables in the United States are iceberg lettuce, tomatoes (including sauces), potatoes (mainly French fries), bananas, and oranges (mainly as juice). But iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and French fries are typically part of an unhealthy diet (as in burgers and fries). And relying on orange juice and bananas alone won’t deliver the variety of nutrients required for good health.

A Rainbow of Nutrients

Eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables will give your body the range of valuable nutrients it needs to maintain health, such as fiber, folate, and vitamins. And the deeper the color, the better: color is indicative of natural pigments that have been linked with health-promoting benefits. For example:

• Red: Tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit may contain lycopene, a phytonutrient that been linked with reduced incidence of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration.
• Orange/yellow: Carrots and sweet potatoes are a good source of carotenoids, phytonutrients that convert to vitamin A. Among the many biological functions of vitamin A are cellular growth and vision. Lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are a good source of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Vitamin C helps to form collagen in bones, cartilage, and muscle. It is also necessary for the absorption of iron.
• Green: Dark, leafy greens such as spinach and kale contain lutein. In patients with retinitis pigmentosa, lutein has been shown to help improve night blindness and peripheral vision.
• Blue/purple: Blueberries, grapes, raisins, and eggplant may contain anthocyanidins, which function as antioxidants to protect from cellular damage.
• White: Garlic and onions are a source of allicin, a natural compound exhibiting antibacterial and antifungal properties. Bananas and potatoes contain potassium, an essential mineral that helps regulate heart function, blood pressure, and nerve and muscle activity.

Making Colorful Foods Part of Your Daily Regimen

With today’s busy schedules, moving away from fast food to a more healthful diet, i.e., one that is more simple, balanced, and colorful, can seem challenging. But the good news is, doing so is not only easy, it can also be delicious!

Here are a few tips for getting more variety and color in your diet:

• Each week, try a new fruit or vegetable
• Visit ethnic grocery stores
• Make rainbow fruit kabobs
• Try dishes that invite color, such as stir-fries, omelettes, soups, salads, wraps, and smoothies
• Switch from mashed potatoes to sliced carrots, or from corn to spinach
• Toss in red pepper, tomato sauce, garlic, onion, or broccoli
• Add rinds of oranges or lemons to water, chicken or fish
• Eat fruit salads
• Try a little bit of every color at a salad bar

Please visit us online at www.vibranthealthcompany.net

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The Cold, hard facts about omega-3 essential fatty acid

by Eric Robert Santiago on 07/10/12

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Keep Your Moves Smooth....

by Eric Robert Santiago on 07/09/12

 

Repeated strain or injury, aging, and even poor lifestyle choices can lead to pain in the tissues that connect your joints, ligaments, and tendons. Collectively, these tissues compose a system of structural support known as the extracellular matrix. Breakdown of the tissue in this matrix can lead to ongoing painful conditions.

Fortunately, a revolutionary combination of nutrients and phytonutrients is showing promise as a complement to chiropractic and orthopedic therapy to support tissue health in the extracellular matrix.

Natural Support to Help You Move Free

Tissue-damaging enzymes that digest collagen (the basic building block of connective tissues) can also damage the connective tissues that make up the extracellular matrix. Some expression of these enzymes is healthy, but poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle choices, or chronic injury may lead to overproduction of these enzymes, resulting in tissue damage, inflammation, and pain.

Preliminary research indicates that tetrahydro iso-alpha acids (derived from hops), berberine (a common Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine), the minerals zinc and selenium, as well as certain B vitamins can reduce the overall expression of these enzymes. This in turn supports the integrity and health of the tissues that constitute the extracellular matrix.

This unique combination of ingredients may help to:

• support the health and integrity of connective tissue to enhance mobility and quality of life
• reduce painful inflammation
• provide a complement to chiropractic and osteopathic bodywork

Please visit us at: www.vibranthealthcompany.net

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New hope for avoiding a midlife meltdown.

by Eric Robert Santiago on 07/06/12

Women experience the menopause transition differentlyand at many different ages. Get safer menopausal hot flash relief that performs comparable to HT. A special botanical extract of Siberian rhubarb root called ERr 731™, prescribed in Germany since 1993, is now available in nutritional supplement form in the US. In peri- and postmenopausal women, the ERr 731 phytoestrogen approach has demonstrated long-term, safe usewithout any reported serious adverse effects associated with HT. In one 12-week clinical study, average daily hot flashes decreased from 12 to 2. In fact, researchers suggest that ERr 731 use is as effective as an ultra low dose of HT for reducing hot flashes. Other common menopausal symptoms have also shown significant reductions in clinical studies. And women report noticeable improvements in just 4 weeks at 4 mg of this extract daily. Although the average age a woman has her last menstrual cycle is at 51 years old, there's no "average" way menopause affects women. Some may experience symptoms in their mid-30s as female hormone levels begin to change. This pre-menopausal phase (known as perimenopause) can last up to 10 years, with symptoms that can be just as bothersome as postmenopausal symptomsincluding hot flashes, anxiety, irritability, physical/mental exhaustion, and sleep disturbances. While hormone therapies (HT) may offer effective relief, they may carry a greater risk of stroke, blood clots, and certain hormone-sensitive cancers. To manage this risk, HT is generally only recommended in low doses for short-term use in postmenopausal women. And natural therapies, while typically safer for both peri- and postmenopausal women, vary in dependability and success.

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